Cahersiveen

Today was a rest day. Our hotel is right on the Ring of Kerry main road and a busy road it is. From about eleven until two there is a procession of tour coaches, sometimes five in a row. They all do the route counter-clockwise as the roads are so narrow.

Barbara had a stomach bug and spent half the night in the bathroom. Thank goodness for ensuites. A late, late  start (breakfast at 10.30am!!!) and then we visited a few places close by in Cahersiveen. Highlights were the Barracks, the Daniel O’Connell Memorial Church and the Abbey of the Holy Cross.

The Royal Irish Constabulary Barracks were built by the British Government between 1870 and 1875. The reason for building the barracks is that in 1866 The British and American Magnetic Telegraph Company had successfully laid a telegraph cable under the Atlantic from Newfoundland to Valentia Island, just off the coast at Cahersiveen. This had taken several attempts and cost vast sums of money. In 1867 the Fenians of Cahersiveen had their ill-fated rising against the British. The British concerned any future uprising might pose a threat to the security of the cable ordered the design and construction of a large police barracks at Cahersiveen.

The barracks were built in the unusual Schloss style of architecture which was popular with the architect, Enoch Trevor-Owen. The building was so unusual a local legend sprang up about it. The legend was that the British Government had mixed up two sets of plans and that the Barracks should have been built on the North West Frontier of India and that an Irish police barracks had been built there in its place. The Barracks are now a heritage centre on several floor levels and full of local history and the story of Daniel O’Connell.

Next up The Daniel O’Connell Memorial Church of the Holy Cross. This French Gothic church is unique to Ireland in that it is the only church dedicated to a layman, the ‘Liberator’, Daniel O’Connor. Pope Leo XIII gave papal approval and work started in 1886. Work stopped in 1893 due to lack of funds and there had to be a special appeal to the people of Ireland to complete the work.

Daniel O’Connell is not buried at his church but Monsignor Hugh O’Flaherty is. In the photos of Killarney I posted one of a statue of O’Flaherty. He was a local priest who served in South Africa, Egypt, Haiti, Santo Domingo and Czechoslovakia before becoming a senior official of the Roman Curia in the Vatican, Rome. During World War II he was responsible for saving the lives of 6,500 allied soldiers and Jews by setting up safe houses and escape routes from Italy. His nickname was ‘The Scarlet Pimpernel of the Vatican”.

The parents of Daniel O’Connell are buried in the graveyard of the Abbey of the Holy Cross. This is now a ruin. This is not a church of traditional design as there is no steeple due to the laws prevailing in Penal Times. Between 1865 and 1829 the Penal Laws were in force in Ireland and one of these laws prohibited any Catholic church having a steeple or a bell. In the graveyard there is a large headstone with a wonderful inscription dedicated to Lieutenant Phillip Primrose. It was erected by his ‘Numerous Friends’.  You can see it in a photo.

Tomorrow we are back on the road again. We have completed half our time in Ireland and half our walking distance.

Old Irish proverb for the day: ‘The steed does not retain its speed forever’.

Glenbeigh to Cahersiveen 30km + 2km mistake

Wet, wet, wet. That was today. When we pulled back the drapes it was misty and a steady drizzle. The forecast confirmed a wet day with a southwest wind and max 15 degrees. Back to the Ireland we know and love.

It was going to be a long day so stocked up at the supermarket as we left Glenbeigh. 7 bananas, a combi pack of 6 cookies and 3 slices, and a foot long freshly made ham and cheese filled roll. Straight away we started climbing up into a forest, a special forest, a fairy forest. We had to be quiet, listen carefully and walk softly. Then we might see the fairies at play. They had decided not to come out in the rain today. Fairies are big in Ireland. Lots of myths, legends and just plain tall stories.

Within half an hour we were soaked to the skin and sloshing up a path that had become a creek. We climbed up and moved onto the side of a steep hill. Very much like the Escarpment Track between Paekakariki and Pukerua Bay but without the wooden steps. Apparently this was “an exhilarating traverse of a steep hillside high above the road with stunning views out over the sparkling blue Dingle Bay to the emerald green hills of the Dingle Peninsular”. Who knows?  Sort of a Yeah Right moment. We did notice there were eight gates to open and close in about five hundred metres. The saddle was wet, windy, cold, and we didn’t hang around. We didn’t see two tunnels on an old railway, or the forested Ferta valley, or the massive Knocknadobar dominating to the north, or the Gleensk viaduct to the north-east, or scattered ruined stone cottages. We had our heads down, plodding into the diving rain.

Usually we take a break after two hours for a coffee and cookie but today was just miserable with no shelter so we just kept going and didn’t stop for about four and a half hours. After about five hours the rain stopped and the mist lifted a bit and it wasn’t bad for the rest of the day. Late in the day we made a blunder and missed a turn at an intersection. It took us 15 minutes (a kilometre) before we realised. So had to back track which added half an hour and 2 kilometres to an already long day. Barbara was a bit peeved but cheered up a bit after we stopped and had the last of the three slices – a chocolate fudge cake.

For the last two hours we were walking the Daniel O’Connell Heritage Trail. O’Connell, known as The Liberator, was an Irish political leader who campaigned in the first half of the nineteenth century for Catholic emancipation, including the right for Catholics to sit in the Westminster Parliament and repeal of the Act of Union that combined Great Britain and Ireland. He is a huge hero in Ireland and was born near Cahersiveen.

We left Glenbeigh at 9.00am and arrived in Cahersiveen at 5.00pm, 32kms and very few stops today. Our digs at the Kerry Coast Inn has two huge pluses that have made our day. Our ensuite has a bath – so a long luxurious soak, and there is a bar downstairs so we only have to stagger down there for dinner.

We think the Kerry Way should be renamed The Way of a Thousand Stiles. We seem to be climbing up and down them all day.

Thank you to all of you who wished us a happy anniversary yesterday, it is nice to be remembered.

Old Irish Proverb of the day: Even the longest day has its end.

Glencar to Glenbeigh 18km

Today was our 44^th wedding anniversary and what a lovely place to spend the day.

I had berry smoothie and fruit platter for breakfast, it came with a boiled egg! Not much fat and protein and too much carbohydrate. It included kiwi fruit, banana, mandarin, apple, grape, strawberry, grape fruit, pineapple, orange, melon, and I don’t know what in the smoothie. Just a oncer. Back to scrambled or poached eggs tomorrow.

It rained a little overnight and it was cooler this morning with much lower humidity. An easy walk today. Starting alongside Lough Acoose on tarmac and after 4kms heading off into plantation forest on flat grass tracks and forest roads following the Caragh River. The only down side was whenever we stopped, say for a Kanteen coffee, we were engulfed in midges. They loved the river valley too.

After a few kms of this we turned to go up a rise and were welcomed to ‘come away with the fairies’. This was a very dense Enchanted Forest. Someone, a school party perhaps, had made little signs, gnomes, fairy houses, butterflies, faces on trees, little doors into trees, etc decorating the path. Some things were obvious but some were sneakily hidden away. At the highpoint of the forest, with great views out over Lough Caragh, there was ‘Fairy Rock’ where you could make a wish. I think every second person wished the midges would go away. The Enchanted Forest lasted about 2 km and was a wonderful amusement to make the time pass quickly.

Toward the end of the day we had the option of doing 9kms on a flat scenic route but on the road, or a 4km hilly climb over Windy Gap on a track. We decided on the latter. It was a steep climb but on a broad path and at the top we did squeeze through a small gorge at Windy Gap. Fortunately it was a clam day and no wind. Behind us was a view to the MacGillycuddy’s Reeks and Lough Caragh and ahead a new vista looking over to the Dingle Peninsular. We could see Inch Strand which is where we were on the first day of the Dingle Way.

Glenbeigh is such a contrast to the remote valleys we have been in for the last three days. They were almost deserted with just one or two houses scattered about, and very quiet farm roads. Now there are houses by the dozen and Glenbeigh is on the Ring of Kerry main road. So there is traffic and lots of it. We are hoping the track moves away from the road and we can enjoy some more peace and quiet.

Mary, the owner of the B & B last night, was very kind and obliging (and cooked great food) but she had signs up everywhere saying on no account were guests to do clothes washing or hang wet clothes in the rooms. So tonight we have done a double lot of washing and our room looks like a Chinese laundry.

Old Irish Proverb of the day: Two people shorten the road.

Black Valley to Glencar 20 km

This is reputed to be the hardest day on the Kerry Way. Not the longest, but with steep climbs and descents over two high passes. We were surprised at this because we felt so strong and comfortable all day and the proprietoress at the B & B was amazed we arrived so early. We think cycling both ways over Paekakariki Hill each Friday has given us a strong base strength in the legs.

It was humid and the air felt heavy as we set off this morning. Very warm, with high cloud and mist hanging around the hills. No wind. A quiet walk through the Black Valley on tarmac that changed to gravel and then a track. Quite a few derelict and abandoned houses but a few new ones as well. The fields were liberally dotted with boulders and were hemmed in by precipitous slopes of the hills each side. From the black Valley we turned up a side valley, Cummeenduff Glen and at the end of this started the first of the climbs of the day. This was a climb, pretty much straight up, clambering over boulders, but on a good grassy track. It was a vertical rise of 200 metres to the saddle. Here the path went along a narrow spur and there were great views down into Caragh River Valley below.

Down into this valley we went on a very steep stony track, taking it very slowly and carefully. In the valley the track became a gravel farm road and after a few kms a tarmac road. Just when we thought the going was easy there was a turn off the road and onto a hillside. Ten large switchbacks took us zig zagging on a 300 metres rise to the next saddle. At the top there were magnificent views down to Lough (Lake) Acoose, our destination for the day. Another steep stony descent to a very rough farm road which became a better gravel road and then a tarmac road. Finally a walk alongside Lough Acoose that was purported to be 1.5 km but seemed like about 5 km to our B & B.

There was no-one home when we arrived, just a note on the door, ‘Back at 3.45’. We didn’t mind, we sat down on the outdoor furniture and reflected on another great day through beautiful valleys and over spectacular mountain landscapes.

Usually B & Bs don’t do evening meals but last night and tonight we have been in very remote locations. A 5+ km walk each way to the nearest pub, cafe or restaurant. In this situation they will cook you a meal if you let them know about 24 hours in advance. These meals are great. Meat and veg and potato and not an insipid salad or fatty fry in sight.

When we arrive each day at our B & B the host or hostess usually likes to chat for a few minutes as they welcome us and get us settled in. Invariably they have a daughter or son or nephew or whoever who has gone to Canada or Australia, sometimes New Zealand and there they have met a local boy/girl. The story is always the same. Their daughter comes home to visit them but if they want to see their son they have to travel to him.

Which brings us the next Old Irish Proverb: A daughter is your daughter for the rest of your life. A son is your son till he gets him a wife.

NB No wifi at Glencar so this post is a day late.

Killarney to Black Valley 24 km

Our first day on the Kerry Way

After two days ‘resting’ we were keen to get out on the road again. And it was a good day, not easy but not very demanding. A warm day and with quite a lot of climbing and descending we were feeling a bit sweaty all day. Fortunately about two thirds of the time there was forest so we could keep out of the sun – not usually a big problem in Ireland.

The first hour and a half followed the same route we cycled in 20 minutes yesterday, out of Killarney and into the National Park, Inside the park we used a walkers’ only track and by-passed Muckross Abbey and House and walked up to the 20 metre Torc Waterfall. This is quite impressive and would be even better after heavy rain. From the waterfall there is a steep climb at first through beautiful cool forest and then out into open moorland. The forest is what we now call ‘Hollow Willy’ woodland. This was after a dyslexic moment trying to read the guide notes without our glasses, it is actually Holly and Willow woodland. About a 200 metre climb to the saddle and from the top the Purple Mountain (named for its icing of scree) and the spiky peaks and the steep slopes of the Macgillycuddy’s Reeks were off to our right, Basically we walked down valleys and over crests all day slowly getting closer to the Macgillycuddy’s Reeks so that they now loom high over the Hillcrest B & B where we stay tonight.

For the first half of the day we walked on the Old Kenmare Road, a gravel road used until the 1830s.It is still a very easy road for hikers. Down in the valleys and even up in the moorlands it was very wet and boggy. However we could walk for kms on boardwalks made of railway sleepers, feet nice and dry and clean. From the high moorlands the descents were through atmospheric woodlands of holly and oak and old stone walls. Everything carrying a thick cloak of moss. Near the end of the day we walked along the edge of the Upper Lake of the Killarney Lakes and after passing a deserted church at Derrycunnihy and a tea room named after the long-gone cottage of a wealthy clergyman, Lord Brandon, we crossed an arched bridge to enter the Black Valley. This is where we are staying tonight.

It is called Black Valley because it was particularly hard hit by the Famine in 1845 – 49 and very nearly everyone in the valley died of starvation or emigrated. Another claim to fame is that it was the last area in Ireland to get electricity – in 1957! Our notes say if you have a cell phone don’t expect much coverage, Black Valley hasn’t arrived in the 21^st century yet.

We had to wait until six o’clock for our bags to arrive today. The portage guy had a breakdown in his little white van so had to get a replacement vehicle. He did ring the B & B to let us know he would be delayed. The problem with arriving before your luggage is that even if you have a shower you don’t have fresh clean clothes to change into.

Old Irish proverb of the day:

“Your feet will take you where your heart is”.

Today was a super day. A day in the saddle and great to be cycling again and having a rest from walking.

We picked up hire bikes at 9am. We knew they would want photo ID and had our passports but they wanted to keep them until we returned the bikes. We were reluctant to do this so the guy lent me a bike to go back to the guesthouse to get my driver’s licence out of the safe. Interestingly there was no paperwork to read or sign. No waivers, insurance, indemnity etc. Just pay your money, leave your licence and go. €15 for 24 hours. We headed out of town on a cycle path to Killarney National Park about 6km away.

Three major sites today. First up, the Franciscan Friary of Muckross, founded about 1445. The community here were Observantine Franciscans so-called because of their rigid observance of the order’s rules on matters such as diet, clothing and possession of private property (no mention of chastity!). Muckross was suppressed by Henry VIII, re-established in 1612 and the friars eventually driven out by Cromwell in 1652. It is on many different levels and you can go up and down circular stairs, through tunnels etc. It has a very intimate and lovely cloister and in the middle of the cloister a large yew tree. This tree is thought to be well over 600 years old, so it could be that the cloister was built around an existing tree.

About a kilometre away was Muckross House. Built 1839 – 43 by the Herberts in the Elizabethan style. 26 bedrooms and 62 chimneys. The Herberts made their money by copper mining in the district. After being owned by the Guinness family and an American mining magnate who gave the estate to his daughter as a wedding gift, the house and estate were presented to the Irish Nation to become a national park. I think the first in Ireland. We didn’t do the tour inside but walked and cycled around the vast and immaculate gardens and grounds. The house faces the Middle Lake, or Muckross Lake and we were able to cycle around the lake on a very quiet one way, one lane road. On the opposite side of the lake from the house, which you can be taken to on little boats, is Dinnis Cottage where you can enjoy morning tea.

Third stop, back closer to town was Ross Castle. Probably built in the late 15^th century it is a typical example of the stronghold of Irish Chieftains during the Middle Ages. The castle is believed to be the last significant fortress to fall to Cromwell. It is a tower house surrounded by a ‘bawn’ which is a defensive wall surrounding the large rectangular tower. The bawn had a smaller round tower on each corner. Two of these survive. Ross Castle is located on Lough Leane (Lower Lake) and from here there are boat rides out onto the lake.

We had the bikes for five and a half hours but didn’t do huge kilometres. Just slowly cruising along dodging the jaunting cars and the horse crap on the paths. No wind, lots of sun, and 27 degrees. The lass who served us in Murphy’s Bar kept going on and on about the three days of summer. She’s been waiting two and a half years for this. We have a theory (untested so unproven), that if you came to Ireland for six weeks and only ate in establishments called Murphy’s, you would eat very well.

Whether walking or cycling we usually get to our room mid afternoon. Barbara to lie on the bed and blob, Paul to lie on the bed and blog.

I think I am slowly falling in love with Ireland. Not a passionate sensual infatuation as with Spain, but a developing realisation this a lovely place with lots of familiar and comfortable qualities.

Today we caught the bus from Tralee to Killarney, just a 40 minute ride. We have two nights in the Killarney Lodge Guesthouse, an elegant and charming house full of fine antiques, beautiful paintings and open fire places.

We arrived about midday and thought we would just have to drop our bags and go see the town for a while, but they welcomed us and said our room was ready and would we like tea/coffee and biscuits. We have a room about three times the size of the one we had last night.

Killarney is principally a tourist town being on the Ring of Kerry, and a naturally attractive location on the shore of Lough Leane, part of Killarney National Park and the Killarney Lakes. It has a history of tourism going back to 1747 and in 1861 was visited by Queen Victoria and entourage. With the exception of Dublin, Killarney has the most hotel beds of any town or city in Ireland, and the population is only about 12,000. Killarney is another buzzing town with brightly painted shops, pubs, cafes, hotels, restaurants and tourist attractions. It is famous for its ‘jaunting cars’, horse-drawn carts, operated by local jarvies.

We have had a walk around town and sorted out a bike hire shop for tomorrow when we will go out into the Park to see Ross Castle and Muckross House. It is a stunning blue sky day, warm and no wind so we had lunch sitting under an avenue of cherry trees in the grounds of Killarney House looking at Purple Mountain and the MacGillicuddy’s  Reeks (the Black Stacks) a mountain range that includes the highest peak in Ireland, Carrauntoohil, at 1038m. It was so peaceful and relaxing listening to the clip clop, clip clop of the jaunting cars.

Three years ago Barbara and Jo went for a ride in the jaunting cars and Barbara wants to go again to see if the jokes of the jarvies are still the same.

Today is Father’s day in Ireland and lots of families are out picnicking and all the pubs and restaurants are advertising father’s day lunch specials.

Irish proverb for the day: “The older the fiddle, the sweeter the tune”.

In Ireland it is difficult to get early morning starts. The usual breakfast time is 8.30 to 10.00am and sometimes they don’t want to start until 9.00am. It is also slow because they individually cook each breakfast and often there is just one person on duty. This means we often don’t get away until about 9.15am or later. You could forego breakfast but the villages are few and far between and pubs that serve food for lunch or dinner are almost never open for breakfast.

In Spain it was important to have early starts in order to beat the heat and walk as far as possible in the cool of the morning. There were villages almost every 5 km and they were set up for pilgrims who had started at the crack of dawn and wanted breakfast on the go. Heat is not an issue here in Ireland so far but sometimes you do want to start while it is not raining and get as far as possible dry. Or while the air is still as the wind gets up later in the morning.

We imagined it would always be “Full Irish Breakfast” which is a fry up of bacon, egg, sausage, tomato. baked beans, black and white pudding. But there is usually a choice: eggs anyway you like, omelettes, potato waffles, pancakes with fruit, French toast, fresh salmon, etc. Always there are cereals, yoghurt, fruit juice, toast, tea or coffee. Often fruit and small cakes. So no need to go hungry at breakfast.

Today we woke to brilliant sunshine and only a gentle breeze and it quickly warmed up to a beautiful day. It was a short day, we only walked about 10 km from Castlegregory to Camp from where we caught the bus the remaining 18 km to Tralee. We had heard the track from Camp to Tralee was the wettest and muddiest on the whole Dingle Way and there were three unbridged rivers to wade through. It also wasn’t very interesting, just crossing the lower slopes of the Slieve Mish hills parallel to the road. We had completed the Camp to Camp circuit of the Dingle Peninsular so decided to keep our energy and relatively clean clothes for another day.

From Castlegregory it was about half an hour walk out of the village to the beach again. We passed a couple of camping grounds and a five metre high standing stone at Anghacasia. Unfortunately it was far off in a field and we couldn’t get very close. Standing stones date from at least the Bronze Age (from 2000 BC) and are thought to have been erected for ritual purposes. Isolated tall stones may also have signified burial sites.

Our bus wasn’t until 2.10pm so had a very leisurely stroll along the beach just soaking up the sun. It was a Saturday so there were more families enjoying a day at the seaside, setting up deck chairs and all the paraphernalia that kids bring to the beach. Barbara had a paddle but although the water looked very inviting it was very cold. All too soon we had to leave the beach and passed by a nice little Church of Ireland chapel at Kilgobbin. We went to have a look inside and met three ladies doing a ‘spring clean’ They were pleased to take a break and have a chat with us.

We had a couple of hours to wait for the bus but were entertained for a while by a large group of walkers assembling at a petrol station/cafe/shop/community centre over the road. They were doing a 10 mile fund raiser hike in the hills for the Irish Kidney Association. We are now back at the Willows B & B in Tralee  – but in a different room. Our luggage wasn’t delivered until nearly 5pm so we were starting to get a bit agitated by that. Sometimes it does go missing. Tomorrow we get the bus to Killarney and then have a day off waliking before starting the Kerry Way.

Cloghane to Castlegregory 28 km

Today we went for a stroll on the beach. For seven hours. We have had enough of beach but there is more to come tomorrow.

From Cloghane we walked for about an hour on tarmac before reaching a vast expanse of sea and sky. Fermoyle Beach. Ireland’s longest walkable beach. 11 km to Fahamore. Along the landward side the beach was fringed by sand dunes covered in wiry marram grass. Above these was a backdrop of cloud topped mountains. Behind us was the bulk of Mt Brandon that we had crossed yesterday, also still covered in cloud. The sea had a small surf and very intense colours of green and blue. There were a few small streams to cross. Just large enough to be an entertaining obstacle to cross without getting your feet wet. There was a nice wind behind us so we had a gentle push to help us along.

Walking on the beach was easy. The sand was firm with few shells, stones or seaweed. We sometimes had to move up or down the beach to find the firmest path as even if you only sank 5 mm into the sand, it took a lot more energy. The beach seemed empty but over 2+ hours we saw a lot of activity. An elderly lady getting changed into a wet suit and going for a dip. Two guys windsurfing. A group of children with boogie boards overseen by a lifeguard. Three large horses out for a canter. The occasional dog walking its owner. At first there seemed to be nothing ahead of us but as we progressed a low finger of land seemed to rise out of the sea. This was a ‘tombolo’ stretching out from Castlegregory into the sea. This is a low finger of land made up of islands joined with bars built up from sand blown towards the shore.

This morning we had bought a “packed lunch” from the O’Connor’s Guesthouse. This consisted of a ham sandwich, a Kit Kat chocolate bar, a piece of fruit (Barbara an apple, Paul a pear) and a bottle of water. €6. We found some shelter from the wind and sun behind a block of concrete that was the end of a rainwater outlet and had a picnic.

Eventually we came to the end of the beach and reached the hamlet of Kilshannig. Here there were the ruins of an old church which had a seventh century slab in its graveyard, carved with the Greek letters chi-rho which symbolise Christ. We walked around the slightly higher ground of Kilshannig Point before dropping down onto another beach. This time only 2 km long. Well that was what the guide book said. We guessed it was more like 5 km long. But by now we were getting very tired and were having trouble even interpreting the notes. After yet another seemingly endless expanse of sand we eventually found the unmarked turn off to Castlegregory, and in the centre of the village came to Fitzgerald’s Pub. Our B & B is about a kilometre out of town so we decided to have an early dinner (vegetable soup followed by raspberry and apple crumble) so we wouldn’t have to come back.

Staggered to the B & B, another long but not too arduous day done. Our hostess, Maureen, welcomed us with a cup of tea and some fruit cake. All is good.

Feohanagh to Cloghane 25 km

Today we did a mountain traverse which some fellow travellers described as life threatening. Mind you they were Australians. We only walked 25 km but it took us 7 hours plus half an hour of stops. The most dramatic and challenging day so far. It was certainly the wettest and muddiest for our shoes.

From Feohanagh there was an hour of boggy and muddy farm tracks before starting the climb proper. It was straight up for about 2 hours. Steep at the beginning but easing off for a while before a long steep section up to the col. We were just following marker posts on open grass fields but the ground was saturated and very boggy. Almost like walking up a stream. There were great views back down to Smerwick Harbour before we got above the cloud and mist line. We had a nice wind behind us pushing us all the way up. The rise was 650 metres which is not huge but the ground being so wet made it quite an effort.

We overtook all but one American couple on the way up. When we reached the top they were wandering around looking for the first marker for the route down the other side. It was total white out and the wind was gale force. You couldn’t walk, the wind was so strong it made you run and we had to jam our walking poles into the ground to slow us down. We looked around for a bit but decided we didn’t want to lose contact with the last marker we had seen at the summit, or the American couple, so went back to the top. We knew the route down was initially very steep. A young European couple arrived next and the six of us all fanned out in a line and started searching. Eventually the route was found and we started descending together. It was steep, very muddy and frankly treacherous. Two lost their footing and did hilarious slides down on their butts.

We got down out of the wind as fast as we could. At some large rocks we stopped for a tepid coffee and something to eat and a bit later at a stone farm building stopped for a rest. Most people seemed to stop here to get some respite from the wind. From here the going was pretty easy on a farm road all the way down into the valley of the Owennafeana River and at the coast the hamlet of Brandon. On the way down we saw pyramids of peat that had been cut and were drying ready for being bagged and taken away. At Brandon we bought some real hot coffee and banana bread ( it was now about 3.15 pm). This was after 19 km and the first opportunity to buy any refreshments. Our guide notes then took us on a 6 km ‘scenic route’ with a lot of climbing to get to our destination of Cloghane. This was a waste of time and could have been totally eliminated by sticking to the road.

So now we are washed, and clean, and dry and warm and fed (great meal and a Tom Crean Brewery ale in the pub downstairs) but exhausted after one of those fantastic epic days.