Monday, 5 June 2017

Knockarbane Farm and sweet little donkeys


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 cafĂ©/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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