Distant Drumlin

New on Townlands of Ulster: lambs on the Ards Peninsula, in Ballynester. #townlands #ards #greyabbey #strangford

Ballynester townland is on the Ards Peninsula, between Greyabbey and Carrowdore.  This map doesn’t mark it by name, but Ballynester is located just above the red dot for “you are here”. Most of Ballynester is farmland.  I visited there in April, in time to see this year’s lambs enjoying the view over Strangford Lough. According to the website of PLACENAMESNI.org, the most likely origin of the…

New on Townlands of Ulster: are Holywood motte and priory actually in Ballykeel? #holywood #townlands

Today I fill in a gap between last week’s townlands of Holywood and Ballymenagh.  The missing link is the long, narrow townland of Ballykeel. I approached Ballykeel by from Ballyregan townland.   This was the view from the top of the hill.  The fields on the far side of this reservoir are in Holywood townland. The next photo shows the view as I looked down the hill.  I could see right across…

New on Townlands of Ulster: Carrickmannan, a watery townland near Ballygowan. #townlands #manannan #ballygowan #irishancestry

Carrickmannan is a large rural townland south of Ballygowan, County Down.  The official spelling ends “an” but I often see it spelled “on”, like this sign at the local school…. ….and on this gravestone for the Martin family…. … .and on this sign for the fishery. The townland stretches from just outside the town of Ballygowan along the Carrickmannon Road past its junctions with Kilcarn Road,…

New on Townlands of Ulster: daffodils in Ballymenagh #townlands #holywood #northdowncoastalpath

Today’s townland is Ballymenagh, along the County Down shore of Belfast Lough, close to the town of Holywood.  I started my visit at the Seapark recreational area, which has a carpark, a children’s playground and easy access to the North Down Coastal Path and the sea.  The tide was low enough to reveal these shells. I may be cheating here, because I don’t know how far out into the lough the…

New on Townlands of Ulster: did you know Holywood was a townland? #townlands #holywood @McIlroyRory @BBCMarkSimpson

Holywood is a town on the County Down shore of Belfast Lough.  But did you know that Holywood is also a townland? Coming from Belfast, you reach Holywood townland when you cross Jackson’s Road.  The railway station, the shops on High Street and Church Road, and the Maypole are all in this townland.  Then the Twisel Burn river marks the boundary with Ballykeel townland. According to the…

Back to reality for the next post on Townlands of Ulster: the lough-side townland of Tullynakill. #townlands #irishancestry

Back to reality today, after the April Fool, as I explore the townland of Tullynakill in County Down. Tullynakill is on the western shore of Strangford Lough, on the bay enclosed by Reagh Island and Mahee Island.  The southern boundary of the townland runs up to the water’s edge.  From this photo, it looks like you are completely hemmed in, but it’s definitely possible to sail out between the…

New on Townlands of Ulster: Ballyabundant. Let me know if you have trouble finding this one. #Irishancestry #ireland #townlands

Today I am in a quiet corner of Strangford Lough, in the townland of Ballyabundant. Both sheep and cattle graze together on Ballyabundant’s hills. But the local pub is named after a different animal altogether. Cottages are built in an unusual style here, with grass instead of the thatch used elsewhere in Ireland. The townland name comes from the Irish Baile Bunanna.  Linguists are divided on the…

Back after the Easter break, and still exploring County Down's townlands, with a new post on my blog from Ballyfrenis. #townlands #millisle

Today’s townland is Ballyfrenis, near Millisle in County Down. I found Ballyfrenis by chance, when I was visiting the Eden Pottery in the neighbouring townland of Grangee.  After drinking Eden’s tea and buying their bowls, I took a walk along Abbey Road and Islandhill Road and admired the cattle and the scenery. I often photograph gates and fences for this blog.  This is the best one yet: the…

New on Townlands of Ulster: retreating to a monastery for Easter? Try Mahee Island #nendrum #townlands #strangford #irishancestry

As promised on Tuesday, I’m back in Strangford Lough for the townland of Mahee Island – another island in the northwestern corner of the lough. To reach the island, follow these signs from Comber, and keep going.  Have faith, as the causeways from the mainland to Reagh Island, and from Reagh Island to Mahee Island, can be crossed even at high tide. As you can see from the signs, the main…

New on Townlands of Ulster: mussels on Reagh Island. #townlands #strangfordlough #irishancestry

Today’s townland is one of the many islands in Strangford Lough.  Reagh Island lies close to the northwestern shore, east of the village of Lisbane.  Along with some other islands, it provides shelter for Ringneill Bay and Reagh Bay. Luckily for me, Reagh Island is accessible by car.  Approaching the northern end of the island from the Ringneill Road, I drove across a causeway.  Then I left the…

New on my Townlands of Ulster blog: Craigavad, as seen from Belfast Lough. #townlands

Today’s townland is Craigavad, on the County Down shore of Belfast Lough. You can reach Craigavad by walking along the North Down Coastal Path.  If you walk from Holywood, you pass through the townlands of Ballykeel, Ballymenagh and Ballycultra, before you cross the Glen Road and enter Craigavad. The next photo shows the Royal Belfast Golf Club, which covers a large part of this townland.  The…

New on Townlands of Ulster: swans in Tullynagee #townlands #irishancestry #countydown

Today’s townland is Tullynagee in County Down.  I haven’t travelled far from my last post, as Tullynagee is just to the north of Sunday’s townland of Kilmood and Ballybunden, between Ballygowan and Lisbane. The Tullynagee Road runs through the townland, and then continues north into Ballygraffan townland. When I visited in February, the most abundant crop in Tullynagee was the cabbage. According…

New on Townlands of Ulster: Kilmood plus Ballybunden equals one double-barrelled townland. #townlands #irishancestry

Today’s townland has a double name: Kilmood and Ballybunden.  The townland is situated in County Down, between Ballygowan and Killinchy. According to the PLACENAMESNI website, Ballybunden comes from a family name, possibly Baile Uí Bhuanáin meaning “townland of Ó Buanáin”. Kilmood is also the name of the parish, and of the hamlet where I visited this church – St Mary’s Church of Ireland. From…

New on Townlands of Ulster: the islands of Strangford Lough, as seen from Killinakin. #strangford #townlands

Today’s townland is Killinakin, on the edge of Strangford Lough, to the east of the village of Killinchy. Killinakin includes the coastal village of Whiterock and Strangford Lough Yacht Club. But it doesn’t cover the whole of Whiterock Bay.  About halfway round the bay is a stream called the Ganaway Burn, which divides Killinakin from the townland of Ballydorn to the north. When I took the next…

New on Townlands of Ulster: saints and pillboxes at Templepatrick. #townlands #donaghadee #millisle

Today’s townland is Templepatrick.  This is my missing jigsaw piece on the coast south of Donaghadee.  It is a small townland of only 13 hectares (32 acres). The townland starts south of the Ballyvester Road, does not stretch very far inland, and ends before a graveyard known as Templepatrick but actually located in the townland of Miller Hill. If you look away from the coast, the most visible…

New post on Townlands of Ulster, from Conlig townland near Bangor. #townlands #Clandeboye #irishancestry

Today’s townland is Conlig, near Bangor.  Do you remember the lake from my post from Ballyvarnet townland?  After the lake, I walked on along the Clandeboye Way, under a sun-dotted canopy of leaves and ferns, into Conlig townland. I liked this old wooden sign from the path through Conlig, even though it’s no longer accurate.  The Ulster Way still exists as a long-distance circular walking trail,…

New on Townlands of Ulster: woodland walks in Ballyvarnet. #townlands #clandeboye #bangor

Ballyvarnet is on the edge of the town of Bangor.  The southern half of the townland lies inside the Clandeboye Estate, home of the Marchioness of Dufferin and Ava.  But that doesn’t mean that it’s off-limits.  I was able to follow this path, the “Clandeboye Way”, to explore the townland in July 2015. I walked from the entrance on the Crawfordsburn Road.  The horses on one side of the path found…