Another and perhaps more likely reason is that from a young age John Harris would have been well acquainted with Shane's Castle, the family seat of the O'Neils of Clandeboy which is situated 16 miles to the east of Harris' native town of Magherafelt on the north east shore of Lough Neagh and lies midway between Magherafelt and the port towns of Carrickfergus and Belfast.

Shanes Castle estate was a picturesque spot of wooded forest on the shore of the Lake Neagh.

Virtually confined to a wheelchair Harris and his wife Eliza moved to Shanes Park full time from 1831 until their deaths in 1837 and 1838 respectively.

In 1960, the eastern portion of Shanes Park was purchased by the commonwealth government to house an air navigational facility.

The 560 site known as 'Shanes Park' now comprises one of the largest remaining woodlands in the Cumberland Plain (western Sydney).