Day 10 - May 12th: A Rest Day

I waken about 4.45am to glorious bird song and a brightening morning, I am comfortable and snug in a bed and know I do not have to rise. I had left the window open the night before with curtains un-drawn. There was no one to look in at me. The bedroom overlooks the tennis court, some outhouses, a few trees and then the river Shannon, which at this point must pass through a small lake. I never enquired the name of the lake, but it is just outside the village of Dromod. I am determined to remain in bed until Eugene and the two girls leave the house, I do not want to interfere with their morning. Eugene has an early surgery, Orla will be with him and Bronagh is off to do some final exams. We will have the house to ourselves for most of the day.

I doze, hear occasional muffled conversation, the household is on the move and eventually around 9.15 I get up, wash have a shave and I'm downstairs shortly after 9.30. a leisurely and extended breakfast. Orla has travelled to Carrick on Shannon and has the morning papers and fresh bread for us; and away back to her work.

It's quite a while since I perused the Irish Times and I do so now flicking through the pages and reading those articles that catch my eye. The new man at the helm, Brian Cowen, is coming out very strong in favour of a yes vote for the Lisbon Treaty and will brook no opposition in his own party. I have to admit ignorance of the Lisbon Treaty but it would appear that it could be a round about way of getting a constitution for the EU. A good or bad thing? I know not, but I do know that the EU has been a lifeline for Ireland, at least in the South.

More deaths on the roads, when are we going to slow down. Speed is undoubtedly the greatest factor in these untimely deaths.

Speaking about death, last night the girls and their father had talked about Claire their mother. Their eyes sparkled and their speech was full of joy whenever they recounted various incidents involving their mammy. Obviously very close and very much loved. I was reminded of another of John O'Donohue's Blessings. Here is a short extract from 'On the Death of The Beloved' ' Though we need to weep your loss, You dwell in that safe place in our hearts, Where no storm or night or pain can reach you.' 'The sound of your voice found for us a new music that brightened everything. Whatever you enfolded in your gaze quickened in the joy of its being. You placed smiles like flowers on the altar of the heart. Your mind always sparkled with wonder at things.' 'Let us not look for you only in memory, Where we would grow lonely without you. You would want us to find you in presence, Beside us when beauty brightens, When kindness glows and music echoes eternal tones.' Powerful, wonderful stuff.

I have had a great day, a lazy day, a restful day, a recharging of the batteries, I'll be fit for any thing in the morning! Leaping out of my skin!

We go to bed determined to make an early start.

Day 11 - May 13th: Back on the Road

The house is afoot early, wash and down the stairs, Pat is already loading up the car. A good bowl of muesli, a cup of coffee a couple slices of toast and we are ready for the off. Eugene is already away to do a house call, so Orla sees us off. Hugs and waves and we're away down the avenue.

I am amazed at the ground we had covered the other day, it takes us well over half an hour to reach our starting point. Out of the car, reflective jackets on and we head out the road towards Ballymahon. There is vigour in our step, the rest has done us the world of good; we strike out boldly. Pat has been told to meet us about 12k down the road, 2 hours strong walking, we might reach Keenagh. The road is very busy and fairly narrow, no generous hard shoulders, so numerous times we are forced to stop and step in as far as we can towards the hedge. Amazing how this slows you down, your rhythm is broken and it takes a while to build up the momentum again. Nevertheless we make good progress.

A very bland, uninteresting countryside, flatish, not the best of ground. Thank God for the birdsong! Many fields have outcrops of rocks here and there, not stones, actual rock formations, none that would rise more than 3-4 feet, probably limestone.

Pat's ahead we spy the car and caravan pulled in off the road, shoes off, (I have discarded my boots, the shoes I bought are comfortable) cup of coffee a cheese sandwich and 15-20 minutes later we are off again, to do another 2 hour stretch. We'll get through Ballymahon. Indeed we do and the trusty Pat is there, just over the bridge on the road for Athlone. More coffee and this time a baguette filled with cheese and ham which Pat had purchased somewhere in the town. 'Did you see the statue of Oliver Goldsmith,' says Pat. Neither of us had seen it, it was on the other side of the road. We were on the business of reaching Mizzen Head not sightseeing! But I decided I would have to go back to take a photograph, there was nothing else interesting on this day's walk. I wanted to record something of interest. So Pat and I wandered back up the town to this monument and I'm delighted I did. The inscription (Which I photographed) was taken from a poem of his called 'The Traveller,' apparently he was a great walker and he had walked through Italy and Greece. I haven't the words of the inscription here simply because I cannot download my pictures, I have forgotten to take the USB connection with me. Another senior moment?

We leave Ballymahon and Oliver Goldsmith's monument behind us and head out the road, still walking very strongly, but Patricia's feet are again playing her up. We pass through Tang and go as far as The Pigeons and here we stop. The bar is not open but we sit down on the bench to allow Patricia to doctor her feet. The owner comes out offers us tea and sandwiches, which we decline but ask for a glass of shandy. He returns with two pints. A gentleman! Almost simultaneously Pat and our minder for the next few days, Nuala arrive. Nuala is Nuala Carey, wife of Jarlath Carey one of The Down Legends of the 60's. Tragically Jarlath died about 18-19 months ago of cancer. We can't escape it! I again urge anyone reading this to look up B17. Nuala and Patricia have been friends since childhood. Nuala is taking over Pat's duties since he has to return home to attend a very sad funeral, a young lad of 16, a cousin of one of their daughter in laws, has taken his own life and will be buried tomorrow. Sad, sad, God help his poor parents and all his family and friends. Pat also has a First Holy Communion to attend on Sunday. We'll be well down the road by the time he returns. Possibly we will be past halfway by tomorrow night. Athlone they say is the centre of Ireland, although I know it is not midway for us on our journey, but we will be through Athlone tomorrow evening and on the road towards Nenagh.

We call it a day and head on by car towards Glasson. Well, if the countryside till now was uninteresting we are in for a treat tomorrow. As we drove along we had glimpses of Lough Ree. It is absolutely stunning! The camera will be out tomorrow!

Get booked into a B&B, Patricia and Nuala pick me up and we go into Glasson for a delightful meal and a bottle of wine! I am going to bed contented; we will be hitting the road early in the morning. The girls are calling for me shortly after 8.00.

Day 12 - May 14th

The morning is dry but overcast, but I choose to walk in shorts and a long sleeved T-shirt. I am an optimist and very soon I am rewarded by a blink of sun. Again the road is difficult, narrow and constant fast moving traffic. We walk strongly and around the two-hour mark we have our first break, we are past a roundabout at Athlone, perhaps a kilometre past it, whenever we stop again. Nuala pulls in just as we had decided that a break was called for. Timed perfectly, within 10mins we are on the road again, we must be passing the half-way point somewhere here, the thought adds vigour to our step. We walk along a new stretch of dual carriageway, not quite sure if we are right or not! Our map and where we are walking do not correspond, we are simply on autopilot following our instincts. The new carriageway ends and after crossing a bridge we enquire of some workmen. They send us along the road we were already following and very soon we branch off onto the N62 signposted for Birr. Our walk through Glassan and Ballynakill had been punctuated with stunning views of Lough Ree. A very pleasant walk, but now we were on a very narrow busy road and for the greater part flat. I noted that there was absolutely no arable ground, it was grass, grass everywhere, a few areas of forestry, but nothing of any great magnitude, and fairly sparsely populated. The lack of road signs was lamentable. We had no idea of how far we were to our next destination, we were looking for Ballynahowen. I cannot recall seeing one road sign for Ballynahowen! Nuala reappears and again we have a brief stop and say we will walk for about another hour and see how we feel.

Ballynahowen was about 1k from our last stop and we press on through Togher.

Patricia is ahead of me as we go through the village of Togher and I see her talking to a man in a van, as I approach she crosses over to his side of the road and he hands her a leather pouch. Imagine my surprise it is my phone, he had picked it up on the road, turned round and followed us to deliver it! He was a lifesaver, I am so grateful to him, it was a great act of charity. I would be lost without it, I am trying to organise fund raising nights in the Shamrocks, Warrenpoint Golf Club and Burren GAA Club. It would be impossible without my mobile! What did we do before we had our mobiles? How did we function? They haven't been around so very long and yet we have become dependent on them, going without your mobile is like going out without your watch. Perhaps about 3k past Togher Nuala is again waiting for us. We finish for the day perhaps 5k from Ferbane. We are now in County Offaly.

The caravan is still at Ballykeeran on Lough Ree, the girls will return there for the night and drop me off at The Creggan Court Hotel on the outskirts of Athlone. This is where I am for the night, I will be picked up at around 8.00 in the morning for another days assault on Mizen Head. On line at last on my own computer, I am in The Creggan Hotel, on the outskirts of Athlone. I'll send all, some of which will be duplicated!