Benbulben Forest Walk

Benbulben Mountain is an iconic part of the landscape in County Sligo, a great dramatic table top visible from miles in every direction.  It is part of the Dartry Mountain Range, the most distinct of a series of limestone peaks sculpted by glaciers during the last ice age.  Erwin had read that we couldn't climb Benbulben, but we were still drawn to the unique formation.  [This turned out to be incorrect, as it can apparently be climbed fairly readily from the south side, although parking/access can be a problem.]  Anyway, we decided to hike the Benbulben Forest Walk, an easy 5.5-kilometer loop that runs along the base of the mountain.  Because it is such a short hike, we spent the morning exploring charming Sligo town before heading out.  The boys caught a bunch of Squirtles with sunglasses (it was a Pokémon Go community day) while I got a nice spot of tea, we left a bookstore with far more weight than is reasonable to fly back over the Atlantic, and had a delicious lunch at Hooked.

Knocknarea-Killaspugbrone Traverse

When Erwin and I first visited Ireland in 2009, we spent most of our time along the west coast, but didn't make it any further north than Connemara.  County Sligo remained mysterious and alluring, and I have always wanted to come back to explore it.  Not knowing the area well, we mentally allocated time to Sligo on this trip, but not specifically for Sligo town (although we did go there) -- just for the entire region.  When it came time to secure lodging, we ended up booking at Strandhill, a little beach community nestled in the shadow of Knocknarea.  Along with Benbulben, Knocknarea is one of the most dominant and distinctive landforms in the area.  It is capped by an enormous mound of rocks, a Neolithic passage tomb thought to contain the remains of Meabh, the legendary Queen Maeve.  We already had Knocknarea on our radar as a possible hiking destination, and staying so close clinched those desires: there is a particular charm in walking out the door for the days adventure on foot.

Glencolmcille Tower Loop

When researching this trip, we learned about Napoleonic-era signal towers built between 1804 and 1806 in response to the threat of a French invasion. The towers were constructed in remote locations all along the coast of Ireland: from the northern tip of Donegal, down the west coast, around the south, and up the east side to Dublin.  There were originally 80 towers, each within sight of additional towers were visible in both directions, so that flags could be used to quickly communicate over great distances.  In other words, we would have the opportunity to visit a warning beacon of Gondor!  When Erwin discovered that the Glen Head Signal Tower, near Glencolmcille in County Donegal, is part of a marked hiking loop, this became our highest priority thing to do in Donegal.

Slieve Bearnagh

“I yearn to see County Down in the snow, one almost expects to see a march of dwarfs dashing past. How I long to break into a world where such things were true.” -- C.S. Lewis

The heat wave smothering Ireland continues, and at 86 degrees Fahrenheit, today was hot and downright muggy.  Again!  This weather is highly unusual here: most years Northern Ireland doesn't see a single day with temperatures this high, yet today is the second day in a row to break 30 degrees Celsius, and the pattern is forecast to continue.  The high humidity, combined with smoke from fires, made for hazy, almost smoggy conditions in the Mourne Mountains.  Not exactly ideal for another day of rugged hiking, but... we're here, aren't we?  Tomorrow we drive north.  We have to make hay while the sun shines.  

Murlough National Nature Reserve

After climbing Slieve Binnian yesterday, we planned for a rest day today, in hopes of squeezing in another big hike tomorrow before heading north.  While walking in Newcastle, we'd seen some impressive looking dunes along the coast north of town.  We found out that the Murlough National Nature Reserve is owned by the National Trust and was the first Nature Reserve protected in Ireland.  Located at the edge of Dundrum Bay, the 6,000 year old dunes are apparently one of the most extensive dune heath habitats in the United Kingdom.  We decided  to hike the South End Nature Trail, a 2.5-mile loop featuring boardwalks, beach walking, footpaths through the dunes, and a narrow track through a pasture. 

Slieve Binnian

"I have seen landscapes, notably in the Mourne Mountains and southwards which under a particular light made me feel that at any moment a giant might raise his head over the next ridge." -- C.S. Lewis

The Mourne Mountains are located in County Down, which comprises the most south-easterly county in both Ulster Province and in all of Northern Ireland.  I can't recall when or in what context I first learned of the Mountains of Mourne, but I do know it was fairly recently -- within the last year, certainly -- and that I was immediately smitten.  I pored over the Mourne Mountain pages at WalkNI.com and obsessed.  I learned that C.S. Lewis spent holidays in the area in his youth, formative years, apparently, for he later attributed the real world magic of the Mournes as the inspiration for Narnia. What else could we do but get a copy of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe and take it with us on a journey to explore the Mournes? 

Clark in June

I don't post about the majority of our hikes at Clark Reservation State Park, just because we go there so often, and I have posted about it so many other times.  I have never bothered documenting solo hikes here, and have mostly transitioned to posting only hikes that include family members beyond Frankie and I, just for the fun of looking back at the pictures later.  Even on this front I have been slacking: Frankie and I hiked here with Mary in October 2017 and with Erin and Alden in September 2017, and I didn't document either hike.  In fact, it's been almost a year since I last posted a Clark hike.