Magilligan

Magilligan is a large peninsula at the mouth of Lough Foyle in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It covers a wide area and includes both a military area and a nature reserve. One important place in Magilligan is HM Prison Magilligan.

The tip of the peninsula is called Magilligan Point. It lies very close to Greencastle in County Donegal, just less than a mile away. The two places are connected by a ferry service, making it easy for people to travel between them.

History

The Magilligan peninsula was once part of a place called "MacGilligan's Country." This place was in the barony of Keenaght.

In the 1800s, people used Magilligan to help map all of Ireland. A leader named Colonel Thomas Colby chose Magilligan because it had flat land and was close to Scotland, which had already been mapped. They measured a straight line of 30,533 feet (9,306 meters) from North Station to Ballykelly in 1828. This helped map the whole country. The mapping work finished in 1846.

Landmarks

At Magilligan Point, you can see a well-preserved Martello Tower. This tower was built between 1815 and 1817. It is one of the northernmost towers built along the coasts of Ireland during the Napoleonic Wars.

Along the main road to Magilligan Point is HM Prison Magilligan. The prison opened in 1972.

Transport

Magilligan is near Bellarena railway station. In the summer, a ferry takes people from Magilligan to Greencastle across the lough.

In the 1800s, the Londonderry & Coleraine Railway had a short tramway between the village of Magilligan and Magilligan Point. It opened in July 1885 but closed three months later in October 1885. It was the shortest railway line in Ireland.

Notable people

See also: Category:People from Magilligan

Magilligan has been home to many interesting people.

• Donnchadh Ó hAmhsaigh (1695–1807) was an Irish harpist.
• John Graham was a clergyman in the Church of Ireland, a senior officer of the Orange Order, and a writer.
• Eddie Butcher (1900–1980) was a singer and songwriter.