Lough Foyle

Last updated

Lough Foyle
Loch Feabhail (Irish)
Lough Foyle View - geograph.org.uk - 1298267.jpg
From south shore
LoughFoyleLocation.png
Location Republic of Ireland – United Kingdom border
Coordinates 55°07′00″N7°05′00″W / 55.116667°N 7.083333°W / 55.116667; -7.083333
River sources River Foyle, River Roe, River Faughan
Ocean/sea sourcesAtlantic Ocean, Irish Sea
Basin  countries Northern Ireland,
Republic of Ireland
Settlements Ballykelly, Derry, Greencastle, Shrove, Magilligan, Moville, Muff
Designated2 February 1999
Reference no.974 [1]

Lough Foyle, sometimes Loch Foyle [2] [ full citation needed ] (Irish : Loch Feabhail, meaning 'Feabhal's loch' [3] or "loch of the lip" [4] ), is the estuary of the River Foyle, on the north coast of Ireland. It lies between County Londonderry in Northern Ireland and County Donegal in the Republic of Ireland. Sovereignty over the waters has been in dispute since the Partition of Ireland.

Contents

Seen from Space: Derry with the Ulster coastline with Lough Swilly west and Lough Foyle east of the city and the Inishowen. Derry from the International Space Station 2013-03-17.jpg
Seen from Space: Derry with the Ulster coastline with Lough Swilly west and Lough Foyle east of the city and the Inishowen.

Flora and fauna

Flora

A survey of Lough Foyle was made between March 1937 and June 1939 by Helen Blackler. [5] In this, a map shows the distribution of certain species of algae in the lough and a full annotated list of the algae recorded along with photographs of the different sites. The list included: Cyanophyceae, Chlorophyceae, Phaeophyceae, Rhodophyceae, lichens and two species of Zostera . The marine algae of Lough Foyle are also included in Morton (2003). [6]

Fauna

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds has a reserve at the lough. [7]

Transport

In 1792 the four-mile Strabane Canal was constructed from the tidal waters of Lough Foyle at Leck, to Strabane. The canal fell into disuse in 1962. In June 2006 the Strabane Lifford Development Commission awarded a £1.3m cross-border waterways restoration contract. The project involves the restoration of one and a half miles of canal and two locks to working order. Work began on the Lough Foyle side of the canal in the summer of 2006, but by 2010 the partial restoration was deemed unsatisfactory and the local council refused to continue to maintain the canal. The Broharris Canal was constructed in the 1820s when a cut – some two miles long on the south shore of Lough Foyle near Ballykelly – was made in the direction of Limavady. It served both as a drainage channel and a navigation, with goods being brought from the Londonderry Port, and shellfish and kelp from the sandbanks along the shore.

In the summertime, a ferry service operates between Greencastle and Magilligan across Lough Foyle.

Railway travel

NI Railways runs from Derry~Londonderry railway station along the scenic shore of Lough Foyle – with views of Inishowen in County Donegal as well as the Atlantic Ocean – via Coleraine to Belfast Lanyon Place and Belfast Grand Central. The strategically important Belfast–Derry railway line is to be upgraded to facilitate more frequent trains and improvements to the permanent way, such as track and signalling to enable faster services.

From Londonderry railway station the next stop is Bellarena followed by Castlerock then Coleraine en route to Belfast. Walkers alighting from trains arriving at Castlerock can walk to Mussenden Temple owned by the National Trust and can see the mouth of Lough Foyle and Greencastle some distance away in County Donegal.

Literature

The main character of Alfred Bester's famous science-fiction novel, The Stars My Destination , is named Gulliver Foyle. Bester took the names of his characters from various locations in Ireland and Great Britain.[ citation needed ]

First World War

The United States Navy established the Naval Air Station Lough Foyle on the Inishowen side of the lough on 1 July 1918 to operate seaplanes during the First World War. The base closed shortly after the First Armistice at Compiègne. [8]

Second World War

At the end of the Second World War, after the Allied victory, the remainder of the German Atlantic fleet of U-boats used to attack supply lines from North America to Britain during the Battle of the Atlantic were assembled in Lough Foyle and scuttled – as part of Operation Deadlight.

Disputed status

Lough Foyle is a disputed territory between the Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom; after the Partition of Ireland in the early 1920s, each side claimed that it was in their own territory. Although this dispute is still ongoing, there are currently no negotiations as to its ownership.

The UK's Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) underlined its view on 2 June 2009 that all of Lough Foyle is in the United Kingdom, a spokesperson stating: 'The UK position is that the whole of Lough Foyle is within the UK. We recognise that the Irish Government does not accept this position...There are no negotiations currently in progress on this issue. The regulation of activities in the Lough is now the responsibility of the Loughs Agency, a cross-border body established under the Good Friday Agreement.' [9]

In November 2016, James Brokenshire, MP, the UK's Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, reiterated the UK's view that all of Lough Foyle is in the UK, [10] whilst Charles Flanagan, TD, the Republic of Ireland's Minister for Foreign Affairs, stated that the Republic of Ireland did not recognise Britain's claim to the entirety of Lough Foyle. [11]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Derry</span> City in Northern Ireland

Derry, officially Londonderry, is the largest city in County Londonderry, the second-largest in Northern Ireland and the fifth-largest on the island of Ireland. The old walled city lies on the west bank of the River Foyle, which is spanned by two road bridges and one footbridge. The city now covers both banks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">County Donegal</span> County in Ireland

County Donegal is a county of Ireland in the province of Ulster and in the Northern and Western Region. It is named after the town of Donegal in the south of the county. It has also been known as County Tyrconnell or Tirconaill, after the historic territory. Donegal County Council is the local council and Lifford is the county town.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">County Londonderry</span> County in Northern Ireland

County Londonderry, also known as County Derry, is one of the six counties of Northern Ireland, one of the thirty-two counties of Ireland and one of the nine counties of Ulster. Before the partition of Ireland, it was one of the counties of the Kingdom of Ireland from 1613 onward and then of the United Kingdom after the Acts of Union 1800. Adjoining the north-west shore of Lough Neagh, the county covers an area of 2,118 km2 (818 sq mi) and today has a population of about 252,231.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Inishowen</span> Large peninsula in County Donegal, Ireland

Inishowen is a peninsula in the north of County Donegal in Ireland. Inishowen is the largest peninsula on the island of Ireland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Magilligan</span> Human settlement in Northern Ireland

Magilligan is a peninsula that lies in the northwest of County Londonderry, Northern Ireland, at the entrance to Lough Foyle, within Causeway Coast and Glens district. It is an extensive 79,000-acre (32,000-hectare) coastal site, part British army firing range, part nature reserve and is home to the HM Prison Magilligan. The settlement of Magilligan Point on the lough is noted for its ferry crossing to Greencastle, County Donegal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">River Foyle</span> River in the northwest of the island of Ireland

The River Foyle is a river in west Ulster in the northwest of the island of Ireland, which flows from the confluence of the rivers Finn and Mourne at the towns of Lifford in County Donegal, Republic of Ireland, and Strabane in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. From here it flows to the city of Derry, where it discharges into Lough Foyle and, ultimately, the Atlantic Ocean. The total length of the River Foyle is 32 km (20 mi). The river separates part of County Donegal from parts of both County Londonderry and County Tyrone. The district of County Donegal that borders the western bank of the River Foyle is traditionally known as the Laggan. This district includes the villages of St Johnston and Carrigans, both of which are nestled on the banks of the River.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carlingford Lough</span> Glacial fjord or sea inlet in Ireland

Carlingford Lough is a glacial fjord or sea inlet in northeastern Ireland, forming part of the border between Northern Ireland to the north and the Republic of Ireland to the south. On its northern shore is County Down, the Mourne Mountains, and the town of Warrenpoint; on its southern shore is County Louth, the Cooley Mountains and the village of Carlingford. The Newry River flows into the loch from the northwest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moville</span> Port town in County Donegal, Ireland

Moville is a coastal town located on the Inishowen Peninsula of County Donegal, Ireland, close to the northern tip of the island of Ireland. It is the first coastal town of the Wild Atlantic Way when starting on the northern end.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">County Donegal Railways Joint Committee</span>

The County Donegal Railways Joint Committee operated an extensive 3 ft narrow gauge railway system serving County Donegal, Ireland, from 1906 until 1960. The committee was incorporated by an Act of Parliament in 1906, which authorised the joint purchase of the then Donegal Railway Company by the Great Northern Railway of Ireland and the Midland Railway Northern Counties Committee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Binevenagh</span> Mountain in Northern Ireland

Binevenagh is a large, steep-sided hill in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It is part of the Keenaght Hills, which mark the western edge of the Antrim Plateau, formed around 60 million years ago by molten lava. Binevenagh and its cliffs overlook the Magilligan peninsula and dominate the skyline over the villages of Bellarena, Downhill, Castlerock and Benone beach. The area has been classified as both an Area of Special Scientific Interest and as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). The total area of the AONB is 138 km2.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Republic of Ireland–United Kingdom border</span>

The Republic of Ireland–United Kingdom border, sometimes referred to as the Irish border or British–Irish border, runs for 499 km (310 mi) from Lough Foyle in the north-west of Ireland to Carlingford Lough in the north-east, separating the Republic of Ireland from Northern Ireland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Derry ~ Londonderry railway station</span> Railway station in Northern Ireland

Derry ~ Londonderry railway station, also known as North West Transport Hub or Waterside railway station, is a railway terminus in Derry, Northern Ireland, on the east bank of the River Foyle, operated by Northern Ireland Railways and its 7th busiest station across the network with 952,126 passengers boarding or alighting at the station in the 2023/24 financial year. It is on the Belfast–Derry railway line, terminating at Belfast Lanyon Place. Derry/Londonderry has the longest platforms on the NIR Network, at 258.3 metres in length.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Belfast–Derry line</span> Northern Irish railway line

The Belfast–Derry line is an intercity railway line, running from Belfast to Derry in Northern Ireland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Benone</span> Tourist destination in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland

Benone is a popular tourist destination in the Causeway Coast and Glens district, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland.

The Londonderry and Enniskillen Railway (L&ER) was an Irish gauge railway in Ireland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Causeway Coast and Glens</span> Local government district in Northern Ireland

Causeway Coast and Glens is a local government district covering most of the northern part of Northern Ireland. It was created on 1 April 2015 by merging the Borough of Ballymoney, the Borough of Coleraine, the Borough of Limavady and the District of Moyle. The local authority is Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Porthall</span> Village in County Donegal, Ireland

Porthall is a village and townland in County Donegal, Ireland. The village is located on the west bank of the River Foyle, in The Laggan district of East Donegal, on the R265 road. The nearest town is Lifford, the county town.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tirkeeran</span> Place in Northern Ireland, United Kingdom

Tirkeeran is a barony in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It connects to the north-Londonderry coastline, and is bordered by four other baronies: Keenaght to the east; Strabane Lower to the south-east; North West Liberties of Londonderry to the west; and Strabane Upper to the south.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North West Liberties of Londonderry</span> Administrative division in Northern Ireland

The North West Liberties of Londonderry is a barony in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It is bordered by two other baronies in Northern Ireland: Tirkeeran to the east, across Lough Foyle, and Strabane Lower to the south. It also borders two baronies in County Donegal in the Republic of Ireland. It borders Raphoe North, to the south-west; and Inishowen West to the north.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shrove, County Donegal</span> Hamlet and townland in Inishowen, County Donegal, in Ulster, Ireland

Shrove is a coastal hamlet and townland in Inishowen in the north of County Donegal in the north of Ulster, the northern province in Ireland. The hamlet is located a short distance to the north of Greencastle in the north-east of Inishowen, a peninsula on the north coast of Ireland. The name of both the hamlet and the townland is also sometimes written as Shroove, and is sometimes written as Stroove by some government bodies.

References

  1. "Lough Foyle". Ramsar Sites Information Service. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
  2. See Google Books for published examples online.
  3. Flanagan, Deirdre & Laurence; Irish Place Names, page 212. Gill & MacMillan, 2002. ISBN   0-7171-3396-6
  4. "Place Names NI - Home". www.placenamesni.org. Archived from the original on 16 August 2018. Retrieved 20 May 2021.
  5. Blackler, H. 1951. An algal survey of Lough Foyle, Northern Ireland. Proc. R. Ir. Acad.54B(6):97 – 139
  6. Morton, O. 2003. The marine macroalgae of County Donegal, Ireland.. Bull. Ir. biogeog. Soc.27: 3 – 164
  7. "Lough Foyle". Royal Society for the Protection of Birds.
  8. Van Wyen, Adrian O. (1969). Naval Aviation in World War I. Washington, D.C.: Chief of Naval Operations. p.  80.
  9. "Foyle 'loughed' in dispute". Londonderry Sentinel. 3 June 2009. Retrieved 4 April 2011.
  10. "Written questions and answers". UK Parliament. 16 November 2016. Archived from the original on 17 November 2016.
  11. "Efforts made to resolve border dispute with UK". RTÉ. 17 November 2016.