Terry, Sounds like the "magic" of God's chosen island was with you!
[... or perhaps that canny "Neither Swiftly nor Slowly" motto of the BALLANTINEs guided your search method effectively?
If you are still around, you could jump on the Larne - Troon ferry to hunt down the clan in Scotland.]
Hopefully you met some of the local characters.
[There are still a few around - one had us in stitches with his stories earlier this year.]
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John, I hadn't heard of Ernie SCOTT's demise - a great loss to the (extended) community.
[Heard that Staffy CARMICHAEL, a fount of knowledge in one of the local philosophical societies, moved on a while back.]
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Skoosh, There appear to be many "interpretations" of the Ballynure name.
The OS Memoirs of 1832-1840 offer ...
Ballagh-na-ure: "the town in or of the rich portion or tract of land" on account of the extreme fertility of the soil.
[This was probably deemed to have far too trite connotations with "manure" so was dropped pat without further rumination ...]
Capt. Jock