Cantering through Kerry

Tuesday May 28th dawned wet and miserable, but happily it had cleared up a bit by the time Zorbee and I had set off along a quiet lane over the forested hills to Castleisland.  But what were these extraordinary Triffid like plants on the side of the road? ..........

 

We arrived a bit tired and damp at Mary Bradley's well run Eagle Lodge Equestrian Centre at Gortalea.........  

 

............where the horses were again accommodated in comfortable stables on a rainy night.

Mary seeing us off on Wednesday morning. I did not always manage to get photos of everyone who put us up as we had generally left by the time people appeared on the yard in the morning!

 And here the horses are on the west coast, having a picnic by the sea at Derrymore before Zorbee and I set off along the beach on the north coast of the Dingle Peninsula.......

After days tramping boringly along tarmac roads, it was a real treat to be able to trot and canter all the way along the beach for miles from Derrymore to Castlegregory. .................

 

and in VIDEO 

Zorbee perked up no end, and we made excellent progress.   We were able to reach Kilshannig on the peninsula to the north of Castle Gregory, where the horses were provided with a large grassy field at O Connor's Trekking Centre.

The next morning Zorbee and I tackled the beach on the other side of the peninsula, where the Atlantic breakers were crashing on the shore.  I managed to find a lone walker to take the photo below, and you can see I have eventually persuaded Zorbee to get his feet wet - by the end he was splashing relatively confidently through the small waves!

Up through the mist and over the Connor Pass to Dingle..........

By the time large vehicles reach this sign it is usually too late!.......

 

The panorama down to Dingle on the other side..................

 

It was a few more hours to sea in the distance and along the coast to Ventry, where John Patrick gave the horses a field at Long's Riding Centre . 

 

 

Corks out in Cork.

 

We left Cahir early on Saturday 25th May, and I was able to take Dallam on a short cut via a bridge over the River Suir unfortunately but not descriptively pronounced as sewer - you can just see us in the photo....

 

This led to the local attraction the Swiss Cottage - an example of an ornamental cottage, probably designed by Nash.  Unfortunately it was so early that the only glimpse we had of it was through the bars of a locked gate!

 

After a quiet ride along some quiet and scenic small lanes, we rode from Tipperary into Limerick ......

 

......but there was hardly time for a quick rhyme before we came at a walk to County Cork  - three counties in a day!

 

 

A dreadful scene of scarecrow murder? .........

 

..........the most likely suspect apparently plays rugby for Munster scarecrows...... 

 In Mitchelstown we were luxuriously hosted by Patrick and Miriam Mulcahy in their beautiful Ballinwhillin House.  -    Video    very much recommended if you are holidaying in County Cork.
The deer were unceremoniously evicted from the field in front of the house to make way for their equine guests, who were soon head down and tucking into Irish grass......

 

.......while Julia and I were lavishly entertained when we joined a lively Book Club group from Dublin who were staying for the weekend.  

Patrick was delighted to find I had turned up on a Hungarian horse, as to my surprise it turned out that he owns a vineyard in Hungary, and the evening started in the wine cellar with a tasting of the delicious Hungarian wines he produces there - in Hungary that is!  Below is Patrick  extolling the virtues of his latest white - an extremely serious matter judging by the dour faces....

 

 

This was followed by a seven course meal in the splendid dining room including home reared venison and pork, and a few more corks came out of bottles as the Hungarian wine continued to flow.  I meant to take a photo, but was enjoying myself so much it completely slipped my mind.

Video of Patrick cooking venison just like we ate 

 

Next day it was a long trudge to our next stopover near Kanturk, but an eagerly anticipated break en route was the essential visit to the historic church in Doneraile.  The steeple on this church was the destination for the first recorded steeplechase ever run.  This was in 1752 when Mr Blake challenged his neighbour Mr O’Callaghan to race cross country from Buttevant church to Doneraile Church.  Here are Zorbee and me in front of said church, which appears to have mislaid its steeple in the intervening 250 years.

A passing Irishman was very keen to tell us that the race was actually resurrected last year, although they were unable to race right up to the church due to the golf course which now lies behind.
See http://www.p2p.ie/news.php?news_id=11324

That evening Danny Dulohery and Michelle Fitzmaurice of Kilguilkey House provided large loose boxes for the horses in a huge former cattle shed - we were able to drive the lorry right inside.   Just as well as it poured down all night, but we were all snug under cover, together with a couple of pigs and calves.....

 

 Yet another dreadful scene, this time of porcine massacre? - Cork seems a very violent county .................

....actually a stash of model farmyard animals presumably used as embellishment for the cross country jumps that Danny produces on site.

 

Riding through the Cork countryside near Kanturk the following day, Monday May 26th.

 

 

Yet more Irish hospitality - Shaun (think I have the name right) who invited Julia and me in for a welcome cup of tea - with daughters Ellen on left, and another Megan in the middle!

 

 Part of the day was along the busy road between Kanturk and Newmarket, but in the late afternoon as rain began to threaten again, we followed this quiet little lane heading west.

 

 And here is local farmer Ger O'Leary (who kindly took the horses into his stables that evening) posing outside his house in front of an Irish rainbow.  Heidi the dog was of the lick you to death variety, and she took it upon herself to sit outside the lorry all night to guard us, no doubt tongue at the ready to assault any unwary intruder.

It's a Long Way to..............

......... you've guessed it, Tipperary, where the horses are currently staying at the Cahir Equestrian Centre.

But before leaving Kilkenny we boxed a refreshed Zorbee back to Mullinavat and I rode over the hill back to Lorraine's, meeting Julia en route for a photo session by the nearby falls - Julia's turn to pose.....

Kilkenny countryside ....

......followed by an evening preprandial by the dung heap with Lorraine and sidekick Wallace the chocolate Labrador ...............

To be fair, in the other direction there was a stunning view of the Comeragh mountains.
Lorraine looked after us like royalty for the two nights we imposed ourselves on her due to Zorbee's squits - a huge grassy field for the horses, showers and pizza supper for us.

The team (almost) ready for off the next morning - right to left a studious Julia still deep in her thesis, Lili, Lorraine, an irrepressible Wallace and an impatient Zorbee.

Next stop was Clonmel in Tipperary, where yet another enormous grassy field awaited at Daverne's Equestrian Centre - courtesy of Mark Daverne (Thanks Mark, and also to Trevor English who sorted it out when he was unable to accommodate us due to coughing ponies at his yard).   With all this rich grass, Lili is rapidly getting fatter so I will have to watch her weight - in these circumstances small ponies are susceptible to a condition called laminitis which causes inflammation and pain in the hooves.
Clonmel is also the home of Magners/Bulmers cider, so it was imperative that we sampled the local offering......

Highly recommended is the Apple and Rhubarb cider, to be drunk on ice - delicious!

Today it was a short ride to the Equestrian Centre at Cahir owned by Fiona Hyland.  While the horses relaxed this afternoon in a safe little paddock (thankfully not too much grass for Lili!) Julia and I had a jaunt into town.  Unfortunately not enough time to go round the impressive looking castle, but there was plenty else to amuse us ...

Sign outside the Cahir pub 'Mary Condon'.  Is the Guiness really that lethal here?

Burial spot - on the main street !!  - of warhorse Crimean Bob.

Cwtching up to the blind piper of Cahir

....explanatory sign.......

.....and another suitably in braile....!  Think I have it the right way up.

Wexford and Kilkenny

Took the overnight ferry over to Ireland early in the morning of Friday May 17th. Friend Julia Harper is along to drive, and I have also brought my little Section B mare Cwrtycadno Lili Wen Fach (Lili for short) along as company for Zorbee.  Besides cabin with ensuite shower, the freight passage included a full breakfast in the truckers canteen with the other lorry drivers, all of whom were considerably more burly than Julia and me!   

Obligatory photo with rather woolly Zorbee overlooking Rosslare harbour before setting off to Ballyhealy near Kilmore Quay. The ferry we came over on is in the background.

Then an amazing ride between sanddunes, sea and bird festooned lagoon on the stunning coastline en route.  It seems to be a popular place to exercise sport horses - for a while I joined up with the chatty Jimmy who was excercising a very fit looking eventer - I circumspectly continued to plod quietly along when he cantered off over the horizon.
 

That evening the horses were happily esconsed in an abandoned grassy outdoor school at Ballyhealy house courtesy of Betty Maher-Caulfield, who was away in Central Asia, while Julia and me ventured out to the little fishing harbour of Kilmore Quay and treated ourselves to a delicious fishy meal at the Silver Fox seafood restaurant.

Next day dawned cool and breezy, and we had an uneventful tramp through Wexford lanes to our next stop at Horetown House, where David Young runs a very neat and organised riding and polocrosse centre.
Thank you David for providing the horses with a huge grassy field for the night.

 The main house shown above was sold on by his family and is now run as a boutique Irish country house hotel, where Julia and I settled ourselves in front of the fire in the basement bar for Irish drinks that evening..........

Julia looks rather glum but is in fact deep in concentration preparing for the viva for her PhD thesis at the beginning of June! 

Happily the sign below is not at all typical of  Irish hospitality, which has been overwhelming.

En route to New Ross the next day I was invited in for coffee and biscuits by the delightful Moira Molloy, shown below in front of her pretty cottage.  The feet belong to camera shy Stephen Kinsella who patiently held Zorbee for me while I was entertained inside.

At the Oldcourt Stables we had an Irish welcome from Paddy Kent, a great character with the gift of the gab whose family are descended from Viking immigrants and have lived in the area for generations.  Zorbee and Lili had stables while we had the use of the holiday cottage, and Paddy whisked us off to see the 'Kennedy house' where American President John Kennedy's great grandfather was born - here is Julia in front of the house, which is not the substantial building in the background, but the little tin-roofed shed to the left!

The plaque below commemorates the occasion on 27th June 1963 when JFK returned to his roots in New Ross - sadly we will miss the celebrations next month for the the fiftieth anniversary of the visit.

 Julia and I ticked off another unmissable tourist attraction when we did the tour of the 'Famine Ship' on the New Ross quayside - a replica of the Dunbrody which was one of many ships carrying thousands of Irish immigrants fleeing the Irish potato famine to Canada and America in the mid 1800s.  The fever ridden passengers suffered appallingly in the cramped quarters below decks in spite of the ministrations of the captain - Welshman John Williams who apparently did his best to ease their situation.  Many thousands of Irish migrants died both during and after these voyages as unscrupulous shipping agencies crowded impoverished passengers on board.

A Welshwoman at the wheel this time.

The ever effervescent Paddy Kent with Julia, and David who helps out during his spare time from a bank job - I don't mean in the criminal sense.

Curious cattle en route to Mullinavat from New Ross on Monday - Mullinavat is behind the hill in the distance.

 Julia managed to find a lovely field by a river for the horses in Mullinavat for the night, but unfortunately yesterday morning I found Zorbee scouring badly - no doubt the side effect of a worm dose I had administered the evening before.  He was rather down in the mouth, so we decided to take a day off and box him on to our next stop with Lorraine Scott of the Whitechurch Stables near Carrick on Suir where the facilities are more suitable - we will box him back to Mullinavat when he is OK.
So here we are in Carrick on Suir - and while Zorbee is recovering in a large grassy field, Julia and I have taken the chance to do some sightseeing....... Suir is rather unfortunately pronounced Sewer, though happily it most certainly does not live down to its name!

 Julia on the fifteenth century bridge in Carrick - she is the pimple to the right of the lamp-post.  This was also the scene of a terrible accident in 1799 when a barge crashed into the bridge during a heavy flood and over a hundred  people, mainly women and children, were drowned.
 

And below in front of the beautifully restored Ormond Castle - a stunning example of an Elizabethan manor house, attached to the ruins of an older castle at the back - it looks rather forbidding and bleak here, but was in fact must have been an imposing but cosy home - the rooms were lovely.  

Caught in passing.......

Ireland Here We Come!

On Monday I set out on the three day ride from home to Fishguard to catch the ferry to Ireland.  This is because I intend to continue west and ride right across Eire to the westernmost mainland point of Britain at Slea Head on the Dingle peninsula.

Here we are preparing to set out on the second day from the  Cross Foxes Stud where Zorbee  had very comfortable overnight hospitality courtesy of Davinia, Ben and David Bethell - he is still looking wistfully towards the stables.   
Behind is the lorry, which we will be taking with us to transport the horses home etc and for accommodation. Friend Julia will be the trusty driver - you can just see her scooting across in the background of the photo.
My wet weather gear was a necessity for the damp day that followed, and even more so the next day when I crossed the Preseli mountains.  The weather forecast had promised improving conditions, but this did not appear to apply to the Preselis, and I fought my way over the bleak moorland against violent wind and driving rain - I could barely stand in places and it was without doubt the worst weather I have encountered the whole way across Eurasia!
It was thrilling to pass within yards of the famous Bluestones of Carn Menyn, which reared up eerie and primeval in the low cloud - they are thought to be the source of the bluestones of Stonehenge many miles away.  It was impossible to even think about taking a photo as I struggled through the gale and wet, but here is what they look like in calmer times!.......

Long experience of negotiating Welsh bogs over the years enabled me to pick my way through the wet patches on the top without mishap, but it was only when I got down the other side that the sun appeared, and by the time I reached Fishguard it was positively balmy.

Arriving on the seafront with Zorbee on a lead.........

 

Fishguard harbour ........... Ireland here we come!!

Jamming With Jools

Watch out for daughter Iona backing Laura Mvula on Later Live with Jools Holland on Tuesday evening 9th April.  http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01ry2h4   She just happened to mention it in passing as is her wont.  There is an extended version on Friday evening April 12th.  Life is all go for her at the moment, and after flying back from a music festival in Texas, rehearsing all week, driving up to a personal gig in Scotland and rolling in at 5am to spend Easter Sunday with the family, she has been performing in Holland with the band.   Among other things they are booked in for the Isle of Wight festival, and Glastonbury on the famous Pyramid Stage, same as the Rolling Stones!

By comparison, my star billing at the Feathers Inn in Aberaeron giving a slide show talk about the Long Horse Ride to the Ceredigion Bridleways Group last Thursday rather pales into insignificance.   However I am making a serious foray into the realms of journalism by writing my first remunerated article for a magazine in China. The commercial side of my was galvanised into life when they stated they wanted 3000 words by the end of next week. No way Jose unless the renminbi are on the table. Onwards and upwards.

Stop Press on Wednesday: Link below to Later Live with Jools Holland episode I, featuring Iona and legs with Laura.  I think only available for a week so hurry hurry hurry if you want to see it.
Green Garden at 4.55 minutes in, and closing programme at 26.15 when Iona gets to plink her harp.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01ry2h4/Later_Live_with_Jools_Holland_Series_42_Episode_1/