Tuesday 30 April 2013

Nenagh to Birr


Day 9 
Monday.  I really enjoyed my day off yesterday with Mary Ann.  She left me off at Nenagh today to pick up where I had left off.  I walked from Nenagh in Northern Tipperary to Birr which is just over the border into Offaly.  I took what is known here as the old road to Birr.  It is a narrow country road with no road markings, very little traffic and is about 3 miles shorter which was my reason for choosing it.  I walked through good farming country - large green fields on either side with the first of the fresh spring grass and some barley fields showing their early green beards just peeking out of the ground.  As I came out of Nenagh there were some hazy hills to the west and later I came to a place called Fairy Hill covered with trees and a cross standing out above the trees, but no sign of any fairies.  There were a number of wind turbines away to the right a few miles off the road and 8 more later as I approached Birr.  It was a quiet walk.  I talked to nobody 'til I got to Birr.  
As always the first ten miles were ok, but then the poor feet started to complain again and by the time I had gone the last few miles into Birr they were complaining bitterly. The weather was good for walking, mostly sunshine with a few showers and a fresh west wind blowing on my left side.  It was so good to arrive at Doolys hotel again.  I ordered coffee and a scone and a half pint of lager to pass the time while waiting for my host for the night to come and pick me up.  The landlady would not take any money.  Peter Egan my host's son brought me back to Nenagh where I was to spend the night in his parent's house.  
Nenagh and Birr are very different towns.  Nenagh has narrow streets, no real centre and a lot of quite dowdy looking businesses.  Birr on the other hand is a very attractive little town with a spacious central square with a pillar in the middle of it and a number of other smaller squares.  There are also lots of small quaint little shops, even though there is the ubiquitous Tescos on the outskirts.  Here's hoping my feet have a good night and recover enough to face the road tomorrow. 
I had a phone call from my daughter Sarah this evening telling me that she and friends held a street collection today in Magherafelt for Ndi Moyo and collected £583.00.  This did include about £80.00 from Mickey and Briege Lawless from their small change jar.  Well done Sarah and friends and thank you Mickey and Briege.

Two Trusty Sticks


Day 7:
Foot doctored by Marese - lots of padding underneath.
Started out from Patrick's Well six miles south of Limerick.  Negotiated turns and roundabouts through Limerick to 445 heading north towards Nenagh.  New bicycle path had been opened from Limerick to Nenagh (24 miles) a few months earlier.  No worries then about traffic.  There was a wide path each side of the road. Rolling countryside with blue hills reflecting the sky in the distance on both sides of the road.  I walked mostly in sunshine with some sharp brief showers including two hail showers.  Wind still sharp from northwest but not bad for walking.
Passed a couple of pubs that seemed to be closed for future business - more victims of the recession and the tendency for home drinking?
Since starting out I have passed many memorials on the roadside to people who were killed in road accidents.  Today I passed a memorial sign for four officers from the Irish Air Corps who died in an accident.
I came into Birdhill about 12 miles north of Limerick.  There was a sign proclaiming it had won the Tidy Towns Competition three times since 2007.  But it does not look big enough to be a village - just two pubs facing each other and a few residential houses.
Feet were crying: "No further today" so I limped into "Matt the Thresher's pub and phoned Marese to come and get me. The pub across the road was called Coopers.  Later I learned that it's main patron were local people, whereas "Matt the Thresher" attracted wider clientele because of its good food.
While waiting for my lift I had a couple of half pints and wrote some 'doggerel' in praise of my trusty walking sticks.
As with all the other hosts I have had, I went back with Marese to a lovely meal, good conversation and a glass (or two!!) of red wine - and of course had my complaining feet taken care of again.
I went to bed early  - I need lots of sleep these days to allow this tired old body to recuperate.
Marese stayed up late working on icing a cake for a friend's 30th birthday.  She made it in the shape of a football jersey and decorated it with the insignia of his team Tottenham Hotspurs.
                    
                        TWO TRUSTY STICKS
Two trusty sticks are by my side
Each step along the way
I talk to them but they don't talk back
No matter what I say.
 
They're like an extra pair of legs
To propel me up the hills.
They share the burden with my feet
And yet they're silent still.
 
My sticks repel the snarling dogs
Running barking out of gates.
They spy my sticks and cower back
Knowing their likely fate.
 
Day 8
Marese' car broke down on the way to drop me at Birdhill, today's starting point.  She phoned a friend Nicky who rescued me and brought me there.  I had only walked a mile or so out of Birdhill when a woman spied me from her front doorand ran across the lawn in her pyjamas to meet me! She had seen me the previous day on the road from Limerick and wanted to know all about the walk.  She gave me a donation for Ndi Moyo.
NW wind still blowing cold but with the late April sun playing hide and seek with the clouds it was fine for walking.
Knapsack at 8-9 lbs seems pretty heavy on the shoulders on a long walk.
I was not sure how far my feet would let me get today, but I knew I was already about half a day behind schedule and had decided to add an extra day to time allocated.  Walked as far as Nenagh and went into the Ormond Hotel to wait for Mary Ann.  Today she was coming to meet me and had booked us into a hotel in Birr.  Tomorrow would be a very welcome day off.  Mary Ann arrived in Nenagh and walked into the Ormond Hotel about an hour after me.  I was so glad to see her.  We found the back road I planned to walk on Monday from Nenagh to Birr and drove that way rather than the main road.  We stayed in Dooly's Hotel in Birr, and would recommend it highly.
 
Day 9 Sunday.
A wonderful day of rest, talking, reading, catching up with my blog beside the open fire in the hotel lobby, resting, eating and luxuriating in the company of Mary Ann

Thursday 25 April 2013

Best Foot Forward


Day 5  Wed April 2.  I had discovered on Tues evening that the sore feet were in fact two blisters, one of them very large on the balls of my feet.  No wonder that I had so much pain walking.  Next morning I put a needle through them to release the pressure and put on two blister patches.  Mary had to catch train in Mallow at 8.00am so we had an early start.  They left me off about 6 miles south of Mallow.  They are great hosts and we had lots of good conversations.  Mary was going that day to Dublin to give a presentation to members of the Eastern Health Board on the links between food and health.  I suggested she title the presentation “One Bite at a Time”.  The walking was still painful and as the day went on became more and more painful.  My stroll through Ireland had become an endurance test rather than a pleasant ramble.  I struggled on as far as Charleville but could go no further, so I went into Dinny’s bar in the centre of the town and waited on Marese to pick me up.  I knew that this would not be until about 6.00pm because she was working in Shannon that day.  Marese is a vet and specializes in surgery on small animals.  She lives in Limerick.  Marese was just what I needed that day. The blister on my left foot had accumulated fluid again which explained why it had been so very painful to walk on.  She brought her expertise to bear on it. 
I was still in West Cork for much of the day so plenty of climbing, going down into valleys and out again including the Lee valley.  I was surprised at how broad the river was.  As on other days some of the cars blew their horns in encouragement on the way past and a few doubled back to talk to me and gave me donations.  Just north of Mallow I called at a food outlet to get coffee, a roll and a rest.  As I was ordering it a lady came up behind me and insisted on treating me to lunch and added a donation to her generosity.  As on previous days the goodness of total strangers was great encouragement.

Day 6  Marese left me off outside Dinny’s bar in Charlville.  Feet still painful but I was hopeful that they would get better.  I had decided that I would try following a minor road north to Limerick through Bruree and Athalacca.  I had to walk about two miles to the east.  This was to avoid walking on the very busy N20, the main road between Limerick and Cork.  I had noticed on the way down that there was no hard shoulder on most of the road. The man who walked me part of the way to the turn off also gave me a donation for the Hospice.  It was a very quiet country road and I thought I had chosen well, so I headed north again towards Bruree and Limerick.  It was a cold morning with the wind from the North West, partly in my face and my hands were very cold on the sticks.  There was a garden centre just south of Bruree where I called in to get a pair of gardening gloves for my hands.  When the sales woman saw that I was raising money for a hospice in Malawi, she told me that her husband had a brother who had spent some time in Malawi.  I discovered that it was Ciaran McGuiness, a White Father who I had taught as a student in Junior seminary and in Philosophy in Blacklion.  I walked on into Bruree and asked a man on the street which road I needed to take for Limerick.  However he told me the way I proposed to go was 24 miles whereas if I walked back to the main road it would only be another 18.  So I headed back to the main road and faced the oncoming traffic rather than take the long road.  It just goes to confirm the main road is normally the shortest way, but I was not happy about adding all that extra walking on to the journey.  Three women pulled in further along the road.  They were all Hospice workers in different countries, one in Canada, another in Armenia and the third in Zambia.  They were headed for a palliative care conference in Limerick and again gave me donations.  As the day went on the feet got worse and eventually I phoned Marese at Patrickswell, about 6 miles south of Limerick.

Wednesday 24 April 2013

Tuesday 23 April 2013

Wind at My Back


Day 2 Joan brought me to Durrus on Sunday morning.  Started walking at 9.10 am.  Long climb out of Durrus for about 2 miles.  Arrived in Bantry , a distance  of about 6 miles, an hour and a half later.  I asked  a couple out walking where I would find the minor road I proposed to walk over Mount Douce and discovered that I had to walk another 3 miles to find it – again not in my calculation.  They wanted me to come to their house for coffee but I did not have time.  I had only walked a few more hundred yards when the man met me with a cup of coffee he had bought for me in a mini market.  They also gave me 5 euro for Ndi Moyo.  I started up the shortcut I had planned over the mountain through the beautiful Maelagh valley.  Like the rest of West Cork it was very scenic, a feast for the eyes but hard on the legs and feet.  I seemed to be climbing all day.  There were no signposts for Togher where I was headed, in fact there were very few signposts for anywhere. So I had to constantly check that I was on the right road.  I asked the way at a farm and I had only left the farm a few minutes when the man I had asked overtook in his car and apologised for not inviting me in for a cup of tea and something to eat.  Again I thanked him but explained that I had to keep going.   Some miles further when I had passed a few other roads with no signposts, I stopped again to ask the road of another man and chatted for a while.  I told him my phone battery was dead and I might have a problem getting in touch with my host for the evening.  I walked on for a bit and he too caught up with me and offered to take my phone back to his house, charge it for me and come after me with it.  I thought this was a bit risky in case I took a wrong turn and he would not be able to find me.  He had wrapped a piece of quiche in greaseproof paper for me to eat on the way.  The kindness of the people from West Cork that I came across was heart warming experience.
I trudged on up a 3 mile climb to the top of a mountain footsore and weary.  On the way I came across a horse grazing on the road.  He thought I was driving him and walked unwillingly ahead of me every so often looking round to check that I was still there.  Twice he raised his tail and deposited a heap of steaming buns in front of me.  Were they peace offerings or just his way of showing disdain?  The road seemed interminable and it was now 5 0’clock and not a house to be seen for miles.  I switched on my phone and saw there were 8 messages, one form Seamus who was to host me for the night asking if I was on a minor road into Togher.  I was just able to reply Minor and the battery faded. At last a house.  I used their phone to contact Seamus and we were able to connect at last.  I was so glad to see him and get to their house near Farren .

Day 3.  Seamus left me off at the pick up point of the previous day.  My aim was to reach Crookstown and perhaps walk some of the way towards Coachford which had originally been my target for the day.  It was fairly flat going most of the road.  I called into Cliffords pub in Crookstown.  It was about 4 pm but there were quite a few locals in drinking already several of them well on.  Like others on the route they wanted to know about my walk and before I left four of them had given me 5 euros each.  I walked on for another few miles towards Coachford and then called Seamus to collect me.  My feet were pretty sore by now and to my surprise my left foot was much more painful than the right.  It had always been my right that gave me most bother.   I had a good soak in the bath and later put my feet in a basin of hot water with salt.  The hazards of the road!
Day 4  Left foot still quite sore but set out walking at about 8.30 hoping to get as near Mallow as possible.  Still very hilly country and seemed to be climbing all day with very sore feet.  I called in a pub for a beer and a cup of coffee.  She would not take any money for it.  Today was hot and sunny nearly all day.  In fact since I left Mizen the weather has been perfect for walking and the wind has been on my back.  I take it for granted now that it will follow me the whole way up.  Left foot very sore today.  Each time I stopped even for a few minutes to talk to someone it was painful to get going again.  Hope fully it will begin to harden soon or I will be in bother. 
Another woman stopped her car today to talk and wanted to bring me home for a cup of tea.  I ask myself is it that I am very attractive or are they just sorry for me?

Monday 22 April 2013

Eternity in a Primrose



Started out Saturday 20 April.  Left Mary Ann and Katy at Mizen Head Lighthouse and faced north.   It felt daunting and a little lonely facing the long walk ahead.  Worse was to come.  I came to aT junction after 3km and found that Mizen was signposted to the right.  I had just come from Mizen so I thought that there must be two ways to mizzen.  I turned left and climbed a long steep hill that brought me to private property.  This could not be right so I turned back to a farm I had passed.  Two voracious dogs came at me barking and snarling.  The two walking sticks were very effective defensive weapons.  The old farmer seemed totally unconcerned that the dogs wanted me for breakfast.  Anyhow he put me back on the road I had come.  Some smartass had changed the sign to Mizen.  I was quite disgruntled to have taken a wrong turn so early in the walk and I was aready 45 mins behind schedule.  On the road into Goleen there were a couple of men working the church grounds so I stopped to ask the way to Toormore .  a priest in a car who was chatting with them got out when he saw my walking jacket saying I was doing the walk to raise money for  Malawi.  He had been in Zambia next door to Malawi and knew my friend and class mate Fiachra Fahy who died quite young of cancer.  Ciara and Neil called their son Fiachra after him.  Before we parted he gave me €50 for Ndi Moyo.  I walked on towards Toormore.  I was feeling tired and ready for a snack and coffee, but could see no sign of Toormore.  There was an isolated clothes outlet on the road so I called in to ask them how much further I had to go.  The lady told me I was already in Toormore.  There was no village or coffee shop.  She invited me in and gave me coffee and biscuits and I had a great chat with some of the customers.  I got as far Durrus that day.  I had hoped to get further but my feet told me otherwise.  So I went into a cafĂ© had coffee and waited for Joan O’Leary, my host for that evening to come and pick me up.
The walk had been enjoyable.  I had the wind on my back helping me along and whispering around my head, or was that my guardian angel helping me gently along?  Lots of primroses along the ditches smiling at me.  Patrick Cavanagh said that there is eternity in a primrose.  And the whins were in full bloom, golden yellow with their heady smell of coconut.
Joan brought me to the pub in Ballydehob where I was to stay the night.  It belonged to her aunt whom she started to look after some years ago when she was 97, but she lived on till she was 104.  It is a pub and house that has not changed in 70 years, very quaint and very old fashioned.
Joan only opens it at the weekend for a few regular customers, so it is not a very profitable business but for nostalgic reasons she is finding it difficult to make the decision to sell it.  I had conversations with four different people in the pub.  Three of them were English and the fourth had spent 40 years in England and come home to retire in Ballydehob.  One of them said he had left becaue of Mrs Thatcher.  I don’t know if he will go back now that she is dead.  It is a very quaint old village.  Enough for day one,  John.



                                                                                    

Thursday 11 April 2013