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According to legend, the Poisoned Glen , east of Dunlewy, is where the cyclops Balor of the Evil Eye was slain by Lugh, poisoning the ground on which his single orb fell. There are many other explanations for the origins of its name, from the darkly conspiratorial (the glen's waters were polluted to kill English soldiers) to the purely botanical (poisonous Irish spurge used to grow here). To reach the glen, head a little way further east on the R251 and take the signposted lane leading downhill to the right. Just below the ruined church at the eastern end of Lough Nacung turn off to the left and follow the track over the old bridge. The path dwindles away and you should follow the left bank of the river deep into the gorge until it turns sharply left. Cross the water here and climb up towards a granite crest. From here walk beside the small stream through a gully and finally you'll emerge on a ridge. It's not an easy tramp, for a lot of the ground is marshy, but the views are fantastic, with the River Glenveagh flowing into Lough Beagh down below. You're now in the Glenveagh National Park and may well see deer hereabouts. If you don't want to retrace your tracks and are prepared for a longer hike, you have a number of options. However, it's vital to follow all the basic rules of hill-walking and essential to keep to the designated roads and paths during the winter deer-culling season (Sept-Feb), or you run the risk of being shot . Experienced hill-walkers will probably be tempted by the sight of Slieve Snaght , the highest point in the Park, off to the west. Alternatively, if you head downhill to the southeast, the Glendowan road at the bottom leads eastwards to Lough Gartan and westward to Doocharry . If you take this road east towards Gartan for a short distance, an old disused vehicle track to the left will lead you down the barrel of the glen alongside the river to Lough Glenveagh. A less arduous approach to Glenveagh is to follow the R251 alongside the mountains until it curves to meet Lough Beagh's northern tip. A little further on is the official National Park entrance (Easter weekend & mid-April to Sept daily 10am-6.30pm; Oct same times; closed Fri; GBP2/?2.53; Heritage Card). The visitor centre has detailed and interactive displays on the area's ecology and geology and there's also a reasonably-priced restaurant. Free minibuses ply between here and Glenveagh Castle (same hours; GBP2/?2.53), built on a small promontory for George Adair in 1870. Adair was the creator of the estate which now forms much of the park and though you might admire the end-product it's impossible to condone the means by which it was achieved. Though some land was obtained through purchase, Adair despicably evicted 244 tenants during the bitterly cold April of 1861 - the Derryveagh Evictions - forcing many into the workhouse and others to emigrate to Australia. A second look at the castle might now suggest other reasons why its owner desired to occupy such a fortified construction. The surrounding rhododendron-filled gardens were very much the work of Adair's wife, Cornelia, who also introduced the herds of red deer to the estate. The steep ascent to the viewpoint behind the gardens is more than worthwhile for the wonderful views down to the castle and along the lough deep into the glen.
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