Professional ballet company - none in the North of Ireland, so the Scottish ballet in Glasgow would be nearest - 95 miles (including across the Irish Sea).

Normal habitat of a large wild predator - we have sharks all-year-round off the Irish coast, not very dangerous ones usually but Blue and Mako sharks are known to attack humans occasionally - so say 100 miles to the west coast of Ireland

Working farm - half a mile

Seat of a national government - Oooh we couldn't agree on where our nearest national government is (this is the politically divided North of Ireland after all!). Some people will say Stormont, which is 12 miles away, while nationalists like me will say Dublin (100 miles).

Factory employing more than fifty people - Montupet makes cylinder heads for Ford and Peugeot, about half a mile away.

Prehistoric ruin or archeological site - The whole damn country's coming down with prehistoric sites every couple of hundred yards. There's several small sites within a couple of miles, but Ireland's most famous site is the Newgrange passage tomb, about 66 miles away.

Working oil rig or wind farm - small wind farms around the place, the nearest probably is at Garrison, County Fermanagh - 95 miles away.

Restaurant listed in the Michelin guide - Deanes, in Belfast city centre - 6 miles away.

Salt water - Belfast Lough , 7 miles away.

Mountain range - Belfast is surrounded by mountains (the Belfast Hills). The Colin Mountain is closest to me, about a mile away.

Major penitentiary - Maghaberry Gaol, 8 miles away