Magilligan
Magilligan
| |
---|---|
Irish grid reference | H8396 |
District | |
County | |
Country | Northern Ireland |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
Postcode district | BT49 |
Dialling code | 028 |
Police | Northern Ireland |
Fire | Northern Ireland |
Ambulance | Northern Ireland |
Londonderry East | |
Magilligan (from
History
Magilligan gets its name from "MacGilligans country", which formed a major part of the barony of Keenaght.[2]
Magilligan served as the base line for triangulation for the mapping of Ireland in the 19th century. Colonel Thomas Colby chose Magilligan due to the flatness of the strand and its proximity to Scotland which, along with the rest of Britain, had been accurately mapped in previous decades. A straight line precisely 30,533 feet (9,306 m) was measured from North Station to Ballykelly in 1828 from which all other references were measured. The survey finished in 1846 when County Kerry was mapped.[4]
Landmarks
A
HM Prison Magilligan is situated along the main road (Point Road) to the east of the Magilligan Point.[5] It opened in 1972 and has a capacity of 568 prisoners.[3]
Transport
It is close to Bellarena railway station and there is a ferry service which operates during the summer season, connecting Magilligan with Greencastle across the lough.[2]
During the 19th century the Londonderry & Coleraine Railway Company (L&CR) operated a short lived tramway between the village of Magilligan and the settlement of Magilligan Point. Opening in July 1885 and closing in October 1885, it is the shortest lived passenger railway line in Ireland.[8]
Notable people
- Donnchadh Ó hÁmsaigh (1695–1807) – Irish harpist[9]
- John Graham – Church of Ireland clergyman, a senior officer of the Orange Order, and a prolific author of poetic and historical works
- Eddie Butcher (1900–1980) – singer, songwriter and song collector[10]: 1
References
- ^ "Magilligan Point, County Derry". Placenames NI. Retrieved 20 March 2020.
- ^ a b c "Magilligan Point". Eoceanic.com. Retrieved 20 March 2020.
- ^ a b "Magilligan Prison". Prisonphone.co.uk. Retrieved 20 March 2020.
- ISBN 9780684020945.
- ^ a b Google (20 March 2020). "Magilligan" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 20 March 2020.
- ^ "Magilligan Martello Tower". discovernorthernireland.com. Discover Northern Ireland. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
- ^ Northern Ireland Environment Agency information board at Martello Tower, August 2014.
- ISBN 1-84033-199-2.
- ^ "Denis O'Hampsey – his life". earlygaelicharp.info. Retrieved 20 March 2020.
- ISBN 978-0-9532704-4-6.