Stages 36 and 37: 24-25 August 2019: South Donegal
 Running around Ireland - strictly by the coast - and once a month since Feb 2017.

The weather forecast predicted perfect warm sunny weather for the long weekend but in Donegal the sun never quite got through the clouds. On Friday Maureen, Brian and I arrived at Derrylahan hostel in Kilcar at about 6.00pm. It was a nice evening so we headed straight for the cliffs of Slieve League which dominate the whole landscape of South Donegal.

Brian and Maureen at Slieve League cliffs
 

Stage 37: Saturday 24 August: St. John’s Point to Donegal Town – 44km (27.5 or miles)

 
I decided to do Stage 37 on the Saturday before Stage 36 on the Sunday. So we drove to Dunkineely and made the 11k journey along the never-ending peninsula to St. John’s Point. The peninsula has a real island feeling about it and is quite flat until you get to the last few miles.

At St. John's Point Lighthouse

Light rain is falling as I begin today’s run at St. John’s Point Lighthouse (built in 1833 to protect boats coming into Killybegs harbour). This area at the end of the peninsula has a great reputation for deep sea diving – the best in Ireland apparently – and we notice brave divers getting kitted out for their underwater adventure. I’m glad I’m only running!

 

Cyndi Graham's Studio - still on long peninsula!

I’m rarin’ to go and I run the first 10k along the peninsula at a good pace. Strava tells me I’m the second fastest runner from the Lighthouse to Castle Murray at a time of 44.18. In hindsight I’m going too fast!

I run through the village of Dunkineely and after a mile I take a right turn along a rough track. The ordnance survey map marks this as a ‘dismantled railway’ and it does feel like that. After about 2k I was surprised that the track brought me back out onto main road (I think I could have stayed on the coast) but at least I was then able to stop at Inver Post Office for a drink. Shortly after passing the PO, I took a right turn (really into Inver village).

The Inver fish sign that I came back to.

 I passed the Inver Fish sign and came onto a beach at Inver Bar. The river (Eany) was much too wide to cross so I followed it around hoping I would find a shallow part or bridge. However there was no way across and I ended up having to run through a wet field and back where I started at the Inver Fish sign! Still Inver (meaning estuary) was such a quaint little place that I was glad I got to see.

River Eany at entrance to sea

River Eany in Inver

 

And so I had to go back on the main road and cross the only bridge on the Eany River. After crossing the river I took an immediate right and then another right which brought me down to a beach (the other side of Inver Bar!) I contemplated whether I could rough it along the shore and luckily I met a man there who assured me I could. So I ran along a rocky beach for about a mile, came back up onto country road for a while and then roughed it along the shore again.

  

As I was getting close to the bottom of the peninsula I realised it was best to run up along the headland, even if I had to dip under one or two electric fences! In the distance I could see two farmers and as I got closer I stopped and told them what I was doing.

Skull of sheep ( I think) found near Raneely Port

The Scott brothers with Eagles Nest Rock behind

 

They were very friendly (the Scott brothers) and it was only when I left their field and climbed over their gate that I noticed the ‘beware of the bull’ sign!

Sign I saw, AFTER I Ran through the field

 

I was now on the country road again heading NE towards Mountcharles. I took the second turn right to try to stay by the coast and as I came over a hill a dog came barking towards me. The only human who appeared was a young girl about 3 years old.

Blowey the dog wont let me pass!

 I waited for about ten minutes for an adult to appear but none did so I had to backtrack up the hill again and continue along the main country road. At the second crossroads about 1k before Mountcharles I took a right turn and arrived down on the coast. This area is called Salthill and Mountcharles was originally called ‘Tamhnach  an Tsalainn’, the ‘green fields of salt’. It was strange seeing another Salthill as I grew up near the Galway Salthill!

At Salthill Cabin south of Mount Charles

Goat in Salthill

Even though I was tiring, it was now a nice run along the coast until I eventually came onto the N56. At least the busy road into Donegal town was straight. When I got into town there was plenty of activity with a food festival on. Feeling exhausted I headed for the Abbey Hotel where Maureen and Brian were meeting me. It was my longest coastal run for a while and I felt it!                           

 

Stage 36: Sunday 25 August 2019: Killybegs to St. John's  Point  35km (or 22 miles)

 

I'm learning so much about the Spanish Armada on this run - 1300 young men lost their lives on La Girona alone.

And so I went back to Killybegs to complete Stage 36 (having done Stage 37 yesterday!). Two good things about today ... 1) the weather is much better and ....2) I’ve got two companions (Maureen and Brian) joining me, at least for the first few miles!

We park the car near Killybegs Enterprise Centre and walk back to the roundabout and take the first left to Glenlee.

At Portnacross Pier SW of Killybegs

 After about a mile we stop for a few minutes at Portnacross Pier and then continue walking as the road climbs. There are lovely views now over Fintragh Bay and we eventually come to a T junction. I leave Maureen and Brian and take a right turn and run down all the way to the bottom of the peninsula to Drumanoo.


Brian delighted to see this old car near Roshin




With Fintragh Bay behind

 

Meanwhile Maureen and Brian take a left and walk back to Killybegs. I catch up with them later there and then continue running along Killybegs harbour. It’s a very long harbour – the largest fishing port in Ireland – and when I get to the end I leave the R263 and take a right (and right again) sticking by the coast on the other side of the bay.

Killybegs town from the other side

 I eventually come to a T junction, take a right turn and keep running for about a mile until the road comes to an end.

 

Outside a house there is a family (or families) enjoying the sunshine and I stop to ask whether I can get down to the bottom of the peninsula.

McHugh family at Carntullagh

 I get talking to Eddie McHugh whose uncle owns the land in this area. Eddie decides to run with me the short distance to the bottom of the peninsula and soon we’re joined by his children/nieces. Here, there was such a lovely view across to Carntullagh Head with the Lighthouse on Rotten Island clearly visible.

With McHugh children at Carntullagh Head

 William Steig, the children’s author wrote that Rotten Island is a ‘horrible place filled with horrible monsters that slither, creep and crawl’. I don’t think he realised there was a real place called Rotten Island in this beautiful part of Donegal!  

I continue up along the other side of the peninsula, taking a right turn at the top and I was able to stay on country road all the way. Eventually I could see the main road but I was still able to keep running on the parallel country road, which led me along a rough trail by Bruckless House and crossing over a nice grassy track.

Grassy path - at Bruckless harbour

 I ended up running through someone’s garden before coming back onto the main road (N56) which I only had to stay on for 1km until I saw the sign pointing right to St. John’s Point. So now I had only 11km to run along the narrow peninsula to the Lighthouse.

Castle on St. John's peninsula

 It was a long 7 miles and I was glad to have a wee break near the end at Killultan beach (just about a mile from the Lighthouse). Maureen and Brian were there to greet me, it was now a nice afternoon and some people were swimming in the very clear water.

Great to see Killultan beach as I turned around the corner! 

 As I was chatting to Maureen a young female runner came by and when I asked her if she was running to the Lighthouse she (Niamh McKenna) said she was.

With Niamh at finish point, St. John's Lighthouse

 So Niamh joined me on the last mile of this month’s coastal run. And so after all these months I'm finally getting through the coast of Donegal and slowly getting closer to the Connacht border. The adventure continues again in September!         

PS : Thanks to Shaun, the owner of Derrylahan Hostel for very generous £stg20.00 for Clifton School.    

Total distance to date: 1,490 (931miles)

Next Stages: Donegal to Bundoran (via Rossnowlagh Beach) Friday/Saturday of 13-14 Sept 2019. Final ‘Province of Ulster’ stages!

Contact Gerry on gerryoboyle@outlook.com or 00 44 (0) 7725613308

Stages 33-35: Ardara to Killybegs 26-28 July 2019: SW Donegal

Running around Ireland - strictly by the coast - and once a month since Feb 2017.

"Look down on Glencolmcille, its mountain, sea and shore and wonder at such beauty that nature has allowed" (from A Destiny of Dreams by Marion McGuire)

It was like a festival of running this weekend; yes, hard work over three days but so enjoyable. I was delighted to be reunited with Sean and Helen, Sean for all three stages and Helen for the toughest day (climb over Slieve League) on the Saturday and for some of the run on Sunday.

Stage 33: Friday 26 July 2019: Ardara to Glencolmcille – 32km (or 20miles)

At least the trip from Bangor was different this time and I passed through places in Fermanagh (Kesh and Pettico) that I’d never been to before. Of course I had Sean for company (and navigation) which shortened the journey.

Sean, me and the Fiddler before leaving Ardara

Taking the turn towards the Waterfall and Maghera Beach & Caves

It was just about 2.00pm when we started our run from Ardara, heading south first, as far at the turnoff signposted for Mahera Beach or An Machaire (making sure not to take the Glengesh road which would bring us too far inland!).

The first few miles of our run were relatively flat with a lovely view over Maghera Strand and across to Loughros peninsula. We then had a brief stop at the Assarnacally Waterfall after 8k and got chatting to a Berlin couple and their wee girl.

With Berlin family



Assarnacally Waterfall- 8k west of Ardara

Our run (or climb) only really began in earnest after we left the waterfall. We saw the sign, pointing down towards Maghera Beach and Caves but realised they were inaccessible as it was high tide. So instead, Sean and I put our heads down to tackle the incline ahead. When we finally reached the top of the hill we left the country road and took a right turn over a gate to join a rough trail (as per the Ordnance survey map). This part of our run was much tougher than we expected. It wasn’t long before the trail seemed to disappear and we were trampling through a bog. Eventually we got back on the ‘trail’ again or at least we saw signs pointing where we should go.

Following the Glen River

The sheep know the way

It was a little bit easier when we came to the Glen River but again there was no proper trail along by the river. We were so glad to get out the other side and pick up speed on the quiet country road which brought us all the way down to that beautiful secluded spot on the coast called Port (or ‘Pert’ as the locals seem to pronounce it!)

There was another German couple to welcome us at Port (this time from Koln) even offering us some food. I was glad to take an apple from them before Sean and I tackled the steep trail heading south (Glencolmcille Loop).

At the deserted village of Port with German couple from Koln.

Deserted Famine village at Port



Sinking of the Sydney at Port in 1870





I had read about Port being an abandoned Famine village and we could indeed see the deserted village behind us as we climbed the hill.
As Sean and I ran (and walked) up the trail I couldn’t get the image of young barefooted families trampling this same trail over 180 years ago.    

This trail eventually led us down the hill to today’s destination, Glencolmcille.

Welcome to Glencolmcille!

Glencolmcille paid a big part in developing Christianity in Ireland and it was local boy, Columba (521-597) who established a monastery here and gave his name to the glen.  Another more recent hero of Glencolmcille is Fr. McDyer who helped build a canning factory, craft shops and the famous folk village and museum. We were most impressed with the magnificent stone map of Ireland where stone from every county in Ireland was used in building the structure.

I think Sean and I were looking forward to having a nice meal after our tough runs and climbs today. In the end we enjoyed very tasty fish and chips which we bought from a van in Glencolmcille. We then sat in the sunshine for a couple of hours, chatting to various people. It didn’t seem long before Helen and Neill arrived in their car and we all made our way to Malin Beg Hostel where we were booked in for two nights.

Deserved pints in Glencolmcille!



With Phil and Davy - thanks for Clifton donation.

After a quick shower in the hostel we all sat around a nice fire. When someone asked Frank the owner of the hostel, ‘Is there Wi-Fi here’, he replied ‘No we talk here’ and so we did talk, chatting to other residents and enjoying a few glasses of wine around the fire. To cap it all, Helen even made a birthday cake for me. Yes, definitely one of the most enjoyable birthdays of my 61 years! 

Still not too old to be celebrating a birthday!

Stage 34: Saturday 27 July 2019: Glencolmcille to Teelin (via Malinbeg and Sleeve League) – 27km (or 17miles)

It was an early enough start today at Malinbeg Hostel. We had to pick my car up, which was still in Ardara, so we decided to go on a bit further north to Portnoo and do the new parkrun there. In any case we had to collect Valerie who was staying the weekend at her caravan in Portnoo. We were delighted that Valerie was going to join us for Stage 34 today.

Helen and Valerie at Narin parkrun

Neill showing how to take corner at parkrun

It was a beautiful morning when we arrived in Portnoo and running a parkrun on the beach (Narin Strand) was a great way to start the day. There was such a lovely friendly holiday atmosphere there on the strand. Afterwards Valerie and Philip invited us back to their caravan for breakfast (wheaten bread and banana bread). We appreciated this as we had a long day ahead!

Tipp girl, Valerie - pointing out her county

Leaving Glencolmcille

From Malinbeg - looking across at Rathlin O'Birne island

By the time we got back to Glencolmcille (to begin Stage 34) it was almost 12.00 noon. So, there were five of us today (Helen, Neill, Valerie, Sean and me) on our own ‘Mountain of Adventure’! It was a nice 10k run first before we reached Malinbeg, although Helen pointed out that it wasn’t all downhill to Malinbeg (as I had mentioned!). We were glad to stop at the hostel at Malinbeg and had some drinks there before we tackled the cliffs of Slieve League.

Frank at the hostel advised us to take a left at the crossroads and then the first right. (PS Thanks Frank for Clifton donation!) The small boreen turned to a trail but even when the path disappeared, it was easy enough terrain to run or walk on.

At Silver strand

Five go on a Mountain of Adventure!

Also, the weather was in our favour today; dry and sunny with hardly a puff of wind. Over the last few weeks I had thought so much about this stage (and even worried about the safety aspect of it) and now I knew everything would be ok! We had marvellous views from the beginning, first looking down on Silver Strand beach and later the spectacular Slieve League cliffs stretched out before us. These cliffs are not as famous as the Cliffs of Moher but are three times higher and much more spectacular.

Valerie flying down the hills

The start of the big climb

Still climbing!

It was a tough ascent and the legs were tired after yesterday - not to mention the 15k we already ran this morning! Still we kept climbing and climbing, over a few false summits and finally we reached the top, 600 metres above sea level! Strava recorded this steepest part as 256 metres climb in just one kilometre!

At the top of Sleeve League - 600 metres above sea level!

Tackling Slieve League from this side is truly amazing. We only met two people along the way and the best was still yet to come. The famous ‘One Man’s Pass’ was now stretching out in front of us. On a day like today it was quiet safe to walk along this narrow ridge on the top of Donegal.  

One Man's Pass - Sean leading the way

One Woman confident on One Mans Pass!

Perfect conditions today

We began to meet a few more people and we could even run again now… well some of the way.

View of Ben Bulben, Co. Sligo from Sleeve League

It was still a long way down but we were able to stick to the coast and eventually the coastal path led us all the way to the village of Teelin.

When we lost Sean!

Here he is admiring the view!

 At Teelin we took a right turn and ran the 2k down to the end of the pier, looking across at Kilcar on the other side. Apparently Teelin was one of the first settlements in Ireland, as it was a very important port in days gone by. We left the pier and retraced our steps back to Teelin again and as we reached the Rusty Mackerel pub, Valerie’s husband Philip and dog Pip were there to greet us. Drinks and food followed and we sat around and chatted in the evening sunshine. It was the perfect ending to a perfect day!          

Arriving at the Rusty Mackerel in Teelin

Stage 35: Sunday 28 July 2019: Teelin to Killybegs 26km (or 16.2 miles)

Leaving Rusty Mackerel again!

We weren’t as lucky with the weather today, although it didn’t rain properly until we were almost in Killybegs. Helen and Neill joined us for some of the way and turned back just before we got to Kilcar. We started at the Rusty Mackerel at Teelin running north as far as Carrick and then running south along the other side of the bay. I think there might have been an opportunity to cross the river earlier (before Carrick) but we weren’t confident about that.

The view across to Teelin pier from other side of bay 

Making sure we're going the right way.

It usually takes Sean a while to get going in the mornings and as Helen and I powered on (and Neill sprinted miles ahead) we somehow ‘lost’ Sean not long after we left Carrick. (Oh and we lost him yesterday too!) As Helen recited later ‘he took the high road and we took the low road’. I eventually was reunited with Sean at Kilcar just before the Gaelic pitches (home to the McHughs and McBreartys). I should mention that when we got to the main street in Kilcar, we made a sharp right turn to stay by the coast. 

Saying goodbye to Helen with Donegal flag.

And so, we said goodbye to Helen and Neill who made their way back to Teelin. Meanwhile Sean and I then tackled the steep coastal road. At the top we had perfect views back to Sleeve League and ahead to St. Johns Point.

At Tra Bhan and Muckross Head

Another German couple from Stuttgart

Sean and I decided then to run out the 2k country road to Muckross Point. At the point there were some rock climbers and we met two more German people, this time from Stuttgart.
On the way back from Muckross Point we saw a sign ‘Memory Lane’ outside a house. The sign said, ‘Call in for the craic’ and so we did! At the back of the house there was a lovely little tearoom with a half door. A young lady called Laura greeted us. 

Back to school!

With Laura at Memory Lane

Laura's grandfather's cart - over 500 years old!

The small tearoom had beautiful little ornaments, an old school desk and a lovely fireplace. Over the fireplace was a picture of an elderly lady. Laura explained that this was her grandmother, Annie Murphy who died recently. It was her grandmother’s dream to have a little tearoom to welcome visitors. Sean and I enjoyed our tea and fruit cake. It was the perfect place to stop as we were more than half-way into today’s run.

Looking down on Pier near Rualach

Are we there yet?

We were still able to continue along the quiet country road for another few miles but eventually we did have to come out onto the main road. Still the road sign said only 7km to Killybegs. We had to be careful along this busy, windy road. Also, the rain started but this didn’t deter Sean who was now getting his second wind! Strava recorded kilometre no. 80 and 82 (of a total of 85k over the weekend) as the fastest two at 4.48 and 4.46 mins per km. As we were making our way down to the harbour to finish today’s run these song words song were going through my head ‘the boys of Killybegs are rolling home’. And so we were … the adventure continues in south Donegal at the end of August.  

The boys of Killybegs are home!

     

Total distance to date: 1,411k (882miles)

Next Stages: Killybegs to Dunkineely (via St. John’s Point) and Dunkineely to Donegal Town – weekend of 24-26 August 2019

Contact Gerry on gerryoboyle@outlook.com or 00 44 (0) 7725613308