SUMMER WALKS PROGRAMME This Summer Walks programme in 2003 was our most popular to date with never less than sixty turning up for each while some attracted over a hundred from Newtownabbey, Larne, Antrim and even Belfast In more than twelve hours of walking we only had one showery night in Holywood and a beautiful sunset on the last evening. Our new venture of designing a walk around the writings of a local author was most successful. We were invited by Newtownabbey Borough Council to produce printed versions of some of the walks which are available from libraries and leisure centres. You can also download and print them yourself. The new publications were launched by the Mayor in May Fair Week with a special walk to sample the History Trail and recall what the town was like in the Fifties. A book of History Trails for schools is available in the Ballyclare Library
Some of the large group which came on the May Fair History Walk crossing the Six Mile Water at a point used four thousand years ago by the first people in the area. Archie Reid of Ballyclare Historical Society who conducted the walk told them how flint arrow heads made by these people had been found on the Ballycorr Road in the Sixties and of discovering a souterrain where farmers sheltered during Viking raids. Their walk also included climbing the Norman Motte in the Park, visiting the sites of two railways stations, hearing of early tourist attractions and many memories of the Fifties in Ballyclare.
Thursday 22nd May 2003 - CRAIGLINNY At the beginning of the last century a series of best selling books featured the village of Craiglinny and the colourful characters who lived there. This earlier Ballykissangel was in reality Ballyclare and the author Archibald McIlroy took care to disguise the local people . This walk visited places associated with the author, like the Fluther where he was born and the scene of his May Fair Murder account. Extracts from his stories were read along the way and Janette McKendry and Sam Cross read more in his church on the "meeting house green". Seventy six walkers started out and more joined on the way filling the church for the final presentation
Thursday 12th June - BALLYBOLEY A forest walk in the area which takes its name from the custom of booleying - herding the animals up to summer pastures. It was here that the leaders of the United Irishmen met and from here that the widow Houston left for America where Sam Huston was to become a hero when he defeated the Mexican army after the the Alamo. Thursday 26th June - KILWAUGHTER CASTLE This was much requested repeat of the walk around the romantic ruins and grounds of the castle with stories about the Agnew-Balzani family who lived there. As you can see below it was again a major attraction. Thursday 10th July - BALLYLINNEY Once there was a medieval village which stretched over two miles from the old churchyard. In this area there are raths built by farmers in early Christian times. Thursday 24th July - HOLYWOOD Con Auld, author of books about this former Victorian seaside resort, led a fascinating walk around some of the historic parts of his town - the ancient abbey. Norman motte. Maypole and parish church. Thursday 7th August - CLOUGHAN A country walk in a farming area which is disappearing under new development. We enjoyed the countryside on a beautiful evening and learned a little about 'clachans' - an old form of farm settlement.
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