With its lush parklands, mature woodlands and a proper little narrow gauge steam railway winding through the grounds, Oakfield Park is a wonderful place to visit - and it's just a 15 minute drive from Letterkenny.
The 100-acre demesne is a beautiful setting for the eighteenth century Georgian Deanery at its heart - which was home to the late Sir Gerry Robinson and his wife Lady Heather Robinson and not open to the public, but makes a fine centrepiece nevertheless - and and the restored buildings include the impressive redbrick station that the little train runs from, and is also home to Buffers bar and restaurant.
Many people come here specifically for the walking, but you can take the 4.5km train tour of the lake and grounds, taking in numerous points of interest - including the extraordinary Locky Morris artwork “Long Sleeper”, which was commissioned for the reopening of Oakfield Park in 2015 - before returning to the station. Either way, it's a big property and there's a lot of walking, so visitors will be glad of some sustenance in Buffers which, with its red bricks, high ceiling, industrial ducting, and steel pillarsis reminiscent of the railway cafés of old.
Inside, there's a small souvenir shop and, passing a long counter, you can take your pick from the indoor tables (ground floor and mezzanine) or a seat outside. Glass walls allow views out over a lawn and play area so parents can keep an eye on the kids or, if the weather is fine, eat outside with them.
The opening hours of Buffers are the same as for the park so there's always something on offer - tea or coffee and pastries, or just a drink, at any time and something more substantial at lunch time. The policy is to use as much home grown and local produce as possible - in season, 90% of the fresh fruit and veg that Chef Damian McGetttigan uses daily is grown on site, and you'll also see other local suppliers name checked on his menus.
To get a flavour of what's on offer, there’s always a Walled Garden Vegetable Soup of the day (available with a more-ish toasted sourdough sandwich, with baked ham, cheddar and caramelised onions) and a Seafood Chowder with homemade treacle & fennel bread. Other tried and trusted favourites include the McCarron’s Butchers steak burger (with cheddar, truffle mayo, smoked tomato chutney & skinny fries); a Penne pasta (with cured & smoked bacon, preserved wild garlic, sun-dried tomato & parmesan); and perhaps a delicious Goats Cheese Salad (with Oakfield honey, candied hazelnuts & pickled slaw salad). All are really good - full of flavour, and well-priced too.
There’s also a kids menu (plus lots of soft drinks and Tom and Jerry Ice-cream), a daily specials board and a short wine list - all quarter bottles. The local Kinnegar craft beers also feature, and some spirits and cocktails are offered too.
They also cater for communion and confirmation parties, when the package includes entry to the park, the train ride and kids' activities.
Watch out especially for their monthly evening “culinary experience” when a train ride is followed by a menu packed full of locally sourced ingredients and home-grown produce from Oakfield Park’s garden.
All round it's a great enterprise and local people are, quite rightly, enormously proud of it. Another one for the must-do list when visiting Donegal.
