Oakwell Holiday Village Story
A Little Bit Of History
Our lovely Oakwell Holiday Village was origionally quite a substantial farm and farm buildings. The farm was built in the late 1800’s and owned by the Gallagher Family. The farmhouse was home to Robert Gallagher, Jane Mary Gallagher along with their ten children and farm hand.
In the early 1900’s the Gallagher family moved to Derry and upgraded to yet another farm. They sold the property here at Ballylin to the Boyce Famliy. The accompanying land was farmed by the Boyce family although the Boyce family home remained at Ballgreen…which is just a short walk accross the shore. The buildings more recently were used to house animals and farm equiptment. It was inherited by ourselves in 2012 by Harrys late uncle John Boyce.
It was due to the stunning views and the pretty landscape that we decided we had to share this little place with you all! We started looking at ideas of how we could turn the property into holiday accomodation without there being too much impact on our lovely countryside… And with a little help from family, friends and the local agencies we finally began to make progress!
We could not part with the old buildings that remained on the property so instead we have integrated them into the heart of the holiday village. The Communal area which includes the kitchen and wash area and the main cottage are the old buildings in question and we have tried to keep as much of the character of these buildings as possible.
….and why Oakwell…. oak trees can be found on the property and we have a lovely little Well which can be found on the grounds.
About Your Surroundings
Oakwell Holiday Village is set on the outskirts of Ramelton Town along a little country road known as Ballylin. A short walk away is the Lough Swilly and it is definitely worth enjoying a little stroll over the Stoney beach to enjoy a little sea air whilst you’re here. Or if you have your Kayak with you and are a little more adventurous you don’t have to far to go to find the water!
You are in the heart of the Donegal Country side so just beside us to the left is the Speers Dairy farm so expect to see quite a few dairy cows on your visit! It is also home to some of our wooly friends and hopefully it will be in the field you find them and not on the road!!
If you are a cyclist you’re in luck! Just take a left at the bottom of the lane and the ‘worlds your oyster’ as we have miles of lovely quiet country roads and spectacular scenery for you to enjoy.
Taking a right at the end of the Ballylin Road will bring you on the road to the lovely little heritage town of Ramelton which is also ‘a must’ on your visit! You can find more about Ramelton below.
If you take a left at the end of the Ballylin Road you can expect plenty of country roads which will inevitably take you back to the sea! A walker and cyclists paradise!
About Your Surroundings
Oakwell Holiday Village is set on the outskirts of Ramelton Town along a little country road known as Ballylin. A short walk away is the Lough Swilly and it is definitely worth enjoying a little stroll over the Stoney beach to enjoy a little sea air whilst you’re here. Or if you have your Kayak with you and are a little more adventurous you don’t have to far to go to find the water!
You are in the heart of the Donegal Country side so just beside us to the left is the Speers Dairy farm so expect to see quite a few dairy cows on your visit! It is also home to some of our wooly friends and hopefully it will be in the field you find them and not on the road!!
If you are a cyclist you’re in luck! Just take a left at the bottom of the lane and the ‘worlds your oyster’ as we have miles of lovely quiet country roads and spectacular scenery for you to enjoy.
Taking a right at the end of the Ballylin Road will bring you on the road to the lovely little heritage town of Ramelton which is also ‘a must’ on your visit! You can find more about Ramelton below.
If you take a left at the end of the Ballylin Road you can expect plenty of country roads which will inevitably take you back to the sea! A walker and cyclists paradise!
A Little Bit About Ramelton
Ramelton is a beautiful little 17th Century Heritage Town set along the banks of the River Lennon to the mouth of Lough Swilly. It is home to a post office, 2 Churches, 1 Chapel, 2 small shops, 6 pubs, 2 restaurants, 1 cafe and 3 takeaways.
Early in the 20th Century Ramelton was home to 8 Churches and it was due to this that it earned its name as ‘the holy city’ having a church at every entrance!
It would have been the more prosperous town in the North of the County between the 1700’s and the 1900’s due to the thriving linen industry as the flax was grown locally and this centered around the Tanyard which is still visible in Ramelton today. The River Lennon harbored large ships and steam ships which came from as far as the Caribbean to trade in the locality. It rivaled Letterkenny for many years however in the early 1900’s Letterkenny took over due to advances with the Donegal Railway which came as far as Letterkenny but not to Ramelton! Unfortunately this railway is no longer in use today.
Legends Of Ramelton
Francis Makemie
‘ The Father of Presbyterianism’ who was born and raised in Ramelton. He was ordained in 1682 and emigrated to America where he fought for civil and religious liberty. He later founded the ‘ American Presbyterian Church’.
He worshipped in what is now known as ‘The Old Meeting House’ which has been fully restored.
Behind the Ramelton Presbyterian Church in use today is the ‘Makemie Hall’ which was aptly named after this legend.
Dave Gallaher
Was a famous rugby player and captain of ‘The All Blacks’. Born in 1873, he and his family emigrated to New Zealand where he found his calling.
James Buchanan
Born in Ramelton, he later emigrated to Pennsylvania where he married and raised his family. His eldest some also named James became the 15th President of the USA. He was the only President to have came from Pennsylvania and his home there is now a museum.
Patsy Gallacher
Born and raised in Ramelton, Patsy was a famous footballer who played with Celtic Glasgow for many year and enjoyed 192 goals in his 15 years with the club! A plaque was unveiled in his honor by the Celtic Football Club in 2007 and can be found in the town.
Catherine Black
Born and raised in Ramelton, Catherine was a nurse who worked in the old fever hospital in Ramelton and later went on to be King George V private nurse. She wrote the autobiography ‘Kings Nurse, Beggars Nurse in which she tells her amazing story of her childhood in Donegal and her life as a nurse.
Samuel G. Bayne
Born in 1844 in Ramelton he graduated from Queens University Belfast and decided to travel to America where he made his fortune in many areas including Oil, Gold and Banking. Later being described as a billionaire. He went on to publish his memoir ‘Derricks of Destiny’.
Ramelton has also been the location of some films over the years including ‘the Hanging Gale’ which sets Ramelton back in the famine times.
And we best not forget that Ramelton first produced the lovely football special soft drink and you can spot the old factory buildings which still hold the name of the famous drink…. and if you have never tried it… theres no better time… it can be purchased in the local shops along with the more recent football special ice-cream!
So there you have it ….take a little trip in, have a walk around and you might spot some historical landmarks! If you get lost, or you are looking for directions…just ask the locals, they are generally a friendly bunch who will be more than delighted to stop for a chat and guide you on your way!