I stopped at a park south of Newry and started snapping some pictures when a gentleman approached me.
A panarama overlooking Newry, County Down with Tommy Jones (Irish - not Welsh (his mother was a McLaughlin)) pointing out where Ballyholland was with his cane. Ballyholland (pronounced Bolly-hole-in) is a hillside township S.E. of Newry where a Thomas McLoughlin leased some land in 1864 from The Earl of Kilmorey (pronounced Kilmurry) (yes, KilmurryJ), an English landlord who owned over 50,000 acres of land surrounding Newry.
The Mountains of Mourne can be seen in the distance to the far right. Very coincidentally, Jones' dog was also named Notagain! for reasons unknown.
Two boys were sliding down the hill of the park when they asked me, "Wuchu-dwin?" I told them I was looking for 2 boys playing near the Mountains of Mourne like in my Dad's painting. They asked me where I was from. I told them, "I emerged from the bwinnngs via Notagain!" They said, "Oh, you're Australian." I asked them what it was that they were sliding down the hill on.
Jerrod and his brother Collin held up a sign that had fallen off the park shelter.
The Newry Canal runs from Lough Neagh 20 miles north of the city through the center of Newry to Carlingford Lough and the Irish Sea 5 miles south. Here, I am standing in County Armagh with County Down across the channel. Up the hill lies Upper Ballyholland.
The Mountains of Mourne can be seen in the distance from Newry.
A heavy-set man who looked like Bluto in "Popeye" comics came out of the boat buttoning his pants and looking angry and asked me, "Wuchu-dwin?" Not thinking very clearly, I told them I was looking for 2 buoys floating towards the Mountains of Mourne... He looked to be in no mood to listen to anything about bwinnngs or Notagain!'s so I turned and walked speedily away. I believe I heard him mutter, "...must be from Minnesota" as I made fast tracks far from his boat. I'm still not sure what that comment of his could have meant.
After crossing the channel into County Down, I drove up Kilmorey Street (pronounced Kilmurry) (yes, KilmurryJ) to get to East Newry and Ballyholland. The "P32" means there's 32 parking spaces. That's 10 more than in the whole city of Dublin!
The grounds of this church in Newry near Ballyholland with the Mountains of Mourne in the distance seemed to me a special place.
Even at low tide at Warrenpoint, the "Mountains of Mourne sweep down to the sea."
Overlooking Donegal Quay in Belfast. Two large yellow cranes can be seen in the distance. They are named "Sampson" and "Goliath" and are part of the huge Harland & Wolff Shipyards where the Titanic was built.
The winning fish is weighed-in at the Annual Carrickfergus Fishing Contest for the 8 - 16 year old age group. It's hard to say which of the young men has won, but my guess is *not* the ones with their hands in their pockets. Yes, believe it or not, there is a fish in the basket.
The Carrickfergus Castle is Ireland's finest and first Norman Castle, dating from 1177.
Because it is wood, and can be opened (like today), the door of a castle is its weakest point. This castle has arrow slits in the round towers (round towers have less blind spots than square towers and are stronger.) The high porch (the machicolation) above the door enabled defenders to drop missles down. If an attacker progressed further under the door frame, there is a murderhole above that defenders could drop boiling oil.
This castle has been besieged many times over the centuries and has been defended by bow & arrow...
"Roundabouts" replace signal lights at intersections of most roads and highways throughout Ireland and moves traffic well. One must yield to approaching traffic in the roundabout and then enter and exit gracefully using swift decision-making skills. Pedestrians and other drivers near roundabouts I've been through frequently called out the name of my car to me as I tried to read my maps while in a roundabout. I know the name of my car, thank-you!
Making my way to the very north of Ireland, I marvel at the number of sheep and cows. Ireland is very concerned about any spread of the hoof & mouth disease. There are disinfectant mats for us travelers to walk across at sites everywhere throughout the county. I think the animals should be the ones walking on the mats instead.
It's a mile hike to some islands ahead. To reach the islands, one must cross a bridge made of rope. Scotland can be seen in the distance.
The Carrick-a-rede Rope Bridge is 60 feet long and sways 75 feet above the rock-strewn water.
They'd have 100% compliance if they would have put a disinfectant mat on the bridge.
Successfully across, looking back at the mainland.
The Giant's Causeway is one of the world's natural wonders. 37,000 basalt columns have been thrusted up from the ocean some 60 million year ago.
The hexagonal columns are each slightly different than its neighbor, but each fits so well on all sides there is hardly any gaps.
Dunluce Castle dates from the 14th-century.
The castle's grounds are huge.
In 1639, the kitchen on the castle's lower yard fell into the sea. Servants and a night's dinner were lost.
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