Stage 25: Creeslough to Dunfanaghy: Sat 20 Oct
2018 (44.5k or 27.8miles)
Running around Ireland - strictly by the coast - and once a month since Feb 2017.
For this month's run, it was an another early start as Maureen and Brian drove with me to Donegal and dropped me off at Creeslough (‘Home of Bridie Gallagher’ as the sign with the bicycle says!). I hadn’t really heard much about the singer, Bridie Gallagher but apparently she still holds the record for the largest number of people in attendance at the Albert Hall when over 7,500 were there to hear her perform.
Running around Ireland - strictly by the coast - and once a month since Feb 2017.
For this month's run, it was an another early start as Maureen and Brian drove with me to Donegal and dropped me off at Creeslough (‘Home of Bridie Gallagher’ as the sign with the bicycle says!). I hadn’t really heard much about the singer, Bridie Gallagher but apparently she still holds the record for the largest number of people in attendance at the Albert Hall when over 7,500 were there to hear her perform.
They’ll be cutting the corn in Creeslough today
I had heard of Creeslough through this song (also called "The Emigrant's Letter") which was written by the great Percy French. The idea for the song came from a remark French overheard during his voyage to Canada. One emigrant on board the ship was heard to say to his friend as they leaned over the rail of the ship: "Well Mick, they'll be cuttin' the corn in Creeslough the day." (already homesick before he even left Ireland!)
It’s a pleasant morning as I head north towards Dunfanaghy. Of course as usual I’m determined to stick strictly to the coast so after about 2km I take a right turn at Clonbeg Glebe, signposted to ‘Ards Friary’. I’m now in a peninsula called Ards or Ards Forest Park. I follow a quiet country road until I reach the Friary (Retreat and Conference Centre). There’s a church and grotto here and a nice grassy area by the shoreline which leads on to a coastal path. I get chatting to a young couple, Colette and Dan who are enjoying the nice Donegal weather.
At Ards Friary |
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| With Dan and Colette at Ards Friary (Ards Forest) |
I follow the coastal walk after leaving the Friary. I pass a nice beach and then I climb a wee hill still following the path. On my right I see a lovely secluded beach (Lucky Shell Beach). A friend of mine, Melanie had told me about her ‘secret’ beach so I was glad to get someone to take a picture of me in front of it. I leave the path and head down onto Lucky Shell Beach itself and run to the far end.
At the end of the beach I make my way roughly through the trees and eventually I do find a forest trail that takes me onto the north side of the peninsula. On this north side there’s even more beautiful trees and beaches and I’m beginning to feel like I’m on a tropical island. Even the weather is tropical for October!
Ards Forest – the
Donegal Ards Peninsula!
In 1610 the Lord Deputy granted a substantial parcel of land to Turlough O’Boyle embracing 2,000 acres of the Ards Demesne. The proposal was approved on certain stipulations. One was that O’Boyle would desist from involvement in any rebellion. However, as early as 1641 a rebellion erupted in Fanad and yes, of course the O’Boyles being the O’Boyles couldn’t resist a good fight! This meant the immediate forfeiture of the land around the Ards Forest!
Still in Ards Forest, but now on the north side of the peninsula, I can clearly see the sandy shore across the bay on the next peninsula and I’m tempted to try to cross the ‘bay’ (or Back Strand) which would bring me to Marble Hill strand. I realise though that the tide is coming in (low tide was about 10.30 and its midday now).
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| Group of cubs walking along north shore of Ards Forest |
I head slightly inland and run through the forest and arrive at the Children’s Play Park. I try to follow a trail through the forest but I literally run around in a circle. Eventually I decide to take the main road out of Ards Forest. After a while I cross the Carrownamaddy river and I take a sharp right turn and run along a rough path, keeping the river on my right. Some of the path had eroded away in recent storms but I’m able to cross over.
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| Erosion washes path away! |
I decide (in my wisdom!) that I should try
to get down on the shore so that I can get onto the ‘Back Strand’. My plan is
to run along the Back Strand and follow the coastline all the way to Marble
Hill strand. I struggle through some trees and eventually get down on the
shoreline. This is a strange shore to be running on. It’s quite heavy sand and
not exactly ‘sand for the feet of the runner’. Still it’s completely traffic
(and people) free and in this perfect weather I have the lonely and lovely
sound of the curlew to keep me company. I reckon Marble Hill Strand should be
just around the corner, shouldn’t it?
I would not recommend trying to get to Marble Hill beach this way – best to follow one of the minor roads rather than ‘rough it’ along the coast like I did. Anyway it seemed logical (at the time!) to follow the coastal route. That was until I started to notice the ‘Private Property’ signs as the bay opened up at Clonmass Point and Clonmass Isle!
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| So how can I get to Marble Hill Strand? |
In the end I had no choice, whether the owner liked it or not, but to cross over his fence. Now, from the hill top, I could see the lovely Marble Hill strand clearly below. I decided I’d better climb back outside over the fence again (relieved at not getting shot!) and followed what I thought might be a nice cliff top walk - except there was hardly room to walk along the cliff because the fence came right out to the edge. I slowly made my way down to Marble Hill Strand (holding onto the fence as I did!) and eventually made my way down to the beach - so relieved to be running on a flat surface again!
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| I came around this cliff - barbed wire didn't help! |
Time was moving on and I still had a long way to go! I needed cheering up and I was delighted and nicely surprised when Maureen and Brian met me on the beach.
I definitely needed a break and I was also thirsty and hungry. Luckily Maureen had some homemade buns in the car.
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| Marble Hill Strand |
At least now I was able to run along a country road and so I continued around the coast road until I come to Port Na Blaiche (port of the flowers). I kept running until I came to Dunfanaghy Golf Course and a ‘Tra’ sign pointing down to the beach. This sand was more like ‘sand for the feet of the runner’ and I ran along Dunfanaghy strand to the end and shortly arrived in the main street. I spotted Arnolds Hotel where I knew we were staying and resisted the temptation to finish here for today! I decided that I would continue up to Horn Head. After crossing Horn Head Bridge (just outside Dunfanaghy) I came to a junction and followed the sign Left to Horn Head, knowing that I could do a loop and return via the coast on the eastern side.
It seemed to be one long climb up to Horn Head and at this stage I had no energy to run but at least it was a quick vertical walk to the top. The higher I climbed, the windier it got and when I eventually reached the little concrete hut at the top the wind was blowing from all angles.
Tory Island stood out in the distance – probably in mourning as Patsy Dan, the King of Tory, had just died yesterday. I didn’t delay too long at the top and started running down again. Shortly after leaving Horn Head I took a Left, following the Wild Atlantic Way sign.
It was a bit further this way but the views over Sheephaven Bay were spectacular. It was a tough run today and I was relieved to arrive back in Dunfanaghy and finish Stage 25.The adventure continues!
Total distance to date: 1,080k (675 miles)
Next Stage: Dunfanaghy to Falcarragh. (I’m probably
going to take a Winter break now until February 2019)
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Contact Gerry on gerryoboyle@outlook.com or 00 44 (0)
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