Keep your eyes on the stars, and your feet on the ground. T Roosevelt

Stage Nine: Belfast to Islandmagee:

Claire & Gerry: 40k or 25miles

Helen & Sean: (via Waterworks parkrun) 48k or 30miles   

<Author Gerry O’Boyle>

Saturday 7 October 2017  

We started our run today in the city of Belfast which really borders two counties, Co. Down on the east of the river and Co. Antrim on the west side. We’ve already completed all 200 miles of the Co.Down coast (from February to September) and this morning we crossed the Lagan to complete the rest of N.Ireland.

Helen, Sean and I were delighted to be joined in Belfast by Claire Garrad (Claire’s fourth run with us). So, the four of us start together at 8.45am at the new Titanic building. It’s quite busy in the Titanic Quarter even at this time of the morning and really great to see this whole area being revitalised. The weather is dull but at least it’s not raining as we set off on today’s adventure.

Gerry, Sean, Helen and Claire in front of SS Nomadic

 

Once we cross the river, we take a right turn, passing the ‘Big Fish’ or ‘Salmon of Knowledge’, remembering the story of how Fionn McCumhaill got his wisdom. We’re heading north now and we go under the M3 Motorway and come to Donegal Quay.

Sean gains some knowledge

Sailortown

We pass through the old docks area of Belfast, known locally as Sailor Town. A local guy, Anthony Tonor wrote a great song in 2010 about this neighbourhood (called it Sailortown of course!) and started singing it in the nearby Rotterdam Bar.

 

‘The walls in the city have a lot to say, about the UVF and the IRA but these walls say nothing about who I am, when I’m singing in the garden at the Rotterdam, doing Brown Eyed Girl and Whiskey In The Jar.’

At this stage Helen and Sean head across to north Belfast to the Waterworks parkrun and Claire and I continue through Sailortown. Before our team separates, Helen reminds us to take a picture of Sinclair Seaman’s Presbyterian Church, a church built as a haven for sea merchants.


Built in 1856 -Sinclair Seaman Church is a
historical maritime building of worship

 

Art on the wall of Creed Café - Sailortown

I’m struggling with a pelvis/hip injury today and I’m quite pleased not to be joining Helen and Sean on their ‘detour’ through north Belfast and the parkrun. In any case, it’s great that Claire has joined us today and she’s such great company for me. We all agree to meet up later in Carrickfergus. 

Claire and I continue along Corporation street, which leads onto Garmoyle St, Whitla St and Duncrue Street. At a wee roundabout we take a left and then a right into Duncrue Road. After a while we cross-over Dargan Road and at last we join the Cycle/Walk path with the M2/M5 Motorway close by on our left. This is actually part of the route of the Belfast Marathon. We pass Hazelbank Park and even when we get to Gideons Green, we still have a promenade and wide footpath to run on. The sky is very grey now and we struggle through the showers without getting too wet. We pass Jordonstown, Greenisland and eventually we arrive in Carrickfergus. Claire measures it as 11 miles so far and we can relax now knowing we still have to wait for Helen and Sean to arrive.


Looking back toward Belfast docks from the M2 towpath



Helen and Sean had to cross the motorway
before running alongside it

Cavehill (Napoleon's nose) and Belfast Castle
view from the M2 towpath

Carrickfergus

Sean of Orange...

For a period in the 17^th century Carrick was actually larger and more prominent than Belfast and back then Belfast Lough was known as Carrickfergus Bay. It was even here that William of Orange arrived in 1690 on his way to the Battle of the Boyne where he, of course defeated his father-in-law King James. Claire and I stop to talk to a couple and admire the beautiful medieval Carrickfergus Castle still very well preserved today.

Claire and I had arranged to meet Helen and Sean in Creeds Cafe in Carrick and we just manage to get into the cafe before the heavy rain. We get nice seats on high stools by the window, drinking our tea and coffee. Eventually we spot the two lime green shirts (and Helen’s new pink shoes!) in the distance. In Creeds Cafe we also get talking to two runners and we tell them our story.

We leave Carrick and we’re still able to run by the shore on a wide footpath. About a mile after leaving Carrick we take a right turn at Magills Avenue and arrive at what once was a separate village (and strangely named!) Boneybefore. Apparently in 1760 French soldiers were told that this village was ‘a bonny wee place just before Carrick’. This was where US President Andrew Jackson’s parents lived.

Claire and Gerry at Carrick Harbour

Claire and the stone snail(?)
at Jordanstown



Carrick Castle

 

President Jackson

Andrew Jackson served as the seventh US president from 1829 to 1837 and was involved in what is believed to be the first attempt to kill a sitting President when someone aimed a pistol at Jackson, which misfired. Luckily for the president the brave Davy Crockett happened to be there and restrained and disarmed the culprit.

We continue here close to railway line (and away from the main road); and then along by ‘Old Turn’ road which leads to Loughview Drive which turns into a rough (and flooded) path. We arrive back out on the main Whitehead road at the village of Eden. Nobody said this adventure was going to lead us to Paradise but today we did reach a place called ‘Garden of Eden’. We couldn’t resist a good photo opportunity here and Helen even popped into a local shop to buy some apples.

Gerry, or Adam as we called him ;)

Apples in the Garden of Eden!

It’s a busy road as we leave Eden but at least we have a footpath (sometimes very narrow!) all the way to Whitehead. After about four or five miles, when the road runs closer to the sea, we stop to admire the view. Sean points out various landmarks across the bay. We can clearly see our home town, Bangor and even Scrabo Hill, Newtownards on the other side of the Lough.

Bla hole, Whitehead

Bla hole looking towards Belfast port

As we come into Whitehead we take a right turn into Prince of Wales Avenue and arrive down at the railway station. Whitehead is the town with no streets apparently - it has no streets with the suffix ‘street’ in its name - so no High Street or Main Street. We stick to the coast, passing by lovely buildings in contrasting colours and follow the Blackhead Path to the Lighthouse. It’s a tough climb up to the Lighthouse (lots of steps!) but well worth it for the magnificence views across the Lough and over to Scotland. Better still, the weather is improving now, the sun is even threatening to shine and the blackberries are still available for us hungry runners!


Whitehead train station

Whitehead train station bridge



running towards Blackhead Lighthouse, Whitehead

Sean, Claire and Gerry at Blackhead Lighthouse



The ice cream that the thought of
sped up the previous 2 miles!

We leave the Lighthouse and run downhill along a narrow (almost traffic free) road called McCraes Brae. We soon join up with the ‘main’ Ballystrudder road and take a right, heading north into the heart of Islandmagee. Somehow the conversation turns to ice-cream and Claire and Helen have heard rumours that at ‘The Rinkha’ in Islandmagee they do the best ice-cream in N.Ireland. Yes we’re now on the Peninsula of Islandmagee and after about half a mile we take a right into Middle Road and spot ‘The Rinkha’ in the distance and of course we stop for ice-cream which definitely lives up to its reputation! We cross the road here in Ballystrudder and call to the Gobbins Visitor Centre (the actual Gobbins cliff path is closed already for the winter). We continue on and, just after we pass Ballystrudder we take a right turn into Gobbins road. 




Halloween at the Rinkha!

The Gobbins

The Gobbins is a cliff-path on the east side of Islandmagee. It runs across bridges, past caves and through a tunnel. The Gobbins was created for the Belfast Railway Company and first opened to the public in 1902. Advertisements of the time declared ‘the new cliff path with its ravines, bore caves, natural aquariums ... has no parallel in Europe as a marine cliff walk' ...but the railway company got into financial difficulties and the path was closed in the run up to World War II. However, from 2011-2015, Larne Borough Council led a project to reopen The Gobbins. A series of new bridges and galleries were constructed and installed during 2014-15.

Our view of the Gobbins

Claire, Sean and Helen enjoying the sunny
views over the Gobbins and Copeland Islands

 

Image of the Gobbins - not taken by us, we didn't get that close!



It’s a long hill and tough climb up the Gobbins Road (and my legs are letting me down again!). However the sun has come out now, the sky and sea are blue and when we reach the top, there are lovely views of the Gobbins cliff path just below us. After about another 3 miles along Gobbins Road we eventually come to a T junction. We take a right turn into Middle Road and finally reach our destination at Earls Cafe, Mulloughboy. The proprietor at Earls is Shalana, who has a friendly welcome for us and we are glad to tuck into some nice homemade food. (Shalana also makes a donation to Clifton School). We tell her we’ll back in 5 weeks time for the start of Stage 10 of our coastal run.

Gerry, Sean, Claire and Helen with Shalana
after a good feed in Earls Cafe

Total distance to date: 365k or 228miles      

Next leg: Saturday 11 November (Mullaghboy, Islandmagee to Carnfunnock, Larne)

If you’d like to Donate to Clifton Special School, please see below.

https://mydonate.bt.com/events/cliftoncoastalrun/381290



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........              

 

FINISHED!! At the Iconic Titanic Building

The Bridge in the Titanic Building

PS.  Yes the rumours are true! We’re going to continue and try to complete the whole N.Ireland coast over the next six months.  

Total distance to date: 325k or 203miles      

Next leg (start of Co. Antrim stage): Belfast to Islandmagee: Saturday 7 October

If you’d like to Donate to Clifton Special School, please see below.

https://mydonate.bt.com/events/cliftoncoastalrun/381290