The devil's back bone ! by Hugh Doherty

How often have you heard the remark; "As sharp as the devil's back bone"?
Well, you can see how sharp it really is in the picture above.

The "Devil's Back Bone" is the name of the peak to the right of centre in this picture of the Oughterlin hills and its peak is just as sharp as it looks. In wintertime it was always first to have a coating of snow making it look even more menacing. Don't ask me how it got its name because I just don't know even though it was always in my sight as I walked through the fields to Lurganboyce national school every day .

If you would like to go for a walk in the Oughterlin Hills take the road from Kerrykeel towards Rathmullan taking right at a Y junction at the top of a bray after Kerrykeel. Then the road climbs steadily for about 2km and after it flattens out for about 1km, take a road to the right that has been made up to the Windmills. This roadway will take you right up to Cruck-an-Aifreann (Mass Hill) which lies just behind the trees in left of picture. If you are energetic you can climb up to the "Standing man" on Cruck-an-Aifreann which marks an Ordnance survey "triangulation point" and then you can look around and marvel at such a beautiful landscape.

The photo was taken as darkness fell on Saturday evening 15th October 2011.