Kilrea - Coleraine

Kilrea to Coleraine

A trip into the unknown.  A 6:00am train journey, followed by an excellent breakfast in the Nobel Cafe in Ballymena.  Then slow bus to Kilrea and finally start running.

First stop at Movanagher Canal. Eels are farmed here and brought to Coleraine by lorry, then they swim the Atlantic and come back to the Bann to get caught. It's a tough life being an eel.

This old graveyard at Vow was were the Rev William Martin convinced the local population that it would be a good idea to emigrate to USA.  They nearly all went and I bet their ancestors now regret it. 

A brief rest a Drumheglis Marina.  Original plan to run 11 miles has been updated and 16 is a bit far for me without a cup of tea - but cafe closed.

Finally arrived into Coleraine just in time to buy some lunch to eat on the train home.  Good to see street decorations already in place for the final Bann run leg in December.

Portglenone - Kilrea

Portglenone to Kilrea

Ever fancy living by a river? There are lots of houses like this on the Thames but this is the first I've seen on the River Bann.

Another rare thing - a riverside path; this runs from Hutchinson's Quay.

A pill-box, complete with blue bin.  I think the Bann was a defence-line during WW2.  The idea was to keep the Germans out of Portadown - they wouldn't have been happy there!

The lock at Portna.  I spent a good while exploring around here but didn't see another living human.  The river is still open for navigation but not used that often.

Finally into Kilrea, the former home of footballer Martin O'Neill.  I think he is the richest man ever to attend Queens University - although I've been told that he only studied there for one week before joining Nottingham Forest.