Ireland August 2012 - Day 7 & 8 - Dunmakeever and Cuilcagh Mountain

Day 7 Afternoon

Tuesday afternoon .

This is another view of Lough MacNean.

I went to visit friends Philip and Mary, and spent the day with them.

Philip has been diagnosed with a serious disease and is having chemotherapy.

Mary cooked sumptuous T bone steaks, Philip has a great appetite and a great attitude to his illness.

It was a lovely evening as we walked off our dinner with a circuit of the FlorenceCourt Estate.

Anyone seeing Philip striding out would think there was nothing wrong with him.

I'm sorry I didn't get another visit before coming home. All the best to you both.

Day 8 Cuilcagh

My twin daughters Sarah and Marie, and Sarah's fiance Phil are joining me to climb
Cuilcagh Mountain 

The twins have climbed it previously, it'll be Phil's first time.

We start to walk from what is locally known as 'Brian's Hill'.
We head over by the old peat bogs, and follow the river upstream.

Cuilcagh is important in mosses and lichens.

Looks like it got some interesting fungi too.

I took much more macro shots of Cuilcagh's flora and fauna on last years climb.

Scroll down this link for a colourful collection.

2011 Climb

The first time I climbed up here, I learned  from my father in law about the 'Green Stripe'.

I've been coming up this way ever since even though there are easier ways up.

We're soon looking down again on the wider Glangevlin Community.

A mountain native.

It gets easier on the plateau (not that I'm inferring that Phil is resting, he's enjoying the view)

Sarah and Marie and the wee lough below...............

........................and over thirty years ago their older sisters Michele and Lynn

(Have you two been up since ? Oh yes Lynn climbed it last in 1993)

At 665 metres, Cuilcagh Mountain is the highest point in Cavan and Fermanagh. Its distinctive table-top profile is the dominant landscape feature in a region rich in geology, archaeology, folklore, history and wildlife. The mountain is topped by gritstone, which is exposed in places as dramatic cliffs looming over the upper sandstone and shale slopes. The middle slopes of Cuilcagh Mountain are covered with a thick layer of peat forming one of the best examples of a blanket bog ecosystem in the north of Ireland. Cuilcagh's lower slopes contain Ireland's finest karst or limestone landscapes, which hide many complex cave systems.

A full zoom brings up Lough MacNean and Belcoo.

Spot the raven,I never noticed it while I was taking the picture.

Lots of pictures taken at the summit.

The Triangulation Station was put up in the 1950s.

The sand, cement and aggregate was brought up on donkeys.

The name of one of the builders can still be seen in the spider.

We'll see him back at Dunmakeever.(He's my brother-in-law)

The ten second delay picture.

Now I thought I'd take a panorama.

I'm disappointed that the light wasn't better.

                      Panorama of Cuilcagh Mountain View on CleVR.com

It's also here on Panogio

Here are some stretches of water.
Top is Upper Lough Erne.
Below left is Upper Lough MacNean
Below right is Brackley Lake (What looks like an oversized tree is a Crannog in the lough)

We have lunch and just enjoy being up here.

Marie goes walkabout.

In the distance is Ben Bulben, while Keiran O'Conner flies over in his F172N Cessna.

We get another shot of the four of us, and Sarah and Marie add white stones to the ancient track.

Cuilcagh is part of the Marble Arch Caves Global Geopark

Thanks for this picture Marie

In 2008, the UNSECO endorsed Marble Arch Caves Global Geopark of which the Marble Arch Caves are a key site, was expanded to include some of the most scenic landscapes in Counties Fermanagh and Cavan, making it the first cross-border Geopark anywhere in the world.Marble Arch Caves is the flagship attraction of the Geopark and is one of Europe's finest showcaves. Visitors explore a fascinating natural underworld of rivers, waterfalls, winding passages, lofty chambers and a bewildering array of cave formations.Behind the visitor centre is the Marble Arch National Nature Reserve. For a peaceful and relaxing walk, follow the path alongside the Claddagh River. The unique ancient plant life that grows on the river banks changes with every season as does the amazing wildlife with dippers and pine martens being just some of the animals that reside there. 

There's a stile along the fence on Bursan, and we'll descend by the old track.

I think we're all a little light headed with the altitude.

I was asked

"Why didn't we come up this way ?"

It was about here we strayed from the track a little.

I always seem to lose it at the same point, yet at the gate looking back it's obvious !

N.B (At this point we had to almost run for our lives.
Billions and trillions of flying ants began emerging from the earth and getting into our clothes, hair and even into body orifii. They were also vicious biters. I still don't know how we survived them.) 

Back at Doonmakeever we're treated to our second slap up meal......

...........and below, a farm tour.

We're in unison about one thing.

We've had a great day.

Ireland August 2012 - Day 5 & 6 - Corralea, the Cavan Burren, Doon and the Waterpark (Day 7 morning)

Day 5

So I'm here in Ireland near to the twin border villages of Belcoo and Blacklion.

It's a bit of a family reunion, with only two who couldn't make it due to unavoidable commitments.

So it's me, my four daughters and their families.

My four grandchildren are Callum, Erin, Jack and Charlotte

I've already mentioned Corralea .

We soon get settled into the two cottages............ 

.......................and it's not too long before we're exploring.

The Waterpark is in full swing.

Callum, Erin, Jack and his mum Lynn will try it out later.

The weather isn't so good today. We head off to explore the Cavan Burren 

Long suffering readers may remember a post from my visit back in 2008

2008 Post

Jack's well into fossils, and it's not long before he's finding them.

It's damp and mossy in the woods....

......which is great for some species

Dolmen, Megalithic Tombs, Glacial Erratics and the above Boulder Grave keep us enthralled for a while, but the persistent drizzle soon takes it's toll and we have to give up before finishing the tour.

Maybe we'll get back another time.

After drying out, I take off with the Cheltenham contingent (the twins and Phil) for a shopping and exploring drive. 

We stop at the 200 year old pub, the Linnet Inn at Boho

STOP PRESS UPDATE

1st May 2014
I just received the picture below from Dessie McKenzie proprietor of The Linnet Inn Boho

 Isn't that one cracker of an upgrade eh !
Facebook Page.

It's a shame that the thatched end is deteriorating, but the rest of the pub rooms are quaint and interesting.

The DJ was setting up his equipment for a 'hoolie' that night.

He was playing great music.

Below is Mullylusty Cottage

Margaret Gallagher's home has featured in television programmes and worldwide publications and she lives in the cottage in a traditional manner. She has a cottage with a rateable value of £10 a year. What she doesn't have, and doesn't want, are gas, electricity, an indoor toilet or running water.

Virtual Visit Mullylusty

A butterfly, moth and an Irish rose close day 5

Day 6

Car fuel is cheaper in the Republic of Ireland than in the U.K.

The filling station in Blacklion has once again run out of petrol due to it being a bank holiday weekend.

We head off along the Sligo road to Glenfarne for fuel

Fueled up we stop to take a look at the refurbished

 Rainbow Ballroom

A dramatized story of the Ballroom of Romance became a book and a film in 1982. 

We only ever visited once. It was back in the early 70's, and we saw one of the Irish Showbands. It was either Larry Cunningham and the Mighty Avons, or Big Tom and the Mainliners.

A big marquee at the nearby village of Dowra was the other venue I remember.  

Now we're on our way over to Glangevlin.

We take a short break at the Shannon Pot

 Soon we're among the hills of Glangevlin ......

...........and the peaceful hills o' doon.

 Doonmakeever (or Dunmakeever)

Me, the twins and Callum and Erin  have a look at the now abandoned peat bog.

I relate how I remember it back in the late 60's.

Callum and Erin prove to be formidable car wreckers.

Phil (first time visit) offers to work for his supper and it's taken up with some drainage work.

He's got plenty of supervision. ha ha

The weather improves as the sun goes down.

The mist has lifted off the mountain.

Some of us will climb Cuilcagh Mountain later in the week.

Day 7 Waterpark

Tuesday morning and Lynn and Jack and Callum and Erin are on the Waterpark.

They had a great time.

Ireland August 2012 - Day 3 & 4 - Fermanagh

I've been out of WI-FI range for a week, so it'll take a while to catch up.

It's Friday the 3rd of August and I'm leaving the Mountains of Mourne..

There's a short road on the Spelga Dam I've got to take a look at on the way though.

There's already quite a few videos of this optical illusion on Youtube, and my short clip isn't much good, but here it is anyway.

There was no one around, and my wee car picked up speed too quickly, hence the brevity of the clip.

Like I said there's a few already on Youtube. 

My favourite would be this one by Shanna on 'There and back again'

It's a dreich day as I head westwards.

Once on the shores of Upper Lough Erne I decide to take a look at the Crom Estate 

There's a deal on National Trust membership so I join and get my £4.50 entrance fee back.

It's a large estate so I get my walking boots on.

There's a fair variety of mature trees. 

The Crom yews are thought to be 800 years old.

Crom  Old Castle

Look out for colourful dragonflies they said.

There were much bigger ones, but I couldn't get a picture of them.

It's worth a visit

The National Trust doesn't own Crom Castle though.

It's still in the Crichton family, the hereditary Earl Erne

His lordship is keen to share his sumptuous home for a price.

The West Wing 

The deer are a little shy

There's lots to see and do. As I arrived back a wedding party had just arrived.

More guests were arriving by boat.

Now I'll have a moan.

Having just joined the National Trust, I thought I'd ask about a roof over my head for the night in one of the holiday cottages. There were eight of them and not all were occupied. The young lady who'd signed me up was helpful, but couldn't do anything but telephone the cottages booking office. Booking was for a minimum of two nights at a cost of £300. It was late afternoon and the chances of letting the remaining rooms must have been remote at that time of day. I decided against the expense. I also decided against pitching a tent with a minimum price for two ! Am I the only single person around.

My next stop was Lisnaskea where I inquired about a single room in the hotel there. Again I was quoted a silly price. 

Lisnaskea needs it's drainage system upgraded. The weather hadn't been brilliant, but now the heavens opened and soon the drains were erupting in fountains of water. 

The rain also blocked the road to Derrylin, so I made me way to Carrybridge where I'd dined nicely on my 2011 Trip.

At last a very reasonable price for Bed and Breakfast  I got the one room left.

It's a popular place with the boat people.

I get a good night's sleep.

After a lovely breakfast I've time to look at something happening in the water.

It's a swim to Enniskillen. I'm not sure if this was a charity swim, or a training run for the Irish Long Distance Swimming Championships which take place here on Sunday. It's nearly eleven miles !

Enniskillen comes next for me

And now I'm a member of the National Trust, I can take a look around Florencecourt

The ancestral home of the Cole Family, the Earls of Enniskillen

I get a tour guide all to myself as the previous tour is already underway.

As with all these period houses, photography is prohibited inside. 

This is the mother tree of all Irish yew trees.

Here's it's history on Rural NI

The Wonder of Yew

It's hard to believe that after coming to this area for 40 plus years this is the first time I've visited Florencecourt.

My last car journey of the day takes me over to Belcoo and the 

Corralea Activity Centre

Here I'm meeting up with my four daughters and their families.

We've hired these two cottages for a week.

Let the fun begin.