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MAGHERA |
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| Leaving Glencolmcille you can either retrace your steps along the
coast or take the road through the heart of the peninsula towards Ardara
. This travels through the dramatic Glengesh Pass ( gleann géis , "glen
of the swans"), spiralling down into wild but fertile valley land. Just
before reaching Ardara, a road to the left runs along the northern edge
of the peninsula for five and a half miles to MAGHERA , with narrow
Loughros Beg Bay on one side and steep mountains rising from the road on
the other. A mile before Maghera you'll pass the transfixing Assarancagh
Waterfall and there's a hardy six-mile waymarked walk uphill from here
to the Glengesh Pass. Maghera itself is an enchantingly remote place,
dwarfed by the backdrop of hills and glens and fronted by an expansive
and deserted strand (parking £2/¬2.53 in summer) that extends westwards
to a rocky promontory riddled with caves. One of the largest of these is
said to have concealed a hundred people fleeing Cromwell's troops; their
light was spotted from across the strand and all were massacred except a
lucky individual who hid on a high shelf. Most of the caves are
accessible only at low tide and a torch is essential. Beware the tides ,
however, for even experienced divers have been swept away by the
powerful currents. Behind the village, a tiny road, unsuitable for large
vehicles, runs up to the Granny Pass, an alternative route to and from
Glencolmcille. |
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