a track and a ride

After the visit to Mizen Head and Drombeg, I wanted to get the bike out for a ride as I had to return it the next day. So Peter headed to the Corlea Trackway, and I headed to the Ardmore Cliff Walk in the opposite direction. Peter made it. I didn’t. It began to rain shortly after I left the house – no big deal. But then the rain began to mean it and traffic started to get busy and stupid and it just didn’t feel good. So I turned around and rambled around the back roads, exploring the rural area for about 2.5 hours with my gopro camera running. I'd like to say I have footage for you, but frankly I don't have the patience for video editing and might as well sell that damn thing.

Peter did make it to the Corlea Trackway. I had found this online a day or two before and it sounded interesting.  The Corlea Trackway is an Iron Age “togher” built around 148BC.  Constructed mainly of oak, it was found perfectly preserved in the bog up in Longford County. According to the Heritage Ireland site, it is believed to be a very important route, it may have been a highway connecting the ritual centre of Ireland at the hill of Uisneach and the royal site of Rathcroghan.  Eighteen meters of the trackway has been preserved and displayed in the visitor centre for us to marvel over.  There is much speculation over why the roadway was built and it’s worth a visit to contemplate them and make your own decision.

Clearly not being saturated with castles yet, Peter also visited Nenagh Castle. A crenellated tower remains, but the castle itself is pretty much in ruins. It was built around 1200 in the latter part of the Anglo-Norman invasion and served military, residential, and administrative purposes. It was burned out by Irish rebels in 1548 and bounced between hands before being abandoned after the Williamite wars.

I arrived back home before noon and began to do laundry and clean house a bit. Barry – the son of our house-swap couple – stopped by to pick up some mail and I convinced him to stop for tea and help me eat the lemon tart left behind from the previous weekend’s moto women meet. He obliged me and we had a great visit before he carried on and I got back to my clear-up activities.

It was a good day and I enjoyed the ride around the area very much, giving me time to relax and reflect. I can’t believe the time has gone by so fast!  Only a couple of days remain and I still have stories to catch up on!