County Donegal · Ireland
Glengesh Pass
R230Ardara to Glencolumbkille
A wildly bendy Donegal mountain pass on the R230, climbing through a glaciated valley between Ardara and Glencolumbkille with two dramatic hairpins on the descent.
Glengesh, the Glen of the Swans, is repeatedly ranked among Ireland’s finest drives, the R230 threading through a deep glaciated valley in remote west Donegal between the heritage town of Ardara and the village of Glencolumbkille. The road climbs to around 270 metres past a much-photographed Wild Atlantic Way viewpoint, then drops sharply through two tight hairpin bends. It is narrow with grass up the middle in places, so progress is steady rather than quick, and meeting an oncoming car on the bends needs care. Conditions are wildest in winter. Mind the very tight hairpins on the descent, the narrow single-track sections, and oncoming traffic on blind bends.
Where it runs6.7 mi · point to point
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Character
Corners
busiest around mile 3Elevation
under 4%4–8%over 8%26.9 – 271.2 mFrom the road
Points of interest1 stop
- Viewpoint Glengesh ValleyViewpoint3.4 mi in
Hazards
- Tight hairpin bends on the descent
- Narrow single-track sections
- Oncoming traffic on blind bends
Sources
“there's just something immensely special about making your way down around the bends at Glengesh.”
Verified route: mapped from real road geometry and fact-checked by a human editor. How roads get checked
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