"Life (and running) is not all about time but about our experiences along the way."  - Jen Rhines

Saturday 13 May 2017

<Author: Gerry O'Boyle (photos by Helen Byers and Shona Coy)>

Stage Four: Dundrum to Strangford (approx 43k or 27miles)



Dundrum Bay at low tide

Our core team of three (Helen, Sean and myself) organised today’s Co. Down run from Dundrum (Stage 4) to match the low tide which we knew was at 7.45am. We had even considered running across the causeway at Dundrum Bay, which looks passable when the tide is out, but in the end, decided it would be much wiser and safer to go around Dundrum Bay via the old railway line which is now part of the ‘Ulster Way’. PS the causeway is a potential death trap!

The weather had been so dry and sunny over the last two weeks but unfortunately we weren’t so lucky today. From early morning it was very dull with a light mist falling and staying with us for most of the morning. Even the Mourne Mountains seemed to have disappeared behind the mist and fog.


There were seven of us running today. We were delighted to be joined at the start in Dundrum by four friends – they are running with us for part of today’s journey. My good friend and fellow Galwegian/Bangorian, Gerry Coy (nicknamed Gerry the Duke!) has joined us.  Gerry’s wife, Shona (the Duchess!) has also volunteered to meet us in Strangford at our finish point and drive us to Dundrum. This means we don’t have to drive back to Dundrum when we finish today’s leg. Thanks Shona!


 Also we’re so happy to have Jill Dowie-Aicken and Sarah Benton running with us today. I have known Jill and Sarah since I’ve been involved with NDAC (North Down Athletic club) about 7 or 8 years. They both are dedicated runners but share the same easy-going attitude which you really need for this adventure... and they even share the same birthday too! Lastly, I’m so delighted that Louise Watson is joining us. Louise also has a child, Bethany in Clifton Special School. I know it can be a challenge to be a parent of a special needs child but Louise, as a mother, has faced even more tough times than any of us could ever imagine. As regards Louise’s running ability, I don’t think this coastal run will be a problem at all for her. Louise is a hardened triathlon athlete and could probably swim around the whole Co. Down coast! Helen is delighted too that her good friend Louise is joining us and so she has three female running mates today.

Gerry describes the route and almost everyone listens...



As I said we decided it was not a good idea (and not safe) to cross the ‘causeway’ at Dundrum Bay even if the tide was out. It’s very muddy sand in the bay and there doesn’t seem to be a proper causeway to follow. In any case the old grassy railway line around the bay is perfect for us runners. We were easily able to access the old railway line by staying by the shore and passing the old Widow Cottages (Widow’s Row) on our way. This grassy path was a lovely pleasant start to today’s run.  

Widows Row
We learned that these cottages were built for wives and children of the 73 fishermen who lost their lives in a great fishing disaster of 1843. A commemoration plaque quotes a poem ‘The sky was dark, the wind was high and bitter looked that day. When ten stout boats with gallant crews set sail from Dundrum Bay’

We seem to be reporting on a lot of fishing and sea disasters in this coastal adventure of ours, but I suppose, it goes with the territory. We continue running on the old railway line. We can easily imagine the old steam engine and carriages trundling along here with the beautiful bay and Mourne Mountains in sight. The line itself was closed in the early 1950’s but at least the grassy surface is maintained today as a beautiful peaceful walk or run. I must admit, I’m really enjoying the extra company today with Jill, Sarah, Louise and Gerry -not that I was ever getting bored listening to Helen and Sean!   It’s a wee bit sad leaving the beautiful Mournes behind us and we’ll miss those tall hills as we head north. Those mountains have been our constant companions in our early stages in Feb, March and April. I can remember the first time I came here, about 20 years with Maureen and just two children, Conor and Daniel. Arriving in Newcastle on a July afternoon, it was misty and foggy (just like the weather today!) and so we felt slightly cheated at not being able to see those famous Mountains. The following morning there was still mist and rain, but then, very slowly the clouds faded away, the mist disappeared and suddenly the towering Mournes were there right in front of us. It was well worth the wait! It was way back in 1896 that Percy French wrote the famous ‘Mountains of Mourne’. The song is written in the form of a letter from a recent emigrant to his girlfriend back home. The writer is not impressed with London at all and is feeling very homesick.

For all that I’ve found there I might as well be 
Where the Mountains of Mourne sweep down to the sea 

Electric fence manoeuvres!

Anyway, we say goodbye to the Mournes behind us (we can’t see them through the mist but we know they’re there!) and continue running along the grassy old railway line. After a few miles and without warning the old railway line comes to an abrupt end and we struggle through fields and farms until we eventually see a bridge (Blackstaff Bridge) and find the road. We take a right turn towards the village of Ballykinler. We avoid the nearby British Army base (there since 1901) on the coast – we can even hear the practice gunfire, so best not take any risks on this part of our journey! 

Shortly we arrive on Tyrella Beach, which is definitely a much safer place for us. Tyrella has even been awarded the prestigious Seaside Award annually since 1997 and has also maintained the Blue Flag award due to the cleanliness of the beach. Having said all that, none of our party is that keen to test the water and anyway, to be honest, Tyrella beach is a pretty desolate place today – it’s cold too and the rain is coming down. However, with the low tide we can make the most of the expansive beach by running on the sand without getting our feet wet.  



The Duke waving farewell!

Sadly, Gerry Coy (the Duke) leaves us at Tyrella and his chauffeur, the Duchess is there to meet him! Shona kindly takes some more pictures of the magnificent seven runners! We’ve now completed 7 miles of our run and so, six of us, continue our journey north along the coast. We can just about make out St. John’s Lighthouse in the distance and that’s where we’re heading. After a while we debate whether we can stay on the beach – its getting rough and gravely. We decide we need to go inland a little and find the country road. The weather is improving now, the rain has stopped and behind us the Mourne Mountains are reappearing and we can see clearly Slieve Donard and Commedagh in the distance. The country road narrows to a nice quiet lane and we finally arrive at St. John’s Point Lighthouse.
  

Mournes backdrop on Tyrella beach

St John's Lighthouse

St John’s Lighthouse 
Apparently you can stay overnight at this lighthouse now. Not a bad place to wake up and watch the sun rising over the Irish Sea!  Back in 1846 Brunel’s famous SS Great Britain made a navigational error and mistook this lighthouse for the Calf lighthouse on the Isle of Man. (yet another nautical disaster!) More recently in 1950, the writer, Brendan Behan also caused havoc when he was employed to maintain and paint St. John’s Point lighthouse (this was his day job). Behan’s boss wasn’t impressed with his attitude at all and wrote.....  “Mr. Behan’s language is filthy and he is not amenable to any law or order. Empty stinking milk bottles, articles of food, coal, ashes and other debris litter the floor of the place which is now in a scandalous condition of dirt.”
Brendan Behan described himself as a ‘drinker with a writing problem’ and if I’m not mistaken, he got similar negative reviews from his employer in Donaghadee when he painted the famous lighthouse there! Coincidentally, I met a man last month (called Neville) in Galway who also painted/maintained the lighthouses at St. John’s Point and Donaghadee and he told me he had a copy of that letter sent to Brendan Behan.  

We were a wee bit concerned about the route from St John’s Point to Killough especially after reading Terry Eakin’s 2013 blog describing his coastal run. Terry called this section ‘‘a couple of miles of mudmadness, cows everywhere, wet fields and masses of litter along the shoreline’’ Well in May 2017 things haven’t really improved, although I don’t remember the cows! It was sometimes hard to find the Coastal path along here even though it’s part of the ‘Ulster Way’. It was as if this coastal path was designed about 30 years ago and nobody has really updated the Signage, Stiles or Path. A lot of rubbish that Terry refers to might have been blown in from the sea. We were glad to eventually reach the lovely village of Killough.


Killough
The harbour was developed in the 18th century by Michael Ward of Castle Ward (which is just outside Strangford). At that time Mr. Ward also organised the building of an amazing straight road that still runs all the way from Killough right up to the front entrance of Castle Ward. Although we were tempted by this straight road, we diligently stuck to the winding coast to complete our journey
properly! Killough village was originally known as St Anne's Port and it was the afore mentioned Michael Ward who renamed it Port St. Anne, in honour of his wife. Not a bad birthday or anniversary present to give your other half!  If Brendan Behan had the lighthouse painting contract for Ireland, then Alexander Nimmo seemed to have the Irish contract for building piers. It was Mr. Nimmo who build the new quays and a pier here in Killough. In Galway city, the pier is still called Nimmo’s Pier. (Helen also made the nautical connection to that search for that famous fish!)

We follow the coast in Killough. It is indeed a nice harbour village and we can see why Michael and Anne Ward were attracted to it. We can now see Ardglass on the other side of the bay.   

Percy French might have written about the Mournes but Belfast’s Van Morrison wrote and recited his famous ‘Coney Island’ about this part of the world. We’re thinking of Van Morrison’s words as we get nearer Ardglass and Coney Island.   
 
Stop off at Ardglass for a couple of jars of Mussels 
On and on, over the hill and the craic is good

Yes the craic is definitely good for us runners too but not sure if we’re going to have those mussels when we get to Ardglass! Just before Ardglass we take a right turn onto Green road (remember, we’re trying to strictly follow the coast). The literal translation of the name Ardglass is ‘Green hill/height’ and indeed it is quite a climb up Green road. Apparently Ardglass contains more medieval towerhouses than any other town in Ireland, a total of four, reflecting its importance as Ulster’s busiest port in the 15th century. At Ardglass, Jill, Sarah and Louise complete their part of the journey. Jill had arranged to leave her car there so we say goodbye to the three girls. We’ve now done 17 miles (or 27k) .Thanks girls for your support. ......and now there are three of us left, Helen, Sean and me! We have a wee coffee and scone break in Ardglass but don’t sit down – we might not get up again! We walk through Ardglass drinking our coffee at the same time.

Louise, Sarah and Jill at Ardglass

  
Leaving Ardglass we take the main Strangford road but after about 1 kilometre we take a right turn at Sheepland Road towards Ardtole (Sean says we’re really in the Ardtole of nowhere now!) We continue to follow Sheepland Road veering left until we eventually spot the ‘Ulster Way’ coastal path sign towards a very narrow path leading towards the coast. 



Yellow stiles guiding our route

Terry Eakin (2013) was right ‘this section of the run was really great - about 6 miles all off-road’. We cover a lot of ground very quickly here on this lovely elevated coastal path. Sean leads the way and Helen describes him as ‘a mountain goat that is unleashed, racing around the hilly seaside over many yellow stiles.  





Gerry and Sean consulting the map at Ballyhornan

We pass Guns Island on our right hand side. I think you might be able to cross over to the island at low tide but it’s now 1.00 pm and almost high tide. Eventually at the village of Ballyhornan we have to leave the coastal path but we’re still on a very quiet country road, the rain has stopped and the sun is threatening to come out. I’m struggling now and after about 22 miles my legs are suffering. However, Helen and Sean are going well and trying to ‘carry’ me through the rest of the way. We pass by Killard Nature Reserve and our quiet country road meets up with the main Ardglass-Strangford junction at Kilclief Castle. At the castle, a welcome sign (to me anyway!) says ‘Strangford 3 miles’. Three miles or 5k - I tell myself it’s just like running a parkrun now!  

So after 27 miles, we finally arrive in the port of Strangford. It was really such a beautiful stretch of the Co. Down coast today (even if the weather was disappointing) and Strangford is a lovely place to finish Stage 4 of our coastal adventure. 


Arrival in Strangford

So we’ve now reached Strangford and for our next leg (Stage Five on 17 June) we could just simply hop on a ferry to Portaferry and continue our run along the east side of the Ards Peninsula. But NO, we’re not going to do that! We’re going to run all the way around Strangford Lough (via Killyleagh, Comber, Newtownards and Kircubbin) and add about an extra 60 miles to our journey. As usual, we’ll keep the sea, or in this case, Strangford Lough on our right hand side as we run along. Our next outing is on Saturday 17 June from Strangford to Comber. 


Strangford Ferry

Total distance to date: 131k or 82miles Next leg: Saturday 17 June (Strangford to Comber)    

If you’d like to Donate to Clifton Special School, please see below. https://mydonate.bt.com/events/cliftoncoastalrun/381290