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Malin
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Malin, an interesting and unspoilt 17th
century plantation village, is picturesquely situated at the head of
Trawbreaga Bay. An interesting feature of the approach to the town is
the bridge with its ten arches spanning the bay. It is the second
largest stone bridge in Ireland. |
The original triangular village green is
still intact, planted with limes, sycamore and cherries, and recently
with oaks to commemorate the O'Doherty clan. All round the village are
signs of the care that has won it many awards in the National Tidy Towns
competition, including the much coveted overall prize in 1970. The
Church of Ireland parish church has a fine three state battlemented
tower with square pinnacles.
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The Lagg road to Malin Head takes
the visitor along the shores of Trawbreaga Bay. The bay is
anarea of regional ornithological importance and has been
declared a wildlife sanctuary. |
To the north lies the fine sandy beach
known as the "Five Fingers" backed by some of the highest sand dunes in
Europe. The sand dunes probably began to form in their present position
about 5000 years ago. The tough marram grass grows best when sand is
blown on top of it and here great sandhills up to 30 metres high have
been built up by the action and wind blowing sand from the beach and
into the marram.
The Lagg sandhills guard the entrance to Trawbreaga Bay, a large estuary
which fills and empties twice a day as the tides rise and fall. Close to
the time of low tide, a great jet of water of old seaweed fields can be
seen. Until recent times, seaweed was grown on rectangular fields
composed of boulders, and was carried inland to be spread on fields.
Along the shores of Trawbreaga you will see the most northerly
Presbyterian Church in Ireland and below the Knockamany Bens the oldest
Roman Catholic Church in Inishowen still in use, built in 1784. At the
door of this church there is an ancient baptismal font which came from
the 6th century monastery of St. Mura at Fahan, near Buncrana.
The road rises sharply following the
coastline around the Knockamany Bens with magnificent views of
Trawbreaga Bay from the car park. On a clear day Tory Island can be seen
to the west. |
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