Sunday 12 May 2013

Bees in Ireland

Judging by this it would appear that Beekeeping is mostly a leinster and Munster thing. Unless of course there is separate Northern Ireland Association? 

Saturday 4 May 2013

Railways currently (2013) and at their height (1906)

As one can see the area's around Cork and Northern Ireland are the most covered. My time in the North has had me seeing a significantly increased presence of people with an interest in trains. - no wonder. I don't know the real reasons why the railways are not as extensive as they were but I'm assuming that partition of the island was not helpful! Currently as with the roads all trains in the Republic lead to Dublin. Only one intercity route exists (has it opened yet?) that does not go to Dublin and that is the Waterford to Limerick route. Sometimes in my daydreams I imagine a world where tunnelboring technology has developed to the stage where its quick and commonplace so that one could put all roads and trains underground. Every city would have a direct line to all the other ones.. Would be cool yeah?

New Northern Ireland Councils

Middle map shows the old system.  Below is the wikipedia summary of the changes. I'm guessing that fear politics are behind the fact that belfast is not taking in parts of "natural belfast" such as forestside.
1.Belfast CityBelfast City Council plus parts of Castlereagh, Lisburn and North DownNorthernIrelandNumberedproposed.png
2.North Down and Ards District102,313Ards and North Down, except for a small part of the Knocknagoney area of North Down District which was to be transferred to Belfast
3.Antrim and Newtownabbey District120,496Antrim and Newtownabbey
4.Lisburn City and Castlereagh District83,369Lisburn and Castlereagh, though with the transfer of "the localities of Gilnahirk, Tullycarnet, Braniel, Castlereagh, Merok, Cregagh, Wynchurch, Glencregagh and Belvoir, Collin Glen, Poleglass, Lagmore, Twinbrook, Kilwee and Dunmurry" to Belfast
5.Newry City, Mourne and Down District107,233Newry and Mourne and Down together with half of Slieve Croob
6.Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon District124,996Armagh City and DistrictBanbridge and Craigavon, though with the loss of half of Slieve Croob to Newry City and Down District
7.Mid and East Antrim District89,832BallymenaLarne, and Carrickfergus
8.Causeway Coast and Glens District88,654BallymoneyColeraineLimavady and Moyle
9.Mid-Ulster District86,591MagherafeltCookstown and Dungannon and South Tyrone
10.Derry City and Strabane District92,593Derry and Strabane.
11.Fermanagh and Omagh District74,414Fermanagh and Omagh