YMCA Roadshow in Carrick on 24th October 2019
Please find poster attached :=
TWO BRIDGES WALK 18TH October CANCELLATION
Due to engineering works on the new Waterside railway station the train line between Coleraine and Derry will be closed until 19th October with a bus substitution service from Coleraine. This would mean travelling time from Carrickfergus could be about 3 hours 30 minutes each way. I researched the express bus from Belfast but the connection to the Larne train is not convenient and the overall journey would also involve almost 7 hours of travel. Also a number of people are not available for the walk thus the decision has been made to CANCEL the walk. Sorry for any disappointment.
WHYTE’S DEMESNE, LOUGHBRICKLAND, CO DOWN
DATE: 25 OCTOBER 2019
SHORT WALK – 3 miles. The walk in the demesne is 2.5 miles and the bus stop is a quarter mile from the start of the walk. The walk will take c1.25 hours.
DATE: 25 OCTOBER 2019
LEADER: Robert McDowell, Telephone No 028 93373084 (land line)
07711 706022 (mobile)
MEETING POINT/TIME: Meet at 11.00 am at the Gate Lodge at the entrance to Whyte’s Demesne on Scarva Street, Loughbrickland.
PUBLIC TRANSPORT:
Outward Journey:
Train – Dep W’head 8.45 am, dep C’fergus 8.54 am, arr Gt Victoria Street 9.30
Bus – Dep Europa Bus Centre 9.45 am (Newry bus), arr Loughbrickland 10.38
Return Journey:
Bus – Dep Loughbrickland 1.35 pm, arr Europa Bus Centre 2.33 pm.
Train – Dep Gt Victoria St 2.45 pm, arr C’fergus 3.20 pm, arr Whitehead 3.31
BY CAR:
Outward Journey:
Loughbrickland is 26 miles from Belfast City Centre. Take the M5/M2 motorway southbound and then take the Westlink and M1. Come off the M1 at Junction 7 (Lisburn/Sprucefield). Follow the A1 dual carriageway signposted Hillsborough/Newry. Pass the sign for Banbridge A26/The Boulevard (shopping outlet). Get into the right hand lane and take the next turnoff to the right signposted “Loughbrickland”. On entering the village, turn right into Scarva Street and drive about a quarter mile and the entrance into the demesne is on your right. Park in Scarva Street near the gatelodge at the demesne entrance.
Return Journey:
Take the Old Newry Road to the right of Loughbrickland Gate Lodge. After 0.75 miles turn right and at the T junction turn left, rejoining the A1 – be careful as this is the A1 dual carriageway and traffic travels very fast.
THE WALK:
This is a roughly circular walk of 2.5 miles which will take approximately 1.25 hours. The path is mostly level with 1 or 2 short inclines and several short flights of shallow steps with handrails. The path is mostly stoned but may be muddy in parts. The path takes you through mixed woodland and along the edge of farm land and you will pass 2 ring forts.
LUNCH
We will have a pub lunch in The Seven Stars Pub/Restaurant in Loughbrickland. There is a toilet in the Spar shop beside the Solo petrol station at the bottom of Scarva Street, but no toilets in the demesne itself.
MOUNTSANDEL, COLERAINE
DATE : 15 NOVEMBER 2019
LONG WALK – 5.5 miles. The walk will take c3.5 hours, including a lunch break.
LEADER: Robert McDowell, Telephone No 028 93373084 (land line)
07711 706022 (mobile)
MEETING POINT/TIME: Coleraine Railway Station at 10.40 am.
PUBLIC TRANSPORT:
Outward Journey:
Train – Dep Whitehead 8.45 am, dep Carrickfergus 8.54 am, dep Jordanstown 9.06 am, arr Yorkgate 9.16 am. Change to Londonderry line. Dep Yorkgate 9.24 am, dep Mossley West 9.33 am, arr Coleraine 10.40 am.
Return Journey:
Train – Dep Coleraine 2.19 pm, arr Mossley West 3.26 pm, arr Yorkgate 3.35 pm, arr Lanyon Place 3.39 pm. Change to Larne line. Dep Lanyon Place 3.55 pm, arr Yorkgate 4.01 pm, arr Jordanstown 4.11 pm, arr Carrickfergus 4.23 pm, arr Whitehead 4.35 pm.
Note: There is a train every hour to Belfast at 19 minutes past the hour.
BY CAR:
As Coleraine is approximately 55 miles from Belfast city centre, you should leave 1.25 hours for your journey. Take the M2 North, following the signs for Coleraine. At the outskirts of Coleraine, go straight on at the Lodge Road roundabout towards the town centre, following the one-way system and turning right onto Railway Road, where there is pay parking at the railway station and at the leisure centre (beside the railway station).
THE WALK:
We will walk from the railway station through the town centre and via Mountsandel Road to Mountsandel Wood, where we will do a loop walk along the east side of the River Bann. This takes us through mixed woodland to Mountsandel Fort, which is the site of man’s oldest known settlement in Ireland. It pre-dates the Pyramids and Stonehenge by some 3,000 years! Thereafter we will take the footpath over the Mountsandel Road Bridge and walk down the west side of the River Bann into Coleraine town centre. The walk within the wood is on gravelled paths with slight inclines which, in a small number of places, may be muddy. The short climb up the steps to the fort is optional. The walk along the west side of the river is flat and well surfaced.
LUNCH:
We will have lunch at around 1.15 pm at “Rocca”, Bridge Street, which is a 15 minute walk from Coleraine railway station. Note that there are toilets at the railway station, on the west side of the river and in the restaurant, but none in the area of the wood.
U3A FAMILY HISTORY GROUP
CONVENOR DAVID NICHOLL 028 90 843 920
Please bring along your family history research and any problems you have so that we can try and help each other to solve them.in Nelson Street.
B A C K TO O U R P A S T F A M I L Y H I S T O R Y SH O W S
Once again the family history show is being held in the R D S complex
In Dublin on Friday 18th & Saturday 19th October 2019 .
If anyone would like to go to this please contact David on above number.
Also the same organisation are organising the family history show again in Belfast on Friday 14th & Saturday 15th February 2020, in the Conference Centre beside the Waterfront Hall
Put these dates in your diary for next year.
Have a look on this website www.backtoourpast.ie for a lot more information.
3rd October 2019
