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GREENCASTLE |
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The harbour village of GREENCASTLE has a pleasant view across to the
extensive golden sands of Magilligan Strand on the Northern Irish side
of Lough Foyle. At dusk you'll see the area across the water begin to
sparkle with lights like a ship at sea - these are the lights of the
prison camp, just hidden behind the dunes. A highlight of village life
are the regular visits by cruise ships. Next to the harbour, in the old
coastguard station, is the newly-refurbished Maritime Museum and
Planetarium (June-Sept daily 10am-6pm; £2/¬2.53), which recalls maritime
travel from a bygone era. Amongst the range of maritime memorabilia,
pride of place goes to a nineteenth-century rocket cart used to fire
flares to aid survivors of wrecked ships. By the road to Stroove are the
ruins of a fourteenth-century Richard de Burgo castle, built on a rocky
knoll to allow the Anglo-Normans to guard the narrowest part of the
lough. It was briefly captured in 1316 by Edward Bruce of Scotland who
had himself crowned King of Ireland. The castle was retaken shortly
afterwards and remained in De Burgo's hands until 1333 when his grandson
William, the Brown Earl, was murdered and Anglo-Norman control of the
northwest ended. Later the castle fell into the hands of the O'Dohertys,
but it was badly damaged by an attack by their rival Calvagh O'Donnell.
Though there were subsequent attempts at renovation, by 1700 the castle
was a complete ruin and has remained so ever since. Nearby is
Greencastle Fort , a lookout post built during the Napoleonic Wars which
unsurprisingly affords good views across the estuary, though nowadays it
houses a bar and restaurant with B&B (tel 077/81426;
£55-70/¬69.84-88.88). You can also stay right next door to De Burgo's
ruin in the Castle Inn (tel 077/81426; £33-40/¬41.90-50.79), which also
has a restaurant and traditional sessions on Fridays, and at Brooklyn
Cottage (March-Oct; tel 077/81087; £33-40/¬41.90-50.79). As you'd expect,
seafood is available in abundance and, in addition to the restaurants
above, the place to aim for is Kealy's , reckoned to be one of the best
in Donegal.
At STROOVE (pronounced Shroove ), the scenery jumps into a more exciting
gear, with lovely clambering walks along its coastline to the lighthouse.
There you'll have to return to the road to reach the small beach, from
where doughtier walkers can resume the clamber as far as the cliffs of
the awesome Inishowen Head . An easier way to the head is simply to
follow the road until it turns left, where you go straight on up the
hill; a car can make it up the first couple of miles, but after that you
run the risk of getting stuck in a rut. From the head, it's a beautiful
but tiring walk to isolated Kinnagoe Bay , one of the most secluded
sandy beaches around, tucked between the rocky walls of headland against
which the waves throw spray as delicate as lace. The alternative route
here entails going back to the main road and following it to the right
turn by the thatched cottage in Stroove - this will take you along the
narrowest of roads over the headland and through two beautiful glens. A
plaque by the roadside at Kinnagoe records the sinking of La Trinidad
Valencera during the Spanish Armada and other ships around the coast.
Forty of its crew died in the water and most of the remaining three
hundred survivors were killed outside Derry by an English army. The
wreckage was recovered and is on display at Foyle College in Derry.
Kinnagoe Bay House (April-Oct; tel 077/81280, mconway1@iol.ie ;
£33-40/¬41.90-50.79) is a fine place to stay with wonderful views of the
Bay. Back in Stroove, the Drunken Duck Seafood Bar (tel 077/81362),
offering good food and fantastic views, is well worth a visit.
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