Bushmills - Kiss the Causey 2

Some new signs have appeared since I blogged on this topic a year ago. The Ulster-Scots forms appear underneath the official names and some of the latter were introduced in rural areas in the 1970s; townland names have been reinstated in addresses. Irish forms for Moyle District Council [pdf file] have been compiled by the Northern Ireland Place-Name Project. The Dictionary of the Scots Language is a useful source for Scots spellings.

DSL gives Raw, Rau for a line of houses. MDC has a translation of the street name: Corrán Mhic Giolla Dhuibh. It's based on the presumption that Huey derives from an older Argyllshire name Macilghuie. MDC refers to a Robert Huey, a Bushmills grocer mentioned in the Ordnance Survey, but I think Dr David Huey, a Bushmills doctor who came from Ballynarry Upper, to be the more likely origin. Huey's Corner is at the junction of Priestland Road and Dunluce Road.

MDC: Bóthar an Chairn Bhodhair is based on Bóthar, 'road' and Carn Bodhar, 'deaf carn'. Staunin is Scots for standing and this would relate to a standing stone rather than to a cairn, a heap of loose stones.

The Haw is a minor name in the townland of Curramoney, parish of Billy. It also appears twice as a townland name in north-east Donegal. MDC: Bóthar na hInse - It seems to be a variant of haugh, a Scots 

word for flat ground beside a river.

DSL:     *m.Sc. 1996 John Murray Aspen 4: 

ahint thir hills

in amang the riggs an dykes,

haughs an howes,

there’s bits and bittocks

Perhaps Haugh Road would be more appropriate than Hawthorne (as in bush).

MDC: Bóthar na Sráide is based on An tSráid, 'the street/village'. Straid is a minor name in the townland of Croaghmore, parish of Ballintoy; it also appears as an element in the nearby townland of Ballinastraid.

DSL: Strade is a variant of straid as in astride a horse. I can't see a connection with Straid, the place-name.

Heavily in the sadle I  strade , And all the day on him I rade

Portcaman 2010 - Bushmills Folklore & History Magazine

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"Buy the book to see more great photos and stories

on sale at Causeway Books, Spar and newsagents in Bushmills"

raymondmcmullan@hotmail.com

Ballycastle - Carrickmore Road - Vital Discovery - 1789 Document

Public Colliery Road

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Celebration Walk

Wednesday, December 29 @ Noon

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Christmas Cheer for supporters of the proposed "Celebration Walk" along the old 'Colliery Road', Ballycastle, on Wednesday, December 29, at Noon.

Danny McGill, one of Ballycastle's historians has been undertaking detailed and thorough research through property deeds along the 'Colliery Road' now known as Carrickmore Road.

As many of you know there are numerous historical maps and photographs of this road continuing unhindered past the 'Old Salt Pans' at a time when the road was known as 'the tram road' for the fact that it was used as such to access the mines and ports along the shore.

Danny told me today that one of the property deeds he examined contained a clause which will be of great interest to all who still travel the road by car or on foot.

The property in question was the Salt Works near the Salt Pans Rocks and the document is dated 1st May 1789 (PRONI reference D.O.D.509/773 carefully copied verbatum by Mrs Jayne McGill many years ago).

The description of the property boundaries includes the following phrase:

"...with all the ground lying between the great road and the sea, lying between the backside wall of the house Davis Boyd now lives in and the road leading from the public colliery road into the east gate of the saltpan yard."

In 1789, the tram road, salt works, coal pits, iron ore mines and shipping ports were all in operation along the shore from the Quay to the foot of Fair Head, so a public accomodation road was in full use by all the inhabitants and continued so until landslips over recent years have covered the road in places making it temporarily impassable for wheeled traffic.

Links to earlier articles

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

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Have a thought also for those struck down by illness and for the families and friends of those who are no longer with us.

Junior Council of Social Service - Coleraine

Junior Council of Social Service - Coleraine

Bushmills in the Snow - December 2010

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More on Picasaweb

Out and about with Finn

Bangor: Save the Maritime Search & Rescue Co-ordination Centre in Northern Ireland

Facebook link @ causes.com 
Invite your Facebook friends to support this worthy cause

Positions

1. The only Co-ordination Centre in N.I. must remain.
2. Local Knowledge of SAR Professionals is essential.
3. Over 1150 people assisted or rescued this year alone!

Save the UK Coastguard Centres
Sign the Petition

Local knowledge and speed of response
 are essential in an emergency

Red Bay lifeboat and Rathlin Coastguard - 11 December 2010

Rescue 117 Waterford [YouTube]

Troubled Waters

Ballycastle Chronicle

Thursday, 16 December 2010

Bull point Rathlin as viewed from the McHenry Farm Ballintoy.

Local people have reacted angrily to the news that Northern Ireland's only Coastguard control base could be closed as part of public spending cuts.

The Bangor centre is one of 19 across the UK which could face major changes under Government cut-backs.

The news was described as 'worrying' by Ballycastle boat-owner and Community Rescue Service member Chris McCaughan.

He has seen Coastguard presence in Ballycastle diminish from 24/7, full-time cover and said these further potential cuts are coming at a time when North Coast waters are busier than ever.

He said: "Any sea-faring people will be very worried when they hear about such closures. There used to be a great Coastguard presence in Ballycastle with 24/7 coverage and bad weather watch at Torr Head and Rathlin Island but that is all changed now.

“Everything is radio linked now but you cannot beat having the coverage on the ground or at sea!

“We have more sea traffic around Ballycastle than ever before so more cover and a dedicated boat is what we need.

“The fact is now there is more action and less of a presence than ever before."

Chris, a former auxiliary Coastguard Watchman in Ballycastle said it was sad to see the service provided by the Coastguard being 'run-down' as he described it.

“You can't beat local knowledge and people on the ground. Everything is subject to cut backs now and that is very sad."

The Coastguard headquarters in Bangor runs operations from Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough and has dealt with more than 700 incidents so far this year.

Other related stories:

BBC: NI coastguard centre could close

UTV: NI coastguard station faces closure

Belfast Telegraph: Safety fears over coastguard cuts

News Letter: Closure threat to NI coastguard centre

Soteria UK and Soteria Ireland: Privatised helicopter search and rescue services

Scotsman: New £7bn [Soteria] helicopter rescue service on hold

Celebrating Ballycastle's Industrial Heritage

Reclaiming Colliery Road?

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This postcard clearly shows Colliery Road, an accommodation road, continuing on past Coalyard/Old Saltpans Cottage. The cottage is in the centre of the card; it overlooks one of the four or more saltworks on this short stretch of the north Antrim coast. One of the other saltworks is at Carrickmore, further along the road towards the distant Fair Head.

Perhaps it's time Moyle District Council and the Northern Ireland Environment Agency reviewed the status of this old road in the Ballycastle Coalfields Area of Special Scientific Interest. It's a very popular route for walkers and the saltworks might well feature in the proposed Atlantic Salt Trail.

NIEA: Our aim is to protect, conserve and promote the natural environment and built heritage for the benefit of present and future generations.

Our vision is that we will have a healthy and well protected environment and heritage in Northern Ireland which contributes to the social and economic wellbeing of the whole community.

Ballycastle - Greenlight Gateway - Making a Positive Difference

My old friend Danny McGill tells me that Greenlight Gateway in Ballycastle can now transform empty wine bottles into works of art and these can be converted to cash, cash that will benefit the tremendous work of Greenlight Gateway. If you can assist this or any other project please contact them at their premises on Leyland Road, Ballycastle.

Making a difference in the community through helping these young people achieve a sense of worth in recycling, organic vegetable plot, garden centre and coffee shop.

The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service Main Award Committee Chair and former broadcast journalist Martyn Lewis CBE said,

“Outstanding volunteer groups across the UK all too often go without recognition for the truly amazing work they do, despite the vital part they play in helping bind our communities together. It’s a great pleasure to celebrate the efforts of Greenlight Gateway with The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service and help raise awareness of all they do for the benefit of others.”

It's heart-warming to be able to report that making a difference in the community can be for the benefit of others, not just for oneself.

As an aside, a Facebook friend tells me she's looking forward to a White Christmas - and when the white is finished she'll start on the red!!

Portballintrae Salmon Green - Bulldozed

Updated January 18, 2011

The coastal strip that contains Salmon Cottage, the Ice House and the Salmon Green together with the adjacent lands on the seaward side of Beach Road lies within the village’s statutory development limit.  Paragraph 20.3 of NEAP confirms that the settlement limit has been kept tight despite the pressures for development  “because otherwise the charm of this small fishing port would be compromised or lost”.  

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Other features, although not explicitly referred to under Designation PEL 01 but which nevertheless contribute to the quality and character of the proposed [Bushfoot] LLPA include (i) the historic  landscape incorporating Salmon Cottage, the scheduled Ice House and the Salmon Green; (ii) the area’s contribution to the landscape setting of Portballintrae; and (iii) the important public views afforded by the open character of the area within which the appeal sites are located.

I have not been convinced that the intended safeguarding of the scheduled monument and its use for storage purposes, although important, would represent an exceptional circumstance that warrants redevelopment of either the Salmon Cottage site or part of the Salmon Green for  residential purposes.

Such a  course of action, if permitted, would destroy much of the intellectual understanding of the village’s historic fishery complex including the functional setting of the monument notwithstanding the nature of the design concept as illustrated on the submitted plans.  In my judgement, the balance must fall in favour of maintaining that understanding and, as a consequence, I find that the first draft refusal reason based on PPS 6 Policy BH 1 is sustained in each appeal case insofar as it relates to the integrity and setting of the Ice House. .. PACNI report 2006

Is the planting of a hedge around the site not contrary to "important public views afforded by the open character of the area within which the appeal sites are located"?

Another project in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. And a Ministerial reaction. Another very curious business further along the Antrim coast. And another for those who want to look on the Blackside. I wonder what all these stories have in common.

Conveyance between Dundarave Estates Limited and Megan Carol Sweeney 

Dated 30 April 2009

Registry of Deeds 17 July 2009

2. The Purchaser for herself her executors administrators and assigns of the premises hereby conveyed hereby covenants with the Vendor and its successors in the to the Vendor's other hereditaments and premises situate in Portballintrae capable of being benefited by this covenant as follows:-
2.1      not to develop the premises hereby conveyed in any manner,
2.2      to maintain the premises hereby conveyed in their current state,
2.3      to use the premises hereby conveyed as open land as amenity to the premises comprised in the First 2005   Conveyance and the Second 2005 Conveyance,
2.4      not to fence the premises hereby conveyed.

How do the recent erection of a hedge around the boundary of the property and the bulldozing impact on the terms of this conveyance?


Coleraine Borough Council Planning Committee - 11 November 2008

The opinion of the Planning Service was to approve the new plans for the Salmon Cottage site. What consideration was given to the views and recommendations expressed by the PACNI Commissioner? A motion to recommend refusal was narrowly defeated by the Planning Committee.