Hook Lighthouse
The Hook route takes you on through Saltmills and its little harbour and onto Fethard Castle, a Norman stronghold now in such near state of falling down it can only be viewed from a safe distance. From there we made our way down to the Hook Lighthouse and its stunningly dramatic rocky coastline. The oldest (its 800 years old) intact working Lighthouse in the World, the Hook Lighthouse offers guided tours and exhibits to explore its history, art workshops to record its present and a resident pigeon padding around the visitor centre. We then travelled North passing the grandly grey Loftus Hall, Irelands most haunted house which is open to visitors and was celebrating the Irish pagan festival of fire, ‘Bealtaine’ while we were there. From there on past the Knights Templars Church at Templetown dating back to 1310, but sadly now largely derelict.