The Gift of the blarney

Thought it wise to get an early night and good sleep ahead of the 2 marathon days … plan was working well until ‘Im and ‘Er decided to have their domestic out in the street. Perhaps it was some form of urban realism theatre but at 2:30 am onwards it was not much appreciated. It appeared to be a play in 3 parts, each mercifully shorter than the other with the whole performance clocking in at just under 30 mins. Not sure how familiar the protagonists were with the works of Joyce, Wilde, Yeats, Shaw … their source of inspiration seemed to be Malcolm Tucker.

Up and out early and the weather was again blessed. Regrettably the walking terrain was back to hard roads and pebbled forest tracks but the scenery was probably the best yet.

The mountains in the distance (although I got up close and personal with them later) are the wonderfully named Knockmealdown mountains. Brilliant. I also passed through Fourmilewater which I thought they could abb. to 4MH2O.

As well as the terrain and the 26 miles it was also reversion to type with a move from the flat back to 3000+ feet of ascent.

One of the quirks of these trips is the variety of places you stay in: last night was a Mediterranean restaurant with rooms, before that a sort of hostel, then farm house, then pub, then traditional B&B, then luxury hotel (only choice!)… tonight’s place is near a dilapidated castle  and has one of these

And also

As you do.

MOTD1: East Munster Way now added to S Leinster and Wicklow … onto Blackwater Way tomorrow

MOTD2: officially (just) over halfway

MOTD3: into 7th County (Waterford)

stroll ?on