Carrickfergus
June 5, 2023
5 June 2023. HM 222. Carrickfergus. A key town in Irish history. Oh dear, did I say Irish history?!
To understand the significance of Carrickfergus, I have to explain a bit of Irish history. From the early Middle Ages, e.g. 6th Century, the whole of Ireland was ruled by "chiefs". Slowly, fewer chiefs ruled greater areas ending up with four large provinces - Munster, Leinster, Connaught and in the north Ulster. Ulster started with nine counties, but today has six - another story.
When the Normans invaded Ireland, they controlled much of Ulster from Carrickfergus, building an imposing castle in 1177. It was very much the seat of "the Crown" in this part of Ireland as well as the main port of Ulster up to the 1600s. It does have a powerful and ancient feel about it.
There is nothing ancient about the very youthful and recently promoted HM - Ryan Johnston. We enjoyed a fleeting visit into his large sheltered marina housing 340 boats and then popped our bow into the neighbouring drying harbour which sits beneath the castle walls. Ryan explained that unusually the marina is an SSSI and home to protected wading birds, bar tailed godwits and turnstones.
On the harbour pier sits an extraordinary construction known as the Radar School Tower. It was used to monitor shipping arrivals and departures from the Belfast Lough in the 1960s, but with improved technology it soon became obsolete. Now a listed building, it is something I have never seen the likes of before!
Thank you for our brief stay Ryan and good luck in your career.
To understand the significance of Carrickfergus, I have to explain a bit of Irish history. From the early Middle Ages, e.g. 6th Century, the whole of Ireland was ruled by "chiefs". Slowly, fewer chiefs ruled greater areas ending up with four large provinces - Munster, Leinster, Connaught and in the north Ulster. Ulster started with nine counties, but today has six - another story.
When the Normans invaded Ireland, they controlled much of Ulster from Carrickfergus, building an imposing castle in 1177. It was very much the seat of "the Crown" in this part of Ireland as well as the main port of Ulster up to the 1600s. It does have a powerful and ancient feel about it.
There is nothing ancient about the very youthful and recently promoted HM - Ryan Johnston. We enjoyed a fleeting visit into his large sheltered marina housing 340 boats and then popped our bow into the neighbouring drying harbour which sits beneath the castle walls. Ryan explained that unusually the marina is an SSSI and home to protected wading birds, bar tailed godwits and turnstones.
On the harbour pier sits an extraordinary construction known as the Radar School Tower. It was used to monitor shipping arrivals and departures from the Belfast Lough in the 1960s, but with improved technology it soon became obsolete. Now a listed building, it is something I have never seen the likes of before!
Thank you for our brief stay Ryan and good luck in your career.