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

Here comes the fog

5pm - Fog descends

Accuweather said it would be cold to start with, but mostly sunny and rising to about 8degC by early afternoon. Armed with this prophecy I took to the road on my trusty velocipede intending to visit the Curragh and Corbally harbour and maybe explore the Liffey and its various nearby canals. Leaving at 11:30 the weather looked promising, but half way between Ardenode and Brannockstown I hit a wall of fog and the temperature dropped and I got exceedingly cold. So I shortened my route and basically chased the fog back home for a late lunch.

Later in the afternoon I took Meg for my usual constitutional and hit the wall of fog again, this time only a mile away. On returning and after a hot bath I checked Accuweather again. By 5pm the fog had reached home.

It now said "fog will clear by lunch". My calculation is that the wall of fog was actually travelling towards us all day from the west at about 2mph. So much for forecasts.

Sausages and chips soon - that'll drive the fog away!.