Ben Lowry: My drive across Northern Ireland from Lough Erne to Belfast at dawn, through sunshine and charming countryside

By Ben Lowry
Published 11th May 2024, 00:48 BST
Updated 12th May 2024, 19:40 BST
Ben Lowry drove through sunny, empty rural scenes in Co Tyrone such as this one, which is in fact fields near Killyleagh Co Down yesterday, the hottest day of the year so far. Picture by Arthur Allison/Pacemaker PressBen Lowry drove through sunny, empty rural scenes in Co Tyrone such as this one, which is in fact fields near Killyleagh Co Down yesterday, the hottest day of the year so far. Picture by Arthur Allison/Pacemaker Press
Ben Lowry drove through sunny, empty rural scenes in Co Tyrone such as this one, which is in fact fields near Killyleagh Co Down yesterday, the hottest day of the year so far. Picture by Arthur Allison/Pacemaker Press
​There was non-stop sunshine across Northern Ireland yesterday, but Tuesday morning was fine too.

(Click here to read Ben Lowry’s main column on Wallace Thompson’s claims about a united Ireland)

​I know this because I undertook one of the most enjoyable drives I have ever done in Ulster (to those who will say I am misusing the name Ulster, I was in fact returning from a brief spell on both sides of the border).

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On Sunday, after reporting on the Belfast marathon (click here for a 20 minute video of the race: watch the trickle of runners become a stream, then a deluge), I had driven to Fermanagh to be with family and friends. This included a drive on Monday down to Mullaghmore in Sligo, then up to Rossnowlagh in Co Donegal and Donegal town, before returning to a rental house on Lough Erne’s north shore.

I had previously only known the southern shore and enjoyed the stay so much that I ditched a plan to drive back on Monday night ahead of work on Tuesday. Instead I stayed an extra night and got up at 5.30am, which was sunrise, and drove east to Belfast, wanting to get there before the rush hour.

It was sunshine all the way. First I motored to Kesh, then along charming, empty countryside into Co Tyrone, with rural scenes akin to the picture on this page (which was in fact taken in Co Down), and on to Omagh. The normally busy A5 was still quiet at 615am, with mist in the surrounding fields. Soon I was on the clear A4 dual carriageway, a high quality dual carriageway with a 70mph limit, then the M1, and only past Portadown did it get busy.

It was at Broadway junction, near the Royal Victoria Hospital at coming up to 7.30am, before there were so many vehicles that the traffic stopped.

• Ben Lowry (@BenLowry2) is News Letter editor

Related topics:Ben LowryBelfastNorthern IrelandUlsterDonegal