Greencastle IrelandCruise Port Guide

Greencastle is a small fishing village and port on the western shore of Lough Foyle, at the northern tip of the Inishowen Peninsula in County Donegal, Ireland. The village sits on the boundary between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland — Magilligan Point in Northern Ireland is directly across the narrow mouth of the lough, and a ferry connects the two shores.

Despite its modest size, Greencastle's strategic location has given it historical significance for centuries. Greencastle Castle (Northburgh Castle) is a substantial late-medieval tower house built circa 1305 by Richard Burgh, the Red Earl of Ulster. The castle's ruins stand directly at the water's edge, dramatically framed by the lough, and represent one of the finest examples of 14th-century castle architecture in Ireland.

Cruise ships calling at Greencastle typically use it as a gateway to the spectacular Inishowen Peninsula — the northernmost point of Ireland — and to Derry/Londonderry, one of Ireland's best-preserved walled cities, located about 30 km south. Derry's 17th-century city walls (the last complete circuit of walled defenses built in the British Isles) encircle the historic core, which includes the Cathedral of Saint Columb, the Tower Museum, and the Bogside area with its celebrated murals documenting the Troubles.

Malin Head, the northernmost point of the island of Ireland, is a scenic drive across the Inishowen Peninsula from Greencastle. The headland's dramatic sea cliffs, tower fortifications, and constant Atlantic winds create a wild, elemental landscape.