I AM perched on Malin Head, County Donegal, at Ireland's most northerly point. Ahead, the next landfall is Iceland, to my left, and far beyond the swirling clouds, America.

In a sweeping half moon behind me, the rugged, unspoiled Inishowen Peninsula rolls out across this little-known spear of North West Ireland.

The true beauty of a break to this little-known and very much understated part of Ireland, is that you can do as much or as little as you want.

If it's history you're after, they've got legions of it.

If it's good food, mixed with the locals' laid-back sense of fun, you'll be swamped at every wayside halt.

There's golf to play and mile upon bright yellow mile of unspoilt beaches (they boast the most in Ireland) to explore.

Or you can lose yourself among the narrow, winding lanes, tiny coastal towns and dinky fishing ports.

Sandwiched between Lough Foyle and Lough Swilly, the Inishowen Peninsula, for example, stretches, dips and slides over one hundred amazing miles in a complete, distinctive world of its own.

Start your jaunt by car, bus or bike along R238, a truly magical scenic coastal drive from Buncrana, the region's stunning gateway.

There are breathtaking coastal views from the Mamore Gap. The town Ballylifin is famed for sea angling. Take in the ancient monuments at Carndonagh then spend some time at Greencastle, a whimsical, slightly unkempt, fishing port on Lough Foyle.

It's a curious jumble of trawlers, cute cottages, some thatched, and mounds of fishing gear.

And there, as a backdrop across the waters in the hazy middle distance is Magilligan Point, a ferry shuttle away in Northern Ireland.

Greencastle boasts excellent eateries and a fine Maritime Museum complete with fishing boats, fascinating charts showing wrecks spread over recent centuries and oodles of beautiful sepia photographs capturing its fishing and seafaring heritage.

Visit the Doagh Famine Village for a real insight into Irish history - it captures much of the country's history in a stark, but distinctly humorous, way.

I return to 2005, with all its modern-day comforts, and an overnight at the elegant Georgian Rathmullan House, overlooking two miles of beach, at Lough Swilly. It has stunning food and rooms the size of small bowling greens.