Clifton Coastal Run

Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far they can go. TS Elliot

<Author Gerry O'Boyle>

Saturday 16 September 2017

Stage Eight: Donaghadee to Belfast (43k or 27miles)

This was our final Co. Down stage in very familiar territory. Sean is from Donaghadee and both Helen and I live in Bangor so the three of us knew exactly where we were going today. We hadn’t to worry about the tide either as we had a proper coastal path almost all of the way to Belfast. We were running from east to west today with a nice view across to the south Antrim coast and Scotland (Dumfries and Galloway) clearly visible in the distance

Today’s starting team

Our main team of three (Helen, Sean and I) met at 7.15 am at Donaghadee Lighthouse (where we finished on 12 Aug) and we were delighted to be joined once again by Sarah, Claire and Jill. Also we welcomed five new first-timers today, Melanie Patton, Donald Smith, Johnny McGrath, Michael Roberts and Lynne Kerr.

Melanie has been such a good supporter of ours, ever since we came up with this crazy idea last October. Donald is another ultra-marathon runner, having recently completed 100 miles in a 24 hour challenge! Johnny is founder of the Sunday Morning Running/Coffee group -not sure if Johnny or I will make it tomorrow morning! Michael is a dedicated coach with North Down AC and has worked with and encouraged runners of all ages over the years. Lynne is another dedicated NDAC Coach and trains various groups of runners on Monday and Wednesday nights. So that’s eleven runners today and ten of us started in Donaghadee. Lynne joined us later in Bangor.

Donaghadee

Two very famous songwriters/poets both referred to Donaghadee in their songs, although neither of them has actually been here! Johnny Cash mentions Donaghadee in his ‘Forty Shades of Green’ and the great Thomas Hardy wrote as follows:

I've never gone to Donaghadee,
That vague far townlet by the sea;
In Donaghadee I shall never be:
Then why do I sing of Donaghadee,

Another famous writer Brendan Behan painted the Lighthouse and I don’t mean drew a picture of it! He was responsible for maintaining it and by all accounts failed miserably at his task! Remember we passed St. John’s Point in May (Stage 4) and referred to Behan too – see earlier blog.

Once again we were mostly lucky with the weather. It seems like it’s been raining every day since July but we had a nice bright sky for most of the day. It was a nice clear morning too and we could easily see the Scottish coast and the famous Mull of Kintyre, about 40 miles away in the distance.

We depart from the village of Donaghadee at about 7.30am.

We run along the main coastal road towards Bangor but after about 2.5 miles (at the car park and opposite the Portavoe Reservoir) we go through a gate/gap in the fence and find a narrow coastal path. Shortly afterward we climb steep steps and now we are running on the edge of a low cliff with the Copeland Islands so close on our right hand side. We are really in the townland of Orlock now. We follow this path on the edge of the sea, descend some steps and then shortly go through a narrow tunnel which has been cut through the rocks.

Lingering beneath the tunnel hoping that rocks don't fall!

Jill and Michael leading the run towards Orlock

Keeping the sea on the right!

Groomsport & The Eagle Wing

We eventually arrive in the small harbour village of Groomsport -home to the famous Eagle Wing Ship that didn’t quite make it to America. The boat set sail in 1636 and had already completed three-quarters of the journey to America (in the strong winds and storms) when Captain/Reverend Blair decided to turn back. Reverend Blair saw the extreme weather as a sign of God telling him (and all on board) to return to Ireland. The Boat is still remembered in Groomsport ‘s annual Eagle Wing festival.

Jill, Sean & Melanie leading us through Groomsport

Groomsport harbour

Continuing along the coastal path from Groomsport we shortly arrive on the long Ballyholme Beach (so familiar to us all). It was probably just as well we didn’t have to worry about the tide today as it was almost high tide when we got to Ballyholme. Still there was enough room to run on the edge of the beach and later on Ballyholme Esplanade. We leave Ballyholme beach and follow the coast along a quiet road (Seacliff Road) running on the footpath into Bangor town centre.

Seacliff Road and Bangor skyline from Ballyholme Beach

Gerry, Sean & Helen back where it began!

Shortly we pass by Eisenhower Pier and are reminded of Bangor’s connection to WW2. Eisenhower visited here to review the troops and ships gathered in Bangor Bay prior to launching D-Day landings in 1944.

Jill is struggling with a hamstring injury but Jill being Jill, keeps going all the way to Bangor. So, the ten of us arrive at Ward Park in Bangor at about 9.15 just in time to run the Bangor parkrun.

Bangor parkrun

There are now 86 different parkruns on the island of Ireland and the numbers are growing all the time! Bangor parkrun, with an average of 259 runners every week (one week there was 420) is the most popular parkrun in N.Ireland and excluding Dublin, Bangor is the most popular parkrun in all of Ireland. To date, over 5,350 different people have completed Bangor’s parkrun in just over 3 years.

Don't forget your barcode!

Gerry running at Bangor parkrun

We get a nice welcome from everyone at the parkrun and we’ve already completed 13 miles this morning. After we finish the parkrun we are treated to a great spread of tea, buns, biscuits and cakes by Alison, Debbie, Brenda and their team.

Very appreciative of the catering at our half way point

Cannon Gun from U-boat U19 at Ward Park

The Cannon in Ward Park was the main gun on the German U-19 U-boat during WW1. After the surrender of the U-boat in 1918, the Cannon was donated to Bangor in recognition of Commander Bingham VC (who was born in Bangor). Interestingly the German Captain of the U-boat, Weisbach had previously served as torpedo officer on the U-boat that sank the Lusitania in 1915 (which was really the deciding factor in American entering WW1) Also, during his brief command of the U-19, Herr Weisbach delivered Sir Roger Casement from the U19 U-boat to Banna Strand in Co. Kerry in April 1916. The knighted Casement, who had switched allegiance to the Irish cause, was captured shortly after arriving on the Kerry beach and hanged for treason in June 1916.

Ward Park Cannon - this marks the start of the Bangor parkrun

Jill, Sarah, Melanie, Johnny, Donald and Michael leave us at Bangor but Claire continues with the regular three (Helen, Sean and I). We then welcomed Lynne Kerr who joined us at Bangor and so now there are five of us.

At the McKee Clock in Bangor we also meet up with some other Clifton parents (Janis & friends, and the Nickell family too) who are walking from Bangor to Holywood. Maureen and our son Brian also walk with us for a short while.

10.30am meeting at McKee Clock, Bangor

Gerry, Brian & Maureen lead out the Clifton coastal walkers

At the Pickie Park in Bangor, we leave the walkers and the five of us continue running along the coastal path. We really enjoyed today, passing all those familiar and beautiful places that we’ve walked and run so many times, Strickland’s Glen, Crawfordsburn and Helen’s Bay (named after Helen Blackwood aka Lady Dufferin)

Taking the easy route - the Pickie Puffer!

Running along the N. Down coastal path, we pass by a lot of golf courses here. Of course our own local hero, Rory McIlroy (from nearby Holywood) learned his trade here. We get a nice surprise at Cultra when Michael Stitt, our colleague from NDAC comes to meet us and cheer us on.

Claire, Lynn, Sean, Gerry and Helen at the new bridge at Seahill

Lynn, Claire, Michael, Gerry, Sean & Helen near Cultra

We arrive in Holywood at about 12.15 and sadly Claire and Lynn leave us here. These two girls have really kept us going along the N.Down coast. And so, only the three people who started this great adventure back in February get to finish the final few miles of the Co. Down coastal run. We stay by the coast at the Dirty Duck pub, following a narrow, traffic free road and eventually we arrive at a big office building (Clare House) on the outskirts of Belfast at Airport Road West. We’re obviously very near George Best City Airport now and are very much aware of low flying aircraft coming in to land.

Farewell to Claire and Lynn at the Dirty Duck, Holywood

We continue along Airport Road West towards Belfast. Is this the longest road in N.Ireland or did it just feel like that? We’re tiring now too, the bright sky has disappeared and the rain is coming down. Helen and Sean give me some encouragement by announcing that we’ve now done exactly 200 miles of our run! We can now see the famous Harland & Wolff yellow cranes towering in the distance (known locally as Samson and Goliath) these mark the spot where the great Titanic was built in 1912 although the cranes weren't erected until 1974 and 1969 respectively.

One of the famous yellow cranes in Belfast - some 100m high!

Turbine assembly plant at the Belfast Docks
(diameter bigger than the London eye!)

Of course the Co.Down border is geographically the River Lagan and soon we arrive by the river at the fabulous new Titanic Building. The rain is coming down now, it’s turned out to be miserable day, but Helen, Sean and I are so delighted and relieved to have finally got to Belfast. As an extra bonus, Helen has arranged with her friend Ruth Cleland (who works at Titanic) to take us up to the very top of the Titanic Building where we get amazing views of the river Lagan and Belfast. This was definitely the perfect place to finish our Co. Down coastal challenge but the adventure continues........