Stages 86-88 Galway City to Kinvara

Stage 86

Co. Galway: Knocknacarra to Oranmore

   Saturday 8 July 2023

       32.12km or 19.96miles 

Scenic tour of Galway City

‘We all returned back again and to Joyner’s we did go. And we drank the health of man to man, for the clearing out of Grow’. A verse referring to my grandfather and neighbours who spent time in Galway Gaol. More about this later.

As it's holiday time I was able to complete three different stages during the week. I am lucky to have such good company over this weekend as a few friends from NDAC (North Down Athletic Club) joined me. I have to thank my in-laws Aideen & Kieran for, not only looking after Maureen, Brian and I, but for allowing Helen and Sean to leave their campervans in their driveway over the weekend. Aideen also supplied plenty of refreshments to all of us. Helen said it was the best campsite she ever stayed at!

Today was really a tourist run to show off my hometown, Galway. There were six runners who travelled down from Bangor to Galway last night. Helen, Neill, Alison, Steve, Sean and Gerry (Helen & Sean are of course the original duo who completed all of Northern Ireland with me)

The week started badly. I wasn't feeling well on the Sunday and a test proved I had Covid. I was just about recovering for the trip to Galway when I heard the forecast for rain and strong winds. The plan was to start our adventure with the parkrun in Knocknacarra (hill of the city) and run into the town from there. However on Friday night it was announced that the Oranmore parkrun, on the east side of the city, was cancelled because of strong winds. I wasn't very hopeful for the Knocknacarra parkrun as the course takes you through Barna Woods. We kept checking all morning to see if it was still on. Eventually all seven of us turned up and despite the rain and wind, thankfully the parkrun did take place. 

The magnificent seven (as someone called us) at parkrun

With my siblings and Aideen at Knocknacarra parkrun

It was great too that a few of my siblings were there at the parkrun to lend support. After our 5k run we leave Cappagh Park and take a right down onto the main Barna Road R336. We head for Salthill and then follow the entrance to the caravan park. Back in May, Donald Smith and I already completed the section to Blakes Hill and Gentian Hill so today we’re able to join up with the path at the bottom of the Caravan Park that takes us to Blackrock.

Pushing Rosedale children up the hill at Blackrock

I was delighted that parents and children from Rosedale Special School were there to greet us in Salthill. As you might know I’ve started supporting and raising funds for Rosedale over the last few months and it was so nice to chat to parents and their children at Blackrock.

After kicking the wall at the end of the prom (as all true Galwegians do!) the ‘magnificent seven’ runners continue along the busy esplanade. With strong winds and some rain, it’s not as busy as a normal Saturday in July. This whole area is very familiar to me. I lived in Rahoon Road until I was thirteen and Salthill was only about 2km away. The Irish name for Salthill is ‘Bothar na Tra’ (the road to the beach).

The original Coastal Three on Sathill prom

We continue running along Grattan Road, which was once nick-named ‘the ten-penny road’ as that was apparently the daily payrate workers received for building it in 1863. I read that there were 200 labourers employed, and £1,200 spent on the road. Even if only half of that was spent on labour, that would mean that 144,000 old pennies (£600 x 240) would have been paid to labourers. Like a good accountant, I calculate that at 10d per day, it would have taken them just 72 days to build the road. (144,000/200/10)

It was Miss Fanny Grattan who instigated the whole project. Her grandfather was Henry Grattan of ‘Grattan’s Parliament’ fame and the family had land in the area at the time. Fanny suspended the rent to tenants and embarked on an ambitious project of building this relief road through her seaside property.

Back in 1863 a journalist in the local newspaper was impressed. ‘The completion of the Grattan Road will add much to the beauty and salubrity of the handsomest of our sunburn districts. 

Looking back towards Salthill

On the city side of Grattan Road there is now a long slipway to Mutton Island which has a Lighthouse and sewage treatment plant. I think this has made Salthill a cleaner bathing area and even more salubrious! As the rain comes down, we run out as far as the island itself. It’s worth the trip for the nice views on the way back, although a little hazy today. After returning we stay by the shoreline on the edge of the playing fields called ‘South Park’. Growing up in Galway, we always referred to these fields as ‘The Swamp’. In fact, my first ever running experience was here. I was about ten years old and part of the school relay team. I just remember training here in our bare feet. 

Gerry and Steve heading to Mutton Island

At least the rain has stopped and after leaving ‘The Swamp’ we come to Nimmo’s Pier. On my coastal run so far, I’ve come across so many harbours, bridges and roads that the engineer Alexander Nimmo designed. However, this is the only pier in Ireland called after him. He had a special devotion to Co. Galway and the Rosmuc/Roundstone areas.

Looking across to Long Walk

We are now in the Claddagh area. Originally this was a fishing village outside the walls of the city and had its own traditions. Most people would have heard of the Claddagh Ring. The song, ‘The old Claddagh Ring’ describes how it was handed down from mother to daughter and the words explain the ring's unique design.

‘’The crown and the crest to remind me of honour and clasping the heart that God’s blessing would bring’’.

Back in the 1970’s and long before the Claddagh Ring became fashionable, most young women in Galway had the ring. If a girl wore the ring with the heart facing out, it meant her heart was given away. No point in chatting her up! However, wearing the ring with the heart turned in, meant that had a guy had some chance!

View from the Claddagh towards Long Walk

I can’t leave the Claddagh without mentioning the famous fiction novel set mainly in Galway City. It was written by Galway’s most famous writer, Walter Macken. The book is called ‘Rain on the Wind’ and the main character, Mico and his family are fishermen who live in the Claddagh. Macken wrote twelve books and a few plays in a period between 1946 and 1966. I've read them all. Growing up as a youngster in Galway City, it was so cool reading about fictional characters who lived in streets and places that you recognised.

View from Claddagh to Long Walk

It's also interesting to note that, during the Famine, the Quaker School gave assistance to fishermen of the Claddagh. The men had pawned their nets and other equipment during the previous year. Through cash loans from the Quakers the tackle was redeemed, and the fishing community became self-sufficient again.

The sun is shining now as we cross over the river at Wolfe Tone Bridge, called after the famous leader of the 1798 rebellion. We take an immediate left after the bridge and run along a narrow path by the Corrib that takes us through the heart of the city.    

I love this walk (or run) by the river. Today I feel like I’m in a TV documentary ‘My own place’ pointing out all the places to the others. We first reach 'O’Brien’s Bridge' which was the original crossing over the river. A version of this bridge has been here for hundreds of years. The current structure was built in 1889 and named after William Smith O’Brien who was one of the leaders of the Young Irelanders.

O’Briens Bridge separates the two schools I attended, St Patricks Primary School ('the Brothers') and St Josephs Secondary (nicknamed ‘The Bish’ because the Bishop of Galway once taught there). St Patricks is next to the ancient St Nicholas Church, which has huge town clocks that always told the correct time. Strangely though, the clocks are only on three sides of the church. There is no clock on the western facing end, just a blank circle. The despised Flaherty family lived in that direction and the establishment  in the city (the fourteen tribes in Galway) would not even give them ‘the time of the day’.  

The west side of St. Nicholas's Church with NO clock!

Today, from the river, I can see my old classroom in St. Patricks school. Every morning before classes began, we’d assemble in the schoolyard. The band would play some Irish marching tunes, and we would stride around in the front yard. When the music had finished, a schoolboy would raise the Irish flag and we’d all sing the national anthem. I didn’t realise it at the time, but locals and tourists would often watch our daily performance.

Alison in front of 'new' Cathedral

In front of Galway Cathedral

Sean on new footbridge

Wild Flowers by new footbridge

We continue running by the river and shortly we arrive at Galway’s wonderful new bridge. It’s just a footbridge but I’m so impressed by it. Even though it is not physically on ‘google maps’, a name is mentioned ‘Julia Morrissey Bridge’. I know there is a campaign to have the bridge called after her, but I don’t think it’s official yet. Morrissey was a key figure in ‘Cumann na mBan’ (the women’s army). In 1916, she commanded a group of fifty women during Easter week, as part of the rebellion in Galway that was led by Liam Mellows. The two developed a close bond and ended up in a relationship, and it is said that Julia never recovered from Mellows' execution in 1922 (by his fellow Irishmen). In the 1930s, she ended up confined to the mental asylum in Ballinasloe. She didn’t receive the state pension that had been set up for veteran republicans nor did she receive any medals recognising her contribution in 1916. Yes I think I would support naming the bridge after her.

Steve on new footbridge

The footbridge was only opened in May, and it leads to Galway’s ‘new’ Cathedral which is almost sixty years old now. On this site, before the huge church was built, stood Galway Gaol where my grandfather spent eleven weeks in prison.

Imprisonment of the Moylough Four

My father's father was one of the four men who served their time in Galway Gaol (now site of Galway Cathedral) in 1916. He was imprisoned for his part in the land protests in east Co. Galway. It was a peaceful objection where my grandfather and his neighbours ‘drove’ cattle from farms owned by landlords back to the owner’s house. One particular landlord, Mr. Fleming objected strongly to this kind of demonstration.

My dad wrote about this in various articles for magazines and newspapers. He tells the story about his own father, as follows.

‘nineteen men from the area took part in the driving of cattle and sheep belonging to Mr. Fleming from Killererin in East Galway. (An area known as ‘Grow’). When the party arrived at Fleming’s with the stock, the latter was furious and threatened to shoot them. The men were eventually charged and appeared in Court in Dublin. Four of the men spent nine weeks in Galway Gaol and on their return from prison they were escorted to their homes by a group of musicians and were greeted by bonfires and banners’.

I'm one of the 'Galway Four' re-enacting 1916 land protesters and their arrest

I was privileged in April 2016 to be part of the hundred-year re-enactment off the land protests. It was a great day, and I was immensely proud to represent my grandfather. Afterwards the four descendants of the prisoners had to speak. I said that 1916 was an important year and I compared the Cattle Driving protest in Galway with the other two historical events of 1916, the Battle of the Somme and the Easter Rising in Dublin. I felt that that the Cattle Driving peaceful demonstrations made much more sense and had a great impact. Nobody died in these land protests, and it was a successful campaign as my father concluded in his article.   

Me again as part of 2016 re-enactment of 'cattle driving'

‘’The story of the Moylough cattle driving in 1916, however, has an extremely happy ending, as before the termination of that decade, the lands in question were acquired by the Land Commission and practically every one of the families involved in the incidents referred to benefited from the eventual land division’’. 

Neill & Helen in front of Galway Cathedral

The Corrib walkway ends here but we can continue along the north eastern side of the river into the Woodquay and Waterside area. We meet an elderly man along here who tells us that he used to run with Galway City Harriers. His name is Liam Kavanagh and he impresses us with stories of his 5km personal best of 15 minutes. I don’t think any of us, not even Neill, could get close to that time! The old railway bridge to Clifden crossed the Corrib here and the huge bollards are clearly visible on the river. Trains only ran for forty years between 1895 and 1935 before it closed for economic reasons. There is talk now about having another footbridge which will be installed across these huge pillars and this would be a kind of shortcut to Galway University. 

In front of bollards for old Galway to Clifden railway line

We try to follow the old railway line back to Galway’s main railway station at the bottom of Eyre Square. This is an impossible task as the first part of the old railway line on the hill is completely overgrown and after that the line went underground. Still, we’ll get as close as possible. We run through an alleyway that brings us to a green area. I used to play football here on what we called ‘The Plots’. We cross over the main Headford Road and run up a steep hill called ‘Hidden Valley’ (the others will thank me later for getting a wee hill in today’s adventure!) and along St. Bridget's Place which brings us onto Prospect Hill. We take a right and then a left onto Forster Street and reach the Railway Station. I often think we are lucky in Galway as the train terminal is right in the middle of the city, just beside Eyre Square   

The green area in the Square is now officially called Kennedy Park after the US  President who came to Galway in 1963, almost exactly sixty years ago. I’m just about old enough to remember having a wee American flag with all its colourful stars and stripes. Kennedy spoke in Eyre Square and made a comment about all the Galway people living in Boston and how the two cities are connected. ‘On a clear day you can see Boston’, he said.

We’re all feeling a bit thirsty (and hungry too) as the seven of us run through Kennedy Park and then head downtown through Galway’s pedestrian area.

The two Wildes

On Shop Street at the start of the traffic free area there is a lovely sculpture on a bench showing Irish writer Oscar Wilde (1854-1900 and Estonian writer Eduard Vilde (1865-1933). These statues were presented to Galway as a gift from Estonia when that country joined the EU. There is a similar sculpture in Tartu, Estonia also by Tiiu Kirsipuu who imagined the two Wildes having an interesting chat. They never actually met but they both shared a similar humour and wit.

I've often quote Oscar Wilde on my coastal run with his apt phrase 'sand is for the feet of the runner'.

Gerry strutting down Shop Street in Galway

'Footballer' outside Evergreen Shop

Outside Aideen&Kieran's Evergreen (my in-laws shop)

Galway City is thronged with shoppers and tourists. We don’t even attempt to run through the crowded streets, much easier to walk. In any case we decide to have a break. We order coffee and scones and sit outside in the sunshine on Mainguard Street.

With Leah Walsh (Davy's daughter) from Rosedale Special School

Davy Walsh, a parent from Rosedale stops to chat to us again. He introduces me to Joe Corcoran who played Gaelic Football years ago with my late brother Sean. They were both on the St. Michaels team that won the Co. Galway under-18 final in 1969. Furthermore, Joe had the honour of captaining the Galway Minor team that won the All-Ireland in 1970, beating a young Kerry team that were the backbone of their famous 1970’s senior team.

With Joe Corcoran, captain of All-Ireland winning team

After our wee break, the seven of us continue running down High Street and Quay Street. We reach the river once again after having done a short loop of the city.

Spanish Parade & Spanish Arch

On Spanish Parade by the Corrib, there is a small monument referring to Christopher Columbus which was gifted from his native city, Genoa in 1992. It says, ‘on these shores he found sure signs of land beyond the Atlantic’. Indeed in 1477 Columbus visited Galway and was convinced land lay to the west. He was aware of the power of the Gulf Stream and had seen exotic seeds ‘from somewhere out there’ that had washed up on Irish beaches. He noted in one of his books that ‘many remarkable things have we seen, particularly in Galway where a man and woman of a most unusual aspect adrift in two boats’.

Columbus Monument at Spanish Parade

As we are passing the monument, there’s a tour guide asking a young group why 1992 was so significant. I proudly raise my hand and answer that it was 500 years after Columbus discovered America. The tourists do not seem impressed with my expert knowledge!

At this stage, Alison, Steve and Gerry leave us and head back to Salthill where their campervans are parked. Meanwhile, Helen, Neill, Sean and I continue and run under the Spanish Arch. We follow the shore on ‘Long Walk’ as per the opening line in Steve Earl’s ‘Galway Girl’.

‘I took a stroll down the old long walk’

Maureen (Galway Girl) strolling on Long Walk 

We arrive at the Docks area and follow the road around towards Loch Atalia. We run under the bridge and then take an immediate left to the Galway Station to join ‘the Line’ which is a path that runs along the railway track.

As we’re running along the railway line I can’t help thinking about a young Swiss girl Manuela Rieddo who was cruelly murdered here 2007. She had just arrived in Galway when this tragic event happened. The murderer was found and convicted. The ‘Manuela Riedo Foundation’ founded in her memory has raised one million euro. Funding has been used for counselling which provide support to victims and survivors of sexual assault and rape in Ireland.

Ballyloughane Beach, Renmore

When we reach Renmore, (the area where my own Galway Girl comes from) we run down to Ballyloughane beach. We then rough it a little along here as there is no proper path. We arrive at ‘Waithman’s Pier' called after Captain Wyndham Waithman. His family used to own acres of land in this area. Most of it was compulsory purchased in 1940’s to build a sanitorium (now Merlin Park hospital) for those suffering from tuberculosis.

It's too rocky to stay on the shore so we follow a trail that leads inland and crosses the gated railway line. We make sure it’s safe to walk over the track and close the gate afterwards.

The Blake family had their residence here at the railway crossing and used their power and influence. They were able to stop the train by tying a red flag to the gate. It meant that they didn’t have the inconvenience of having to go all the way into the city to catch the train to Dublin!

Stopping at Aideen's house with Helen & Sean's camper vans parked outside

We follow the old Dublin Road by Roscam and then stop at Aideen & Kieran’s at Curragreen, about 2km before the village of Oranmore.  

After a drink or two we continue to Oranmore village and then veer right via the Maree road (L4101). About 2km later we take a right turn along a narrow and windy road that eventually leads to Renville Park which is the home of Oranmore’s parkrun.

Meeting Rosedale parents & children in Renville

I was so delighted to be presented with this book

We get a lovely surprise at our finish line when a few more Rosedale parents and their children meet us here. As a thank you, they also present me with a beautiful album with lovely pictures. It’s really made my day and something I will treasure for the rest of my life. I'm privileged to be able to to help Rosedale Special School by raising funds through my coastal running.  

Post-run food in Supermacs Oranmore

And in Supermacs I meet my nephew Kevin and my great nieces

And later we had a night out in Galway's West End

                        Stage 87

 Co. Galway: Renville, Oranmore to Clarinbridge                         Sunday 9 July 2023

                 28.01km or 17.4miles

‘In Oranmore in the county Galway, one pleasant evening in the month of May’ the opening lines from the traditional song’ The Galway Shawl’ 

Renville to Clarinbridge, including long run out to Tawin Island

The forecast today is for sunshine and showers, as our team of four start our run in Renville, Oranmore. Helen and Neill drive us there and park their campervan. Before we begin we visit Renville Cemetry and remember Maureen’s nephew Brendan who died suddenly in Australia in October 2021. Brendan had a passion for the sea and his headstone reflects this. From here in Renville, Brendan’s parents Aideen and Kieran can see their own house (about 2km west of Oranmore) across the bay. In the same way, from their home in Curraghgreen they can look across and see Renville cemetery. 

Brendan's gravestone

We stick close to the shore running along country roads but suddenly we are recipients of the first heavy shower of the day. We take shelter under a tree and carry on through the light rain. 

Helen doing some horse whispering

We follow a sign for Tawin Island which is easily crossed by a bridge. Even people in Galway city might not know exactly where Tawin is. The best way to explain its location is to say that, from Salthill you can see the island as you look across Galway Bay. It’s that long stretch of land sitting in the middle of the bay, halfway between Galway and Clare. 

Meeting Deirdre on Tawin Island

As we’re running along Tawin Island the heavy showers come down again. We meet a walker who stops to talk to us. Her name is Deirdre and she tells us that she has a daughter, Gillian in Rosedale Special School. She has heard about our run. Like us, she has got caught in the rain and there’s no protection from the elements here. 

Last photo of Sean before we lost him!

By the time we reach the end of the road on the western end of the island, we’re soaked to the skin. We persevere even further along a trail and climb over a farmgate that brings us over a headland. We are rewarded with a unique view across the bay of Salthill and Galway.

Standing in from rain at Old School House on Tawin Island

Soaked to the skin at Old School House in Tawin

Tawin island – The Old School House

This small building stands at the end of the island and two very famous Irishmen met here for the first time. Eamon De Valera was director of the Summer School in Tawin and in 1912 Roger Casement came out to see how the school was doing. Casement was impressed, contributing towards prizes for a sports meeting which was to be held at the end of the course. He insisted ‘that all competitions be in Irish not English - the judgements in Irish - and so far as practicable the prizes of Irish make.’ I’ve come across Sir Roger Casement a few times on my coastal run and the more I hear about him, the more I’m impressed. De Valera spent a few summers at the school and just recently love letters that he wrote to his wife Sinead were discovered. Most of us could not imagine De Valera showing his romantic feelings but in fairness to the man he did express himself well. 'There is a big big vacancy in my heart. I feel empty, joyless without you.'. He wrote these words on Tawin Island to his wife. They were married for 65 years and both died in 1975. 

Tawin Island

We leave Tawin and head back along the shore. Somehow, we have got separated from Sean which seems to be a regular occurrence when we run together. Helen, Neill and I follow the road around the shore (Lackanaboy Creek) and then take a left along Ballynacloghy which is a narrow and hilly climb. When we come to a T junction we are gladly reunited with Sean. We then must decide, whether we go left along the country roads or take a right and try to find a trail that might lead to the coast. I convince the others to take the scenic (but rougher) route down to the shore. After all it is a coastal run! The good news is that the weather is brightening up and our shirts are beginning to dry.

Looking for Ballinacourty Pier

Sometimes you have to rough it through fields

We trek through fields of long grass which is quite nice in the warm sunshine. We spot a farm gate, climb over and run down to the shore and arrive at Ballinacourty Pier. Here we have the option of either running along the country roads or sticking to the shoreline. We take the latter of course. It was quite tricky on a very rocky coastline. Trying to avoid the jelly fish was another hazard but it's always important to stay by the coast if at all possible.

Ballinacourty Pier

Helen (Miss July) at Blackweir Pier

Eventually we make it to another harbour, Blackweir Pier and thankfully the terrain gets easier. We follow a trail that keeps us close to the sea but abruptly ends. We trample through another meadow looking for an exit to the shore. After climbing over some barbwire fences and under a couple of electric barriers we finally arrive at a coastal road a few miles west of Clarinbridge. I clap my hands because I know the hard work has been done. We have reached civilisation again. Despite being chased by an angry dog along here, we finally made it to our finish line in the village of Clarinbridge.

Enjoying post-run snack in Clarinbridge 

                    Stage 88

Co. Galway: Clarinbridge to Kinvara

             Thursday 13 July 2023

             29.55km or 18.36miles

Trying to stick to coast at least as far as Tarrea Pier

As I’m staying in Galway for the full week, I decide to get in a third coastal run. In the morning I take a short drive to Clarinbridge. The village is famous for its Oyster Festival and the person who started it all, seventy years ago, is Paddy Burke. He runs one of the most famous pubs in this part of the world and specialise in Guinness and oysters.

I think I was lucky with the weather today. The forecast for Friday and the weekend is strong winds and heavy rain.

A grassy path in Stradbally, Clarinbridge

I run along the N67 for about 1km before taking a right into Stradbally North. Eventually this road comes to an end but I’m able to follow the shore on a grassy path until I link up with a boreen on the south shore of the Dunkellin river (Stradbally South). There’s another oyster establishment here, ‘Morans on the Weir’ which has even attracted some famous celebrities.

'Morans of the Weir' Oyster Restaurant

Stradbally South, Clarinbridge

I reach the village of Kilcolgan (Colgan’s Church) but can take an immediate right (L8563) along the northern shore of the Dunkellin River towards Stradbally West. Shortly I come to Kilcolgan Castle. The original building here dates as far back to the 11^th century when it was a medieval castle, but it was rebuilt in 1801 by Christopher St George. 

Kilcolgan Castle

You can now even stay a night in the castle and their website entices you as follows, ‘You will discover all the ways to live like a king once you step inside the walls of this castle from the eleventh century’

I was tempted to hop over the wall and ‘live like a king’ but decided to keep running instead.

Tyrone House, Kilcolgan

After a while I come to another huge building called Tyrone House, also built by Christopher St. George. Apparently, this was one of the grandest properties in Ireland. The house was designed by the esteemed architect John Roberts who also designed Waterford Cathedral. ‘strongly focusing on the formal classical temple architecture of the Ancient Greeks and Romans’. Visitors who entered Tyrone House were met by a life-size white marble statue of Lord St. George himself.’’

Outside the once grand, Tyrone House

I was able to walk through this shell of a building and imagine what life was like over two hundred years ago. No surprise that today there is no longer a statue of St. George in the hall. He moved out of the house in the 1800s and his son and family moved in. However, his son did not give the property the same attention. Furthermore, during the Irish War of Independence in 1920, the house was burned by the local Irish Republican Army. At that time the property was unoccupied, with just a caretaker who was bed-ridden, living there. He was carried from his bed and taken to another building on the premises before the IRA started the fire.

Looking towards Island Eddy with men 'catching' oysters

I carry on along the country road and shortly come to Killeenaran Pier. I do hope to return here at some stage and run out to Island Eddy. I know this is only possible at a very low spring tide. There are tractors on the shore today and men are collecting mussels and oysters for local markets. I leave Killeenaran but take the next right down a boreen. This road and trail seems to go on forever and takes me all the way down to the coast. I rough it along the shore and eventually come to a field with a small family of cattle. It looks like a cow, a bull and two calves. The cow and calves scamper away but the bull stands in my way and stares at me. I decide to take a detour. I trample through a couple of fields, return to a country road and return to the shore again. 

'Kick here' it says and I did

Rocky Causeway to Cnoc a Phriochain

Seeing a small monument on a hill I try to get closer, but I notice the marker is on a small island or inlet. There is a very rocky causeway to the island and when I cross over and reach the top of the hill, I can barely make out the lettering on the rock. 

Knockapreaghaun (Hill of the crows)

It says ’Cnoc a Phriochain’ or anglised as Knockapreaghaun Island on the OS map. It translates as ‘hill of the crows’. I don’t see any evidence of anybody ever living on the island. No sign of crows either. However, I have a very strong suspicion that this place was a ‘Cillineach’, a burial ground for unbaptised babies.

Old Water pump at Pollagh

I run along the shore but shortly come to a farm with lots of cattle, so once again I decide to head inland and take the country road instead. (I just don't like cows!). After a while I come to an old water pump and follow a long boreen back down to the shore again to Pollagh Quay. There is a pier here with a seat where I sit and eat the chocolate I brought along. 

I’m feeling very confident now as I can see Tarrea Pier just a few hundred metres along the shore. I know once I reach this harbour, it is a straightforward run into Kinvara. However, this short coastal section was quite a big challenge. The low tide didn’t help at all as there were big rocks to clamber over. I decided to stay a little inland and run across a couple of fields. That brought its own problems as there were a lot of overgrown trees and bushes. I had to climb through thorny brambles and nettles, getting scratched and stung. I was so glad to reach Tarrea Pier.

Tarrea Pier, only 6k from Kinvara

From there I ran up to the main road (2km) and followed a convenient cycle lane, another 4km, all the way to Kinvara. Light rain is falling, the first drops of the day but I welcome it.

Nice to see this sign

And great to read this one too!

Arriving in Kinvara I've feeling thirsty as I've had nothing to drink in about four hours. I could probably enjoy a good banquet of food and drink at the famous Dunguaire Castle but I'm too early for all that. Instead  I buy a bottle of water and make my way to the pier to wait for Maureen and Aideen to pick me up.

Dunguaire Castle, Kinvara 

At the harbour I get speaking to a lady called Mary Moylan. As the two of us chat on the pier, she suddenly says ‘that’s my brother there’. There was nobody else around, so I wondered what she was talking about. It turned out that there is a circular plaque on the wall at the end of the pier, dedicated to Anthony Moylan.

Plaque dedicated to Tony Moylan 

Mary told me that her brother, Tony Moylan founded the famous ‘Cruinniú na mBád’ boat festival in 1979. It is a celebration of the traditional commerce that existed between the coasts. Moylan’s plaque is also sculpted to show a bird with an egg in its mouth. This reflects Mr Moylan’s role in ’Fleadh na gCuach’, Kinvara’s highly successful cuckoo festival of traditional music. It sounds like Tony Moylan inspired the whole village.

Kinvara harbour

Even though the rain was now starting to fall, I’m enjoying the interlude with Mary and her stories about the Moylan and Winkles family. Meanwhile her dog Lilly was getting great satisfaction from licking my legs. It’s not the first time an animal has done this after I’ve completed a long run. I believe it’s the salty skin that they like to taste. In any case I'm too exhausted to complain after three long stages of coastal running this week.