Great Irish Roads: Oliver Cromwell - Irish history's great bogey-man - left his mark on Ireland in more ways than one. Just south of Passage East on the western side of Waterford harbour lies the little village of Crooke, writes Bob Montgomery
No 16: 'By Hook or by Crooke'
There's nothing remarkable about Crooke, but together with the Hook Head peninsula, the southernmost tip of the opposite shore, the two are forever linked by Cromwell's remark that he would take the city of Waterford "by Hook or by Crooke".
Cromwell stationed a garrison at nearby Passage East, a fact attested to by the village's many small squares. Passage East has another claim to a place in history, for it was here that Richard de Clare, Earl of Pembroke, 'Strongbow', landed in 1170 to begin the Norman invasion of Ireland.
Today the boats, or to be more precise, the ferry, goes from Passage East to BallyHack on the opposite shore. A journey of just 10 minutes, it saves a round trip of about 50 miles and is a good place to begin our journey.
Leaving behind Ballyhack's five-story 16th century castle, take the R770 to Arthurstown at the head of King's bay (so named, tradition has it, because the defeated King James II took ship there following his defeat at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690). From Arthurstown, head inland before turning for Duncannon.
Here, as elsewhere in this landscape, evidence of our chequered history seems dotted everywhere. Duncannon Fort was built in Elizabethan times when the danger of invasion by the Spanish was deemed likely. Two centuries later the threat of invasion arose again - this time by the French - and three Martello Towers were built to deter the Napoleonic forces.
From Duncannon, follow the road nearest the coast as it winds its way down to the Hook Head peninsula, passing through the tiny villages of Booley, Harrylock and Churchtown. Along the way is Loftus Hall, reputedly the most haunted house in Ireland.
Hook Head Lighthouse is visible from several kilometers distance, its huge bulk rising high over the predominantly flat landscape. In truth, it is an amazing building. Not least of its amazing features is its age, for it was built in 1172 by a Norman, Raymond le Gros.
To give its 13ft thick walls extra strength he had the stones joined with a mixture of mud and bullock's blood! It is probable that a lighthouse has existed here for some 1400 years, and legend states that a 5th century Welsh monk, Dubhand ("Hook"), built the first structure.
The present Norman structure was built in three sections, each supported by an arched cross of stone built into the vaulted ceilings. Its construction must have been a major achievement at the time, and it is believed to be one of the oldest operational lighthouses in the world. Today it continues to flash its warning, now fully automated.
Hook Head is not the most southerly point of Ireland, but it is an end: an end to our journeys and to this series for this year.
Next March the series will return with more great roads for you to discover and enjoy.
When I started this series, I promised to report on the Lotus Elise 111R which has been our transport through the length and breath of this island as we sought out interesting drives. In the course of researching this series we've travelled about 10,000 kms over all types of terrain.
The Lotus has been nothing short of a revelation. In January when it was delivered it seemed small with a very snug cabin. Snug it may be but it has swallowed our needs - luggage, cameras, maps, guide books - on all our journeys and proved to be much more comfortable and practical than it first appeared.
But perhaps its single most impressive feature has been its ride. I was concerned that it would have problems on bumpy Irish roads and that its low height would be a problem over the ramps that are an epidemic on our streets. But its stiff but pliant suspension has dealt admirably with all that's been thrown at it, much better, in fact, than any other car we've driven during the same period.
But a Lotus is all about handling and driver-feedback, and it fully lives up to the reputation that had preceded it. The more we've driven it the more we've come to appreciate its extraordinary road-holding and handling properties. And it's practical in use, having been used as everyday transport since its arrival back in early January. The biggest problem we've encountered has been an electric window that failed to close the last couple of centimeters - fixed in just a few minutes.
Criticisms? Yes, the instrument pod is very poor for a car of this price. Hard to read and not even back-lit, it cries out to be replaced by a good race-bred digital instrument pod.
Getting in and out? Well, there's a knack to getting in easily which is soon learned. Getting out remains an effort that soon leads one to cut out any unnecessary stops. As I said at the start, driving it over every type of road has been a real test; the results have been nothing short of a revelation.