Sunday 23 July 2017
<Author: Gerry O'Boyle (photos by Helen Byers, Gerry O'Boyle and Monica Savage)>
Stage Six: Comber to Portaferry (approx 40k or 25miles)
Today I’m wearing my Clifton Hoka shoes which have been kindly donated by Pure Running. These are really amazing shoes – they literally give you a spring in your step, which is just as well because I need all the help I can get to try to keep up with Helen and Sean! So thank you Pure Running. Also, I think the name, Clifton Hokas shoes fit perfectly with our Clifton Run. Today’s starting team
Our core team of three (Helen, Sean and I) were delighted to be joined today at the start in Comber by Samantha Eakin, Debbie Matchett, Valerie McDonagh, Claire Garrad, Rab Martin and Philip Mulligan.
I got to know young Samantha (Sam) recently – she works in StreetLife and always has a smile on her face. Debbie is my physio person and to be honest I don’t think I’d be doing this coastal run if it wasn’t for her special treatment earlier in the year. Valerie is a Tipperary girl and of course she is the excellent Chairperson of N.Down Athletic Club. Claire is a relative newcomer to running since returning to Bangor but is learning fast and building up her miles. Rab is a marathon runner and still turns out to play rugby for Donaghadee -not bad for a 49 year old! And last but by no means least, is Philip - really the life and soul of any group.
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| The starting team! |
The weather was dull enough to start with and Scrabo Tower/Hill was covered in an early morning mist as we drove towards today’s starting point. It was an earlier start today and we leave Comber to start our run about 7.40am
Comber–the gateway to everywhere
Comber was once a very busy hub for three railway lines, Belfast to the west, Downpatrick and Newcastle to the south and Newtownards to the north – and today we’re heading north towards Newtownards. I read somewhere that there was once a railway level crossing at Glassmoss (just outside Comber) that was ‘operated by the Byers family for years’ – no doubt ancestors of our own smooth operator, Helen Byers!
The mist is clearing and as we’re running along the Comber-N’Ards road we have lovely views of Scrabo Hill and Scrabo Tower on our left hand side. It’s nice to note that Scrabo Tower (now just reopened) was built to honour Charles Stewart who was held in high regard with his attempts to alleviate suffering during the Irish Famine (one of the very few, kind and generous landlords of that time)
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| The mist lifts off the top of Scrabo just as we run along the Floodgates path |
Floodgates Path
After about 2.5 miles outside Comber (halfway between Comber and N’Ards) we take a right turn through a farm-gate, leaving the dual carriageway and joining the Floodgates path. This is a beautiful stretch, completely traffic free, although we are really running close to the flight path at Newtownards Airport! We are lucky that we’re running here in the early morning as we notice that today there is an Open Day at the Ards Airport and it’s advertised as being ‘perfect introduction to aviation for any budding pilots’ -yes maybe best to get through this path as quick as possible!
Sadly, we say goodbye to young Sam and we shortly emerge from the Floodgates path onto the Portaferry road just outside Newtownards. We continue south and although we’re on the main Newtownards-Portaferry road we have a nice footpath to run on almost all the way as far as Greyabbey. It’s warming up now and just before Greyabbey we stop briefly at Mount Stewart for drinks and toilet breaks.
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| One of the glacial deposits on the approach to Mount Stewart |
We learned that the Abbey here was the only Cistercian monastery in Ireland to be founded by a woman. Affreca established the Abbey here in 1193. A few centuries later in 1798 the United Irishmen, mainly inspired by protestant liberals were defeated here and because of this, the men of the village were given the name ‘the green boys o’ Greba’. So it’s only right we’re wearing our (lime) green shirts as we run through Greyabbey!
Claire leaves us at Greyabbey and now there are seven of us left. Unfortunately after this, we have no footpath for a little while but we struggle along on the main road and eventually we arrive in the quiet village of Kircubbin. (known as Cubinhillis in medieval times).
It’s beautiful now in Kircubbin with lovely views across Strangford Lough to Whiterock and Daft Eddies (see also stage Five!) and we can still see Scrabo Tower in the distance. Maybe Kircubbin is a little too quiet though as we’re looking for somewhere to have some coffee and scones. Eventually we have to settle for a supermarket. At this stage Debbie, Valerie, Rab and Philip have to leave us. We really appreciated all the extra company on our coastal adventure today. Oh, almost forgot, Valerie was approached by a man in Kircubbin –he donated £5 to Clifton School.
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| Rab, Debbie, Valerie and Philip in Kircubbin |
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| Gerard meets us on the road and leads us to Abbacy Road |
So Helen, Sean and I proceed (skipping the coffee) and after about two or three miles south of Kircubbin we pass the Saltwater Brig Pub (I’m feeling thirsty all of a sudden!). On and on and then another mile or two of twisty roads south of Kircubbin we pass the townland of Ardkeen. Shortly after that we take a sharp right hand turn off the main road and enter Abbacy Road - glad to be on a much quieter road. Here we had arranged to meet Gerard Adair (a relative newcomer to N.Down AC). Gerard takes us to his friend Sharon Fitzsimons’s house nearby (Sharon also happens to work with my wife, Maureen). Gerard and Sharon have arranged a lovely spread of tea, cakes, biscuits and delicious banana bread. Maureen, our wee Brian and Sharon’s daughter Ciara (recent All-Ireland Camogie Champion!) join us too. Also, Sharon’s friend, Monica Savage arrives and kindly gives a donation of £20.00 for Clifton School. Thanks Monica.
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| The first all Ireland Camogie Champion we've encountered on our journey so far! |
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| Lovely spread and stunning view from Sharon's house |
After about half an hour, we reluctantly leave Sharon’s house and continue along Abbacy Road with Gerard joining us for the last six miles into Portaferry. The sun has come out now and we continue along Abbacy Road (nice quiet country road) which joins up with Marfield Road and eventually reaching the shore of Strangford Lough. Along the way we bump into Buzz Lightyear, just escaped from last week’s Portaferry festival! We’re getting very tired at this stage but Gerard keeps us stimulated and distracted with his local knowledge, pointing out various fish and turkey farms. Soon we see Castleward (on the other side of the Lough) in the distance. Even if we are tiring, it’s still a beautiful run in along the shore to Portaferry and we finally come to our finish line at the ferry port.
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| Running up the final hill of the day - fresh Gerard 1.5miles into his journey the rest of us at mile 22! |
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| Flowering Rapeseed plants on the Abbacy Road |
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| Strangford Lough from the Abbacy Road |
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| Mussel Farms set up by Queen's University as part of the Hydrodynamic Modelling Framework for Strangford Lough |
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| View of Castleward and Audley's Castle |
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| First glimpse of Portaferry |
It’s warm and sunny now as we complete today’s run and Helen can’t resist the temptation to jump into the sea. Gerard and I are even brave enough to go for a paddle – and that salt water is just what our bodies and feet need after running 25 miles! And so, Stage Six of our coastal run is complete – the adventure continues.
Watch it here
Total distance to date: 229k or 143miles
Next two legs: Saturday 12 August (Portaferry to Donaghadee) and Saturday 16 September (Donaghadee to Belfast)
If you’d like to Donate to Clifton Special School, please see below. https://mydonate.bt.com/events/cliftoncoastalrun/381290
