Castlederg

Friday June 7 

A lovely sunny morning, the weather has been very good to me although a little cooler would be good.  Started just north of Irvinestown.  I have been spoiled at Joseph and Maria’s – good food and good conversation and very good wine cellar.  I had only walked a mile when a woman pulled up in a car in front of me.  “I see you are collecting for a hospice “ she said.  I explained to her about Ndi Moyo and she gave me a donation.  I stopped in Ederny at McKervey’s store.  They seem to own most of the village.  I had been at school in Armagh with a Tony McKervey and wondered where he had been these past 60 years  since I last saw him.  His brother told me that he lives in Belfast and has been lecturing in Queens University.  I’m sure he has retired some time ago.  I went into a little café for a cup of coffee and got the weakest pot of coffee ever.  I chatted to a few workmen who were already on their second breakfast.  The coffee was not good enough to delay long so I headed towards Castlederg which was another 14 miles.  I passed a couple of windfarms.  Where there are windfarms there are hills so I did a good deal of climbing.  I had lunch at the entrance to Bin Mountain and doctored my feet.  The right foot especially the two smaller toes are the ones that give most bother, but a rest and a little pampering keeps them happy for another few miles. 

When I reached Castlederg I went into Mickey Joe’s pub to wait for my lift from Paddy me nephew.  There were a couple of men and three women sitting up at the bar drinking.  The men were already quite drunk and two of the women were pretty far on.  The landlady would not let me pay for my half pint and then one of the drunk men insisted on buying me another half pint.  They wanted to know about my walk and when I was leaving each of them gave me a donation for the hospice.  They had some kind of player where they could choose the songs they wanted and they all tended to sing along with the song – mostly Country and Western.  I think I have led too sheltered a life so far.