STAGE 42-44: With Maureen & Brian on Streedagh beach

Stage 42: Revisited: Streedagh Beach and Conor’s Island 

                    Saturday 15 February 2020

                            15 km or 9.3 miles

‘’To all the friends who met me there, with hearts so warm and true. To each and all, a fond farewell, sweet Dernish Isle, adieu’’ (written by an anonymous emigrant from Dernish island, Co. Sligo)

My plan today was to tackle Streedagh beach (near Grange) and run along that long, thin peninsula as far as Dernish Island. I knew that low tide was around 4.00pm so it worked out really well in the end as the rain seemed to have died down by then. It had been a mild winter up to now but in the last week there’s been two (named) storms. Storm Ciara bombarded the coast last weekend and this weekend Storm Dennis was doing his best to cause havoc. I did think about postponing my coastal run but, as it was half-term, it would have been difficult. So, on the Saturday, Maureen, Brian and I drove down to Sligo, through the wind, rain and floods. It poured rain all day, but thankfully it was beginning to ease off, just as we were driving into Sligo town around 3.00pm.

View across to Streedagh and Conors Island

We arrived at Grange village and drove directly to nearby Streedagh beach and parked our car there. Maureen, Brian and I then began walking along the strand.

Brian at the Streedagh beach sign

Walking on Streedagh Strand

The three of us walked together the whole way along the long beach as far as the tiny, Blackrock Island. I then carried on running on my own onto Conor’s Island. It's not an island anymore but on an 1837 map it was. Since then a sandbank has connected the island to the mainland. At this stage Maureen and Brian turned around and we arranged to meet later in Moran’s Bar in Grange.

Tiny Blackrock Island on Streedagh Beach

I kept running through the sand dunes all the way along Conor’s Island until I was very close to Dernish Island across the rocks. It was almost low tide now, but it would have been a real struggle to get across those rocks to Dernish. There was no proper causeway to the island and I reckon it would not be very safe to even attempt to cross. In the distance I could see Classiebawn Castle in Mullaghmore and in fact the original site for the Castle was actually on Dernish Island.  

View across to Dernish Island

I turned around and headed back, running on the south side of Conor’s Island. In a field in the distance I spotted about 10 or 12 horses and strangely the animals seem to spot me too! And then I noticed one or two of the horses starting to head in my direction. I sprinted over the hills almost afraid to look behind as the young thoroughbreds chased after me. I was so relieved to be back on Streedagh Beach again.

Surfing at Streedagh despite Storm Dennis

Spanish Armada - 3 ships sunk off Streedagh Beach

Back on Streedagh Strand I couldn’t help reflecting on the historical significance of this area. Three Ships of the Spanish Armada crashed here in heavy storms back in 1588. The story of the Armada seems to be following me all along the Irish coast!

After running along the beach again I followed the headland south all the way around, through fields and mud. Storm Dennis seemed to have picked up again and the wild Atlantic was battling away. I eventually made it back onto the road and soon I was enjoying some Cidona and Taytos (with Maureen and Brian) in Moran’s Pub in Grange!     

Back In Grange in front of Spanish Armada Mural

                            Stage 43

                        

                                Co. Sligo: Drumcliff to Sligo Town

                                            Sunday 16 February 2020

                                                22 km or 14 miles

We stayed the night in the Clayton Hotel in Sligo town. In the morning, Maureen drove me to Drumcliff village, and we paused at Yeats Grave (casting a cold eye, on life and death!).

At Cafe in Drumcliff with Yeats picture

On Facebook, I had put up a message on the ‘Mountain & Hill Running in Connacht’ page asking, if anyone wanted to join me today. Nobody took up the offer, so I headed off, south along the N15. Just after passing through Rathcormack, I took a right turn. There was a dark sky above but somehow the rain never materialised.

I took the 'less travelled' right turn to Lower Rosses.

I followed the signs for Lower Rosses and eventually, as I was getting close to the coast, I spotted a lane (right) that took me down to the shore. I was able to stick to the coast along the long narrow peninsula all the way to the end.

At top of Rosses Point

Trying to stand still!

I could clearly see Lissadell House across the bay and of course Ben Bulben to my right. When I turned around to head back south towards Rosses Point, I faced storm Dennis and the wild Atlantic wind in all its glory. I was lucky I had my hat and snood to protect me from the sand blowing in from the shore. Shortly I reached Rosses Point Golf Course – no mad golfers out today! I kept struggling against the strong wind and to make matters worse, the rain now arrived. However, I could now see the pier at Rosses Point and civilisation.

I decided I deserved a break and walked into the first hostelry I could find in Rosses Point. It was the Yeats County Hotel (YCH). I ordered a coffee and water and headed towards the open fire. 

Waiting for clothes to dry at Yeats County Hotel in Rosses Point

Here I got talking to some visitors from Armagh and they kindly let me dry some of my clothes by the fire while I drank my coffee. When I was leaving, one of them (Declan McAlinden) gave me a donation of £20 for Clifton School - thank you Declan and friends!

Wreck and Oyster Island

From here It was a straight run into Sligo Town - the sign said 8km – but it was still a tough ending to today’s adventure. I continued on, eventually crossing the river Garvoge into Sligo town to meet Maureen and Brian. 

Famine Memorial, Sligo Town

Famine Letter

   

                            Stage 44

                        

                                Co. Sligo: Sligo Town to Ballysadare

                                            Monday 17 February 2020

                                                31 km or 19 miles

This morning I had an early breakfast and left the Clayton Hotel in Sligo Town about 8.30am. (Maureen and Brian staying in bed). I think Storm Dennis had died down and I only suffered one heavy shower today. 

Clayton Hotel - it used to be a Hospital

Sticking by the coast as always, I followed the dock road in Sligo after I crossed the river. This wasn’t easy and at one stage I had to double back on myself. Eventually, I did get onto to the main Strandhill road and had to run along the main R292 for quite a few miles. 

Start of Killaspugbrone Loop

As I came into Strandhill, I was lucky to spot a sign pointing towards the ‘Killaspugbrone Loop’. This was a lovely path that led me down to the shore and took me past Sligo Airport. 

I followed the coast all the way around and reached the only house in this area. Around the back of the building, I come to a high wall. Once climbing over that, I landed on a beach that I was able to run on. At the end of the strand I could spot some ruins and headstones. 

Ancient Graveyard at northern tip of Strandhill

Killaspugbrone Graveyard

This was the ancient Killaspugbrone church and graveyard that St. Patrick attended and apparently, he crossed over to Coney Island from here. Although this seems to be the closest point to Coney Island, there is actually a proper causeway further east which gives easy access to the island at low tide. 

After leaving the old churchyard I was still able to follow a grassy path to the tip of the peninsula and loop around back towards the village of Strandhill. 

Still following the 'loop' sign!

The wind wasn’t as strong as yesterday, but it was still a struggle! I eventually arrived back to civilisation again and this time I stopped at Shells Café in Strandhill. 

Meeting Brian at Strandhill

Shortly Maureen and Brian arrived, and we enjoyed some coffee and scones in the cafe. Soon I was running again – this time, south towards the sand dunes. As it was high tide there was no possibility to run on the beach. Running through the dunes was a lovely run and brought me around the bottom of Strandhill peninsula. 

Sand dunes - south of Strandhill

Nice soft path to run on

I then came to Colleenamore beach. Not really sand for the feet of the runner as it was too soft. At least the weather has brightened up.

On Colleenamore Beach

I could do with seeing more of these 'You are here' signs!

I left Colleenamore strand and at the top of the road I took a right turn towards Ballysadare, following the R292 for a few miles with Knockrea (Queen Maeve’s grave) on my left.

Knockrea (Queen Maeve's Grave)

. 

This is where you take a turn down to shore

At a sign for a Marian Shrine, I took a right turn towards the shore and then a left just before I reached the coast. There was another rough trail to the right after about a mile, which I should have taken – it would have brought me onto the coast again and probably made my journey shorter. 

10k to go - this seems about right!

In any case I got back on the main Ballysadare road again. At this stage I was struggling – running three days in a row was taking its toll – so I decided to walk the hills. Still, nobody said this adventure was going to be easy – and soon I had reached Ballysadare, my final destination for this weekend.

At last I've reached Ballysadare!

Stage 44: Revisited: Co. Sligo's Coney Island 

                    Sunday 20 September 2020

                            13 km or 8 miles

I knew that I needed a low tide to be able to run (or walk) across to Coney Island and we got the perfect day to do this. I had completed Stage 48 in NW Mayo the day before and I was so glad that Maureen and Brian could join me today on a less strenuous adventure. We arrived at the start of the causeway at 11.30am , about two hours before low tide. Our first reaction was that the tide was still quite high - we definitely couldn’t see any causeway! However after chatting to a few people we quickly realised that it was quite safe to cross in our bare feet and what a lovely experience that was. (much nicer than driving across, especially as we knew we had four hours to return again)

With shoes off before heading across to Coney Island

Coney Island is sometimes called Inishmulclohy. There are a few similar named islands in Ireland as coney or coinin is really the Irish word for rabbit. Apparently the New York Coney Island is called after Sligo’s Coney Island as the sea-captain of a ship called the ‘Arethusa' (that used to sail between Sligo and New York) noticed lots of rabbits on the New York island and it reminded him of Sligo’s Coney Island.

Half way across to island

At Rock no.10 of 14 on way to Coney

 

It’s a good 2.5km across to the island from the mainland and we had the most beautiful day to do this with Ben Bulben watching over us the whole time. There are 14 (rock) markers about 150 metres a part to guide you on the way to the island. On reaching Coney I put my running shoes on, left Maureen and Brian, and ran clockwise (sea on my left) around the island. I continued along by the shore, first running on soft sand and then on the grassy headland. 

Eventually I arrived at Carty’s Strand on the west side of the island where I had arranged to meet Maureen and Brian again. Maureen gave me a drink here and we watched the horses running on the strand. 

At Carty's Strand on Coney Island

I continued running on my own around the rest of the island, first up through the big rocks and soon I found a narrow grassy path. I could see a lighthouse on my left side (Blackrock Lighthouse) and shortly I came on to another beach on the north side of the island. I ran along the strand here until I came to the pier where again I was reunited with Maureen and Brian. Looking across to Rosses Point we could see the famous Metal Man across the bay (not exactly the Statue of Liberty but he’s still 12 feet tall!). 

Looking across towards Metal Man and Rosses Point

At the Pier on Coney Island 

We still had plenty of time on the island and we were even able to stop at Wards pub for some coffee and crisps for Brian before walking slowly across the strand back to the mainland. It was such a lovely day that will forever live in my memory. Bye, bye Coney Island.

STAGES 41 and 42: Bundoran to Drumcliffe

                           Stage 41

                        

                                Bundoran, Co. Donegal to Grange, Co. Sligo

                                            Saturday 1 February 2020

                                                27 km or 16.8 miles

‘’I’ve a fine felt hat and a strong pair of brogues – and I’m well prepared to ramble, I must go’’ from the song, the ‘Rambles of Spring’ by Tommy Makem

 At the Donegal (Ulster)/Leitrim(Connacht) border

Today is the 1^st February, the first day of spring (well, in the Irish calendar anyway). It was great to have my friend Johnny McGrath join me as we crossed into the province of Connacht.  An early start, leaving Bangor at 6.15am and driving across the counties of Antrim and Tyrone. At Kesh, Co. Fermanagh we took a left turn that went through Boa Island on Lough Erne and reached the border just outside Belleek. Yesterday the UK officially left the EU, so you could say we’re even crossing a European border today!

We drove directly to Grange, Co. Sligo and parked our car outside Morans Pub. It's today's finish point and our accommodation for tonight. We then catch the 9.15am bus to Bundoran to begin our coastal run.

From Bundoran, Johnny and I take an inner coastal route and avoid the busier N15 main road. It was a wet and windy morning as we began our run. At Tullaghan we were still able to stay on this Carbery coast road. By the time we came back on the N15 again we had covered the whole coast of Leitrim (all 3k!). 

 After crossing into Co. Sligo, we took the next right turn into Grellagh and then at the T junction we took another right.



 

Just before (or at) the caravan park, we took a right turn down a trail which took us back down to the coast. We had to rough it over rocks for about a half a mile but soon we were on Bunduff Strand which brought us right into the beautiful secluded village of Mullaghmore.

Monday 27 August 1979

Ironically, I also referred to this dreadful day when I started my very first Coastal Run three years ago in Omeath, Co. Louth and ran through Warrenpoint. Back in 1979 the IRA planted two huge bombs and killed 18 soldiers in the county Down town. On that same day, just a few hours earlier, the IRA also killed Lord Mountbatten here in Mulloughmore together with his grandson Nicholas Knatchbull and Nicholas’s grandmother. A local boy, Paul Maxwell was also murdered by the IRA in that explosion. 

Johnny and I promised ourselves a coffee break in Mullaghmore and so we called into the Quay Bar and enjoyed freshly baked (still warm) scones too. It had been a long morning!

Enjoying fresh scones in Mullaghmore

Mullaghmore pier

We continued running on the lovely coast road that looped around Mullaghmore as the sun finally broke through. We could see the majestic Classiebawn Castle high up on the hill, almost like a scene from a Disney film …or even a horror movie.

This was of course home to the Mountbatten’s until that tragic day in 1979. From here we could also see across to the cliffs of Slieve League (Donegal) where I’d run along last July.  

On Mullaghmore Loop with Classiebawn Castle

 

On Mullaghmore Loop

Eventually we came to a junction and we took a right turn, even if sign did say, Bundoran (left would have brought us back into Mullaghmore again). We then took another right turn towards Cliffony.

We ran along a very straight (and boring road) and then just after the 1km sign to Cliffony we came off the road and followed a rough trail (at a soccer pitch) down to Trawalua Strand (also called Cliffony Beach).

Two things about this long beach; it’s got dangerous rip tides and it’s one of Ireland’s nudist beaches! Clothes or no clothes, though, I’d definitely recommend it!

Hard to find! Entrance to Cliffony beach

Nudists on Nudist Beach

Johnny and I had to leave the beach (rocky section) for a short while but there were nice sand-dune paths to run on and we had lovely views 

On Cliffony beach with Dernish Island behind

Inishmurray Island

As it was Saint Brigid’s Day today I had read about a tradition on 1 February in Inishmurray. People carried a figure to represent Brigid and paraded it around bonfires on the island. No sign of any bonfires on the Inishmurray today but that's not a surprise, as the last inhabitants left there in 1948. Most settled in nearby Moneygold, probably sounded like a prosperous place!

  

As a punishment for stealing (and copying) a book Saint Columba was banished from Ireland and ended up in Scotland and set up a very famous monastery on the island of Iona. That island became the 'Cradle of Christianity' in Scotland.      

Johnny heading towards Ben Bulben

Deserved pints in Morans Bar, Grange.

As we reached the southern part of Cliffony beach (or Tra Tuaidh), Johnny and I were quite close to Dernish Island. It was a beautiful day now – definitely spring-like and I’m sure we heard a curlew celebrating too! As the strand disappeared we had to rough it across a field before we reached a farmer’s trail which eventually led us back to the main N15 road.

Ben Bulben was getting clearer and bigger now and after a few more miles we reached today’s destination of Grange.

View of Ben Bulben from Grange village

                            Stage 42

                        

                                    Co. Sligo: Grange to Drumcliff

                                            Sunday 2 February 2020

                                                34.4 km or 21.4 miles

''Under bare Ben Bulben's head in Drumcliff churchyard, Yeats is laid. Cast a cold eye on life, on death. Horsemen pass by''  WB Yeats own epitaph 

Johnny and I stayed the night in Moran’s Bar B&B in Grange (definitely recommend it) and woke early to a wet morning. After breakfast, we decided to drive to Drumcliff and approach the run with the sea on our left for a change (so starting in Drumcliff and finishing in Grange again). As the rain came down, we arrived at today's starting point and parked the car near the church and graveyard where Yeats is buried.

Drumcliff Church

WB Yeats grave 

We began running along the coast road towards Carney, veering left at that village and continuing along the country road. I thought we could get down onto Ballygilgan Strand but as it was now near high tide, it didn’t seem practical. There is a nature reserve here to protect the few Barnacle geese who winter here from Greenland but we didn't see any today.  

We carried on running until we reached the sign for Lissadell House and took a left turn down to the estate.

 

Lissadell House

This was the childhood home of Irish revolutionary, Constance Gore-Booth (Countess Markievicz) who was the first woman to be elected to the House of Commons. Lissadell House was eventually sold in the year 2000 to prominent Dublin barristers, who began to restrict access through the estate. In recent years a group called the 'Lissadell Action Group' campaigned to have public rights of way through the estate, claiming  there had been free access through the estate for the previous hundred years! 

Outside Lissadell Estate

When Johnny and I arrived, the gates were closed and in support of the ‘Lissadell Action Group’ we climbed over the wall and ran through the estate! I knew there was a nice beach behind it and soon we were running on the beautiful Lissadell Strand, looking across to Rosses Point and Strandhill. It started to brighten up too - not a bad day for early February!

On Lissadell Beach - behind Lissadell House

Johnny - after we left Lissadell beach

At the end of Lissadell beach, on the west side, we were still able to follow a grassy path (pass the handball alley) but, as often happens on my coastal adventure, the path came to an abrupt end!

Grassy path near Lissadell beach

 Johnny and I tried to rough it over the headland and eventually we had to back track and join the country road again. We headed towards Raghly Point.

At this stage, Johnny’s knee was giving him trouble and he suggested that I do the loop around Raghly on my own and we would meet later at Yellow Strand.

View of Ben Bulben from Raghly Pier

And so I ran down to Raghly harbour (another pier designed by Nimmo, the engineer). Meanwhile Johnny was trying to cross over the headland to Yellow Strand. He returned (as I came back from Raghly) saying it was a big drop down on the other side and anyway it was high tide. So we decided to stick to the country roads again, sometimes walking and sometimes running.

This wasn’t a straightforward run today as there were too many country roads to tackle and we never knew which one to take. I was so glad Johnny was with me to navigate!  

Knocklane Hill- far west Sligo!

In the distance on our left we could see Knocklane Hill and eventually we came to a junction at Ardtrasna (high crossing) where a sign said, Grange 6km. From here it was a straight run/walk/run into Grange. Luckily for us Moran’s Pub (our finish line!) was just at the T junction as we entered the village.  

PS. Thanks a lot to Edward from Morans Bar for driving us back to Drumcliff to pick up our car.