Inishowen is a peninsula of 884.33 square kilometres (218,523 acres), situated in the northernmost part of the island of
Ireland. It is bordered to the north by the
Atlantic Ocean, to the east by
Lough Foyle, and to the west by
Lough Swilly. It is joined at the south to the rest of the island and is mostly in
County Donegal in the
Republic of Ireland. The
south-eastern part of the peninsula lies in
County Londonderry,
Northern Ireland, having been transferred from County Donegal at the behest of the
London companies as part of the
Plantation of Ulster in the early 17th century. The peninsula is separated from the rest of
Northern Ireland by the
River Foyle. After the last
ice age, the peninsula was an island. Most of Inishowen's population inhabits the peripheral coastal areas, while the interior consists of low mountains, mostly covered in
bogland, the highest of which is
Slieve Snaght, which is 619 metres (2,030 feet) above sea level. Other major hills are located in the
Malin Head peninsula, as well as the
Urris Hills in west Inishowen. Due to its geography, Inishowen usually has relatively more moderate weather conditions, with temperatures slightly lower than in other parts of Ireland in summer and slightly warmer in winter, especially during extended cold weather periods. Inishowen has several harbours, some of which are used for commercial fishing purposes, including Greencastle, Bunagee and Leenan. A seasonal ferry service crosses the Foyle, connecting Greencastle with
Magilligan in County Londonderry, while another crosses the Swilly, connecting Buncrana with
Rathmullan. The village of Fahan has a privately built
marina. There are several small outlying islands off the Inishowen coast, most notably
Inishtrahull and
Glashedy islands, both uninhabited, although the former was inhabited until the early twentieth century.
Inch, located in
Lough Swilly, is technically no longer an island, as it has a
causeway connecting it to the mainland at
Tooban, south of Fahan. Lough Swilly is a
fjord-like lough, and was of strategic importance for many years to the British Empire as a deep-water harbour. It is also famous as the departure point of the
Flight of the Earls. Lough Foyle is important as the entrance to the river Foyle, and the city of Derry, but is much shallower than Lough Swilly, and requires the use of a guide boat to guide ships to and from
Londonderry Port. A large area of land, most of which now forms part of
Grianán Farm, one of the largest farms in Ireland, was reclaimed from a shallow area of Lough Swilly, stretching from the village of Burnfoot to Bridgend and Burt. The outline of this land is plainly visible due to its flatness, showing a marked contrast to the more mountainous area surrounding it. ==History==