Bloody Foreland Signal Station, County Donegal

The location of the Bloody Foreland Signal Station was to the left of the quarry in the bottom right of the image. The ‘Eire’ sign can be seen in the top left of the image (Image courtesy of Bing maps)

The signal station at Bloody Foreland has been entirely removed and no traces of it can be identified on the ground. It is an important location marking the point that allowed the signal stations on the west coast of Donegal to communicate with those on the north coast. The low lying ground with low cliffs to the north and the west has expansive views in all directions except to the south east. The locations of the adjacent signal stations, Mullaghderg to the south and Horn Head to the north east are clearly visible, although none of the structures could be identified on the day of the survey.

An automated weather station at Bloody Foreland

The area contains several features that are often found in proximity to the signal stations. The first is an automated weather station.

The letter E. The first part of a well preserved or maintained ‘Eire’ sign

The second feature is a well preserved or well maintained ‘Eire’ sign although no traces of an associated Look Out Post were identified, even though one is thought to have been built at Bloody Foreland.

A relic field wall at Bloody Foreland

There are also several relic field walls constructed of boulders which are probably of a considerable age. One of these walls is associated with the foundations of a rectangular building.

A double skinned rectangular building foundation located at the end of a relic field wall

Finally there are traces of a large but heavily eroded promontory fort. The combination of all these features highlights the importance of this location at the north west corner of Ireland.

A heavily eroded section of the ditch of what must have been a large promontory fort