Magilligan

The peninsula historically belonged to a district known as "MacGilligan's Country", which formed a major part of the barony of Keenaght. 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 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. ==Landmarks==

There is a well-preserved Martello Tower at Magilligan Point, built between 1815 and 1817. It is one of the northernmost of the 74 towers built along the coasts of Ireland during the Napoleonic Wars. HM Prison Magilligan is situated along the main road (Point Road) running out to Magilligan Point. It opened in 1972 and has a capacity of 568 prisoners. ==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. == Notable people ==

) the Harper of Magilligan after a drawing from Edward Bunting's The Ancient Music of Ireland • Donnchadh Ó hAmhsaigh (1695–1807) – Irish harpist • 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 ==References==