New walking loop and boardwalk for historic estate outside Donegal Town - Donegal Daily

A major upgrade of the popular MacManus Estate at Rossylongan has begun, with a new walking loop, boardwalk and viewing point among the improvements planned.Sil...

A major upgrade of the popular MacManus Estate at Rossylongan has begun, with a new walking loop, boardwalk and viewing point among the improvements planned.

Silver Hill Civil Ltd has been appointed as contractor for the project, which is being delivered by Donegal County Council’s Community Capital Projects Delivery Unit.

Works commenced on Monday, 7th September, and visitors have been advised to expect some disruption to the existing path network.

The project will provide a 1.1km walking loop, including sections of boardwalk, along with a new vantage point.

Drainage works will also be carried out, while the existing car park will be extended and given a new tarmac surface.

New fencing, street furniture and wayfinding signage will also be installed throughout the estate.

The section of trail marked in purple on the project map below will remain closed for the duration of the works.

The entire site will also have to close for a period towards the end of the project to allow the car park extension and resurfacing works to be completed.

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The investment marks the latest chapter in the long history of the scenic estate, located around 2.5km from Donegal Town.

The Mac Manus Estate originally formed part of lands belonging to the descendants of John Murray of Broughton. Much of the land in the baronies of Banagh and Boylagh was granted to Murray by James I around 1619.

The property passed through a number of hands over the centuries before being re-sold to Pádraig Mac Manus in June 1912 for £2,000.

Mac Manus, who was born in 1864 and attended Glencoagh school in Mountcharles, had lived a remarkable life before making Rossylongan his home.

He emigrated to the United States and joined the Navy before spending eight years at sea. He later studied in Argentina and became a Professor of Mathematics and English Literature, before managing estates and eventually owning a large estancia (estate) of his own.

He also founded a branch of the Gaelic League in Buenos Aires and established a bilingual newspaper, The Fianna .

He was in contact with leading figures in the Irish independence movement including Arthur Griffith, Douglas Hyde and Patrick Pearse.

Pádraig Mac Manus transformed the Rossylongan estate with the help of local workers, extending the house, developing a walled garden, planting a large orchard and carrying out extensive tree planting.

In the 1980s, the estate passed to Coillte with the wish that the public would have access to enjoy the grounds and that it would be known as Eastát Mhic Manusa.

Coillte has since worked with the Friends of Rossylongan Forest to develop and restore the amenity.

The latest works are funded by the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht under Measure 2 of the Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme, with Donegal County Council providing 10% match funding.