O'Neill's Own Country

The Ballinderry River rises north-west of Pomeroy in Co. Tyrone, and for nearly all its course it runs on the boundary between the counties of Tyrone and Derry, till it falls into Lough Neagh. It was the backbone of Cookstown's vibrant linen industry and the inspiration for authors and poets such as Jonathon Swift, but its history, and the impact that it has on the communities through which it flows, runs much deeper. Beginning at the Ice Age, and leading us through the coming of Christianity, the Tudors, and Plantation, Kevin Johnston's book brings us right through to the Ballinderry River of modern times, where it is going through a rejuvenation project with the help of the WWF and the community. Fully illustrated with striking photographs, "O'Neill's Own Country - A History of the Ballinderry Valley" also includes a gazetteer, which follows the course of the Ballinderry, and explains the rich archeological, ecological and cultural elements of one of Ulster's richest rivers.