We have crossed the Shannon River

Aughrim to Clonfert 

Not the most comfortable night but the noise wasn’t too bad, did hear some of the patrons leaving in the early hours of the morning. We are awake early so get ourselves organised and a light breakfast and then we must find the way out of this hostel as the front door is locked. There is a large heavy gate at the side of the hotel so we manhandle it and manage to get it open and make an exit. Today appears to be a short and straight route but I could also be wishing it this way. 

Across a main road but the traffic is still light at this time of the morning and then onto a back road. Some lovely white painted houses with brightly coloured front doors and climbing pink roses across the front section and around the windows. The sheds piled high with peat ready for the winter fires or perhaps summer fires. We get a morning welcome from the yard dogs but it is early and they prefer to stay in their beds, just a warning to let us know they are there.  The sun is just starting to show some rays above the green hills and across the fields of grain, sheep and milking cows. They all stand and gaze at us as we walk past. The hay has been cut in some fields and the bales now piled high in their black coats. We pass the fields where the Battle of Aughrim took place a long time ago. The red purple fuchsias and purple spear thistles are everywhere. We feel we are having extra breaks today as we are still weary, tired legs and feet.

After 12 klms we walk into the small village of Lawrencetown and feel such an air of loneliness among the residents, who are few. We are not from this village and all we want is a coffee. The only shop in the village is manned by an elderly lady who is not really pleased to have a customer and even less pleased to help us but eventually she suggests we go next door to the pub and perhaps they may be able to help us. The pub is not open - we manage to attract the attention of the young barmaid, who is possibly the daughter of the shop owner and she agrees to make us a coffee. It is instant coffee but one of the best cups of coffee we have had to date – only €3 for a pot of coffee which gave us two cups each. You never can tell. The break has been great and we start back to the road again.

An interesting graveyard and a field of yellow grain as a backdrop and black clouds over head, there is rain coming. Should we change or leave it until the rain arrives? Perhaps the rain may just be a light, short shower. We shelter under some overhanging trees outside Lisberg Farms and keep the shorn sheep company for a while. The black plastic covering the bales of hay has now changed to white.

We are to meet the owner of the next B & B from Clonfert at the Cathedral, it is bucketing down rain, and we are saturated. We see the crossroads ahead and the church spires to the right about two kilometers so we start up this road. We are nearly there, tired, dripping wet and muddy boots when an angel in the form of a young man in a flash car pulls up and offers a lift as it appears we are walking in the wrong direction. There are two churches and we chose the wrong one. We climb in the dry, comfy car and as we leave him he hands us a cancer donation of 50 euros. This will not be the last time this will happen.

The church or ancient sandstone Cathedral of St Brendan dating back some 800 years and standing on the site of an earlier monastery, has its original front door, coloured patterned floor tiles, cold stone walls and font, several medieval style stone carvings inside the church perched high on the walls, many narrow stained coloured windows, a carved oak pulpit, a beautiful fine organ and the Bishops chair, also carved from oak. Several headstones dot the outside grounds including the gravestone of St Brendan, abbot, navigator and confessor dating back to 6^th Century. This church is a real gem for the traveler with no tourist trappings.

Clonfert is a small village between Potumna and Ballinasloe, just west of the Shannon River. Maura, the owner of our accommodation arrives and we head to the Dun Cromain B & B situated in the town area of Banagher. She was prepared to collect us from the crossroads and drop us back the next day to the start of the track or where we wanted to start the walk again. This arrangement must be organised in advance.

Dun Cromain B & B is a family home, very neat and clean and worth the visit. She is also registered with the Ireland B & B group so easy to locate on the internet. It is about 5 klms off the walk but there is no accommodation in Clonfert. The room is spacious and very feminine, facing the front of the house, big shower, ours was a disabled wet room, two single and a double bed in the room, heater, TV, Wi-Fi and a large dining/lounge/sitting room at the front of the house.

Charge is €70 for a twin room with breakfast included.

The house is about a 10-minute walk to the village shops.

After we have settled into our rooms and the welcome tea and scones we head out. Rain is not far away. We pass the Liffey Mills and onto the town area, a long narrow street heading to the seated area in the centre market and the waters of the wide Shannon River at the other end. The street houses several hotels but not all are in use. The path winds down to the water’s edge of the Banagher Harbour along the stone fence covered in flowering vines and past a variety of glistening ducks sunning themselves on the steps to the water leading to the yellow water lilies. Around the top of the Harbour are several large wood carved statues dedicated to important people whom have lived in the town.

The Seven Arch Bridge crossing the Shannon waterway forms the boundary between Offaly and Galway. We have crossed the Shannon River. The town area has plenty of eating places, a small supermarket, chemist and several other shops if required. The town was very neat and clean and worth the visit.

After a meal at Flynn’s bar we head back home and repack for tomorrow, it is starting to rain and the wind is getting up.

We have walked 214.3klms to date and today we walked 23.6klms.