Magilligan

Magilligan is a large peninsula at the mouth of Lough Foyle in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It covers a wide area of 79,000 acres and includes both a military firing range and a nature reserve. One important feature of Magilligan is HM Prison Magilligan, which is located there.

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," which was in the barony of Keenaght.

In the 1800s, Magilligan was used as a starting point for mapping out all of Ireland. A leader named Colonel Thomas Colby picked Magilligan because of its flat land and closeness to Scotland, which had already been well-mapped. They measured a very straight line of 30,533 feet (9,306 meters) from North Station to Ballykelly in 1828, and this helped map the whole country. The mapping work was completed in 1846.

Landmarks

At Magilligan Point, you can find a well-preserved Martello Tower. This tower was built between 1815 and 1817, and 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 and can hold up to 568 people.

Transport

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

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

Notable people

See also: Category:People from Magilligan

Magilligan has been home to many interesting people throughout history.

• 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 of poetic and historical works.
• Eddie Butcher (1900–1980) was a singer, songwriter, and song collector.