A high pressure system has moved in and we were in for the best weather yet, full sun all day long with virtually no cloud and not much wind. This was quite a change for us, and, the temperature got up to 19C, which is unreal.
The fine weather brought out a lot of walkers, so much so, that the parking lot was quite full. We had to take curvy, single track roads to get to the trailhead. There is nothing remote about trailheads in Ireland, as there was a farm there, with 2 Euro for parking, a tea room and a campsite.
There are several routes up Carrauntoohil, and we decided to take the shortest and busiest route, up the Devil’s Ladder. The Devil’s Ladder is a very steep climb with loose rock and a lot of erosion. It was a bit of a trial to ascend due to the boulders and loose scree, as well as water pouring down the rocks. In some areas you have to scramble with your hands.
There is a rocky path prior to reaching the Devil’s Ladder, so this made for a longer walk than we have been accustomed to in the Irish mountains. It took us about an hour and a half to reach the top of the Devil’s Ladder, then we had to take a steep climb up to the summit of Carrauntoohil, which took about 45 minutes.
You have to be a bit pig-headed to hike well and to be able to enjoy it. Clearly, some people hate it and it is a slog for them. We just decide we are getting to the summit and we don’t care what we have to endure to get there. We never take any rest breaks until we reach the top, and as we get in shape, we just keep hiking faster. However, today we could never get up enough speed to make it taxing with regard to cardio, because it was steep and the footing was marignal.
It was busy at the summit, and we have been spoiled by having mountains to ourselves recently. However, the 360 degree views in full sun were spectacular. I asked an older guy if he was local and he said not really as he lives in Wicklow. I then asked him to point out the geography and then I got great suggestions on what not to miss in the area.
Then we talked to two young Irish guys who were not local either, they offered to take our photo and we discussed how beautiful Ireland is, and they also gave us suggestions of what to see. The Irish are very forthcoming with information if you ask. There seemed to be a lot of people from elsewhere in Ireland and some foreigners as well.
We spent about 45 minutes on the summit and truly appreciated our tea, and then we had to make our descent. We figured that going down the Devil’s Ladder would be horrid, but it went really well, likely because we use hiking poles and because it is easier to pick out a route when looking down. Also, there were fewer people on the trail. People are hilarious, as we are all like sheep and will follow the people in front of us, up or down a trail.
Our Destination, the Steep One
Views from the Summit
Devil's Ladder
View from Devil's Ladder
We got back to the car around 4:00 pm, so the walk took us about five hours, including our summit break. We decided to drive back to Kenmare through the Gap of Dunloe and through the Black Valley. The Gap of Dunloe is a tourist attraction, as it is a very narrow and twisty road through a really cool gap in the mountains. What happens, is that locals hitch a wagon to a horse and take tourists on a ride down the road, these are known as ‘jaunting cars.’ Luckily, it was late enough in the day so that the horse people were not operating, but the tourists were walking on the road, and for some reason, they are loathe to get out of the way, they are crazy.
It was quite the road to negotiate due to the walking people and oncoming cars, as there is only room for one car, so other cars have to move over or back up into passing places. We stopped a few times to take photos, and then stopped at the very top of the road at the far end, where few people venture.
There was a guy there who was riding a Honda sports bike, so I asked him how his ride went. He said the road had too sharp of turns to make it a good ride, I said well at least you are not riding a ‘Hog’ and he burst out laughing. He is from Co. Clare and was down for a ride, we discussed places to see in Ireland, so we will be sure to go through the Conor Pass on the Dingle Peninsula in the days ahead.
Our drive through the Black Valley took forever, as it is a single track road with some really twisty sections. When we finally reached Kenmare it was close to 6:00 pm so we rushed into the town centre to find a butcher. We asked people on the street where to find the butcher, as there are a few, so we raced to one of the butcher shops and the butcher had most of his meat put away, but they are all about service. He cut up beef and ground it for us and we bought some other stuff and talked about meat. We are absolutely in love with Irish butchers.
Gap of Dunloe
The History of Ireland Continues....
In Northern Ireland, sectarian rioting in 1922 which left hundreds dead, mainly Catholics, had finally ceased. Both Northern Ireland and the Irish Free State arose amid bloodshed. The government structures of the two Irelands were similar. However, the IRA wanted to destroy the state of Northern Ireland. The Ulster Voluntary Force (UVF) was raised again in the 1920s and incorporated into a new paramilitary force to fight the IRA.
Life for Catholics in Northern Ireland was fairly abysmal as they were essentially excluded from power, 50% of the Unionist members held government office, while the Nationalist members of parliament were ignored or treated with contempt. Education was split into well-funded Protestant schools and poorly funded Catholic schools.
The Free State of Ireland received a Constitution in 1937 which was ratified by the electorate. Ireland was basically a republic in all but name. After gaining control of her ports from the British a year later, Ireland was a sovereign nation.
During WWII, Ireland remained neutral as she could not declare with the British while retaining her sense of sovereignty. However, Ireland was an important source of recruits, labour and food for Britain during the war. Many Irish went to Britain for work during the war and post WWII, emigration to Britain remained high, as the Irish economy was lethargic, and there was little increase in manufacturing.
The 1960s was a much better decade for the Republic, they achieved economic growth and emigration levels finally dropped. Another important development was the granting of free secondary education to all, which dramatically improved the level of education.
In 1949, Ireland withdrew from the Commonwealth and declared a republic. The IRA was active in the 1950s, they wanted to end partition and would do so with violence. To that end, the IRA raided British army bases to gather weapons.
The Northern Ireland Catholic minority was indifferent to the IRA, as they were benefiting from the British welfare state. The economy of Northern Ireland was modernizing, but they did not give any consideration to the political situation. Political reform was necessary, as society was deeply divided and sectarian; however, the issue was not addressed, and this would have important ramifications for Northern Ireland.
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