Glengarrif to Adrigole 17km

A different breakfast today. It was in a very elegant dining room and at one large table. It started with the usual, juice, coffee and a bowl of fresh fruit with yoghurt. We were then given a platter of smoked fish, salmon, salami, ham and about 10 different cheeses. All very nice and tasty, and very continental but we didn’t think it was the breakfast of champions who had a big climb ahead of them. We asked for something cooked and got one poached egg and two baby tomatoes. First stop was back up to the corner deli for some fresh made sandwiches.

Leaving the village was through the delightful Glengarrif Woods Nature Reserve. This forest is one of the best examples of ancient Oak woodland in Ireland. It was Saturday morning and there was a Park Run going on. The second we have come across. The first was in Tralee. All too soon we had left the lovely valley and were climbing up the steep side of Derrynafulla Mountain. 510m vertical climb in about 3km. The legs were strong but the lungs and heart were working overtime. Mist and then rain set in as we got higher but it wasn’t cold and there was little wind. The way marking was excellent in the mist. About every thirty metres was a yellow painted post so it would have been hard to get lost.

Derrynafulla has its own piece of history. After the loss of Dunboy Castle to the English in June 1602, Donal Cam O’Sullivan, Chieftain of Beara, continued to resist the subjugation of his territory. With an army of about 1,000 soldiers he waged a guerrilla campaign against Elizabethan forces. His men relied entirely for meat, butter and milk on their herd, hidden that winter among the valleys and woods of Derrynafulla. The herd comprised 2,000 cattle, 4,000 sheep and 100 mountain ponies. The Governor of Beara, Sir Charles Wilmot, in a strategic attack, seized the Irish herd stripping O’Sullivan of a crucial resource. Threatened with starvation O’Sullivan was forced to abandon Beara and flee north with 1,000 followers. The sick and wounded were left behind in the woods at Derrynafulla. They are reputed to have stoked the camp fires for four days convincing the English that O’Sullivan was still in occupation. When the ruse was discovered by Wilmot, these unfortunates were promptly put to death.

There was a long undulating trudge across the uplands following a fence line with about every tenth fence post painted yellow. There was also quite a large lake, Toberavanaha Lough, which we didn’t see in the white out until Barbara practically stepped into it. At the start of the descent we came to some signage indicating an emergency short cut down to a road. Conditions can get pretty bad up there. We were feeling good and didn’t think it was too bad so came down the normal longer route. In the mist on the descent we missed some ringforts but did find a standing stone.

At the bottom we made a slight detour to visit Massmount Church which has been derelict since the 19^th century. Also at the church were a German couple doing the same route as us so we might see them over the next few days. We hadn’t seen anyone else all day. Then just a short walk to Peg’s Shop at a cross roads in Adrigole. We were supposed to ring our B & B from there and be picked up. The B & B is about 6km up a side valley. Our phone didn’t want to work but Peg made the call for us. And also took our lunch order for tomorrow. She had some very nice looking home baking so we might stock up. Paul from the B & B soon arrived and we are now in his cosy farmhouse.

Old Irish proverb of the day: There’s nothing so bad it couldn’t be worse.

Postscript to yesterday’s post: Since we arrived in Tralee, ie all of the Dingle and Kerry Ways, we have been in County Kerry. As we drove in the bus to Glengarif we crossed into County Cork. The road from Kenmare to Glengarrif curves and twists over the Caha Mountains. It is a wild and lonely place even in summer. There are three tunnels on the Caha Mountain Pass. These seem to have been hacked out of the mountains, not drilled, and are left in a rough hewn state.