Strangford Islands I missed - Stages 4, 5 & 6 the bits of Ulster I missed (mainly around Strangford Lough, Co. Down)

Running around Ireland - strictly by the coast - and once a month since Feb 2017.

It's taken me almost three years - or 40 different monthly runs - but I've now completed all of the coast of Ulster - that's 1,570 km (or 980 miles) - see the rest of my blog for full story. However, there were little bits I missed along the way which I decided to complete over the winter (in Nov/Dec 2019) before I tackle my next great adventure, ie the coast of CONNACHT, starting on Sat 1 Feb 2020. I reckon the western province could take me another two years to complete. 
See rest of Blog for details of all 40 Ulster Coastal stages between 2017 and 2019.

Sun 24th Nov 2019: Gores Island, Co. Down: Stage 5 - the bit I missed!

Together with my son Brian, who's in Clifton Special School (the school that this run is all about!) we set out to reach this island on a very pleasant Sunday afternoon in November. We decided to WALK today and parked the car on a grassy area just about 3km north of Downpatrick (on the Strangford road) at Castle Island Road 

Brian & I on Castle 'island'

and decided to keep walking to the very end of Castle island road. There we reached Hare Island but couldn’t get access to it as it’s occupied by Quoile Yacht Club and has a ‘No Entry' sign. We had no alternative but to turn back.

Brian on road leading to Hare Island

And so we tackled Gores Island. It was about 2.30pm now and I knew low tide was at 3.00pm so I felt confident about crossing over. 
Gores Island can also be called a drowned drumlin and apparently, these drumlins (or hills) became islands when sea levels rose as glaciers melted. When we crossed the causeway and reached the island itself we followed a tractor track on the right hand side 

Brian on the causeway leading to Gores Island

 After about half a mile the track ended at a farm gate with very muddy terrain ahead. We got chatting to a couple who were checking their sheep on the island and they said it was possible to walk around the coast of the island but warned us not to try to get across to Salt Island which was quite close now (only about 150 metres across) and which actually has a ‘bothy’ or bunkhouse to shelter up to 12 people. So not really the worse island to be stranded on I suppose!

It was hard work circling the island! Very muddy and lots of climbing gates and fences (some fences seemed to be electric too!). Brian was so good but nevertheless I felt a little worried at times – and I was wondering would the causeway be crossable on the way back. The causeway was still there of course and I was relieved to get back onto the mainland. Brian and I then sat on a nearby wall by the river and had a lovely (well deserved!) wee picnic of taytos and (homemade) buns! It was only a short walk back to the car.   Total Distance today 9.6km (or 6 miles)
       

  

Sun 15th Dec 2019: Reagh&Mahee Islands, Co.Down: Stage 5-the bit I missed!

From Lisbane to Reagh Island and Mahee Island

Although Reagh and Mahee are really proper islands (surrounded by water!) there is a narrow road/bridge that crosses over onto both which make the islands very easy to reach. I decided the best way to tackle these islands was to start the run in the nearby village of Lisbane.

North Down AC friends before heading off

Well earned breakfast in the Pochers Pocket 

I asked members of my ‘Sunday Morning Running 'WhatsApp’ group if they would join me and they did come along in great numbers (including Helen, who of course joined me on every stage in N.Ireland in 2017 and 2018). So, fourteen of us met in Lisbane at 8.00am on a bitterly cold, dark and icy morning. I think it was really the offer of full Ulster breakfast at the Poachers Pocket in Lisbane that sold it to everyone! Of course the running had to be done before breakfast!

Early morning on the road to Reagh and Mahee islands

So, we all tucked up and tip-toed through the ice along a country road towards Strangford Lough, sign posted Mahee Island. It was tricky enough at the beginning with ice on the country road – downhill too which made it less safe – but it got much easier as we got close to Strangford Lough. With daylight approaching we spotted on our right hand side a small road/causeway to Rolly Island.

Ancient Nendrum site

Rolly Island (like some others on Strangford Lough) was marked ‘Private’ so we continued on the ‘main road’ and crossed over the bridge at Reagh Island. We then passed yet another island marked ‘Private’ - this one was called Cross Island. We kept following the course of the road as it looped around to the right towards Mahee Island. At this stage two or three of our group had turned back but the rest of us continued until we finally reached Mahee Island passing Mahee castle on our right. On reaching the island we ran up the hill and the winter sun greeted us perfectly as we approached Nendrum Monastic Site. Perfect morning to watch the winter sunrise on this ancient site!
Nendrum Monastic Site on Mahee Island
The island takes its name from St Machaoi who set up a monastery on the island in the 5th century. St. Machaoi (pronounced Mahee) was the grandson of Diuchiu, the first person that St. Patrick ever converted. The ancient ruins at Nendrum contain a church and a sundial, the remains of a round tower and a graveyard. The site was rediscovered in 1844 by William Reeves (Bishop of Down).

I was thinking how privileged we were, being  able to watch the winter sun come up at this ancient site - just like St. Machaoi welcomed the dawn here ..over 1,500 years ago!   
 Total Distance today 10.4km (or 6.5 miles)

Winter solstice at Nendrum Monastic site on Mahee Island, Strangford 

Sunday 10 Nov. 2019: Rough Island, Co.Down (also called Islandhill and previously called Slesny Island) Stage 6 - the bit I missed!

My son Brian and I decided to walk to this tidal island on a pleasant Sunday afternoon. We drove from Newtownards and just about a 2km before Comber we took a left turn, following the sign that said ‘Islandhill Car Park & Picnic area’.

On the causeway to Rough Island/Island Hill

 We parked in the car park and then walked across the causeway to Rough Island.

Brian on causeway - it was quite safe at low tide

 It didn’t take us too long to circle this small island and on the way back, along the causeway, we got chatting to a lady who pointed out some brent geese who had just arrived from Greenland – ‘they’re on their holidays’ the lady told us! Apparently 30,000 pale bellied brent geese arrive here from Greenland every October to feed on the seagrass or eelgrass, which grows abundantly in Strangford Lough.

Also on Rough Island in 1936 a group of American archaeologists from Harvard carried out excavations and found evidence of occupation during the Mesolithic period (5,000 BC). So lots of people (and geese) have come and gone to this island over the years!
After coming back to the car park again, Brian and I decided to walk back to the main Newtownards Road (I was determined to cover exactly all the bits I missed”). We walked back through Longlands road, joined the busy Ards-Comber road for a short while and then returned through the main road back to Islandhill car park. Total Distance today 5.6km (or 3.5 miles)

Stage 4 - the bit I missed – small peninsula just north of Ballyhornan, Co. Down

Saturday 29th August 2020

4km or 2.5miles

Yes this is definitely the last piece of the Ulster coast! It was quite a nice day today and I decided I would try and see if I could tackle this small peninsula with my son, Brian. Ballyhornan is a small village just about half way between Ardglass and Strangford. I knew it was low tide at 3.30pm which made it easier (compared to when Helen, Sean and I originally passed Ballyhornan back in May 2017).  Also I was curious to see if it was possible to cross over to nearby Guns Island. We parked the car at Ballyhornan (about a half a mile before the village) and then headed back north east towards Killard Point.

                                            Brian on beach near Ballyhornan, Co. Down

Brian and I had to rough it a little but we were quickly onto another beach (not sure of the name of this beach, maybe Benderg), easily followed the coastline around to the Nature Reserve near Kilclief and eventually came back to the main road again. There was a picnic table here at the perfect spot for us so Brian and I stopped for a wee break. We then walked along the road back to our car at Ballyhornan.

Perfect place for a picnic table at Kilclief Nature Reserve

Interestingly during World War 2, the RAF built billets (small houses) here for military who worked at nearby Bishopscourt Air Base. Ballyhornan was quite a busy place even after the war with a cinema, dancehalls and shops.  Today it’s much quieter and, as it’s off the beaten track, not many people have even heard of it!

On Ballyhornan beach with Gunns Island behind

It is such a lovely long beach in Ballyhornan and Brian and headed south along the strand until we were close to Guns Island. Even at low tide it didn’t look accessible to cross over to the island, but at least it satisfied my curiosity. Still it was a nice view across, and with all the rain we’ve had recently, it looked like the perfect green isle in the sea.          

Contact Gerry on gerryoboyle@outlook.com or 00 44 (0) 7725613308