The Curragh and Corbally Harbour

Sunday afternoon. Another beautiful day though the air is still cold. I decided to try the Curragh route again and this time made it there. I parked my bike is a suitably secluded spot and, discarding shoes and top, ran about 4 miles across closely cropped grass and hills and dales. The Curragh is a barefoot runner's wonderland. This part of my afternoon's adventure was sheer bliss.

You can just see the "lookout pole" in the distance.
Click on the picture to enlarge it.

The Curragh is common land and grazed by sheep

And home to rough-biking, quads and horse riding

Atop the first "lookout pole" -
I found two and of course had to climb them

This tree topped hill had to be my next port of call

Getting closer...

A gentle climb to the top

Where I found the second "lookout pole"

That's me atop the second pole

Maybe a bunker? - there's an army camp near here

Finding my bike was thankfully intact and where I had left it I took the longer route around the Curragh and through the army camp, and then returned via Athgarvan to get to Corbally Harbour.  The last time I was there my four children were with me (I think) so it was a ways back. But I remember the strange construction in the next picture - it looks like the entrance to a tunnel, but if so it is closed off.

Was it a tunnel entrance?

The harbour and buildings

Looking northwards along the canal: must do this walk sometime

My bike, a little forlorn for being left beside the road whilst I went exploring

Having "done" Corbally I continued my rather circuitous route back home via Punchestown, Eadestown and Blessington. Back in the days when we took the children wherever we went the monument at Eadestown, overlooked by the statue of Mary, always tickled us and brought a laugh.  About here my legs started to complain and so it was with some relief that I finally made it back home.

Total bike distance 40.5 miles, max speed 30 mph, average speed 11.8 mph.

Punchestown longstone

Captain Tickell's Fountain, Eadestown

The RC church opposite the fountain

First swim this season

A gorgeous day and I should have taken my camera. So, this time I turned left, which takes you down a dirt track to the lake, and then along the shore, under Baltiboys bridge, and all the way to the Valleymount bridge. About 8 miles in total. It takes me past one of my swimming spots so I gave it a try - clearly I am not the hardy type like those that break the ice in the Serpentine - I did a few strokes and then got out rather hastily. A lovely feeling of warmth afterwards though. And then at Lonely Bay I dammed the stream in order to divert it. Not entirely without reason (not that I need a reason to play with sand and water) as it is a dirty stream (it comes through farmland) and the diversion will make it deposit further along the shore from another "safe" spot for swimming. Not that I can condone swimming in the lake - it is not approved and it can be unsafe. People have drowned.

Aslan

drawn by my granddaughter during a meeting

"Here on the mountain, the air is clear and your mind is clear; as you drop down into Narnia, the air will thicken. Take great care that it does not confuse your mind. And the signs which you have learned here will not look at all as you expect them to look, when you meet them there. That is why it is so important to know them by heart and pay no attention to appearances"

...

"Oh, if only we knew!" said Jill.

"I think we do know," said Puddleglum.

"Do you mean you think everything will come right if we do untie him?" said Scrubb.

"I don't know about that," said Puddleglum. "You see, Aslan didn't tell Pole what would happen. He only told her what to do. That fellow will be the death of us once he's up, I shouldn't wonder. But that doesn't let us off following the sign."

The Silver Chair, C. S. Lewis

He went for a run one day and didn’t turn right

Saturday 4pm and time for a run (bare foot). I called "Meg!" several times but no dog came - is she getting deaf in her old age? So I went alone starting along my usual route but, when I came to the usual right turn, I kept straight on and thus committed myself to a much longer route. A route I cannot take with Meg because it includes a few miles along a busy main road with no footpath.

The route is over 8.5 miles in total. I made it back OK though I found the last bit hard work.

I've coined a new words: "Carincidence" or "Concarrence" meaning when two vehicles travelling in opposite directions along a road happen to pass at just the point where I am running. This afternoon carincidences occurred a good deal more often than normal statistics would suggest and at times I was forced to climb momentarily into the hedgerow to allow free passage to the cars which, it seems, imagine they have the right of way.

I have been running barefoot for many years now and still have never met or even seen another barefoot runner. So strange when, for me, the experience is so liberating.

Place marker

OK so I haven't posted for yonks. I have my excuses (am very busy) but I know they won't cut. But here's a thing: why has my recent brief post "Silent Film" attracted so many hits?  About three times more than my next most popular post during the last month.