Day 1 Monday Sept. 8th - The Flaggy Shore

A number of us who arrived early to Ballyvaughan got our car-locked legs into action with a lovely 5 km walk in glorious sunshine along the Flaggy shore led by Geraldine Boland. Geraldine showed us the place between the lake and the sea where Seamus Heaney wrote his poem The Flaggy shore. Like all good children we were rewarded with a treat of artisan ice-cream and then made our way to a Martello tower. Then we returned for a hearty meal to Logues Lodge, Ballyvaughan, where we were staying. After our meal we had a most interesting illustrated talk from Emma Glanville, a Burren National Park ranger about the Burren's famous rare plants. This helped us on our walks to try and identify the various plant life.

And some time make the time to drive out west
Into County Clare, along the Flaggy Shore,
In September or October, when the wind
And the light are working off each other
So that the ocean on one side is wild
With foam and glitter, and inland among stones
The surface of a slate-grey lake is lit
By the earthed lightening of flock of swans,
Their feathers roughed and ruffling, white on white,
Their fully-grown headstrong-looking heads
Tucked or cresting or busy underwater.
Useless to think you'll park or capture it
More thoroughly. You are neither here nor there,
A hurry through which known and strange things pass
As big soft buffetings come at the car sideways
And catch the heart off guard and blow it open.

Seamus Heaney - The Flaggy Shore

Day 2 Tuesday Sept. 9th.

We all collected our packed lunches and set off for our B and C walks starting at Fanore cottages on a loop back to Ballyvaughan via Black Head. The B walk was 17km and a climb of 250m. The C walk was 11.5km and a climb of 200m. Again the walk was in beautiful weather and when we emerged from the wooded area the walk opened into stunning scenery.

Day 3 Wednesday Sept. 10th.

We were able to set off in exceptionally good weather for The Cliffs of Moher. Mary, our very obliging driver brought us to our starting point close to The Hags Head where we had tea and freshly baked scones BEFORE we took a step!!! This coastal walk was extremely well laid out and due to good weather was quite busy .. but we did see the cliffs at their best and not through a haze of mist!! Our lunch stop was at the interpretative centre where we were like children on a school tour at the photo opportunity option. We continued our coastal walk to Fisher Street in Doolin where we had refreshments at O'Connors. 13 km.

Day 4 Thursday Sept. 11th

It was hard to think we could better the walks we had already done but today's walk to Mullaghmore was outstanding. The B walk was 9.5 km and a climb of 250 m and the C walk was 7 km and 200 m. This walk was in the heart of the Burren. We picked our way through the Burren stones again in great weather, but the lunar-like vista peaked as we came over a hill at Slieve Roe.

Here we stopped and had our lunch in such an amazing peaceful and tranquil setting. Awesome. Our wonderful talk from Emma helped us be aware of the clints (fissures) ..... as we hopped over them and thankfully avoided any injuries in the grykes (crevices) .... We also took notice of the Burren flowers that eked out their existence through the rocks. We also saw lots of fossils and wondered at the history of this amazing landscape.

Botanically, the Burren is one of the most fascinating regions in Western Europe. Among the many varied and beautiful flowers which have come to symbolise the Burren are spring gentian, mountain avens, shrubby cinquefoil and bloody cranesbill and, on the higher terraces, the hoary rock rose. These can all be found in the park flowering in the spring and summer months. Many orchid species flourish here also, twenty-three of Ireland's twenty-seven orchid species can be found in the Park.

http://www.burrennationalpark.ie/Flora.html

Day 5 Friday Sept. 12th.

Today we set off on a more leisurely walk (B walk 14.5 km and climb 300 m and C walk 10.5 km and 300 m climb) to Fanore via the Burren Way and again our 5th day of wonderful weather and finished in O'Donoghue's pub ... where there was dancing from 4-7!! And it was busy ... another world. Some wandered to a really good coffee shop and visited the poet and philosopher John O'Donoghue's (from Anam Cara fame) grave and could appreciate from the locality the source of much of his poetry. We returned to Logues Lodge where we were treated so well all week ... but all was not finished yet!!! A group of us finished our fantastic Burren experience in Lisdoonvarna at the Matchmakers festival. This was another "experience" ... but what goes on tour stays on tour ... great fun.

As you can see this was a fantastic 5 days walking in the Burren but it was so well organised by Noreen and Terry O'Brien, Geraldine Boland and very ably assisted by Noel O'Reilly and Micheal Cotter. We really got the feeling of the wonder of this amazing landscape. A great and most enjoyable experience and a Big Thank you to all the organisers.

Concerning the Circle and Spiral

The Celtic mind was never drawn to the single line; it avoided ways of seeing that seek satisfaction in certainty. The Celtic mind had a wonderful respect for the mystery of the circle and the spiral. The circle is one of the oldest and most powerful symbols. The world is a circle; the sun and moon are too. Even time itself has a circular nature; the day and the year build to a circle. At its most intimate level so is the life of each individual. The circle never gives itself completely to the eye or to the mind but offers a trusting hospitality to that which is complex and mysterious; it embraces depth and height together.

From "Anam Cara: The Book of Celtic Wisdom"