Today’s townland is Mullagh, near Killyleagh, County Down.  There are many placenames containing “mullagh”, all derived from the Irish An Mullach meaning “hill-top”.   The hill in this case is inside Delamont Country Park, close to Strangford Lough.

The route of my walk through the park took me past the Strangford Stone, not an ancient monument, but a megalith erected in 1999 to mark the millennium.

This is where I wished I had a kayak.

The townland actually stretches out into the lough, on to Gibbs Island (managed by the National Trust).

Back on the hill the sheep watched me through a wooden gate.

The highlight of my visit was this Barn swallow (Hirundo rustica) pausing for a moment between swoops.

For more information on visiting Delamont Country Park, click here.