The tale behind the name

Although we decided on the name “Brandy Pad”, it is not because we have an over-indulgent fondness for brandy!  Rather, the Brandy Pad referred to is an old smuggling route that runs from the “Bloody Bridge” up through the mountains of Mourne, through the “Hare’s Gap” and into the heart of County Down.  Brandy, wine, tobacco, tea and silk are all believed to have been smuggled along this route.

The Bloody Bridge is a bridge at the eastern end of the path, where it joins the sea.  The name is believed to have come from a massacre in 1641, when some smugglers were ambushed by the excise men.  Bodies were thrown over the bridge into the river.  After the battle, the river is said to have flowed red with blood.  The river is now known as the Bloody River.

Coming from Northern Ireland, Kit spent many hours walking and camping in the Mourne Mountains of County Down.   The mountains do actually sweep down to the sea, as it says in the song, between Newcastle and Annalong.  When Helen was introduced to the mountains, she loved the wildness, the peacefulness and the abundance of stories and myths that surround the area.  When we were looking for a name that meant something to us and was “different”, we settled on the name Brandy Pad as a reminder of family, fun and many happy memories.

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