Doagh Famine Village’s recovery from fire to feature on RTE Nationwide

The remarkable recovery of the Doagh Famine Village following a devastating fire last year will be showcased on RTÉ Television’s Nationwide programme tonight, Monday, September 7th.

The popular Inishowen tourist attraction was extensively damaged by a major blaze in May 2025, with more than 60 per cent of the site destroyed in the inferno.

Tonight’s Nationwide programme on RTÉ One (7pm) will feature owner Pat Doherty and others involved with the Famine Village, telling the story of how the attraction has bounced back from the devastating setback and begun a new chapter.

The fire broke out on the afternoon of Saturday, May 3, 2025, while the attraction was busy with visitors. Four fire brigades from Carndonagh, Buncrana and Letterkenny battled the flames for several hours, but a large part of the historic attraction was destroyed.

Thankfully, nobody was injured as the site was quickly evacuated after smoke was spotted at the rear of the complex.

For Pat Doherty, the aftermath was particularly difficult as the Famine Village was unable to secure fire insurance because of its numerous thatched buildings.

However, the devastating loss sparked an extraordinary response from the Inishowen community and beyond. Within days of the blaze, more than €40,000 had been raised through hundreds of donations towards the rebuilding effort. To date, a total of over €109,000 has been raised.

Founded by Mr Doherty in 1997, Doagh Famine Village has become one of Donegal’s best-known visitor attractions, using historic buildings, exhibits and storytelling to bring Ireland’s past to life.

The Nationwide feature will highlight the determination and community spirit which has helped the Ballyliffin attraction recover from the ashes and look towards its future.

The programme airs on RTÉ One tonight, Monday, September 7th at 7pm.