3 Swan Park 5 Upper & Lower Main Streets Heritage Trail

From the Castle Bridge the riverbank trail follows the Crana Once William Street and Townsend Street respectively, River into Swan Park and on to Wilson’s Bridge at Westbrook. the main thoroughfares, have retained their basic original layout for almost 300 years. Notable architecture includes the For over 70 years from 1800, Swan Park was a prosperous Market Square and Christ Church at the centre of the town. milling centre for fl ax, linen and cotton. Local industrialist, Now derelict, Swan’s Corn Mills at the foot of the Mill Brae historian and writer, Harry Percival Swan, bequeathed the milled fl our and porridge oats from the mid 19th century and parkland to the town in 1965. provided electricity to the town from 1905 to 1954.

2 Early Settlement 4 The West End 6 A Seaside Resort 7 Ned’s Point Fort

The early 15th century “Keep” of Cahir O’Doherty’s castle The town’s West End, where the present Castle Avenue joins The arrival of the railway (1864) opened Buncrana to visitors, The half-mile detour north along the shore of stands on the Crana River’s west bank near to the earliest Upper Main Street, marks the beginning of Col. George particularly from and the northern counties. The town leads to Ned’s Point Fort. settlement of Buncrana. Buncrana Castle, an early Georgian Vaughan’s urban development of the “new” Buncrana, developed as a popular tourist resort with new facilities - manor house, is located close by. The castle is approached via away from the “old Town” on the western bank of the Buncrana Pier (1874); Buncrana Golf Club (1890) and the Built in 1812 to counter the threat of a French invasion the the six-arched Castle Bridge. Both structures date from 1718. Crana River (c.1718). The cinema (St. Mary’s Hall) with its North West Golf Club (1891). The rail link was terminated fort is one of six such structures built on both shores of the distinctive, pastiche Baroque facade, dominates the junction. in 1953. The former station is now the popular Drift Inn. Lough to provide artillery crossfi re on enemy vessels. The (Note: The optional walk to Ned’s Point begins here. See map.) fort immediately opposite Ned’s Point is a Martello Tower. West History & Heritage Society www.buncranahistory.com W Buncrana E SWAN ST BR NED’S PARK O D 3 OK Buncrana’s built origins date to the 16th century with POINT FORT A O R a small harbour on the Crana River and O’Doherty’s L L I castle on its west bank. It is likely that there was 7 H K signifi cant settlement (possibly monastic) here since C THE O C

KEEP 2 prehistoric times.

CASTLE BRIDGE

The O’Dohertys were the Gaelic lords of late medieval

D CA BUNCRANA USEWAY A RO Inishowen. An early settlement known as Buncrana CASTLE AD O

R became established at their castle known locally as L

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‘The Keep’. H E K UIR

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This was on the small promontory between the S C T

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T Crana River estuary and Lough Swilly. D H A E O I N R U A R L N O 4 P S P RI A ’DOHER ST A E ER V CO R F A LU R MBAS M A AVE A D I C N R Welcome to the two and a quarter mile (3.6km) T R A A Y N S A T AV R T HILLHEAD ROAD BUNCRANA HERITAGE TRAIL (with an optional O E VE A GINN A RE MA E T D S

H half mile coastal walk to Ned’s Point fort). S RC D U T C H B C M L S A W The Stone Jug Other Places of Interest T RY 1 R P 5 Each panel corresponds to the numbered sites A ’ T S M R RO I A on the map. You will fi nd more detailed A St Mary’s Hall C K I A N S D

R S interpretive boards at each way-mark. O B Christchurch T For Further Information: A D

A F C Birthplace of Frank McGuinness www.buncranahistory.com I L ARDARAVAN There are no hazardous stretches on the trail but E A D SQUARE D Maginn Cottage C J A please take care when crossing roads. H RO

R S E Swan’s Corn Mills O N A E Enjoy your walk! A R F Kissing Gate D O T Words by John Hegarty, Kate Crossan, S I Liam McLaughlin and Lisa Henderson G Former Train Station D MILLTOWN ROA H Former Coastguard Station Edited by: Ruth Garvey-Williams D I A Ardeelan House O Photos courtesy of: Adam Porter, Claire Withy, Donal Kearney, Lisa Henderson, R LY Mark Mc Laughlin, Michael Grant, Sam Barton and The Miller Collection. J Sisters of Mercy Convent IL SW 6 All properties are private and trespassing H We would also like to extend our thanks to all those who have allowed plaques is strictly prohibited. RA The trail begins in Castle Avenue at the small building to be placed on their properties. Please bear in mind these properties are all G I LW private and trespassing is prohibited. E known locally as “The Stone Jug”. The origin of the name A GR AY RO R AN B S is unknown; some say it was once a prison (“Jug” slang for HA Every care has been taken in the compilation of this brochure to ensure accu- S R S OA racy at the time of publication. The publishers cannot accept responsibility for jail). AD A D L printed errors, omissions or alterations after the brochure has been published. G

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N Along the path to Castle Bridge are memorials to I

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Theobald , a leader of the “United Irishmen”, O

O John Doherty, a pioneering trade union activist and other L prominent local fi gures. , Derry,