1910-1911.] 



57 



ROSAPENNA I.F.C.U. CONFERENCE. 



The Sixth Triennial Conference of the Naturalists' Field 

 Clubs of Ireland was held at Rosapenna, County Donegal, from 

 the 8th till the 14th July. 



The party, which consisted of forty-seven members and friends 

 of the various Clubs, comprising three from Limerick, twelve from 

 Dublin, and thirty-two from Belfast, assembled at the Great 

 Northern Station, Belfast, on Friday morning, the 8th inst., in 

 time for the 7-30 train. Travelling in specially reserved carriages, 

 the journey was quickly and pleasantly made to Letterkenny. 

 Lunch was taken here, and the members had an opportunity of 

 visiting the new Cathedral of St. Columba before resuming the 

 journey to Creeslough. On reaching Creeslough, cars were found 

 waiting, and a short drive brought the party to Doe Castle, which 

 stands at the head of Sheephaven Bay, in a strong position, 

 surrounded by water on three sides. Now in a ruinous condition, 

 the date of its erection is lost, but it was apparently in existence 

 in 1440. At one time the stronghold of the MacSwyne-na-Doe, it 

 latterly passed through the hands of several owners, until towards 

 the close of last century it ceased to be a residence. After the castle 

 was inspected the whole party met under the trees in front of the 

 castle, where a delightful tea was served. The graveyard near 

 the castle was also visited in order to give the members an 

 opportunity of seeing the inscribed stone slab built into the north 

 wall. Remounting cars, the route was continued along the shores 

 of Sheephaven, and Rosapenna Hotel, the headquarters of the 

 Conference, was reached in time for dinner. A walk over and 

 along the headlands to the west of the bay, a visit to one of the 

 Muslac Caves, a brief examination of an interesting shell cove, and 

 a glance at the famous prehistoric kitchen-middens of Rosapenna 

 brought an enjoyable, if fatiguing, day to a close. 



Saturday morning dawned fair, and cars were mounted at 

 9-30 a.m. On leaving the hotel, they took the road northward, up 



c 



