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Showing posts from December, 2017

Mangerton Mountain

On Wed 27/12/17 the club outing was to Mangerton Mountain. Leaving town at 09.30 we headed for Killarney the roads were dodgy but drivable with care. The weather looked ok. After Barraduff we ran into a heavy shower of hail but decided to continue. Before reaching Killarney the sky brightened. We parked up at the trail head where already there was a few cars and people about. We changed into our gear and started the climb, conditions underfoot were quite muddy, and a few hundred meters in we got a shower of hail, which thankfully cleared. Onwards and upwards we went through Cormacs Haggard where here in 1262 Cormac Mac Cartaigh defeated the Anglo Norman FitzGeralds. However Cormac lost his life in the melee. As we ascended conditions underfoot got better we made steady progress each meter gained helping to shed the Christmas excesses, Turkey, plump pudding, trifle,beer wine evaporating as we crunched our way through the snow.The talking stopped and all that could be heard above the

Glenageenty Loop

On Sunday 18/12 the club walk was the Glenageenty loop near Castleisland. This was the walk that was scheduled for last week but was cancelled due to bad weather. We set off at 09.30 and parked up at the trailhead which is off to the right from the Castleisland / Tralee road. This is a wild isolated part of the country which has been a refuge for many a fugitive down through the centuries. The most famous being the Earl of Deasmond who hid out here after the failed rebellion.He was eventually betrayed by one of his own and was beheaded in 1583 by a Donal o Kelly. His head was sent to Queen Elizabeth 1 as a present and she had it displayed on London Bridge. The walk is mostly on gravel tracks and forest paths  and criss crosses the Glounageenty river which flows through a deep glenn.It is well laid out with plenty of information boards explaining the history of the area It was here too that Captain Robert Monteith hid form the British Army and RIC after the failed attempt to land arm