A rotting wooden trawler has sat marooned on Magheraclogher beach since 1977, slowly collapsing into the sand while the Atlantic tide washes around it twice a day — a wild, photogenic landmark on Donegal's Wild Atlantic Way.
The beach floods twice a day, so the wreck is only approachable on foot around low tide. Check tide times before you go — at high tide the hull sits in water and you can only watch from the shore. The sand is shallow out to the wreck, but the channel further out is dangerous: swimming is not advised.
Bád Eddie's weathered, collapsing hull against the wide sky and Errigal's backdrop makes it one of Donegal's most photographed sights — a favourite for wedding shots and the setting for a Bono and Clannad music video in 1986. Golden light at low tide gives the best shots.
The French-built boat was brought ashore in 1977 for repairs to two planks and never left. Volunteers have campaigned to preserve it, but it keeps deteriorating — don't climb on the fragile hull, and admire it from the sand.
Magheraclogher is a vast, exposed sandy beach that empties dramatically when the tide goes out, leaving a silvery expanse. Dogs love the space to run, and the walk is worth it even when the tide is in.
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