BINEVENAGH & BEYOND – COUNTY DERRY/LONDON DERRY – NORTHERN IRELAND #‎DiscoverNI‬

Image June 15, 2016 Dan Traun 5 Comments

Binevenagh & Beyond

Downhill Strand (Beach) is part of an 11km stretch of sand and surf. This stretch of beach is one of the most scenic in Ireland and visitors can enjoy views to Counties Donegal, Antrim and Londonderry. Downhill Beach is used in the filming of Game of Thrones as Dragonstone, where the Seven Idols of Westeros were burned and Melisandre, flames dancing into the night sky, proclaimed: “For the night is dark and full of terrors.” – wikipedia

Downhill Strand is an impressive stretch of sand. Had the B&B owner not been with us in the car, I would have never driven out on this beach at low tide through a somewhat vigorously-flowing shallow river. It was worth the gamble. A great view of Mussenden Temple (more on this in next post) from the beach.

Downhill Strand

Close-up of Mussenden Temple

A wider view of the cliffs the Mussenden Temple rests upon

Beautiful beach

A wider view of the beach and Mussenden Temple

More beach

From Downhill Strand, we traveled to higher ground to take in the sunset. This location was very much off the beaten path and not on our itinerary. Always engage the B&B proprietors and let them know what types of things you wish to see and do. We were very thankful that Brian took the time out of his evening to guide us to the beach and then this overlook spot. You cannot beat service like this. Brian also shared countless facts and history about these places. If traveling to Northern Ireland, I highly recommend a stay with Kilmail County Chalet.

Magilligan is a peninsula that lies in the northwest of County Londonderry,Northern Ireland, at the entrance to Lough Foyle. It is a huge 79,000 acres coastal site, part British army firing range, part nature reserve. It gets its name from “MacGilligans country”, which formed a major part of the barony of Keenaght. – wikipedia

This was a sight to see indeed. I never before imagined what just under 80,000 acres stretched out in front of me would be like. The overlook is off of Bishops Rd only six minutes West of Downhill. It is perfectly situated atop the basalt cliffs and offers magnificent views any time of day. Besides all of the natural beauty, there is much World War 2 historical significance in this area as well.

Large numbers of American, Canadian and British forces were stationed at airfields at Limavady and Ballykelly to defend the north coast from German U boats. Army forces received pre-invasion training on Magilligan Strand in preparation for D-Day. – wikipedia

Bishop Road Overlook

Magilligan Point

Monument overlooking Magilligan Point

Magilligan Point

Magilligan Point

Magilligan Point

Binevenagh Mountain left side of frame

Magilligan Point

see also:
THE DARK HEDGES | CAUSEWAY COAST | GIANTS CAUSEWAY | KINBANE HEADLAND & CASTLE | THE GLENS OF ANTRIM | BINEVENAGH & BEYOND | DOWNHILL DEMESNE – MUSSENDEN TEMPLE & BISHOPS HOUSE

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2016 (365), Daily Shots, Photography

2016-06-15 Country Elevator No. 10

Image June 15, 2016 Dan Traun 2 Comments

Country Elevator No. 10 More

2016 (365), Daily Shots, Photography

2016-06-14 Morning Glow

Image June 14, 2016 Dan Traun 1 Comment

Morning Glow

2016 (365), Daily Shots, Photography

2016-06-13 RHUBARB

Image June 13, 2016 Dan Traun 3 Comments

RHUBARB #On The Road

2016 (365), Daily Shots, Photography

2016-06-12 Crack Maker

Image June 12, 2016 Dan Traun

Crack Maker

Destination, Photography, Travel

THE GLENS OF ANTRIM – COUNTY ANTRIM – NORTHER IRELAND #‎DiscoverNI‬

Image June 11, 2016 Dan Traun 6 Comments

The Glends of Antrim

The Glens of Antrim, known locally as simply The Glens, is a region of County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It comprises nine glens (valleys), that radiate from the Antrim Plateau to the coast. The Glens are an area of outstanding natural beauty and are a major tourist attraction in north Antrim. The main towns and villages in the Glens are Ballycastle, Cushendun, Cushendall, Waterfoot, Carnlough and Glenarm.

2016-04-28 iPhone Ireland 2016-2917 — Toilet back rest

“An area of outstanding beauty” is an understatement. We traveled through and around Ballycastle, Cushendun, Cushendall and Waterfoot. In Waterfoot we stopped at a filling station to get some coffee and use the toilet. Check it out – back rest and all. Fancy. From Waterfoot we headed West to Glenariff Forest Park. From the park we navigated the side-roads atop of the glens all the way back to Ballymoney where we were staying. The Gorse hedge rows lined most roads throughout County Antrim. The were nearly in full bloom in mid-April. The brilliant yellow flowers provided a pop of contrasting color to the lush green and drab brown that made up most of the landscape. Baby lamb season was in full swing as too. We stopped many times to see them throughout the trip.

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2016-06-11 EMS

Image June 11, 2016 Dan Traun

EMS

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KINBANE HEADLAND & CASTLE – COUNTY ANTRIM – NORTHERN IRELAND #‎DiscoverNI‬

Image June 10, 2016 Dan Traun 5 Comments

Kinbane Head

Kinbane Head wasn’t a planned stop; we just happen to see the sign and decided to check it out. This is a lovely location along the coastal road to stop and wander around. It is just a short mile off of the main road. Prepare yourself for a bit of a hike. There are lots of stairs. Take your time and enjoy the view in both directions. If it is windy in the parking lot be prepared for what it will be like sea-side. The wind along the coast is a force to behold. Be extra careful along the edges of steep drop-offs. Kinbane Castle stands in ruin today; slowly waning away to ruble.

Kinbane Castle was built by Colla of the MacDonnell clan, the clan who also built many other castles and buildings in the area. This was the time when the MacDonnell’s were the most powerful clan along the Antrim Coast. It was completed in about 1547 but was destroyed in fighting with the English only eight years later. Colla himself died in the castle or the vicinity in 1558 and is believed to be buried in the Bonamargy Friary, not too far away. There is a story that a group of English soldiers were trapped during a siege of the castle. Fires were lit by the besieged to call for help and locals responded and arrived armed surrounding the besieging soldiers who were massacred in the area in or near a hollow cave under the castle called the “Hollow of the English.” The castle was rebuilt and remained inhabited until the 1700’s. It was then abandoned and fell into decay. The only thing that stands today is the ruins of a small tower and few remnants of the wall.

see also:
THE DARK HEDGES | CAUSEWAY COAST | GIANTS CAUSEWAY | KINBANE HEADLAND & CASTLE | THE GLENS OF ANTRIM | BINEVENAGH & BEYOND | DOWNHILL DEMESNE – MUSSENDEN TEMPLE & BISHOPS HOUSE

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2016-06-10 Sidewalk Dining

Image June 10, 2016 Dan Traun 2 Comments

Sidewalk Dining

Destination, Photography, Travel

GIANTS CAUSEWAY – COUNTY ANTRIM – NORTHERN IRELAND #‎DiscoverNI‬

Image June 9, 2016 Dan Traun 8 Comments

Giants Causeway

We drove out to the site of Giants Causeway our first evening in Ireland. We were too exhausted to even think about venturing beyond the parking lot. The wind and cold made our decision to turn around and find some dinner easy.

We returned to Giant’s Causeway on day 3 of our trip. Kilmail Country Chalet was selected for our two-day B&B stay in the area because of its close proximity to sites we wished to visit multiple times. We were 15 minutes away from both the Giant’s Causeway and The Dark Hedges. We arrived early enough to have all the causeway to ourselves. It was a beautiful morning. Blue skies with lovely clouds overhead. We walked around photographing this amazing wonder for almost two hours. Cyndie and I both agreed that we could have easily spent an entire day here. There is just so much to see and photograph at this natural wonder.

The Giant’s Causeway is an area of about 40,000 interlocking basalt columns, the result of an ancient volcanic eruption. It is located in County Antrim on the northeast coast of Northern Ireland, about three miles (4.8 km) northeast of the town of Bushmills. It was declared a World Heritage Site in 1986, and a national nature reserve in 1987 by the Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland. In a 2005 poll of Radio Times readers, the Giant’s Causeway was named as the fourth greatest natural wonder in the United Kingdom. The tops of the columns form stepping stones that lead from the cliff foot and disappear under the sea. Most of the columns are hexagonal, although there are also some with four, five, seven or eight sides. The tallest are about 12 metres (39 ft) high, and the solidified lava in the cliffs is 28 metres (92 ft) thick in places.

Much of the Giant’s Causeway and Causeway Coast World Heritage Site is today owned and managed by the National Trust and it is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Northern Ireland. The remainder of the site is owned by the Crown Estate and a number of private landowners.