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When Colum Sand’s penned the line “Well my trouble really started at the crossroads I suppose” in his 'Directions' song, he surely must have been sitting in his car scratching his head at this crossroads up the road from Camlough Lake! 

South Armagh has always been famed for its lack of road signs, in fact there possibly could be someone still out there driving around looking to get to Killnasaggart having missed out on the family growing up!

"Give me a sign!" This South Armagh signpost will keep you on the road and drive you round the bend for hours. Photograph: Columba O'Hare

In that vein you might need to take the directions contained on an old style road sign in Ballintemple at the junction of the Chapel Road, Church Road and Seavers Road with a pinch of the proverbial salt as it attempts to drive you round the bend. Mind you the sign certainly isn’t lacking in information and could keep you on the road, maybe the wrong road, for quite some time.

The sign certainly contributes to bringing us all closer to each other reducing the  distance to many towns and villages that once were quite a few miles away.

Amazingly that spot in South Armagh is simultaneously  ½ mile from Killeavy Old Church and 5½ miles from Lurgan. No wonder there are so many discarded Buckfast bottle on the roadside.

Less than a mile from Ballintemple to Scarva! Photograph: Columba O'Hare
Less than a mile from Ballintemple to Scarva! Photograph: Columba O'Hare

Being just 3 short miles from Camlough you’re also perfectly placed for some shopping at The Outlet as you are also  just 5 miles from Banbridge and  ½ a mile from Scarva, - What a handy place to park for the Sham Fight on the 13th!

If you suddenly can feel a migrane coming along as you drive by in your car, just drop in to Bingham's Pharmacy in Markethill just 3½ miles away and you'll be as right as rain when you hit the Cathedral in Armagh, just 10 miles up the road. Oh and you're just 3½ miles from Newry too!

The centre of the universe or what - you're just 6¼ miles from Jonesborough and 5½ miles to Forkhill but heading the same direction you’ll hit Keady just 4 miles along or Castleblaney 16 miles around the corner. All those years travelling to Keady Mart via Newtownhamilton when all we had to do was head in the direction of Meigh and we would have been there in five minutes .... If only we had known!

 

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  • This commment is unpublished.
    Columba O'Hare/ Editor · 1 years ago
    I didn't know this existed myself. I see it on Google maps.  Is it Heath Hall or just connected to it? https://www.geograph.ie/photo/6101693
  • This commment is unpublished.
    Margarita · 1 years ago
    There is no mention on the Internet including  maps of the old castle on Seavers Road Road Newry. Its situated just as you come off the Forkhill Road onto Seavers then first on the left. It was latterly known as Kelly's Castle from the last family that resided there.  The Seavers family a military family lived there before, the road was named after them.  The Seavers owned land in Newry reaching out to Dundalk.  There is also history about events on Seavers Road.  Where would l find this information?
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