Churchtown to Mill Street
An
early breakfast, overcast and cool as we head out of the village and have to
backtrack as we have taken the incorrect road out of town. We realised before
too far out and then past the Windmill Nursing Home and Retirement Village. This
says something about the people in the village. The yellow and green wheat
fields sway in the cool morning breeze as we pass brightly painted homes along
the lanes.
We
approach Knockarbane Farm, the Donkey Sanctuary, as it is opening, mostly
manned by volunteers and run on donations. There are donkeys there just waiting
to be loved. Entrance is free but we leave a donation, they are such sweet yet
sad little things with the different coloured collars around their necks, red
for geldings and yellow for mares, green for special foods etc. Mostly they are
abandoned or with special needs and mostly ready to be rehoused. The many
establishments house over 1800 donkeys throughout Ireland and have an adoption
or rehousing scheme. It has been a nice break in the walk but we must now
continue.
The
13th Century impressive Liscarroll Castle ruins appear over the
green hills and towers over the northern part of the village. It is built on a
rocky outcrop that projects into the swampy ground. Again a very deserted village
– no coffee stop even though we do ask a few shop owners. The castle is not
open to the public, the inside of the ruins is covered in green grass, weeds
and houses cattle so we keep walking. The small winding village with its stone
cottages situated on the narrow footpath is on the R522 and close to the River
Awbeg in a mountainous part of County Cork. We turn at the Old Walls Pub and
continue along the walk. Some thatched roofed houses and gates with large
eagles perched on the top of the front gate posts guarding the house.
We
are heading out of the village when we are approached by a young man, Mick
– “I have been following you” which
immediately sends up a beware barrier. He mentions his name and I realise that
we have been in touch before and he wants to walk with us for a short time. He
takes us up and over one of our first seriously steep Cork hills. His company
and support keep our minds off our feet and the height of the hill and he tells
us a little of his area and his walking passion. We rest awhile while talking
to an elderly farmer then we say our goodbyes as we must continue. He gives us
a small donation for Cancer so a lovely gesture.
We
approach the Ford of Bellaghan and St John’s Bridge where O’Sullivan was
approached by Captain Cuffe of Liscarroll and a small battle took place with
the loss and injury of a few of his men. To this day this ford crossing is
known as O’Sullivan’s Ford. He buried his dead in Cillun Una, a sacred place on
the ridge overlooking the river. Some of the wounded were nursed by
locals and their descendants remain in the area today. The impressive
Stonebridge covered with moss on the railings on the edge of the bridge where
O’Sullivan crossed. Boots off and coffee break at Casey’s John bridge petrol
station at the crossroads sitting on a fence in the light rain overlooking the
dairy cow paddocks. Not the nicest of smells but we needed this break before we
tackle the next steep hill.
Donnell Cam O Sullivan and his
surviving group were able to reach the Ford of Bellaghan on the River Allow,
where they found also that they had to fight their way across, against the
forces of the Anglo - Norman Lord John Barry who had 48 men from the Liscarroll
Castle who were supporting him, and unfortunately another 4 of the O Sullivan
party were killed during this conflict after which they continued on, through Awbeg to the Ballylhoura Hills, and
stayed overnight there at Ardpatrick in Co. Limerick in the mid - north - west
of the Munster Province near deep caves at Castle Pook.
The Crossroad signpost points us to the start of
the Duhallow Way and up the hill, the first of a few on today’s walk and the
interesting, small and very ancient 6th century Kilmacow Cemetery,
consisting of interesting earthworks, ruins of a church/chapel holy well and
graveyard. What was really of interest on the sign at the front of the lane to
the graveyard was the following:
. “The Kilmacow Drum is heard when
someone in the locality is dying. It is a ghostly phenomenon and only some can
hear the sound. The sound resembles a barrel rolling downhill and it begins its
perambulation at Sankeys Grave”.
I have decided to put this belief in my Fairy Tree
Tales Basket – Maybe I am not as Irish as I had hoped.
The day is warming up and onto Lismire along the
bitumenised backroads and the feet are really crying out for the next bed. The
sides of the road are covered in vibrant red Fuchsia plants, and the village of
Lismire sign appears. Lismire is an extremely quiet village for this time of
day; nothing is open and no children or young teenagers mulling around the
streets. “Do not cut the Japanese Knotweed”, the signs on the sides of the
road. Knotweed is an invasive plant
growing throughout Ireland. We continue to the small market town of Newmarket,
only 5klms away, where we will be staying at Scanlons Pub/B & B for two
nights – accommodation was hard to locate in this area due to an International
Horse Show at the same time. A few more hills, a steep but beautiful valley or two and a little bit
of rain and we are where we want to be - no boots and flat out on the bed.
Newmarket is a good size but it is dead. It is at
the junction of two regional roads R576 and R579, the local Co-Operative Creamery which
is the main place of employment. It has become a major player in the production
of cheese and its different varieties of cheddar cheese are gaining an ever
increasing reputation at home and abroad. There are several small hotels in the
town but they do not offer a meal so we settle on “Relish”, a modern, colourful
upmarket café/restaurant in the centre of town for coffee and meals. Unusual
business to see in this small Irish town. I would
strongly recommend “Relish” which is situated on a side street off the main
street for a meal or just coffee.
After a meal we wander up the hill to the Catholic
Church and then back to Scanlon’s Pub for a Guinness and to sort out tomorrow’s
walk and plans.
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