Royal Canal - For Another Day

Here is a map of it however. The original plan was to loop back from Abbeyshrule to Leixlip. Bit messy trying to get from Shannon Harbour to Abbeyshrule in one day as both those villages are isolated. A chimney sweep actually gave me a lift from Shannon Harbour to Cloghan where I got a bus to Athlone. I met him at Nicola's place. Sob.

The National Transport Authority just released a new app/web site that is 10/10 for usefullness as it connects ALL modes of transport when trying to get from A to B. By the by I took an inter city bus back to Dublin from Athlone which stops near Lucan, couldn't have been more comfortable, massive leg room. €12 ow. Far cry from the old buses.

Irish Ballads - I smell a rat

I joined in with the locals from Sallins on Saturday as they sang ' The Boys of Sallins' at the end of the night. A typical Irish ballad about killing Englishmen and saving the land. A good night was had by all and a visit to the chipper next door topped it off.

Then when I was in a pub in Edenderry they had a song called 'The Boys of Edenderry' with the same words although the last line was 'And we marched as victors back to Edenderry' rather than Sallins. Hmm. I said nothing though. They looked rather a rough lot and had funny accents.

However when 'The Boys of Tullamore' kicked off the next night and it was the same song and air I started to smell a rat. As it happens it was only my hiking socks but you know what I mean. I put it to a local historian who went by the name of Houlihane. He said that those bastards from Edenderry and Sallins had robbed their ballad but I shouldn't be surprised given that they were all a shower of feckers etc etc. With that half the pub headed off with pikes and hooks and the like in the direction of Edenderry. You may have read about it in the papers.

Despite the fracas i wasn't sorry that I raised the issue. After all, the only thing that separates us from the animals is our sense of dignity (and perhaps the fact that we floss a bit more, excepting certain chimps).

Overall

1. Crunchies cost €1.15. Wow.

2. Easy to walk, good trail, flat as, certain degree of sameness.

3. No other backpacker spotted, disappointing.

4. I would have a couple of mild comments that Waterways Ireland might consider. Firstly, very few, arguably, no seats on the routes. Secondly, no accomodation info at road/lock intersections. Thirdly , do they not know about the popularity of looped walks in Europe, never mind the average spend of walkers. Fourthly, these bogs, our bogs, are unique and wonderful, tell the World. Bog heritage centre on route, let them cut turf with those great tools. Cue some great Con Houlihane articles.

5. Use of canals by boaters way down, per locals at key spots. Not good. Some imagination and energy needed.

6.15 years to get through Bog of Allen back in the day.

7. Logistics of digging the canal, what engineering endurance, no diggers in those days.

8. Sallins, too many takeaways, two very decent restaurants facing canal though, in my opinion, Lock 13, with its unique fish and chips, and smaller,though excellent, Canal Lock.

9. Robertstown: Could do better.

10. Allenstown: As above.

11. Edenderry: As above.Disadvantged by 1.5 kms off canal though.

12. Daingean: V. Good. Obvious community spirit.

13. Tullamore: I liked it. Some great pubs.

13.a Pullagh (?) should step up, there is no other place between Tullamore and the end at Shannon Harbour and thats circa 35kms, too far to walk without a bowl of soup.

14. Shannon Harbour: jury still out.

15. I looked at the accounts of Waterways Ireland, should be doing better.

Overall, loads of potential, as yet not realised, one dedicated person with energy would make big impact on a limited budget. The trail itself is perfect.

Good luck Nicola

Found a bar in Shannon Harbour where food was a tad short. I was looking a bit wet so she got on phone and someone dropped in a loaf and i got my toasty. And a nice cup of tea. Now that's service.

She was telling me that 14 members of the Belmont (An Lios Dearg) hurling team, 5 miles up the road, had emigrated to Perth and that's where was off to in three days. For a year she says. As it happens she was from Cork. So.....

Cue Doors Lyric

Got to Shannon Harbour today but no final photo proof due to battery issue. Also, no accomodation there as lady just out of hospital. When i called up she told me this. I said to her that i didnt care if she just got the last rites; she was leaving me down, Ireland down, and that butterfly that's causing all the commotion on the weather far east way. And that was just the nice part of the conversation. Her point was that i hadnt booked anything and she had never heard of me before which I felt was neither here nor there. I'll be taking this further. Anyway, im into Athlone tonight.

Regretably I have decided not to walk back to Dublin on the Royal Canal as was the original plan. Loads of reasons but really I think I'm canaled out and just couldn't be bothered. There is no one around so tis a tad quiet. The picture below is rather typical. Also some of the feedback on this blog has been a tad harsh and somewhat unkind.

I'n inclined to finish with an oft quoted proverb from the Bushmen of Namibia in their click language, and Im sorry if my translation is a bit rusty. It says ' When one dies, one cant. When one lives, yes". Need I say more......

Down Up

Connecting two bogs along the way there is an old drawbridge as per photos below. Apparently 4 trains cross every day carrying peat to Edenderry Power Station, each train with16 wagons ( and 3 ok looking ones). There are rules on these things.

The drawbridge has been there since early 70s. He raised it just for me. Fair play.

The guy told me that the canal has gone very quiet on recent years, a fact that I can attest. I have only seen two vessels, no barges, actually moving on the canal. Seems a shame really. Apparently insurance costs have sky rocketed. We really should do something about these costs.

People (and dogs) that you meet

Met Caoimhe and her owner, met the fishermen who catch and release (pike mainly) but who told me the 'foreners' dont throw back, met a shop assistant who received a hefty slap on the backside in front of me, what a laff. As she smilingly said herself, "neighbours, what are they like?" I think the question was rhetorical, but unsure of myself, I mumbled an 'indeed' back. Interestingly enough the main ad near the cash register was a plea to punters to buy their mice poison early. Good advice.

Picture of Caoimhe below, age 8 months. Apparently you can't properly exercise an Irish Wolfhound until they are 18 months old as their limbs are not fully formed. There is actually a home for disabled wolfhounds north of Birr which rehabs these dogs. If rehab doesnt work they are sent to Cambodia to search for unexploded mines and to eat rogue shitzus.