Company on Today's Trudge

Ballinlough to Creggs  

It has rained heavily all night which has kept us on edge as we have a big day ahead of us as well as meeting Seán and Cáit from Cavan who will be walking with us for a few days. Another Facebook contact. We have a quick breakfast of tea and toast as the kitchen now resembles the rest of the house, we just want to be gone even though our meeting time is 8am, surely, we can get a coffee in the village. I should know better by now about coffee shops.

We have a 30-minute walk to Kennedy’s at the White House Hotel on the edge of the village and the rain has started to come down heavy so further up the street we have seen Fitzpatrick’s Petrol Station where we know we can get some shelter. Of course it is not open for another hour.  It is cold and a chilly wind blowing so also need the beanie and gloves, I do not care what I look like as long as I am warm. Extra clothes are not working.

Sean and Cáit are on time, they are walkers we have not met before but lovely friendly people with the gift of the Irish talk, so feel we are about to have a memorable few days.  He is a lawyer and she is a teacher in a Gaelic speaking School. The rain has eased off a little, check the maps and off we go. Our first short stop is to test the yellow roadside drinking fountain. Sean shows us how it works and it will be the first of many of these colourful pumps we will see – some working and others used for floral arrangements.  The strange peat heaps have started to appear, these piles are quite high and several rows of them sitting waiting to dry out. Sean gives us an explanation and we also handle some. It is a lot lighter than I had expected.  We are now starting to walk on a busy road so single file and we must keep our wits about us as we head into Ballymoe. Not a large village, a pub and some shops so stop for our first rest, sandwiches and a glass of Guinness. We are now in Galway and the long haired donkeys are in the fields. They resemble lamas.

The remainder of the afternoon is on the Suck River Way, long but on grassy and bushy walks covered in ferns close to the walk, through the boglands, very wet and mushy but it appears that Seán and Cáit are used to this sort of walking, all very new to Sue and I. The white flower of the Bog Cotton or Common Grass is everywhere. We climb the wooden stiles with the Beware of the Bull visible signs and across the farmers’ fields. I wonder how fast I could run if a bull decided to look my way. The rich deep purple Northern Marsh Orchid is now starting to appear - a beautiful orchid.   We are now in the County of Roscommon and we see the first O’Sullivan Beara signs, about 120klms from the start of the walk. We stop for a cold tea and fruit sitting in the muddy bog fields. The black clouds are rolling in. It is so peaceful.

Onto Glinsk, a small village in County Galway between Creggs and Ballymoe and we take a 1.5klm detour up the hill to the Ballinakill Graveyard which houses the ruins of the church in the centre of the graves. Little remains of this Church except for the east wall and it is reputed to have been the first gothic Church in Connacht. On the inside of the South wall there is also a fine limestone effigy to a Norman Knight, he is dressed in armour with a helmet and sword.

We locate the elegant Glinsk Castle, a skeleton of its former glory, situated on a minor road South East of Ballymoe and about 4 klms from the village, reputedly the last castle built in the country. O’Sullivan was barred entrance to this Castle and so he continued north to Leitrim.

We wander around the Castle which sits on the edge of the road but entry inside is not permissible and the ruin is full of weeds and thistles. A change of socks as my feet are playing up and deciding they have had enough walking for the day – they are in for a big shock as we still have another 10klms to Creggs and our bed for the night. The last section of the days walk was hard. Sore feet, tired backs and quite hilly terrain all added to our exhaustion and discomfort.

When we finally reach Creggs we head to the pub which is the central place in most villages, shoes are taken off and a feed of fish and chips from the paper, it is now cold and raining. The best fish and chips I have had for a long while. We do not intend to rattle the Cancer tin while we are in Ireland but have been given some small donations from the drinkers in the pub. They are so friendly and interested in what we are doing and the reason why.

We settle for a short time until the owner of the Ploughman Lodge collects us; he has been baling hay and takes us to our bed for the night, a double story house and so inviting. We are exhausted as it has been a long day. Our legs are covered in a rash. The owner, Grandmother Sarah, drops in to make sure we are OK and settled for the night and to collect our breakfast orders. All she wants to do is chat and all we want to do is go to bed. This is country hospitality at its best.

The Ploughman’s Lodge is a two-storied farmhouse close to the main house, well set up for visitors and tourists, and only €66 per twin room. The heaters are on so a chance to dry out the shoes ready for tomorrow.

We have walked 35klms through some beautiful countryside and a great explanation of the Irish way of life.

A Wet and Hairy Day

Frenchpark to Ballinlough

The day has started out fine, 13 degrees and cool but the sun is shining, Philip drops us across to the junction on the outskirts of the town and which connects to the walk and a lane, much better than a main road. We have a map to follow and yesterday we drove the route so we cannot get lost today. The last 36 hours has been lovely and restful but we are ready to walk again with map in hand. Up a few hills and onto Fairymount, there is nothing there but a road stone telling us we are there. After a stop at the Sacred Heart Church and small graveyard we keep trudging along to the small village of Loughglynn with its welcome sign set in a small low hedge. The farm houses all smelling of peat, smoke rising from their chimneys. All we would like is a coffee - no such luck. The statue of Mary encased in a glass box and surrounded with a flower box welcomes the weary traveller to the village. We find a stone fence in the centre of the village on which to rest so we sit, drink cold tea and watch the tractors with their hay baling equipment. The Brewery trucks trudge past. Sue is having trouble with a toe which has decided it doesn’t want to walk, a band aid and change of socks and off we go again. There are black clouds forming. The small deserted village is spotted with several planter boxes and flower pots full with colourful flowering plants and other old but interesting objects. We have seen the sign to Boyle several times since we left Leitrim; I think we are walking in circles. We are now starting to see the field scarecrows and purple Irises, clumps of the Yellow White Mustard and rows of wild white and yellow Daisies growing in the gutters and fields alongside the road. The stunning red Fuchsia with the purple petals downward hanging on long stalks appearing among the hedges and fences, growing wild in this part of the country. This flower is so hard to grow back home in Queensland. We follow the Lough for some distance until the stone fences and green patchwork farms start to appear again. The bright blue Milkwort is in abundance in the short grassland fields.

We are just outside the town when we get the company of a black and white Collie dog who decides she wants to walk with us. She is not vicious but the opposite, just overly friendly and we decide not to encourage her which is very hard as she keeps us in her sights. She frolics in and out the farmer’s muddy fields, stopping occasionally to check we are still there, crosses a main and busy road managing to miss the cars. I think she has adopted us and now the rain is starting to settle in so a change of clothes on the side of the road with her standing beside us. We must look a sight as she slows down the traffic and we just hold our breath as cars and trucks narrowly miss her and the drivers give us the “look after your dog look”, and still she stays with us. We are now about 10klms from where she started to walk with us and I feel she will not be able to find her way back. We convince a farmer to tie her up until we can get some distance between us but she escapes and back with us again looking at us with her big soppy eyes and asking - aren’t you happy to see me?  She jumps a farmer’s house fence and rushes back out to us slipping on the cattle grid and hurting her leg yelling in pain and dragging herself across to us, looking up at us as if we were her guardian angels. It appears to be broken or badly twisted. What could we do – we could not leave her lying on the side of the road in the rain and she could not walk back home.  The farmer has seen our predicament and comes to the rescue. He takes her back to the same area where she lived leaving us to walk in the rain the last few kilometers. An old car pulls up and it is the lady from the Lakeview B & B. We want to walk the last distance to the house so she takes our bags and gives us a house key. My gut feeling is really screaming at me.

I am pleased that we are on our own when we reach the house as words cannot describe the state of the house, its cleanliness or lack of, why didn’t I listen to my gut feeling yesterday? It is raining heavily and freezing cold and we know there is no other accommodation close by so after a discussion we decide to stay. We are big girls and not wimps …… we could ring Philip and he would come out and collect us.  How can anyone live like this? Our next problem is a night meal and as there is nowhere close the owner has offered to cook a meal. This was organised when I booked in January. We will be OK but have decided it better to place all our gear on the bed and not the floor as we have clean clothes and still another 5 days in them – I do not want dog hair all over them after only one day. The room itself was not as bad as the rest of the house except the shower/ensuite which had not been cleaned for some time so all we can do is close our eyes and hopefully the time may go faster. There are heaters in the room which was great as our day clothes and socks were wet and we needed them the next day.

The meal was really nice but we did not linger in the kitchen too long even if Deborah just wanted some company. She has decided to not charge us the night fee and instead to donate it back to Cancer so we really cannot say anything now. We arrange with her for a quick breakfast and early exit next morning as we are to meet some walkers from Cavan in the village at 8am. To date we have walked over 100klms and our fitness level is good, better than I had expected.

I would personally not recommend this B & B to walkers planning on staying in the area; it is advertised online and possibly part of the Airbnb group but difficult to locate the house as it has only a damaged sign at the front gate. There is a hotel in the village which had just opened its door to customers and possibly other B & B houses around the lake. The room would have been €20 and €10 for the meal but we were only charged €5. 

Today we walked 21.8klms in the rain

A visit to an Ancient Cemetery

A full day of rest, washing, catching up with the diary and photos and just getting ready for the next stage of the walk – 6 days walking so we need to be fully prepared.

Philip spends most of the day printing out maps, we have to buy some for Sue’s phone but if this is what it takes, it has to be done.

After lunch we drive to Ballinlough where we will be staying the next night, showing us the road and checking that Sue can follow the map. We also check out the B & B. It was a challenge locating it as my directions were to turn at the “white house”. Every second house is white, what is it with the Irish and their directions? The white house turns out to be Kennedy’s White House Hotel - why do I have a gut feeling that there is something wrong with the place but guess we will find out tomorrow.

We also go for a drive through a very remote and interesting valley, up a winding road, past fences, sheep, and rolling grasses and then a short walk through some boggy fields and up a steep, uneven hill to Carrowkeel Megalithic Cemetery, 5000 – 8000 years of age. These tombs are near Boyle above Lough Arrow and sitting on the Bricklieve Mountains and they predate the Pyramids of Egypt by some 500–800 years. There are fourteen passage tombs in Carrowkeel and some can be entered by crawling through a narrow passage which we did. It was a strange feeling peeping through the lightbox at the entrance and knowing we were in a tomb. Peace, beauty and tranquility.  Magical views across the lake and clear enough to see a good distance.

The ominous black rain clouds have started to come across the landscape so we start to climb down the purple covered hillside. There are green peaks that tower over the surrounding landscape and the view is simply stunning.

A quiet evening with Beverly and Philip preparing ourselves for the next stage of the walk, we are ready to go again.

Rest Day looming....

Ballaghaderren to Frenchpark

It has been nice to have a sleep in and the continual rain through the night has made for a great night’s sleep and not as many aches and pains as we expected after the long walk yesterday. I hope we do not experience anymore days as long as that.  We even sat down to breakfast with the other residents before we headed off, can’t sit still for long – too much to see and do. We do not plan to leave the town for a few hours as the next part of the walk is only a few hours but on a busy main road again. Perhaps we are putting the walk off. A young man in the bar suggested we get a taxi to Frenchpark, the offer sounds lovely but we decline as we are here to walk. Perhaps!! 

We head off through the town centre in a light shower of rain, quite sad as there are many empty homes and shops.  As usual nothing is open except the Cathedral Church of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Nathy, open to the early worshippers. The amazing timbered ceiling of the nave, paintings of the Annunciation on the chancel roof and the beautiful stain-glassed windows that line the walls of the Cathedral, the Confessional Boxes with their deep blue curtains, the large container of Holy Water, the lit candles and the Mercy Door. At the rear of the Cathedral are the Old Military Barracks built in 1798 and now the home to the town’s secondary school, St. Nathy’s College, named after the patron saint of the diocese. Most schools are currently closed as the students have commenced their summer holidays. The St Mary’s Convent with some strange crypts in the grounds was opened by the Sisters of Charity and later handled by the Sisters of Mercy and now stands vacant and closed.  Past the Convent buildings there is the much older St Mary’s cemetery with some old 19^th Century ivy covered headstones and family tombs, carved grave markers including decorative crosses but large sections in the grounds lie vacant and grassed over. We squeeze in through the stone gates with fences topped with sharp and rough stones which are there to deter people from climbing over or sitting on. Such a peaceful area lying among the modern houses and old buildings. The town centre is a line of different coloured shops and in the centre are some seats and hanging baskets of flowers, parking bays, directions on signposts, and the Town Library close by. The empty beer and Guinness kegs lie in the gutters ready for collection by the brewery trucks but many “For Sale” signs are posted in the windows. The main employer of the town appears to be the Creamery Co-op Milk Factory built in 1898. At the entrance and exit to the town are several cane displays which are extremely interesting but not sure what the significance of them is.

We have caught up with our diaries and a lovely coffee and we know it is time to leave this friendly little town and head to our next bed, a rest day and two nights in the same place. We are staying with Philip and Beverley, a contact I made online several months ago. He is a walker, hill climber and a tour guide and has a passion for what we are doing.

We head out to meet up with the N5 and the first 6klms is spent moving on and off the yellow line, narrow verges, changing sides of the road so we can see around corners to be sure what traffic especially trucks are looming. It is getting rather warm so a stop is in order at Tibohine which has a couple of houses, a small corner store and a large tool/machinery business. We are more exhausted than we first thought and the traffic is increasing on the road making walking extremely dangerous. The owner of the business can see our predicament so we accept his offer of a lift to Frenchpark – for our own safety and off we went in his Audi A4 with its leather seats. Sheer luxury.  Don’t tell the children that their mothers accepted a lift from a stranger. This puts us in Frenchpark much quicker than we had planned so have a few hours to fill in until Philip is home from work. We find a cafe for some lunch and sort out our plans for the remainder of the day which means a chance to have a good walk around the village. 

We slowly head towards where we are staying and as we wait near a Housing Estate we are approached by two Garda who start to ask questions – our names, reason for being in Frenchpark, where we are going and so the questions go on.  Makes us feel a little uncomfortable but we are told later that they were just looking out for us as the Estate was not the best place to be loitering near. Did we look like we were loitering?

Philip is quite surprised that we have no maps and fully depending on signposts and local’s directions so he quickly takes us under his wing. Before we leave in 36hours we are fully equipped with maps, a map APP on Sue’s phone and a quick lesson on how to read maps. We have a Guardian Angel for the remainder of the walk. It is lovely to have found such a lovely “Map man”. Our main bags are sitting in the bedroom; they are such a welcome site as they mean clean clothes.

A bottle of wine before bed and decisions to be made for tomorrow, our first rest day of this walk. No boots for 48 hours.

If we knew in advance what today was going to bring we would have stayed in bed......

Ballinafad to Ballaghaderren

We thought we were sorted with printed out google maps……. but not so. However after today we do know that we can walk 32klms next week.

Up at 6am as we have a long walk, breakfast has been set up for us in the dining room, rain has stopped and blue skies are showing but still rather cold, about 10 degrees. I doubt the blue skies will last. Trish has agreed to drive us to Ballinafad so we can pick up the walk and continue on our way. Ballinafad is about 5 klms from Amber B & B. She has printed off some Google maps for us but we still manage to miss the first turnoff after the fenced ruins of the Ballinafad Castle. There are no road signs. We must keep laughing; we cannot lose our sense of humour, not this early in the walk. We trudge along the back road for a further 5 klms and finally decide to stop a farmer and ask if he could give us directions – a big mistake again. He tells us to continue to the t-intersection, past a certain house and then turn right to Keash and even though every instinct is telling us to turn left we decide the local would know best. Had we found Kesh on the map we may have asked someone else. We are now on the R295, a much busier road which also does not settle well with us but we continue. The pub and shop near Keash are not open and it is already 9am. The day is getting warmer and we are feeling it. The heaps of peat piled high are starting to appear in the boggy fields. We must ask some questions about how the peat “grows”. So fascinating. Different heaps are piled in different ways, some high piles and some not so high. We have also started to notice the green barb wire fencing. Is it green for Ireland? Boyle and Ballymote are 10 klms either way from the turnoff, also the Kingstone Holy Well and Toomour Abbey but as the sign has no distance marked we decide not to visit this time. The Toomour Old Abbey remains and Kings Grave looks interesting so we trudge up the mossy lane but are greeted at the gate by some small angry horses who do not want us to open the gate so again we decide against entering. A shame as the sign description looked interesting.

Onto Keash, a town with absolutely nothing open so we stop off at the local school for directions. School did not commence until 9.30am and the principal and two teachers arrive 5 minutes before the bell is rung. The first teacher to arrive is a relief English teacher. The next teacher to arrive is a local but can give us no directions. Finally, the principal who is a local gives us directions to the next village, Culfudda. A quick toilet stop and directions and we are on our way to Culfadda, we have been assured there is a coffee and some shops there. Wrong information again – not a shop in sight so we find a table and chairs on the corner of the crossroads and we drink cold tea from Richard’s thermos and muesli bars. Light rain has started and we are still a long way from where we should be – we appear to be in the middle of nowhere. A local man advises us to walk towards Mullaghoe so we walk for a few hours. The fields are littered with black faced sheep and lambs and our first thatched roof house, “Cloonena Lodge”, so pretty. We are back in the County of Roscommon. We pass several old deserted ruins but as they are a distance off the road all we can do is look and take a photograph. The walk is hilly and we experience the lot – wind, rain and sun.

We trudge along for another few hours and before us is a seriously main road, which way should we go? Directions are required and we ask a builder who is building a teahouse to be opened in a few months, pity it is not already open as we could do with a decent coffee or tea. After he hears of our interesting directions and pleas for directions he takes pity on us and drives us a short distance to Gorteen the next village so we do not have to walk on the main arterial road. At least there are shops and some civilisation in the town. We are starting to become exhausted and know we must have a rest so ask for directions to a town coffee shop at a large Irish music shop on the fringes of the town. The owner offers us a coffee, biscuits and a rest; this will be the first of many of these generous offers as we walk Ireland. More directions and we are on the road again, 10klms until we finish for the day. This time we are walking on a busy National road and the first time we have experienced one as busy. Single lanes each way and high hedges and not much space on the sides. When there is some room, the edges are covered in brambles and stinging nettle. We walk single file along the yellow side line and must place our trust in the drivers that they see us and move over for us. This is a road rule of Ireland as several of the walks in Ireland are on these sorts of roads. We have a few close shaves but have 10klms of this type of walking. Makes us walk faster which is difficult as our legs and backpacks are heavy, the day is warm and we are utterly exhausted. Half way along this stretch the sign posts change telling us that we have walked 6 klms and have still to walk 7klms. This does not add up to 10klms. Why the change? We feel we want to sit in the gutter and cry. How could they do this to us! Finally, the town starts to come into view and I know the Hotel, Durkin’s Bar, is in the centre of the Village. I am hoping that the centre of the village is closer to this side of town than the other. It would be nice. The walk into the town centre seems to go on forever so ask a lady how far to the hotel and she replies – “10 minutes walking but the way you ladies are walking it will be about 20minutes.” Not sure whether to thank her for the directions or be offended by her remark. As we cross over the motorway the town is ahead of us and perched on the side of the road are several life sized cane baskets and what appears to be a cane sheep. These will not be the last time we see similar large cane displays on the footpaths and in parks around the town.

Our feet are sore, very sore and after having walked 37.8lms instead of 26klms and walked for 9 hours I feel a Guinness or two are most welcome. It takes a while to get our sore feet and aching legs wanting to walk upstairs to a lovely and large room with a most welcome large bath. We have had an upgrade and been placed at the back of the hotel in the new extension, should be quieter away from the bars so great for a good night’s sleep. Our lower part of our legs and ankles are covered in a red rash from the socks and the heat of the day. This happened several times during our Australian training and it is a heat rash that will disappear after a few days, so long as our legs allow us to walk tomorrow.

Durkin’s Bar is situated in the centre of the town and it is 40 euros per person for a twin room, close to several tourist places of interest to the traveller. A lovely little town.

A quick look around the village but our feet are too sore to go far so decide on an early night as it has started to rain.  We are not sure how we will stand up tomorrow but that is another day.

A Shortcut

Highwood area to Ballinafad 

A very wet night, misty and still light rain falling as we head down to breakfast and some directions to the next bed near Ballinafad. Our map tells us to take the walk down the western side of Lough Arrow but the owner has spoken to the owner of Amber B & B and both say we are walking out of our way; instead we walk down the eastern side of the lake, walking 12klms instead of 20klms.  A much better decision we decide. We leave about 8am, decked out in water resistant pants and gaiters tied under the knees – looking good. We both look such a sight. Sue’s balloon above her ankles giving her the impression of a Michelin Man. Fashion is not on today’s agenda. We are not travelling to look cool; no one cares and no one knows us not even the sheep and cows.

Back down the hill we trudged up yesterday and follow some signs and a rough map we have been given. Suddenly a signpost to the B & B appears, we stand there trying to decide if we go in as we are VERY early or do we walk a further 5 klms to Ballinafad and get a coffee. It is a bit embarrassing to arrive so early. The sudden burst of rain makes us decide and we head to the front door. Trish is still serving breakfast to her guests from the previous night but she still finds time to organise tea and scones. This becomes the welcome meal most days. We now have a full day to fill in.

An offer to drive us to Lough Key Forest Park so we can spend the afternoon browsing the estate and walks is easily accepted. The startling blue waters of the circular lake, bounded boldly by mountains and a green wooded estate is located in an area of great historical interest. The rain has gone and the light sun rays have appeared. There is so much history in this park with the brick 1845 Store House at the front gates, the remains of the old stone church, a Fairy bridge built before the Famine era and still standing. There is also the Bog Garden and if you do not detour from the wooden plank path, it is an interesting walk.  There is a tree top walk but as a fee is involved and as we have just walked beneath for several kilometers so we decide it is not worth paying to walk it again. The mossy paths and trees that surround Drummond’s Bridge built in 1819, the vines and large fern nests resting high in the peculiarly formed trees, odd sign posts that dot the walks, all combine to make the walk feel very magical. The last remaining tower, a gazebo on a point  stands overlooking the waters.

Our night meal is home cooked so no need to dress to go out. We have an early night as we have decided to start tomorrows walk early, by our standards. Over a cup of tea Trish spends some time with us to look over some directions for tomorrow so we will not get lost!

Today our shortcut took us 12klms instead of 20klms, this idea I like.

The Walk for Cancer has Begun

Leitrim to Ballyfarnon 

The morning started early at 5.30 as we were both ready to go. Backpacks packed for three days and our main bags locked and left standing in our rooms for the Pathway Porter to collect and deliver to Frenchpark before our first rest day in three days. We had organised with the hotel owners to leave some breakfast – toaster and some bread – in the main dining room as we knew no one would be out of bed at the time we wanted to leave. Sue held the toaster in her arms as the bread toasted, the toaster’s electric lead was too short to either place on the bench or the floor as the power point was positioned half way between the floor and the top of the counter. This is Ireland and the first of many strange happenings. Wishing I had my camera with me.

At the top of the narrow street we see the signs we require sending us left to the next small village where Adrianne’s directions to Keadeu, the 19^th Century Kilronan Castle and Battlebridge will take us. The morning is cool about 10 degrees, cool enough for a beanie, something that I have never had to wear in Australia but my ears are cold. Fashion sense has just gone out the window. We trudge along the R284, a regional road and we are soon entering the County of Roscommon. It is still very quiet except for a few dogs who decide to leave their beds and kennels to bark and welcome us. The first of many Catholic Churches and a chance to rest so have a peek inside and have a look at the headstones positioned in the grounds. They are always the headstones of former Parish Priests. Our first village of Drumboylann and there is not a soul to be seen. It is around 8am so coffee must wait and a muesli bar instead at Nanny’s Well, a green water pump surrounded by flowers. We trudge on past the fields of purple and pink Foxglove, a poisonous flower but used in the production of heart drugs. Our next stop is Keadeu or Ceideadh and the town appears to have just risen so now we are looking for a break – this means coffee, rest rooms and our boots off for 30 minutes. We are now in Turlough O’Carolan country, one of the last Irish Harpists and composers. As we enter we must manoeuver around the road works which appear to be taking place but not today. We are starting to notice the different spelling names of the village – Keadew/Keadue so must ask a local why this is so.

After a break, we leave the regional road and walk alongside the road on the path which takes us through the grounds of Kilronan Castle. A lake on our left and a busy road on our right so we do not have much choice where we walk, we start to follow the yellow walking man signs. The first time we have seen them but still no BBW signs – Beara Breifne Way. Over our first field stiles and into the farmer’s fields with just some sheep and cows for company. The fields are marshy as we try to avoid the manure piles and keep an eye out for the bull. The cows I feel I can handle but bulls scare me. Some of the field has wooden planks to walk on but mainly we must negotiate the water hazards and hope we do not sink too far down. We are now on the Miners Way. A quick stop at Lasair’s Holy Well, a spring feed well believed to have healing powers for those who dare to drink the waters. I decided not to test the waters. Surrounding the well are many rosary beads, crucifixes and holy cards left behind by visitors, the first of many Holy Wells that we will visit along the way. The paths through the Castle grounds are covered in mossy trees and bushes, fallen trees and heaps of bramble and stinging nettle, something I know to avoid at all costs but a plant that grows in abundance across Ireland. The little midges and different bugs have seen us coming so a quick stop to cover ourselves in bug resistant spray. Wild strawberries are starting to appear, the creepers tangled around the trees, the stone fence tops covered in moss and Hogweed in abundance and lying in wait for unsuspecting walkers.

As we walk through the tall, lanky trees we start to exit the castle grounds past the remains of a stone gate house and the lake still running alongside the path. The small blue flower, Herb Robert, and yellow Silver Weed, a long stalked bright yellow creeper everywhere along the pathway. There is a caution of deer but we have seen none so far. The paths are blocked in some places by large fallen tree trunks but still easy to manoeuver around and soon we are out of the forest and in open countryside again and then onto the R284 road as we slowly walk into Ballyfarnon, a village situated on the small Feorish River and overlooked by the Arigana Coal Mines.

A 30 minute rest and soon we are on our way again and this time the road becomes a narrow lane used for the movement of cows from field to field, black faced sheep and lambs grazing. The lane suddenly becomes very steep and we struggle to keep going, the yellow man takes us into a field of yellow buttercups, high wet grass and soggy ground. The clouds are building and I feel we are about to become very wet. We follow through several fields, climbing stiles and over fences, large rocky masses everywhere and gradually we make our way out the other side and into the lane. Now there are no signs telling us where to go so we choose left and it takes us nowhere, the road just appears to stop. The rain has started so we stop and put on the rain gear; change our socks as they are saturated. This is all completed in the rain.  We stop a farmer and this is the first set of wrong directions that we will be given over the next few days. Back down the hill and still no signs of a B & B so we take a chance and stay on the downhill road, soon the Hillview B & B comes into view. A direction sign would not have gone astray.

The accommodation is a family run working farm in the Highwood area, on the edge of Keadue village and in the foothills of the Arigana Mountains.  Hillview B & B is situated on the Beara Breifne Walk/Miners Way – €40 per person per night for a room for two people and it has a *** rating. Our room is upstairs, roomy and very light, looking out over the fields of cut hay and donkeys. The other bedrooms look out over the beautiful Lough Arrow and the Brieklieve Mountains, both peering through the mist. We turn on the heaters so we can dry some socks and clothes for tomorrow, this will become a daily ritual. It is nice to get our boots off and into clean, dry socks; a welcome cup of tea and scones hit the spot. The rain is starting to settle in for the night so hope it is gone by tomorrow. There are no restaurants close so the owner drives us to McDermott’s Pub, about 20 minutes away and agrees to return at an allotted time, this was organised with the B & B before I left Australia. The food prices at the Hotel are reasonable and the staff friendly.  This is our first day of walking so sleep comes very easy and early, it is nice to feel physically exhausted, knowing that we have at last started this great adventure.

O'Rourke Clan Country

Drizzled most of the way to the bus station and even heavier to Carrick on Shannon. The bus was full to overflowing and the luggage compartment was very interestingly packed – you did it yourself so most times the travelers just threw the cases and everything else in on top of each other.

The bus drive to Carrick on Shannon takes about three hours and it rained the whole way so not much to see, just read a book and slept. We are met at the bus drop off stop by Adrianne, a young lady I have never met except on Facebook but she has agreed to show us around and drop us off at our accommodation in Leitrim Village. Adrianne is also a walker so interested in our venture and willing to help with some maps and directions. Irish hospitality.

Leitrim Village is situated in the County of Leitrim at the beginning of the Shannon Canal, and home to the O’Rourke Clan. 
The ruins of the O’Rourke Castle and memorial plaque can be found at the Harbour, it was built in 1540 by Brian Rourke of the O’Rourke dynasty/Clan. This family ruled over the Kingdom of Breifne from the 10^th to the 16^th centuries and this clan was the last to submit to the imposition of British rule. The Kingdom of Breifne was made up of the counties of Leitrim and Caven. All that remains of the Castle is a wall and a plaque and this is in need of some TLC. 

There is plenty of accommodation in the Carrick on Shannon/Leitrim area but would advise booking ahead in the summer months. Most facilities were available in Carrick on Shannon which is only a short distance from Leitrim Village but if you are planning to walk the Breifne Beara Way it would be advisable to stay in Leitrim Village.

The large old black and white Leitrim Lodge Hotel is close to the harbour and the start of the Breifne Beara Way. The rooms could do with some upgrading, very narrow and steep staircase to the rooms, doors were hard to lock and rooms were very small, but all we require is a bed and a good night’s sleep. The room was €45 but as we were walking for Cancer the owner donated this amount. A bar downstairs served night meals, a refreshing drink and a breakfast room. Our room was equipped with two single beds situated very close to each other; windows could be opened for fresh air, a small ensuite in our room and a TV on the wall. Wi-Fi was available but we could not connect.

The small but very neat little village of Drumshanbo is worth a visit if you have car transport,  it is about 7klms from Leitrim Village so Adrianne took us as I wanted to show Sue the Famine Cemetery on the outskirts of the village. I was trying to remember the directions from an earlier visit so after a few wrong turns and lanes we found it and it had not changed. This is where our GGG Grandfather John McQueeny was buried in about 1850 after dying while he and his family were living in the Workhouse. Those times were hard and so sad. The cemetery has a high stone fence around it and the grounds are very uneven with lots of water lying on and around the few headstones that now exist. John would not have had a headstone. After my first encounter but not the last with Stinging Nettle in the cemetery we leave for a drive to Boyle to have a look at the Abbey remains. Beware of Stinging Nettle.  We are also looking for any maps that the Tourist shops may provide but nothing is available as the shop is closed. Boyle Abbey is now partially covered in a glass panel and even though it is to preserve the remains I feel it detracts from the presentation. We will see signs to Boyle for the next few days so to us it will appear we are walking in circles. We wander along the Shannon River before returning to the hotel for a meal with Adrianne and an early night.  We must pack our backpacks for the next few days walking as our main cases will remain behind and be moved on by the Pathway Porter. We are ready to begin.

The beginning of the Dream

After 15 months of dreaming and planning for this day we are really going.  Haircuts done, bags packed, repacked and repacked again, emails tidied and filing done. The nerves are starting to surface. It is a challenge that we now have reservations about – can we do it or have we taken on too much? Guess only time will tell.

After we are dropped off at the Brisbane International Airport we meet up with a friend for a farewell wine and photos. We have a decent amount of time before our Qantas/Emirates flight Number EK435 to Dubai departs a couple of hours before midnight. We have booked with Qantas but are flying with Emirates Airline. I am already starting to droop, it has been a long day and I still have not left Australian soil. Hopefully I can get some sleep before we land in Dubai. This is the longest section of the flight, 14 hours and we will have flown 11991klms but we are flying on an A380 so should be comfortable, a very quiet plane. I am not keen on the Dubai airport.

We have a two-hour stopover in Dubai after a good but long flight across from Brisbane with a few dramas in Dubai. I managed to set off the alarms three times until the guard decided it was time for me to visit the “special room” for a search by a female staff member. I feel it may have been some metal in my knee from a prior operation but I was not prepared to try and explain this to a not very happy gentleman guard who spoke little English. It was early in the morning and his mood was a little dark. A search or a frisk is much easier. I still DO NOT like Dubai. You must keep checking the departure boards as no flights are called so when we locate the departure gate we stay close. All we want to do is sleep. The last leg of the flight is a Boeing 777 Emirates EK161 and the difference between the Boeing and the A380 is vast. It is a comfortable plane but very noisy and we were seated down the back of the plane near the toilets and only two seats in the row which was great for us. Sue is a little disturbed at what appears to be a very close flying plane as we fly low over some snowcapped mountains somewhere over the Middle East. We should not be able to see the Qantas plane! It is a little unnerving, time for another glass of red wine. We arrived at the Dublin airport to a nice warmish day so will not complain. There was no rain in sight.

After we finally exit Immigration, we locate the city airport bus and head into the city area, a 30-minute drive. We have a two-night booking at the Best Western in the centre of the city close to O’Connell Street and everything else. We decided on a reputable Hotel for the first few nights so we could have a decent sleep and as we are women travelling on our own I feel more comfortable, security wise. The two nights cost us €245 but it is close to the city centre so a lot of points in its favour.  After we settle ourselves we go out to the shopping area for a wander as the plan is to stay awake. We check out the tourist shops and purchase for the family and grandchildren, an early meal at the hotel and then bed beckons and we are very quickly in the land of nod.

The Vibrant City of Dublin

We sleep well the first night even if the locals did not. They celebrated their footy win over Italy into the wee hours of the morning. We are awake early, grab our sneakers and jackets, camera and small back packs and head off into the cool but clear morning. The only people up at this early hour of the morning are taxi drivers and street cleaners so we feel quite safe on our own. Honest hardworking people arise early - touts, scammers and criminals sleep in. It is such a lovely time of the day for photos so we head towards the clear Liffey River at the top end of O’Connell Street. The morning is casting magnificent reflections of its many bridges across the water.

We wander into the old, historical area of the city. This is always the best time to take photographs – no annoying tourists!! Up the cobbled lanes and into the Temple Bar area and there is located the Dublin Castle, the security is opening the public access gates as we arrive so an opportunity to wander around the courtyard without the public crowds. There is so much history in these buildings as we quietly walk around, reading the signs and just soaking it all in. The morning seagulls are feeding their squealing young on the tops of the chimney stacks.

The Dublin Castle was until 1922 the seat of British rule and is now a major Irish Government complex. Most of its dates from the 18^th Century though a castle has stood on the site since the days of King John. Hunger and some jetlag has set in again so we locate a Costa Restaurant and relax with a coffee, a bowl of hot porridge and the Dublin Times. We then head back into the Temple Bar area and the 11^th century Christ Church Cathedral, St Patrick’s Cathedral and several other churches loom ahead of us and tower over the surrounding buildings. We take our place in the line of tourists as we head into the Christ King Cathedral, using my “oldies Card” for entry. We are mesmerised by the leadlight windows, the choir practicing for a concert, the tombs and the crypt – a mass of coloured lights and shadows, several small altars tucked away in dark corners that commemorate important dates in history, saints and events.

A quick walk through the grounds of Trinity College which houses the Book of Kells but we did not stay as it is graduation day and the student’s special day. It is starting to warm up and exhaustion is setting in. We are close to St Stephen’s Green – a large city park full of birdlife and the most magnificent colours in the gardens. We wander through trying to get photos of some of the birds that are positioned along the pathways, and then we meander along the river and through the city streets via the “Jeannie Johnston”, a replica Famine boat moored at Customs Quay. The Jeanie Johnston is a replica of a three masted barque that was originally built in Quebec, Canada, in 1847 by the Scottish-born shipbuilder John Munn. The replica boat performs a number of functions: an ocean-going sail training vessel at sea and in port converts into a living history museum on 19th century emigration and in the evenings, is used as a corporate event venue. Large lifelike replicas of the famine migrants show us the way. A lovely day soaking up Dublin’s myriad of experiences.

Our Last Rest Day in Dublin

Up even earlier the next and last morning mainly because neither of us could sleep, tossed and turned most of the night. We decide that perhaps we need to check out the direction to the bus station so we don’t lose our way later in the morning, I told Sue she should not have taken my directions as gospel truth as I took us in the wrong direction, a much longer way round past the Four Courts and the colourful and noisy market area. The area is a little rougher but we feel quite safe among all the early market workers and massive delivery trucks. We decide to have a look at for the Debtors Prison but we seem to be walking in circles and cannot locate the building even though it is clearly marked on the tourist map. We have to eventually ask one of the big burly delivery boys and he is no wiser than us so we both ask another truckie who enlightens us – “You are standing in front of the building. It is very rundown and covered in graffiti, Irish history falling to bits. We have a look and take some photos as we feel this building will not be part of history for much longer. We head off again and this time in the opposite direction and it is much closer to the hotel. Guess this is how you see places. Breakfast at McDonalds today - pancakes and coffee.  We repacked before we head back to the bus station dragging our heavy cases, to catch the bus to the Leitrim area where we start our walk tomorrow. Why does nothing seem to fit in my case where I placed it two days ago in Brisbane?

A Reason to Walk and Walk......

           

An Irish author once said to me - "Don't think of writing a book as a big MOUNTAIN that you have to climb, just write a little word and that will lead you on to a sentence. The next thing you know you have a paragraph and before you know it you've got a book. Everyone has a book in them, in truth; it doesn't matter where you start as long as you do."

I wrote this daily travel diary of our Ireland walk in 2016 as my sister, Sue and I walked through the centre of the Emerald Isle. After arriving home I decided to put pen to paper or in this case finger to computer, so sit back and enjoy our rambles. I hope my thoughts and travel hints will be useful to some other walker.

I wrote it in memory of our brothers Kerry and Lloyd and brother in laws John and Dennis who did not get the chance to travel. They battled Cancer for many years before finally succumbing to the hideous disease. Sue and I decided in the beginning that we needed a reason if we were to walk and put our bodies through pain and sheer exhaustion so decided to walk for Cancer Queensland. We promised to raise $5000 but we did much better and finally raised $11,300 for Cancer Research Queensland.

In 2014 it was suggested to me by Michael Ed O'Sullivan, the Irish O'Sullivan Chieftain that I should walk the walk. That walk was the O'Sullivan March. I knew nothing of this walk even though I was an O'Sullivan descendant and after many sleepless nights and much googling I decided to give it a go. What had I taken on? I was not a walker.

In the beginning I would wake up in the middle of the night and stare at the ceiling, wondering if I can do it. Maybe I should just call it off and bail, but people were counting on us. Do I spend a bunch of money on the gear to do the walk? Yes, I can do it, I just need to keep training and eating correctly. I have talked myself into the walk AGAIN.

This will tell the story of our walk and a travel guide for those who also wish to take up the challenge. We decided to walk the Beara Breifne Way in reverse from Leitrim to Castletownbere, County Cork in four weeks, a distance of 500klms and we would walk it for Cancer Queensland. Sue and I would be the first Australians to walk the Beara Brefine Way in reverse and the first Australian women to walk the complete walk so we had set ourselves a great challenge. Could we do it? 

This dream took us fifteen months to pull together and finally the courage and determination to complete it. Come and walk with us.