The amazing Giant's Causeway, another geological wonder, is one of many interesting sites along Antrim's north coast. Bushmill's distillery is nearby if you fancy something industrial after all that geology. Magilligan, a vast complex of sand dunes encroaching into Lough Foyle, was where the Ordnance Survey began mapping Ireland in 1827. The army drew a line in the sand eight miles long and spent months measuring it with military precision. This was the baseline against which the rest of Ireland was triangulated and mapped.
Small enclosures mark the line's start and end.
Worked in the 1850s, it is currently the only Irish mine with shafts and tunnels open to the public. Mining heritage centres are being developed at Silvermines, Arigna, Allihies and Bunmahon. Today, it measures earth tremors, ozone levels and magnetic fluctuations. Valentia Island once boasted the first transatlantic telegraph cable, Marconi's wireless station and a slate quarry. Explosive Cork Cork city has a strong industrial tradition.