The exterior of my tent is wet from the previous night's rain. I can see the sun rising to the east. In about 30 minutes, my tent will be in the sun and will dry off quickly. Before folding it up, I head into the local town of Ballyfin to grab an orange, laundry soap, and exchange a 10 Euro bill for five annoying 2 Euro coins. Time to let everyone know how much I HATE carrying coins. We are damn lucky in the US that the most expensive coin we carry is a Quarter (25 cents). Everywhere else has one-dollar and two-dollar coins, along with cent coins. It reminds me of carrying around Looney's and Tooney's, as they are called in Canada. Personally, I'd rather carry paper money. It affords me two distinct advantages, it is nearly weightless and is much quieter to carry! Below is the view this morning looking south from the campground.
As I come off the hill and head east, I notice big white rock letters and numbers down below on the grassy bench. I recognize them instantly. Florence my taxi driver from Killybegs showed me a similar one at Slieve League. Though it was much harder to photograph, being on the bend of a narrow road. This one reads 80 EIRE. It informs airplane pilots of two things, depending on which side you are flying for during the war, remember Ireland was supposed to be Neutral: 1) Please don't bomb us, this is neutral Ireland; or 2) Hey this is Ireland and your location is "80", now go get 'em. They are present throughout the island and for the allies, they were a visual aerial roadmap of sorts to aid with their bombing missions.
Scenic view off of the west side of Malin Head.
Just to the east of the stronghold is a slit in the rocks that erupts with crashing waves. The max height today, during these calm seas, was about 12-15 ft (4.5 m). However, Ian the Binion Bay Campground Host, tells me that on days with rough seas the eruption can be quite spectacular. "The water shoots well over the castle when the seas are high, it has to be rough though. If you position your camera just right in those moments, you can make the tower look like a water fountain", he says.
After running my clothes through a proper wash, an unexpected bonus of staying at Binion Bay Campgrounds, for 8 Euros, in increments of 2 Euro coins, of course, they provided a nice set of washer and electric dryer. Funny, how when we have space, we don't think twice about acquiring things. My hired car and the extra space now allows me to collect and bring along laundry soap for 14 more washes. lol! I fold up my tent, then make my way up to Malin Head. It's around 1pm now, and the tide is out when I come around the corner to a spectacular strand (beach) with tidal pools. This view is looking south.
Malin Head is the furthest point north on the mainland of Ireland. I've been to the west coast, I thought why not make my way to the furthest point north too. It's cold, socked in, and drizzly when I arrive at Malin Head. The first thing I notice is a 3rd Napoleon Tower, as I call them. This one is not quite correct though. It has the right shape but the appearance is all wrong (see below). Unfortunate, these towers are spectacular when not encased in concrete. The British fortified this position during WWII. 
The rain quits and the visibility improves though the wind is relentless. Further up on the hill, to my left, is more evidence of WWII. Another structure that does not belong, is a concrete bunker.
This one is the same strand looking north.
The rain quits and the visibility improves though the wind is relentless. Further up on the hill, to my left, is more evidence of WWII. Another structure that does not belong, is a concrete bunker.
You have to admit though, the view from inside the bunker is pretty cool though, right?
As I come off the hill and head east, I notice big white rock letters and numbers down below on the grassy bench. I recognize them instantly. Florence my taxi driver from Killybegs showed me a similar one at Slieve League. Though it was much harder to photograph, being on the bend of a narrow road. This one reads 80 EIRE. It informs airplane pilots of two things, depending on which side you are flying for during the war, remember Ireland was supposed to be Neutral: 1) Please don't bomb us, this is neutral Ireland; or 2) Hey this is Ireland and your location is "80", now go get 'em. They are present throughout the island and for the allies, they were a visual aerial roadmap of sorts to aid with their bombing missions.
I wind my way along the coast to O'Doherty Castle or Carrickabraghy (karrick uh brachy) Castle as it is locally known. It is one of four remaining O'Doherty strongholds on the Inishowen Peninsula. The castle was built around 1540 A.D. and occupied until 1610 A.D., though the Annuals of the Kingdom of Ireland state that Carrickabraghy was occupied between 800-1200 A.D. with folks sharing Viking and Irish names, indicating inter-clan marriages. It has always been regarded as a strategic stronghold due to its location at the point of the nearby bay.
Looking north on the backside of the stronghold, I like this picture. Don't you feel safe?
Just to the east of the stronghold is a slit in the rocks that erupts with crashing waves. The max height today, during these calm seas, was about 12-15 ft (4.5 m). However, Ian the Binion Bay Campground Host, tells me that on days with rough seas the eruption can be quite spectacular. "The water shoots well over the castle when the seas are high, it has to be rough though. If you position your camera just right in those moments, you can make the tower look like a water fountain", he says.
I find my way back to Binion Bay, just in time for what looks to be another great sunset. I remember Ian telling me the night before of a spectacular photograph that can be had in the area at sunset. "Position your car right along a road just west of here. There's an island there in the distance. It will take some maneuvering. Be patient and place the island between you and the sunset. BOOOM! It will look like an Atom bomb exploded", he tells me as he's running through all the local attractions. Let's see if I can see two sunsets in a row. I find the island, position myself, and begin to wait. Clouds begin to roll in, this will be spectacular, just the right amount of clouds. I wait. No Joy. (No Joy = A military saying for when a pilot fails to acquire visual confirmation of a target) Clouds continue to roll in, and I decide there won't be a sunset tonight. I abandon my position and head back. By the time I climb into my tent, it's raining.
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