Ireland 4 - squishy trails

On Saturday morning when we left Carrick-on-Shannon it was still drizzling lightly and a bit chilly. We headed for Boyle to see Boyle Abbey and then backtracked a few kilometres to stop in at the Forest Park, which came highly recommended. Our road then meandered North towards Bangor on a lovely quiet road.

We'd been told by a few people not to bother stopping in the 'middle' (between East and West) of the country nor the North West and to just head for the Galway / Connemara region and those South of this. Well, we've loved the middle and we love the North coast. This North-West area so reminds me of Patagonia.

We arrived in the afternoon and found a B&B. I got changed into running kit, donning a rain jacket as it looked like more rain would be arriving. Well - stunning! More in the pics below.

Wind harps in Carrick-on-Shannon. Mom heard them the previous afternoon so we made a stop past here on our way out of town. As the wind blows through the strings a beautiful harp sound is heard. There are a couple of strings in each 'harp' - could be steel strings? Beautiful. I want one at home.

Inside Boyle Abbey. Cool place.

Boyle Abbey. The one outside wall was leaning badly so they removed the supports (added later than the original wall to deal with the leaning way back when already). I just loved this new addition, which supports the wall and had been constructed to the same height, width and angle as the original exterior wall, which disappeared yonks ago.

So, we get to Forest Park. The wind is whipping up the lake - waves and white horses. There's a light drizzle intermittently. We decide to walk on what looks like a path route. And what do I spot? A permanent orienteering course marker! So, I go back to the info centre place and chat to the people, who don't know anything about it. But, they're helpful and the one guy looks online at the website of the organisation governing the park (I don't have my papers with me now... can't remember the name) and he downloads the medium distance course and prints it out for me. Just back and a white, but so perfect. Off mom and I go (this control wasn't for our course).

On the way to control #3. Some things in the area have changed - like the area from #1 to #2. I was a little confused by the new trails around the kiddie ropes-tree thing (and I didn't have a compass). Let's just say that mom got a little more 'no-trail-straight-through-forest-and-scratchy-plants' than I'd planned for our outing.

Looking for Control #3. I'm 100% certain we were in the right place (I found all kinds of other features that were on the map) but just couldn't find the control.

Control #9. We didn't do the full course - kinda made up our own sections. Helluva fun.

Early on the Bangor Trail. That's Bangor behind me. This is a seriously historic trail. People from this area and more North would walk the trail - about 36km - through to Newport. From here they'd catch a boat to Galway and then climb on a steamer to cross the Atlantic to the U.S. of A.We met a chap in Bangor who was going to do the trail on Sunday (he got fabulous weather - sun too!) and then catch a bus and then train from Newport back to Dublin on Monday morning. With daylight until 22h30 he would have loads of hours to complete the trail. It is nasty, peat, boggy, wet, squishy terrain but it is also really good fun. I'd love to run the whole stretch.

I tried to keep my feet clean and dry for the first 200 metres. Like this and much, much worse the whole way. At one point I ended up thigh deep in boggy stuff. Smelly too! Almost lost my shoes a few times and was quite often calf-knee deep.

A trail marker on the Bangor Trail. Looking back-ish towards Bangor.

Panoramic from the Bangor Trail looking West-ish.

A new trail marker pointing the way. You know how it goes with trail exploration... so I got to the point where the trail curved around a spur. And then I saw this - the trail heading up and over and so I decided to head over there to see what is on the other side... A pretty valley and other mountains. Worth the run, definitely. Did get caught in a dash of the approaching rain. It looks so looming but when it gets to you the rain is soft and gentle. The wind was a bit worse but not even close to a torrential highveld storm.

Gaining height on the section drawn on my previous photo. The start of the line in the background is about from where I took the previous photo.

A really, really good outing. Not sure of the distance but I was out playing for a bit more than 90 minutes, which was good fun.

Ireland - post 3

Friday morning in Oldcastle began with cloud, wind and rain and ended with splotches of sunshine in Carrick-on-Shannon, a lovely and sizeable town. It is funny how apologetic the people are about the weather.. well, this is Ireland and we did expect it. This Emerald Island wouldn't be as green if it wasn't for the wet. Nonetheless, we do giggle a little when people say how sorry they are that it is raining.

Now this can be interpreted in two ways... 

Beautiful poppies as we passed through Carrowleen. They are huge!

First stop for the day, the Killykeen Forest Park, We did a short walk through the forest.

A pretty flower alongside the trail.

Posing for a pic in the forest.

The abbey in Fenagh

Old gravestones in the yard of the Fenagh abbey. The yard is packed with graves, most of them from the last twenty years or so. Me, I think it is wrong. Especially the ones inside the ruin! This is an archaeological site and there's loads of ground all over the place for people to be buried. 

In Carrick-on-Shannon

Where we're staying in Carrick-on-Shannon. My run started in a dash of sun and beautiful light and ended in a downpour. And then there was another sparkle of sun... and then more rain... and then... 

Day 33 run around Carrick-on-Shannon. Only found this map as I returned through town.

Live music in Carrick-on-Shannon. An awesome bluegrass jam by a whole bunch of musicians who didn't all know each other. There were two banjos, two guitars, a mandolin, an acordian, a hand drum and a fiddle. One of the guys also threw in a bit of harmonics. Most certainly foot tapping.

Ireland - post 2

Thursday morning started off clear and fabulous. By the time we got to the Loughcrew site, just outside of Oldcastle, it was raining and windy.

A beautiful morning as we set off from Donore.

From Donore we headed past Newgrange to a wool farm and the lovely lady took us through the process of spinning yarn. I've been wanting to see this for a while. Really, really cool. This is a fleece from a Jacob's Sheep, which is brown and white in colour.

Carding the wool to align the fibres and to get rid of the little bits for suitable to spin

The mat - after the wool has been carded.

And then, spinning. I bought a ball of yarn - not yet sure what I'll make from it.

Slane Castle, in Slane. Just the otherside from Oldbridge - also on the Boyne river. This is where some seriously BIG concerts have been held and U2 recorded an album. Nicer outside than inside really... it isn't a castle in the real sense of a castle. There are normal-ism rooms inside - not all open and stoney and spooky like a real castle. It is a 'castle-ised' house.

One of the four High Crosses and the Round Tower at Kells

I really enjoy these information boards. No shortage in every town we've been to or passed through.

The countryside, heading from Kells to Oldcastle changed quite suddenly from hedges to stone walls. We asked the guide at Loughcrew about this and he said that there was rock in the area and generally you get stone walls when the farmers are clearing their land of stones - they use it to make the walls.

Site T at Loughcrew East. We had a super guide who took us inside and pointed out the features and neolithic art. We also quizzed him about the sudden appearance of stone walls around the fields (as opposed to the hedges from where we'd come) and also about the Irish language - popularity, useage and such. 

Just a picture. I liked the texture.

On top of Loughcrew East - rainy and very, very windy. Many burial mounds on this hill - this small, exposed one is next to the main one.

That's the hill we went to.

Instead of a run (Day 32) I went walking in the rain (in my waterproof jacket and pants) around Oldcastle.

I do like...

Cemetry in Oldcastle, looking towards the Loughcrew hills.

Summer fashions in Oldcastle. It really is not warm enough for this stuff!

Watching the Ireland vs Spain game at a pub in Oldcastle. Unfortunately Ireland lost 0-4... UEFA started over the weekend. 

Ireland - post 1

Since mom and I arrived in Ireland on Tuesday afternoon we've been on the go the whole time. As it is light until after 10pm we've been using the day to its max.

Over the next couple of posts from our time here, I'll show you what we're seeing. This is as much for my memory as your enjoyment because we can barely remember where we were two days ago. Time seems to pass way more slowly here. While we're on the go non-stop, we're certainly not in a rush. We're meandering through little towns on quiet roads and lapping up the greenery.

Mom and me at OR Tambo airport, leaving Jo'burg for Dublin, via Abu Dhabi.
Felt so great to land in Abu Dhabi - I really do like that place!

Our first accommodation in Ireland, in Portmarnock. Lovely town on the East coast, a very little North of Dublin.

We did a little walkabout the town to check out food spots, location of the train, bus stop and general scenery.

Location of my Day 30 run - Portmarnock beach

Wednesday, 13 June - first full day in Ireland

We caught the bus into Dublin - a scenic 50 minute trip. Saw these gerbers (Barberton Daisies) - beautiful.

Pretty flowers behind us. We walked the streets for a bit and then met up with Sean, my rogaine partner, for a cup of tea.

After hitting 'Great Outdoors', a friendly store, to get waterproof pants (to replace my previous pair that went AWOL) we made for the train station. Much excitement to catch the DART back to Portmarnock - only a 30 minute journey.

We liked this... 'antisocial behaviour'

After my own heart... blood donation promotion at the train station and I saw something on telly this same evening encouraging people to donate and especially calling for O Neg blood (that's me!)

Neolithic art at Newgrange -  a passage burial site

We couldn't resist the opportunity to add our stickers from Newgrange.

From Newgrange through to Donore, where we met this beautiful horse named Sumo. He's a Welsh Cob.

I then headed off on a run and initially missed the entrance for the Oldbridge estate - I thought the pedestrian gate was just the entrance to open ground for people to walk their dogs (I saw people with a dog going in as I ran past). I ran about a kilometre towards Drogheda before turning around.

Big thing about this area and especially the Oldbridge land is the Battle of the Boyne (the river in this valley is the Boyne River). This sign board is placed at a 'viewpoint', where the field you're on overlooks the land and this illustration shows what I would have been looking at - kinda - at noon on 1 July in 1690.

Part of my run route (Day 31) from Donore (bottom of pic) on green line, then turnaround and on to the Oldbridge estate.

Very glad it was 'no hunting' here. Makes me think twice about running across fields!

Stayed at a friendly Pub & Inn in Donore. Around 9pm a bunch of locals came in - lots of them. They play poker together once a week. They each put in 10 Euro and then they get handed cards of photocopied money (colour, only one side). Everyone gets the same amount. Winner takes home the kitty. They play really fast - just basic poker - and it was fun to watch.