Introduction
If you have been following this blog, you will know that I try to get out and explore a bit of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland whenever possible. As with any place, it's often easy to miss interesting things close at hand.
Ballycastle
Corrymeela is situated on a hill overlooking the ocean on the edge of the town of Ballycastle, which has a population of 5,000. Located in an area where there is a notable amount of farming, Ballycastle is a bit of a service and shopping centre for adjacent smaller communities and rural areas. In addition to retail services, schools, a medical centre, numerous pubs, a golf course and more, the local council (government) offices are located here. More serious shopping and services (e.g. movie theatre) are available in the notably larger town of Coleraine about a 30-35 minute drive away.
Having grown up on a farm, I like the atmosphere in this area and also enjoy spending time in town on some of my days off. On virtually every occasion when I have been in town, there has been a good reminder that this is a farming area when at least one large farm tractor has driven down the main street. Often the tractors are pulling a farm implement of some type, most likely a trailer with a load of manure!!
I find people to be quite friendly here and it is usually easy to strike up a conversation with locals. Recently, I stopped at a hardware store to pick up masking tape and the owner and I quickly engaged in a conversation. He is one of the few people who identified me as being from Canada before I told him where I am from. He has been to Canada and knows quite a bit about eastern Canada, especially Newfoundland. On that same trip, I headed back to Corrymeela after stopping at the Co-op grocery store and picking up some oranges at a great local fruit stand. On the way, I stopped at what I consider the best coffee shop in Ballycastle - Thyme & Co. When there, an older man (I`d say in his 80s) struck up a conversation with me. He was very interested in where I`m from and told me a few times that he had been in Toronto. Near the end of the conversation, I asked him if he has lived in this area all his life. His dry and witty response was "so far." These kinds of things seem to happen regularly and are very much part of the charm of this place and other small towns.
Bonamargy Friary (pronounced Bun-na-Mairge)
After leaving the downtown Ballycastle, I stopped at the Bonamargy site (remnants of builds, grave sites and head stones) established by Franciscans about 1500. While the main stone building, other structures and headstones are deteriorating, the friary is a fascinating place to explore, read a few of the headstones and generally soak up a site with several hundred years of history. One headstone, in particular, stood out with its Celtic cross.
To further note the importance of the friary, a local woman produces a varied assortment of hand-made chocolates and truffles under the trade name of Bonamargy
Chocolates. One of my goals before heading home is sample these high-quality Belgian chocolate delights.
Small Town Northern Ireland
In my very brief description above of Ballycastle, it may be possible to get a small glimpse of "small town" Northern Ireland. I feel that people who have not had the opportunity to spend time (more than a day visit or driving through) in small towns are missing out on great experiences. In virtually every place I have traveled in the world, small town experiences have been so great and Northern Ireland small towns certainly provide lots of interesting things.
At the risk of generalizing, here are a few things I have observed or experienced in small towns here. Most have a town centre where much of the local traffic flows through, sometimes via a traffic circle (roundabout) or what is called a diamond. As one would expect, many of the stores and services are located along one or two main streets. Regardless of the town size, there almost always seems to be at least a few pubs, chemists (pharmacy), hair dressing shops, meat shops, etc., etc. While there are many other business, those mentioned seem to be what one will see consistently. In Ballycastle, for example, there are about 10 pubs/drinking establishments within a few minutes of each other and, while fewer in number, there are more chemists than one would think necessary in such a small town.
When asking about the history or background of various towns, one of the things I have learned is that most towns seem to be labeled as "Catholic" or "Protestant" towns and either a "loyalist" or "republican" town. This does not mean that a town's population is exclusive to one or the other religion or to a particular ideology. So often, however, a town will be identified with one of these labels.
It's pretty easy to identify many of the "loyalist" towns because there will usually be many Union Jack flags flying throughout the town on both public and private property. And, it's common to see large pictures of Queen Elizabeth hanging prominently on public and private builds. A closer look will also reveal that most of the churches in that town will be Protestant (e.g. Presbyterian, Free Presbyterian, Methodist). Another commonly seen sight will be an Orangemen's or Orange Order hall.
From my experience, it is much more difficult to identify Catholic towns, except possibly in checking for the churches and the absence of the symbols one tends to see in the loyalist/Protestant towns. Ballycastle is labeled as a Catholic and republican town, but nothing dramatic stands out to me that would indicate this other than the absence of other indicators.
In making these observations, I realize there is a risk of generalizing, but that is not my intention. It`s simply a matter of sharing some things that I have encountered.
If you have been following this blog, you will know that I try to get out and explore a bit of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland whenever possible. As with any place, it's often easy to miss interesting things close at hand.
Ballycastle
Corrymeela is situated on a hill overlooking the ocean on the edge of the town of Ballycastle, which has a population of 5,000. Located in an area where there is a notable amount of farming, Ballycastle is a bit of a service and shopping centre for adjacent smaller communities and rural areas. In addition to retail services, schools, a medical centre, numerous pubs, a golf course and more, the local council (government) offices are located here. More serious shopping and services (e.g. movie theatre) are available in the notably larger town of Coleraine about a 30-35 minute drive away.
Having grown up on a farm, I like the atmosphere in this area and also enjoy spending time in town on some of my days off. On virtually every occasion when I have been in town, there has been a good reminder that this is a farming area when at least one large farm tractor has driven down the main street. Often the tractors are pulling a farm implement of some type, most likely a trailer with a load of manure!!
I find people to be quite friendly here and it is usually easy to strike up a conversation with locals. Recently, I stopped at a hardware store to pick up masking tape and the owner and I quickly engaged in a conversation. He is one of the few people who identified me as being from Canada before I told him where I am from. He has been to Canada and knows quite a bit about eastern Canada, especially Newfoundland. On that same trip, I headed back to Corrymeela after stopping at the Co-op grocery store and picking up some oranges at a great local fruit stand. On the way, I stopped at what I consider the best coffee shop in Ballycastle - Thyme & Co. When there, an older man (I`d say in his 80s) struck up a conversation with me. He was very interested in where I`m from and told me a few times that he had been in Toronto. Near the end of the conversation, I asked him if he has lived in this area all his life. His dry and witty response was "so far." These kinds of things seem to happen regularly and are very much part of the charm of this place and other small towns.
Bonamargy Friary (pronounced Bun-na-Mairge)
After leaving the downtown Ballycastle, I stopped at the Bonamargy site (remnants of builds, grave sites and head stones) established by Franciscans about 1500. While the main stone building, other structures and headstones are deteriorating, the friary is a fascinating place to explore, read a few of the headstones and generally soak up a site with several hundred years of history. One headstone, in particular, stood out with its Celtic cross.
The Walk to Town and Back
The walk from Corrymeela into Ballycastle and back always is a great experience even when it is raining. The views are more spectacular on the sunny, clear days, but walking along or on the beach with the constant breaking of waves in the background provide a really peaceful walk at any time. On the walk to town, one can see the houses in one area of town, a background of fields and hills in another direction, the ocean, the harbour and Rathlin Island. On the return journey, most of the some of the same things can be seen along with the impressive coastal rock/cliff formation called Fairhead. I could take pictures of Fairhead every time I walk to/from town and never tire of them.
In my very brief description above of Ballycastle, it may be possible to get a small glimpse of "small town" Northern Ireland. I feel that people who have not had the opportunity to spend time (more than a day visit or driving through) in small towns are missing out on great experiences. In virtually every place I have traveled in the world, small town experiences have been so great and Northern Ireland small towns certainly provide lots of interesting things.
At the risk of generalizing, here are a few things I have observed or experienced in small towns here. Most have a town centre where much of the local traffic flows through, sometimes via a traffic circle (roundabout) or what is called a diamond. As one would expect, many of the stores and services are located along one or two main streets. Regardless of the town size, there almost always seems to be at least a few pubs, chemists (pharmacy), hair dressing shops, meat shops, etc., etc. While there are many other business, those mentioned seem to be what one will see consistently. In Ballycastle, for example, there are about 10 pubs/drinking establishments within a few minutes of each other and, while fewer in number, there are more chemists than one would think necessary in such a small town.
When asking about the history or background of various towns, one of the things I have learned is that most towns seem to be labeled as "Catholic" or "Protestant" towns and either a "loyalist" or "republican" town. This does not mean that a town's population is exclusive to one or the other religion or to a particular ideology. So often, however, a town will be identified with one of these labels.
It's pretty easy to identify many of the "loyalist" towns because there will usually be many Union Jack flags flying throughout the town on both public and private property. And, it's common to see large pictures of Queen Elizabeth hanging prominently on public and private builds. A closer look will also reveal that most of the churches in that town will be Protestant (e.g. Presbyterian, Free Presbyterian, Methodist). Another commonly seen sight will be an Orangemen's or Orange Order hall.
From my experience, it is much more difficult to identify Catholic towns, except possibly in checking for the churches and the absence of the symbols one tends to see in the loyalist/Protestant towns. Ballycastle is labeled as a Catholic and republican town, but nothing dramatic stands out to me that would indicate this other than the absence of other indicators.
In making these observations, I realize there is a risk of generalizing, but that is not my intention. It`s simply a matter of sharing some things that I have encountered.
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