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Barnes Gap + Vinegar Hill Tyrone

Far West of the Bann

Barnes Gap Sperrin Mountains © Lavender's Blue Stuart Blakley

They’re Northern Ireland’s answer to Wuthering Heights. The Sperrins are the Province’s largest mountain range. Barnes Gap is one of many scenic highlights: a waterless fjord. Spring lambs dot the intensely green fields of Vinegar Hill above.

Vinegar Hill Tyrone © Lavender's Blue Stuart Blakley

It’s a remote location and a population drop of 10 percent over the last 100 years in County Tyrone has only added to the sense of isolation.

Vinegar Hill Sperrin Mountains © Lavender's Blue Stuart Blakley

The Sperrins get their name from the Irish Gaelic phrase “Na Speiríní” which means “spurs of rock”. It may sound like a person’s name but “Barnes” actually means “gap” in Irish. Barnes Gap: a linguistic representation of the Province’s dual heritage.

Barnes Gap Tyrone © Lavender's Blue Stuart Blakley

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