Slieve League is a mountain that ends in the sea. The cliffs on its south face drop about six hundred metres from the summit ridge, among the highest sea cliffs in Europe, and nearly three times the height of the Cliffs of Moher. They are not as famous as their cousins in Clare, but they are wilder and much quieter, and the colours of the rock, streaked with red, gold and grey, change with the light. Killybegs, the nearest town, is some fifteen kilometres to the east, and Bundoran is further.
The road to the viewpoint at Bunglass starts in the village of Teelin and climbs along a narrow lane up the hillside, with a high wall of heather on one side and a drop on the other. The surface is rough, the lane is single-track with passing places, and the gradient is steep, so go carefully. At the top, there is a car park and the cliffs open up in front of you, with the Atlantic spread out below. Beyond Bunglass a footpath leads along the ridge to the One Man's Pass, a narrow arête with a drop on each side, which is a walk only for those with a good head for heights.
The name is Sliabh Liag in Irish, usually rendered as the mountain of the flagstones, and the area is part of the Donegal Gaeltacht, where the old language is still spoken in some places. Early monks settled on the mountain, and ruins of a small chapel and a pilgrim's path remain on the slopes. The cliffs are home to ravens, peregrine falcons and fulmars, and in summer wild flowers grow in the heather and short grass.
Killybegs is Ireland's largest fishing port, with big trawlers in the harbour and fuel, shops and cafes in the town. A small cafe serves the car park in summer. Weather is the main challenge: the cliffs are often shrouded in cloud or rain, and the wind is strong. A clear day is a reward, and spring and early autumn are the most likely times to see the cliffs at their best. The road is open all year, but avoid it in storms.