(Fall down 7 times, get up 8 times).
<Author: Gerry O'Boyle>
Saturday 12th August 2017
Stage Seven: Portaferry to Donaghadee (approx 53k or 33miles)
We continued our challenge today, starting in the village of Portaferry and now running along the east side of the Ards Peninsula. I deliberately used that word ‘challenge’ (rather than adventure) because sometimes we forget how hard this task can be.
Today’s starting team
Our main team of three (Helen, Sean and I) were delighted to be joined once again by Claire Garrad & Philip Mulligan and also Sarah Benton who is with us again for the third time. We welcome especially Lindsay Doulton who joins us for the first time. Lindsay is a regular parkrunner, a Fulham supporter and despite now being a young mother, still hasn’t lost any of her fitness.
 |
| Starting team at Portaferry |
It was an early start, leaving Portaferry at 7.45am. This was so we can make the most of the low tide and the lovely sandy beaches on this part of Co. Down. Today it seemed as if we were running all day long on mostly sandy surfaces and it gives me another excuse too to quote those lovely lines from De Profundis by Oscar Wilde ‘’the sea was for the swimmer, and the sand for the feet of the runner’’.
We had some sunshine and rain during the morning but not really a lot of either. Still, it was a perfect day for running, never reaching more than 17 degrees and with only a slight north wind blowing in the faces of the seven of us.
Anyway, we leave Portaferry and run south (yes South, as we’re heading towards Ballyquintin Point at the very bottom of the Ards Peninsula). Remember, we’re rigidly following the coast. It’s a lovely quiet country road from Portaferry and after about 3 miles we see a National Trust road/lane on the right leading back down towards the coast. We’re at Bar Hall Bay now and we stick to the coast even when the lane/path fades away. The path leads us to the very bottom tip of the Ards Peninsula at Ballyquintin and shortly we ‘turn the corner’ and head north now with the Irish sea on our right hand side. At Ballyquintin Point we find a lovely grassy path which we follow for a mile or two. The seven of us have the whole world to ourselves here and we haven’t seen anyone else since we left Portaferry. However, after a while our grassy path disappears and suddenly we’re clambering through a rough area of sinking soft grass, trying to avoid the nettles.
 |
| Gerry and Claire at Ballyquintin Point |
 |
| Scrambling through the nettles |
In the distance we see a cornfield and when we reach the field we notice a very narrow path which guides us nicely through the cornfield without causing any damage to the crop. We eventually leave the cornfield and come back onto a country road passing lovely secluded beaches at Millin Bay and later at Knockinelder. The tide is out fully now so we drop down to the expansive Knockinelder beach running onto the strand and staying on the shoreline. Just after Knockinelder, we pass a beautiful showpiece village called Kearney which has been restored by the National Trust. There is evidence of life and activity here going back over a thousand years and the old Slans Graveyard is nearby. The village of Kearney itself was used recently as a setting for a film ‘My Mother and Other Strangers’ set in WW2.
 |
| Sean, Gerry and Claire at Kearney |
Cloughey and Portavogie
 |
| Cloughey Beach |
 |
| Gerry and Claire silhouetted at Cloughey Beach |
 |
| Much like a cat among the pigeons - Philip among the seagulls! |
 |
| Farewell to Lindsay and Claire at Cloughey |
We are sad to say goodbye to Lindsay and Claire and now there are five of us left. We continue through the sand dunes and bushes at Cloughey. Even though it’s still early August, we notice the blackberries are already ripe.
 |
| Losing Philip in the high ferns! |
At Portavogie they’re getting ready for a Seafood Festival here but unfortunately we haven’t time to wait. Also at Portavogie, we should note that in his later years Georgie Best and his wife Alex moved here for a much quieter life.
 |
| shipwreck on Portavogie beach |
 |
| Gerry going west! |
 |
| Sean, Philip, Helen and Sarah at Burr Point |
Remembering Lisa
Next we come to the village of Ballyhalbert and as we run along the beautiful strand opposite the many caravan sites we are reminded of a tragic day over twelve years ago. The day was 28 February 2005 when a young lady called Lisa Dorrian went missing. It’s believed she was murdered here at Ballyhalbert but her body has yet to be found.
After Ballyhalbert, the shore is rough and rocky and reluctantly we have to move up onto the main A2 for a few miles. However, we’re soon down on the shore again and now we can now see the church steeple of Ballywalter in the distance. It’s another long (very long!) sandy beach all the way into the village. I can feel my legs getting heavy now - this sand is hard work for the feet (and legs) of the runner! I think we were all glad to have a wee break at Ballywalter (formerly known as Whitkirk).
 |
| Farewell to Philip at Ballywalter |
At Ballywalter we notice that we’ve now done 24 miles and at this stage Philip (who earlier parked his car here) decides to call it a day. Four of us carry on. We’re delighted that Sarah is staying with us and today. Good on ya Sarah!
 |
| Sarah, Gerry, Sean and Helen at Millisle |
I think it was about a mile before Millisle when it happened. I hit the wall! I struggled on for a while and managed to get as far as Millisle village. We stopped at a wee shop for coffee, drinking it as we walked towards our final destination in Donaghadee. I finally regained and recovered myself. Soon we were running again and shortly we reached ‘The Commons’, a lovely green area outside Donaghadee.
Then we spotted it in the distance – and yes there it was - and never was I so glad to see it -that iconic Lighthouse in Donaghadee. We even had a welcoming crowd to spur us along as we ran down to the Lighthouse at the end of the pier. Melanie Patton (another friend from NDAC), Claire (who ran with us earlier) and their lovely children were all there clapping and cheering us along the pier. Melanie even produced orange juice and delicious donuts (or gravy rings as they’re called in N.Ireland!). Just what we needed after 33 miles!
 |
| Helen and Sean run to the lighthouse |
 |
| Supporters on the right cheering us in! |
 |
| Next stage starting point - the door of the Donaghadee Lighthouse |
 |
| Sarah and the welcoming party! |
Once again Helen rounded off another great day with a swim in the sea ......and so our adventure continues.
Now I should say that there are strange rumours going around that say our Coastal Run might not end at the River Lagan in Belfast on 16 Sept. Yes, maybe we’ll go a little further on after that and try to complete the whole N.Ireland coast. (Antrim and Derry) Watch this space!
Total distance to date: 282k or 176miles
Next leg (final Co. Down stage): 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
