Day 9 - May 11th

It is the morning of the 9th day, I slept well and am up early. Patricia and Pat are to collect me around 9.00 am. We had travelled back the road to find me accommodation. I stayed in a beautiful large house 'The Glebe', owned and run by a really nice lady, Marion. Marion had provided a ham salad for me the previous evening, we are about three miles the Ballinamore side of Mohill, and I had no intention of walking into the town for something to eat! We had walked well beyond Mohill the previous afternoon and would now be about 4k from Dromod. Patricia is walking well, the feet are still very sore but not nearly as bad as they were.

I discover that another five guests had stayed the evening before. It transpired that they were three brothers along with two of their wives. (The other wife is Greek and remained in Greece). I introduce myself to John and we chat. They are South African and have been touring, they intend to visit Cloonee, a village quite close to where we are. Here's the interesting bit, their grandfather was born in Cloonee in the year 1825. I kid not 1825! He married in a Protestant Church in St. Stephens Green, Dublin in 1846 or 7, emigrated to South Africa. His first wife died and he remarried a South Africian Lady. The mother of these three brothers was the youngest of 19 children, (I assume from both marriages). Whenever she was born her oldest half-brother was 48 years of age and was already a grandfather three times over. She was probably born just before the turn of the century. How far are we from the Great Hunger? Amazing these brothers knew a man born before The Famine, I thought it was good that I remember my Great Grandma Quinn, who had been born at the time of the famine and they say she was 107 years of age whenever she died.! I should have written down the surname of John and his brothers but I have now forgotten it. A senior moment perhaps.

Pat and Patricia pick me up; its a beautiful morning, a slight breeze, good for walking. We reach our starting point and set out at a lively pace, we pass through the village of Dromod and head on to Rooskey, glimpses of the Shannon across the fields where the trees have been removed, beautiful bird song, and for the greater part a decent hard shoulder. We make good progress, have a 10min break and continue on. We reach Roosky and have our first uninterrupted view of the Shannon, a magnificent stretch of water with several cruisers passing up and down. I watch the raising of the bridge to allow a cabin cruiser to pass through. The bridge simply rises on hydraulic jacks placed on each side of the span. It's up, the cruiser is through, it's lowered again and in a matter of say 2mins the road is again opened; most impressive.

We head on towards Longford, a big match here today, Longford and Westmeath. The road is busy and as we approach the town it would seem that all are intent on getting into the ground. Cars are parking in every available space, people selling Colours are everywhere, a great buzz of expectation. We walk on through the crowds of pedestrians and make our way towards the town centre. I see a man with a bucket collecting for 'The Mellon Foundation', I go back to him to donate a few euros, "Over 2,000 going out this year", he says. He is referring of course to the Irish volunteers who annually travel to South Africa to build houses in the townships. I know a little about this Mellon Organisation, they do wonderful work in the townships providing affordable houses where the people had previously lived in make do Shanties. Another Brother in Law, Paddy McGuinness, recently moved from Concern to work with The Mellon Foundation. If Paddy can do a fraction of what he achieved with Concern for this new venture, and I know he will, they will do well. I think the target is something like 5,000 house in a year! I haven't been talking to Paddy lately, hopefully we'll spend some time together during the Fiddlers Green Festival.

Patricia and I negotiate the town and head out for Ballymahon. Negotiate is the right word, a difficult town to find your correct route. We asked directions from four individual people and none of them were native Irish. Poles, Croatians Lithuanians perhaps BUT not Irish, maybe the whole town had gone to the match! A sure sign of this modern Ireland, and of course none of them could help us.

Pat meets us on the outskirts of the town, he is accompanied by his niece Orla. We are staying with Orla in the family home of the Hardiman's tonight, having a rest day on the morrow. We will stay with them again tomorrow night. Eugene Hardiman, a local doctor, had been married to Pat's sister, Claire, who sadly died of cancer in 2002. Orla and her sister Bronagh make us most welcome, we have a shower, then tea and sandwiches on the terrace overlooking the Shannon. The wine is then produced and we sit sipping, relaxing and engaging in conversation. Pat and Patricia catch up on family news, then Eugene arrives. A whirlwind of a man, great conversationalist, with a ready spontaneous laugh. We spend a most pleasant evening and with well-replenished glasses enjoy a very welcome lamb dinner, which has been prepared by the two ladies, Bronagh and Orla.

We go to bed determined to have a good sleep, a late and lengthy breakfast, a lazy day ahead!

All for the day, this is a day of rest!