Days 13 to 15 - May 15th to 17th

It is the evening of the 17th. May, we have been on our walk for 2 full weeks. I have recorded nothing of the last few days, to tell the truth, the problems I experienced getting on line and the time I had spent doing so had disheartened me and I had simply given up and recorded nothing.

I will skim through the last few days very quickly.

Days 13, 14 and 15

I had spent a pleasant evening in the Creggan Hotel on the outskirts of Athlone, excellent staff, a very efficient and helpful manageress. Customer aware, very helpful.

Patricia and Nuala picked me up just after 8.00 and we headed out. Nuala will drop us off at our starting point, will then go ahead to suss out a place for the night where I can have B&B and the caravan can be parked in the grounds.

Nuala has been brilliant, moving the caravan, her first experience of drawing a caravan, hitching and unhitching, levelling it up and all that goes with it, and being there whenever we are ready for a break with coffee and goodies to hand.

5k+ to Ferbane, hit the road. Although a Trunk Road, the N62 it's narrow with no hard shoulder and very little, if any verge. In places the little verge there was has been rooted out by lorries passing each other until there is just a wall of clay surmounted by the hedge.

The road is busy and we frequently have to stop and squeeze into the side as best we can to allow traffic to pass. Even when actually stopped we can not pass on the inside of trucks that have stopped on our account to give on coming traffic the road. Nevertheless we reach Cloghan in good time and leave the N62 for a lesser road on our way to Taylors Cross.

I am constantly aware of how sparsely this countryside is populated, and yet in every town and village new houses and estates are clearly in evidence. You do not pass through any village or town that does not show clear signs of development.

Taylors Cross and relief from traffic. There are road works ahead and a diversion is in place, no traffic allowed but we are on foot and have no intention of diverting, we'll go straight through.

Nuala has picked up the caravan, has caught up with and administered to us, she is now ready to go ahead and deposit the caravan at the County Arms Hotel, Birr. We will not actually pas through Birr on our walk but it is a short diversion and it proved to be an excellent choice.

The diversion was a Godsend, we could walk at will, no traffic except the very occasional lorry, working on the road, and only one car, I assume a local. A welcome relief, we could actually hear the bird song, look into the fields, although I must say it was a rather bland countryside; little visible stock and no cultivated land.

I like the hills, the gorse, varying colours and textures of either mountains, lake or seascape vistas. This countryside had none of that to offer but it was peaceful.

We eventually happen upon the road works. They are resurfacing and building up the roads. A machine is laying, what I would term as quarry tailings, a mixture of smallish stones and dust, which are the waste of screenings in a quarry, at varying depths up to 150mm. This is being vigorously rolled with a very heavy roller. It will, as I discover on the following day, have a layer of a bitmac binder and about 10mm stones as a final surface.

As we pass the machine laying the quarry tailings a man jumps down, 'What are ye walking for,' 'Cancer relief' says I. 'Good man,' says he, 'here hold on,' he puts his hand in his hip pocket and produces a 50euro note. 'Thanks', says I, 'what's the name,' 'Paddy Kennedy, an auld fellow from Borrisokane.' It makes your day, I rushed after Patricia to share this bit of good fortune with her. 'May God bless him,' says she.

However that was not the only incident of a like nature that occurred that day, a passing cyclist had enquired of our purpose and on hearing our reply, he also delved into his pocket and produced 5euros. I know it wouldn't pay you to go through Ireland raising money like that, it is costing both of us a considerable sum each day, but we are out there raising awareness and providing a platform, a vehicle where people can contribute. We often think, 'What can my poor contribution make.' A very great deal, when put together with others of a like kind.

We come to a cross roads to the left is Birr, no sign of Nuala. 'Let's walk on.' Of course as soon as we do the faithful Nuala appears.

I am deposited at the front door of the hotel, arrange with Patricia to allow her the use of my room to shower and we will dine together in the Hotel Bar.

I have a soak in the bath then leave to allow Patricia the use of the room and wander up into Birr. The girls said all I needed was a walk!

Anyway into the town and I spy a monument or rather a statue of a figure with one hand resting on what looks like a globe of the world. I wander over and read the inscription. It is to the 3rd Earl of Ross, (any Rostrevor connection I wonder). A man who, in the mid-1800s built the worlds largest telescope. It is still there but on a site someway out of town. Isn't that interesting!

I found Birr to be a most attractive place, with little courtyards and Victorian buildings. Perhaps it will become a Heritage Town. My time in it was very limited but impressive.

We get away early the following morning, our destination today is to be within a few kilometres of Nenagh. 8.20 and we are already walking, the weather has been very kind to us and despite unfavourable forecast it continues to smile on us. We are on the road to Borrisokane, back to a very busy road again, we must take care and be ever vigilant. I begin to see a little bit of arable land, a couple of fields with either wheat or barley, still very, very green. I compare them to the golden field I see as I gaze past the lemon groves towards the Lion Mountain, from Pirjo's home in La Manga. La Manga! sunshine, warmth, Pirjo's loving companionship, golf! In the name of God what am I about! Sore arms, nothing to do with the walking, but a reason to girn, tired legs, fed up avoiding traffic, fed up of waking up on my own, fed up of spending money in order to remain here. But I know I have done the right thing and will continue to do the right thing. This is a brave, courageous lassie, a determined lassie, intent on her mission of raising funds for Marie Curie Cancer Care despite personal hardship.And she will.May God bless and reward her for her efforts.

Through Borrisokane and on for Nenagh. Nuala is waiting for us at the roundabout into town, the staff at Country Arms Hotel have pre-booked us, (Nuala, Patricia plus caravan into a car park at the back of the hotel) and myself into the Nenagh Abbey Court Hotel. Not only that but the Hotel, on hearing of our mission, have given me a superior room at 40euros for the night! (Why do our keyboards have no Euro sign?)

Both girls use the facilities of the room while I wander in the beautiful gardens and taste the delights of the bar. We again dine together.

I'm now almost up to date and I should be abed. So this will be brief. We hitch up the caravan, Nuala and Patricia are going to Adare after our days walk, they have pre-booked a caravan site there, I have yet to get accommodation. We know that very shortly we will be on the N7 for Limerick, a main artery that should have decent hard shoulders, so Nuala will simply drive ahead and wait for us at the various stops. We walk strongly and without fear, we have decent margins, no stopping at tight corners, no jumping up on to verges, or squeezing into tight hedges. We walk freely and the trusty Nuala looks after us on our breaks. We consult a Hotel and B&B guide and I telephone ahead to my current location, The Castle Oaks House Hotel near the village of Castleconnell, we walk to the junction where we will leave the N7 for my hotel and here we will start again in the morning. I think we are less than 12k to Limerick. Another 30+k clocked up today. We are going well,

11.45 I'll go down to reception to see if I can e-mail all the above.