Ballycastle Escape

My friend Marian invited me up to Ballycastle today for a round of golf. Having beavered away for three days, I jumped at the opportunity. It was a tough course, as this hole, the Chasm, implies.

But also a beautiful course, with beaches and Ballycastle to the north and Fairhead barely visible in the southern distance.

The course included a 16th Century abbey.

And a graveyard.

We started the day with a visit to an artisanal market, where I bought my nieces graduation presents--huge relief to find them something lovely and locally made. We ended the day with a lovely meal with Marian's husband, before driving back to Belfast. Marian and Brian live up the street from me but have an apartment in Ballycastle. He is heavily involved in the nearby Corrymeela community--a retreat centre focused on peace and reconciliation. They are also both involved in the St. Vincent de Paul Society at their church in Belfast. They are a lovely couple and their daughter very kindly looked after Paddy while I was AWOL. What a lucky duck I am to know such a lovely family.

April 22