Spring 2023

Queen Maeve’s Cairn then Glencar Waterfall - 13 May 2023

13 May 2023 - Queen Maeve’s Cairn/Glencar Waterfall in County Leitrim

Sunset was pleasant last night - but not brilliant like we have at home sometimes!

We’ve now caught up with Race Across the World - or Canada! Daily Mail seems to think it was a fix that Trudie and Cathie won. There must be so much footage we don’t see - and anyway - it’s a good way to get a general idea of Canada looks like!

We were up and at it earlier today. As it was still sunny weather, decided we’d drive to Queen Maeve’s Cairn which is in the Knocknarea Mountain area.

On the way, saw loads of walkers, and hoped they weren’t going to the same place as us! Quick Google said it was a 60th anniversary Sligo walk of 30km for anyone connected to ESB (an energy company) - and no - different route!

Our walk was a 6km looped mountain trail. Surface wasn’t as easy as last walk up a big hill!

Such beautiful little calves on the way 😊

Everywhere we’ve been in Ireland - there have been good information boards, generally well maintained too.

So, the top of Knocknarea Mountain seems to have been a major place of ritual and meeting in the Neolithic era. Its name suggests that it was built for Maeve, the Iron Age queen of Connacht.

It was windy at the top, with the expected beautiful vistas in all directions. Was only about 200m climb, but we both felt it more than the other day, maybe climbed higher, faster? Anyway - the walk was graded as ‘strenuous’ - for those with a high level of fitness. Shame we didn’t read that until afterwards!

From the top of the mountain we could see Strandhill Beach, which is a National Surf Centre - the waves were impressive, so wanted a closer look.

According to my Merlin app, amongst others we know, we heard willow warbler, gold crest, coal tit and cuckoo - but way up in the trees…

Were out and about walking for about 2-1/2 hours or so.

I never expected the descent to be as it was! Such a long route through the trees, all with strongly built planks of hard wood, each with knobbly surfaces.

Tintin was pleased to get back to Dave for some lunch - his hips let him know that we’d already done more than 10,000 uneven steps! Definitely a good choice of what to do today 😊

The roads were narrow getting to the main road, lucky we didn’t meet any other traffic!

In County Sligo, there are so many people flying flags, a quick Google as I couldn’t get a photo of a flag flying straight - there are quite a few versions.

We get the feeling that motorhomes are not welcome in Sligo. There was nowhere to park to see the waves, the public car park had a 2.2m height barrier, and big signs saying we weren’t welcome. It feels like discrimination! However, we understand they don’t want the traveller communities setting up home…

We then drove through Sligo, a very average experience on a busy Saturday afternoon, in order to park up at Rosses Point near the lifeboat slip. Ha, not enough space, and really on too much of a slope to sleep overnight!

The vehicle lane is about the same size as the cycle lane, Dave takes it all!

By now, Tintin had been driving on and off for about 2 hours - it was another 30 minutes (back through the really rubbish roads in Sligo) until we arrived at plan C in County Leitrim - the Glencar Waterfalls. What a lovely unexpected find. Space in the car park, even a Mr Whippy van who was doing brisk business - €5 for two 99 specials! The people in front of us in the queue were apologizing for their Englishas they from Ukraine and Mr Whippy man said Ireland has a whole country of people who can’t even speak their own language, referring to most Irish people speaking English rather than Gaelic!

We waited until lots of the crowds had gone, and went to have a look. Lovely 😊 - helped by recent rainfall - not quite Niagara or Victoria, but better than Aasleagh falls the other day!