IT'S like a scene from Oliver. Seven children stand with their plates, patiently waiting to use the pancake machine at the Shandon Hotel and Spa, Dunfanaghy, County Donegal.

Though the pancakes are one attraction, the main ones are the stunning view and the peace and tranquillity of Donegal, and the Wild Atlantic Way, on Shearings Holidays' eight-day, "Undiscovered Ireland" holiday.

Ron, my husband, and I are among 19 participants on this coach tour, which is new for 2017. It’s also our first coach holiday. In charge of our 48-seater luxury, Grand Tourer coach is Roy Balch.

From Belfast, we begin the Causeway Coastal Route, one of the most beautiful journeys in the world. We skirt Derry/Londonderry – one of the finest walled cities in Europe, and the only one remaining in Ireland.

We cross the border into County Donegal and head for Portnablagh, Dunfanaghy. Arriving at the Shandon Hotel and Spa, refurbished in 2016, we’re mesmerised, looking at Sheephaven Bay, through the picture window in our deluxe sea-view bedroom. It’s a hop and a skip to Marble Hill, a popular Blue Flag beach, where we can listen for the Corncrake’s call.

Our first excursion is to Doagh Famine Village. It begins with a drive through the Derryveagh Mountain range, which includes Errigal, Donegal’s highest mountain. Iconic, it reminds me of the Matterhorn.

We head to the Inishowen peninsula, named after Eoghan, son of Niall, High King of Ireland. It’s one of the country's most stunning regions, but although it feels remote, its beauty is well-recognised. The area has topped National Geographic Traveller’s "Cool List" for 2017, and features in Star Wars: Episode Vlll, which is due for release this year. Aurora Borealis also likes to star in Inishowen.

We drive past the Squealing Pig pub in the village of Muff, and Scruffy Duffy’s Barbershop, Carndonagh. Roy points out Trawbreaga Bay, where barnacle geese are protected. Further on, a thatched cottage, bogs, and grazing Donegal Blackface sheep, similar to the Perth strain, are stored in our memory bank.

Doagh Famine Village, a museum on the Isle of Doagh, is our destination. The village – which aims to educate the public about the 1845 famine – is owned and run by Pat Doherty, who was brought up in one of the village's thatched cottages.

Our group sits on benches, listening to Pat, who stands near a mock-up of a "wake", complete with coffin and mourners. So the atmosphere is set – death, misery and hardship. Pat, who is passionate about his village, gallops ahead, speaking speedily. His talk takes in tales of superstitions and plenty of fascinating facts: at one time, seaweed was used for food, babies’ teething rings and wallpaper paste, and of the average man’s daily diet of 6.3 kilos of potatoes.

The village includes the original thatched cottages, life-size statues, and an eviction tableau that includes a battering ram. It brings alive the hardship of those who suffered famine, hunger and poverty in 19th-century Ireland. Though well worth visiting and informative, I find it a little overwhelming, with too much to take in in a short visit. The museum includes haunted rooms and a Republican safe house, designed to illustrate the more recent history of the Irish Troubles.

Back at our hotel, it’s time to relax. We dine well on delicious soup and salmon and enjoy excellent service. Satiated, we relax in one of the two popular bars, listening to a singer.

The highlight of the holiday is a visit to the Fanad Head Lighthouse. "There are 79 steps up to the tower," says driver Roy Balch. "It’s 22 metres high from foundations to lamp, and is 39 metres above sea level. Work began in 1815 and finished two years later at a cost of £2000."

In the past, the lighthouse had a principal keeper and an assistant, and a third keeper in winter. The last one retired in 1983; now there’s just a caretaker.

From the bottom of the spiral stone staircase, we gingerly climb 59 steps to the platform, where the keeper spent most of his time, because he had to pull a chain to ensure the light kept rotating. We pause for breath, before taking the remaining steps to the lantern – its white light can travel 18 miles.

Though we travel many miles by coach, our holiday is well-balanced and includes a free afternoon, when we relish the spa’s vitality pool, sauna, salt grotto, lifestyle shower and heated loungers. Ron enjoys a Prosecco, and is even urged to have a "wee glass more".

There is more enjoyment to be had at the Glenveagh National Park, Letterkenny. In 1857, John Adair bought the land for a hunting lodge – inspiration for his granite castle was Balmoral, so his was built in that style. Adair is remembered for the notorious Derryveagh Evictions in which dozens of families were forced from their homes, in an echo of the Highland Clearances. In 1937, Henry McIlhenny bought the castle, and politicians and movie stars were lavishly entertained. McIlhenny is said to have had his guests weighed at the beginning and end of each visit.

Our castle visit includes the drawing room with its pink-flowered rugs from Killybegs, matching the upholstery, and the dining room where men had breakfast, while the ladies were served it in bed. A jar holding eight to 10 litres of whiskey was refilled each morning. Unobtrusively, staff stood behind a screen and looked in a mirror to watch the guests. More recent guests include Charles and Camilla, Sean Connery and Roger Moore.

Since 1981, Glenveagh Castle and Gardens have belonged to the Irish nation. In the Pleasure Gardens, we admire rare plants and a pair of Balinese statues, then walk four kilometres to the visitors’ centre. We crunch gravel beside Lough Beagh, accompanied by birdsong and the sight of distant mountains.

Visiting Belfast on the penultimate day is a bonus. We return to the Maldron Hotel, where, on our first night, we were served a four-course vegan meal, crowned by a yummy chocolate pudding with coconut froth.

The Irish foodie scene is vibrant, and at Home, near the City Hall, we enjoy a superb lunch. Belfast was my home in the difficult, early years of the 1970s and it’s now a joy to experience a successful, vibrant city – it even has pink buses.

But our bus accolade this year goes to our Shearing’s coach.

FACTFILE

Louise Cahill and her husband were on the "Undiscovered Ireland" holiday as guests of guests of Shearings www.shearings.com

They flew Flybe to and from George Best Belfast City Airport Maldron Hotel Belfast International Airport

maldronhotelbelfast.com

Shandon Hotel and Spa shandonhotelspa.com

Wild Atlantic Way

www.wildatlanticway.com

This stretches 2,500km from Inishowen, Donegal to Kinsale, West Cork

Doagh Famine Village www.doaghfaminevillage.com

Fanad Head Lighthouse fanadlighthouse.com

Glenveagh National Park www.glenveaghnationalpark.ie

Shearings offer a selection of holidays to Ireland priced from £320pp

For booking information visit www.shearings.com or phone 0844 209 7143