Caches near Crossgar

[+Decodoppler]

I will be spending three days in N. Ireland later this month to do some diving but also want to find a cache or two. Any suggestions of quick but fun hides in the area of Crossgar much appreciated.

[+dino-irl]

Approx coords for Crossgar are N54 23.839 W005 45.783 and a search on GC.com gives the following result:

 

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/nearest.asp...;submit8=Search

[+Decodoppler]

Approx coords for Crossgar are N54 23.839 W005 45.783 and a search on GC.com gives the following result:

 

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/nearest.asp...;submit8=Search

 

Thanks... but I was hoping for input from a local cacher with experience finding caches in the area.

[+dino-irl]

You'll need to post on an Irish forum then as this is UK mainly and very few NIreland cachers hang out here.

 

Try GCI http://forums.geocachingireland.com or GeoX http://geox.easyphpbb.com/ for more local info.

 

However, good caches are very subjective and IMO you would be best doing a PQ from those coords, reading the logs and deciding yourself.

 

Unfortunately I have never cached in that area so can't help any further

[+Decodoppler]

You'll need to post on an Irish forum then as this is UK mainly and very few NIreland cachers hang out here.

 

 

Forgive the ignorance of a stupid Canadian but isn't northern Ireland part of the United Kingdom? Hasn't there been a bit of "trouble" centered around that topic since the restoration?

 

Never mind... I don't need to join another forum to be taught geography, history or political science

Edited June 12, 2007 by Decodoppler

[+dino-irl]

 

Oh, oh! Now you've done it

 

Officially yes, NI is part of the UK but for nationalist/religious reasons not everyone agrees with that resulting in some caches being classed as in Ireland and others being classed as in UK. It makes searching by country interesting to say the least

 

Most people living in RoI and in NI view the island of Ireland as one entity much the same as GB is viewed as one entity even though it's made up of 3 countries (and many disputed counties!) so there are Irish forums that deal with Irish (NI and RoI) issues and discussions only. These forums have cachers from all religions/viewpoints and even some furreners from further afield

 

My use of the UK above was a bit out of context. I should have said GB as it's mainly English/Scottish/Welsh cachers on here with a few Irish/US/French thrown in for spice.

 

Hope that hasn't muddied things even further for you

[+Decodoppler]

Clear as mud, mate... I'll give it a go.

[+Mr Nibbler]

As a Northern Irish Ulsterman (yes they are not exactly the same thing but I won't overcomplicate things) living on the mainland I hang out in the UK forum as I was born and live in the UK, albeit different parts. I know what dino-irl means though and it does come down to nationalism and/or geographical entity. I, for example am British and Northern Ireland to me is nationally not associated with the Republic of Ireland, but we are all dwellers in the beautiful island of Ireland, and I do feel a real affinity with our friends from the South.

 

Anyway, that's a few more worms added to that can. Also, just to confuse the issue even more, maps of NI are not issued by Ordnance Survey but Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland using the Irish Grid System, not the British Grid. Maps of the Republic of Ireland use the same Irish Grid and are issued by Ordnance Survey Ireland. All terrific maps as well - the one you should pick up is Discoverer 21, Strangford Lough (I think) is a very reasonable £5.80p. Should be available in any big bookstore in the province.

 

And dino-irl: How is Co. Donegal today? As lovely as ever I trust :-)

[+dino-irl]

Just to complicate things even more I'm in the hotly disputed "Maiden City" today

 

Donegal is lovely as always but can hardly be seen right now as it's viewed through torrential rain, thunder and lightning. It's an impressive display though

 

I'd forgotten about the maps thing.....that'll really confuse our Canadian friend

[+wildlifewriter]

Thanks... but I was hoping for input from a local cacher with experience finding caches in the area.

 

I am that local cacher.

 

Having done most (if not all) the caches near the top end of Dino's search list, I can honestly assert that there ain't a duff one among 'em. However... you mentioned "quick and fun" - and most of these would involve a fifteen- or twenty-minute stroll to find.

 

Of those within 5 miles of Crossgar, Ballydyan is undoubtedly the pick - even though it's a micro!

 

Any other queries on Norn Iron caching (or other activities), the suggestion about posting on the GeoX forum is a good one.

 

Good luck,

 

-Wlw

[+Decodoppler]

Thanks... but I was hoping for input from a local cacher with experience finding caches in the area.

 

I am that local cacher.

 

-Wlw

Thanks matey! A 15 or 20 minute walk is fine and I'll try to snag one or two of these if time allows but will absolutely try for the micro!

 

Thanks to everyone for the help. Looking forward to visiting. And for what it's worth, I have a home in Nova Scotia where just about everyone has Ulster-Scottish roots, and the others are Acadian... we understand mixed up!

 

Take care and happy caching

[+Donmoore]

Just to add my 3 cents worth(for the canadian) i might be even better placed to comment being a local cacher and married to a canadian. if you are going diving i am assuming you'll be diving out of either strangford or portaferry? there are quite a few caches along the coast on both sides of strangford lough. and all are worth a look at for the scenary and historical points of few. Any problems you have just let me know and i'll be more than happy to help where i can and provide tranlations eh?

[+Decodoppler]

Just to add my 3 cents worth(for the canadian) i might be even better placed to comment being a local cacher and married to a canadian. if you are going diving i am assuming you'll be diving out of either strangford or portaferry? there are quite a few caches along the coast on both sides of strangford lough. and all are worth a look at for the scenary and historical points of few. Any problems you have just let me know and i'll be more than happy to help where i can and provide tranlations eh?

 

Thanks for that... I'll check which area we will be going out from. (By the way, here on the East Coast we don't say "eh!" That's more a central Canadian thing... here it's "B'y" an abbreviation of Boy... sort of like Mate.)

[+Donmoore]

can't say i have much experience with the east coast. only the time our plane had to make an unscheduled landing in goosebay military airport. which was really bad as we where left there for 7hrs and given no kind of hospitality.

My wife is from Windsor Ont. we will probably be moving to that area this time next year. i did a few caches in that area and the detroit metro area too when i was there the end of last year.

[+Decodoppler]

Thanks for the help... and good luck with the move... have an uncle who's a prof at U of Windsor... interesting little town... topography's a bit flat for me... but lot's of caches!

[+M.A.L.E.]

Hi,

We are Northern Ireland Cachers, there are loads of good caches to find in around County Down

Scrabo in Newtownards is worth the visit (4 Caches very near by)

To find caches near to Crossgar enter BT30 9HY in the zip code area of the geocaching.com home page and it will give you a listing of what is available.

Hope you have a nice trip

 

M.A.L.E.

[+dino-irl]

That'll give the same list of results that I linked to early in the thread.

 

The OP is looking for specific caches that a local can recommend