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

See more of Republic of Ireland

See more of Northern Ireland

The Dark Hedges

A wee bit of hail fell

My first post of Ireland photos will begin with a favorite location in Northern Ireland, The Dark Hedges. The beech tree-line road was already one of the most photographed natural landmarks on the island of Ireland. This tourist attraction recently achieved global prominence after it appeared on the hit HBO series Game of Thrones. In January 2016, Storm Gertrude damaged several of the 200+ year old trees. The site is still a vision to behold, but it is a fraction of what it once was; only 90 of the approximately 150 trees remain standing.

Kilmail Country Chalet Breakfast

We had two opportunities to shoot this natural wonder. Our first view of this natural marvel was the morning of day 2 of our trip after a hearty traditional Irish breakfast while we waiting out a brief storm where a wee bit of hail fell. When we arrived at The Dark Hedges it was everything but dark. The sky was bright and full of clouds; the remnants of the earlier hail shower still lingering. The harsh sun cast deep and heavy shadows. You can easily see the gaps that Gertrude made here. Stay tuned for many more Ireland posts to come. Here are the shots from two different day at The Dark Hedges.