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community · Wednesday 12 August 2026 · Various 
Ó Dochartaigh Clann Gathering 2026
At McGrory's Hotel · Culdaff, Inishowen, Co. Donegal
At McGrory's Hotel · Culdaff, Inishowen, Co. Donegal
The Ó Dochartaigh Association brings descendants of the name home to Inishowen for four days of heritage talks, guided tours, genealogy work and music. Doherty, Dougherty and the other spellings of the name all trace back to this corner of Donegal, and the gathering is built for people arriving from abroad as much as for locals. Headquarters for the 2026 edition is McGrory’s Hotel in Culdaff, with events running at venues across the peninsula.
The programme opens on Wednesday 12 August with a concert by Sara Dougherty Carter, doors at 7:00 PM and music from 8:30 PM. Thursday brings a full-day antiquities and heritage bus tour of Inishowen from 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM, a genealogy forum in the evening and a pub quiz at 9:30 PM. Friday is given over to heritage and culture lectures from 10:00 AM, followed by the association’s AGM at 7:00 PM and a céilí dance at 8:00 PM, both in the Culdaff Wee Hall. Saturday finishes the run with a tour of the Doagh Famine Village at 10:00 AM, a genealogy and heritage exhibition in Clonmany at noon, a walk at the Gap of Mamore at 3:00 PM and a three-course closing banquet with entertainment at 6:00 PM.
Culdaff is on the north coast of Inishowen, reached on the R238 through Carndonagh, roughly 40 minutes from Buncrana and an hour and 15 minutes from Letterkenny. From Derry, take the A2 to Muff and follow the R238 north, about an hour. There is parking at McGrory’s and along the village street. Local Link runs limited Inishowen services, so a car is the practical choice, particularly for the tour and walk days when the group moves between Doagh, Clonmany and the Gap of Mamore.
Heading to McGrory's Hotel in Culdaff? Donegal has plenty more to see. Read the Culdaff area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.