Climb to Torcorr Townland II and beyond

Gorse in flower

In 3.1 miles Torr Road passes nine townlands between Cushendun and Torcorr Townland, each with a namestone holding the Irish and Anglicized name. We can walk it in an hour at a steady pace, the terrane is sliced up so.

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Tornamoney townland is “Cattle Field of the Bogland.” That is the car door, foreground.

Common to all was the slope down to the North Channel.

Rowan Tree directional growth from a constant east wind..

Sheep pasture above the Loughan Cottage ruins.

Here is the friendly owner who climbed off his tractor for a chat with Pam while I photographed.

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Copyright 2020 All Rights Reserved Michael Stephen Wills

Climb to Torcorr Townland I

Rising from Cushendun Village

Torr Road passes nine townlands between Cushendun and Torcorr Townlands, each with a namestone holding the Irish and Anglicized name. Here are a few interesting names.

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“Ballindam” is derived from the Irish “Baile an tdam”, the Anglicization is the sounding out of Irish. Baile is “town” and “an tdam” is on the dam.

Headed uphill, the next is “Ballycleagh”. Bally is the English pronunciation of Baile. I found “cleagh” on Google translate under “Scots Irish” for “Well.” So, this is the town of the well.

Here is a sheep lookout at the aptly named, Alt gabhair townland, Irish for “Goat Section.” Otherwise known as Altagore.

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Nook of the Ferns

Ancient Gaelic Names

Take a look at the view of Coolranny Townland on approach from Torcorr on Torr Road and see the source of this townland name that, from the Irish Language, means a recess, or “nook”, of ferns, or “bracken.” This, in the “Glens” section of County Antrim, is not a deep glen, as such, is rather a wrinkle between town headlands.

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The words carved on this namestone are from ancient Irish language with “Cuil” (a recess) and “Raithni” (possessive case of the noun for bracken, a type of fern). In other words, recess of ferns. The anglicized name, “Coolranny,” is the untranslated sound of the Gaelic place name.

The road to Coolranny starts at the foot of Glendun, Cushendun village. Here is the view over Cushendun and its sheltered harbor as Torr road climbs in a series of switchbacks to Torcorr townland.

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A Bit More About Coolranny Townland

A shining Star

Saint Mary’s “Star of the Sea” Church. Culraney, Cushendun, Co Antrim, BT44 0PU. Diocese of Down and Connor.

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Part of Cushendun Parish, this church on Torr Road served the people of Loughan Cottages.

See this post for a description of wildflowers flowering here in the month of June.

The rest of the Coolranny information placard. I used the information about wildlife on a previous post.

I have yet to correct the horizon of this view.

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View South from Torr Head and North from Torcorr Townland

Facing Views

Standing on Torr Head the sights, every direction, overwhelmed the senses. With the camera I was able to capture views even today are coming into my understanding.

In this view south, Torcorr Townland coastal ridge runs down to the North Channel at Runabay Head. There are two bays, the nearest Portaleen Bay, between the dark, unnamed, point and Runabay Head is Loughan Bay.

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See this post for a description of the foreground wildflowers.

Tor in Irish is a steep rocky height. Likewise, Corr means odd, uneven, rounder, convex, curved, peaked, projecting, smooth. Combined, Torcorr is the townland where we stopped on the Torr Road, halted by our wonder at this sight. This photograph looks toward the vantage from which the previous photograph was taken, Torr head.

In the distance, Torr Head projects into North Channel, the closest land to Scotland. Following the coast, the unnamed point in front of Torr Head is home to numerous sea birds such as Fulmars (family Procellariidae) nad Oystercatchers (family Haematopodiadae). Along the rock beaches next Eider Ducks (genus Somateria). You might see the Common Buzzard (species Buto buteo).

The curved bay is named Loughan, above it are ruins of cottages emptied by Irish emigration.

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Copyright 2020 All Rights Reserved Michael Stephen Wills