Weird wobble in the border
QUESTION How did the Drummully Polyp on the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland come about?
On the border between Fermanagh and Monaghan, there’s an odd irregularity: a 150-acre chunk of the Republic of Ireland that slots into northern Ireland like a jigsaw piece. Its 300 ft wide border is one of the narrowest in the world.
Officially the area is known as Drummully, named after the hillocks, or glacial drumlins, that define the area. the term polyp, a cancerous growth growing on a long stalk, reflects the problem such a border has caused.
Locals also call it the Sixteen townlands, Coleman Island or the Connons after two of its larger settlements.
the counties of Monaghan and Fermanagh were created in the 1580s from Gaelic lordships: Airgialla (McMahon’s country) and Fear Manach (Maguire’s country). these were subdivided into tuatha of 100 dwellings, bailte biataigh (anglicised to ballybetaghs) of 16 towns and tates, which are forts.
During the Ulster Plantation, when Britain colonised Ireland, the bailte
biataigh belonged to the Mac Domhnaill family, who were loyal to the McMahons. the future border was drawn around their land.
In 1924, when the Boundary Commission was deciding on the precise delineation between the Irish Free State and northern Ireland, it toured the polyp and considered if it should be cut off.
Protestant Unionists owned most of the land in Drummully, but were a minority of the population. the controversial plan to remove the polyp was shelved.
As a result, the railway line between Clones and the town of Cavan crosses the border six times in five miles.
Mike Duignan, Bangor, Gwynedd.
QUESTION What are the world’s five deepest natural harbours?
SyDney hARBOUR is generally regarded as the deepest natural harbour in the world. It has an average depth of 42 ft, with channels for shipping varying from 92 ft to 150 ft deep, and shoals with depths of 10 ft to 16 ft. It is probably also the largest natural harbour in the world, being more than 11 miles long and covering 13,340 acres.
Deep harbours are often rias, funnelshaped coastal inlets formed by the submergence of the lower portion of a river valley. Falmouth, together with the Carrick Roads in Cornwall, is a classic drowned river valley dominated by a deep, meandering channel navigable from Falmouth to truro, with depths of up to 110 ft at the southern end.
the Port of Mahon, Minorca, is the largest natural harbour in the Mediterranean. It has a length of around four miles, a width of just under 4,000 ft and a depth of up to 100 ft.
halifax harbour, off the coast of nova Scotia in Canada, has a depth of 60 ft at low tide. Another example of a ria, it has a consistently deep channel for shipping. Where Sydney harbour can only handle vessels with a maximum draft of 45 ft, halifax can cope with up to 56 ft.
In fifth place is the Port of Milford haven in Wales, which has a water depth of more than 56 ft available.
Alison Augustyn, Thrapston, Northants.
QUESTION Which general said his worst officers were those who were ‘stupid and diligent’?
In JAnUARy 1933, the Army, navy & Air Force Gazette posted the following passage attributed to German General Kurt von hammerstein-equord, placing officers into various classes.
‘I distinguish four types. there are clever, hard-working, stupid and lazy officers. Usually two characteristics are combined. Some are clever and hardworking; their place is in the General Staff. the next ones are stupid and lazy, they make up 90 per cent of every army and are suited to routine duties.
‘Anyone who is clever and lazy is qualified for the highest leadership duties, because he possesses the mental clarity and strength of nerve necessary for difficult decisions.
‘One must be aware of anyone who is stupid and hard-working. he must not be entrusted with any responsibility because he will only ever cause mischief.’
this acerbic assessment can be applied to many areas of life, such as the civil service and politics.
hammerstein-equord was born to a noble military family in 1878 and in World War I fought in the Battle of turtucaia in Romania. After the war, he remained loyal to the Weimar Republic and in 1930 was appointed to the highest military post, Chief of the German Army.
An aloof and sarcastic man, renowned for his cutting displays of disregard, he had a strong distaste for the nazi Party. As late as 1933, he referred to the nazis as a ‘ criminal gang’ and ‘perverts’. In 1934, at the age of 56, he was forced out of his post by the Fuhrer.
Recent biographies suggest he was involved in plots to assassinate hitler. he died of cancer in 1943.
Len Forrest, Hereford.
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