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iven that it looked like being our first proper spring Saturday in quite a while, Max and I decided April 16th, 2016 was the perfect day to go on one of our Dirty Big Walks…
Heading up through Kenmare, on up through The Dromont Ditch, cutting a slice off the Kindlestown Woods before hitting the tradesman’s entrance into Bellevue Woods, swinging by the Octagon and cutting off again before the car park, to hit Barry’s Bridge.
Just over the halfway mark now, we then on up through Blackberry Lane, down the The Blind Lane, through The Glebe, past Killincarrig, Castle Villas and then home again, home again, jiggity jig.
Naturally, that beautiful early morning sun didn’t last. By the time we hit the Octagon ruin, there were hailstones. Hailstones! Thankfully, although they tried their darndest for hour or so, spitting feathers in the hope of starting a real storm, the hailstones didn’t stick around, or on the ground.
In Greystones, we pretty much live in a wonky washing machine, as the weather jumps randomly from dry, to wash, to spin, to rinse, and, occasionally, white suds all over the floor.
Still, it turned out to be a beautiful walk. Despite the hailstones. And the litter. And the fact that some Scumbagus Maximus Fuckus Twatius had partied hard in the old Octagon ruin last night, leaving fairy lights a-glowing and bottles, cans, popper capsules and empty cigarette packets a-flowing. Also cruising for a bruising is the WCC idiot who designed the pedestrian walkway that runs parallel to the N11, taking you between Barry’s Bridge flyover and the Blackberry Lane entrance. The latter end of this ugly, noisy walkway is a death-trap, a mud rink just waiting for a Teresa Wall to happen.
Still, in truth, nothing could really dampen such a walk on such a day. Hopefully, we’ll see you up there sometime. Bring snacks. And a helmet.
2 comments
Quote “Will have to find out what purpose this served for the rich folk…”
This used to be The Turkish Tent. That stretch of path leading towards The Octagon was known as Turkish Road back in the La Touche days.
Quote “Again, will have to check what this old building was originally for…”
This used to be the Bradshaw Cottage,the home of the famous golfing Bradshaws. In the early 70’s, when the OPW turned the Glen O’Downs into a nature reserve, the cottage was converted into a rain shelter with picnic area. But the rain shelter has been destroyed by constant vandalism, and the 4 walls is all that’s left now.
Thanks for that, young Michael…