Travel to NW Ireland

Three years ago to the day, we were in Ireland, working our way clockwise from Dublin, over to Galway, then around the coast, back to Dublin.

For a couple nights, or more, off of the mainland, stay on Achill Island, reachable by bridge. We were at a B&B on the western part.

Later, we enjoyed staying at a B&B just northwest of Sligo town, at Rosses Point. We basically drive through Donegal town - there seemed to be nothing there.

Then, way north, be sure to include a stay in Dunfanaghy.

How many in your group, what are your interests, when will you be going, and how much time will you have?

As Robert pointed out, we'll be much better able to give advice about where to stay if you let us know a little more: how many nights do you have, how many in your party and what ages/interests, what's your budget, etc.

There are two of us We are planning on 3 nights in Dublin then driving to Donegal for 5-6 nights. Interests are historical sights, some light walking, and sightseeing of the natural beauty. We have been to Galway, Dingle, and other sights in the south but this is our first trip to NW Ireland. Thanks

The Wild Atlantic Way, along the west coast of Ireland, starts in Donegal. The site below has lots of information. The map at the bottom of the page highlights several areas, the first three of which are in Donegal: Malin Head, Inishowen Peninsula and Slieve League Cliffs.

https://www.ireland.com/en-us/destinations/experiences/wild-atlantic-way

We've spent a fair amount of time in Ireland, but only a short amount of time in Donegal. My husband says he wants to go back and spend a month there and these pictures reinforce that!

We stayed at a B & B in Dunfanaghy on our travels in that area, but it was quite a while ago.

My suggestion would be to divide your time between the area around Donegal Town in the south and Dunfanaghy in the north.
The cliffs at Slieve League are certainly worth a visit - much more dramatic than the over-hyped Cliffs of Moher, and with about 1% of the crowds. Close by is the folk village at Glencolumbkille, which we visited on a whim just to have lunch but wound up enjoying immensely. A coastline drive anywhere in the area will be dramatic and will feature lots of photo ops. In Donegal town itself is a restored castle and one of the largest famine graveyards in Ireland - a very evocative place to spend a little time.
We too based ourselves in Dunfanaughy. The coastline up there is spectacular too. The highlight is a visit to Glenveagh National Park - the castle is worth the tour, and there's a very pretty riverside walk to the head of the glen that I guarantee you'll have all to yourselves. It's a great place to bring a picnic lunch and just soak it all in. They serve a very nice tea in the castle if you'd rather forego the picnic. Glenveagh was the site of one of the last of the great land evictions back in the 1860's when the local lord moved a number of families off the property. He wasn't completely heartless about it however - he paid everyone's passage to Australia according to the local story.
Dunfanaghy is handy for a quick trip into Londonderry in NI which we recommend. The city itself has rebounded from the years of "The Troubles" and is now a terrific tourist destination - lots of history plus probably the best preserved city wall in all of Europe which you can stroll around in about 45 minutes. Near one of the city gates is a museum that features artifacts recovered from one of the ships from the 1588 Spanish Armada that ran aground in a storm in a bay not far from Giant's Causeway. Fascinating place.
An off-the-beaten-path excursion would be a visit to Ards Forest Park about a 10 minute drive from Dunfanaghy. It's a very pretty little place featuring pleasant walks thru the woods and a picturesque stretch of beach that ready made to order for a day's meander. The Ards Friary close by is a nice place for lunch with beautiful grounds all around.
While driving around you'll likely pass by some of the extensive bogs where locals are still harvesting peat as they've done since time out of mind, and largely in the same fashion. Do yourself a favor and stop off to have a chat with anyone you see out working - they'll be happy to explain the whole process to you in true Irish fashion.