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Summer solstice 2019

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On Saturday 22 June the Summer Solstice club walk was up the West Pap. As the last of the night owls staggered homewards , we left town at 02.00 heading west to Clonkeen. The Paps are associated  with the goddess Danu she was known of throughout Europe as well as Ireland.The Paps have been the site of Pagan rituals for thousands of years. Speeding through the sleeping countryside we arrived at our destination, the southern  slopes of the Paps. Parking up we donned our gear complete with head torches. First we walked up a forestry road before crossing a gate onto open mountain. There is a fairly sharp incline for a while. Eventually we pass a gate and contoured in a South westerly direction. We then turned north and followed a reasonably defined track. By now visibility was greatly reduced as we were walking in fog. However we made steady progress , gaining altitude with every step. Unlike last year ,we couldn’t see the lights of any village or town. Our vision confined to the limits of our head torches. Making good time we decided to take shelter in the lee of some rocks as we didn’t want to summit too soon. Morning twilight was fighting a battle against the fog. Slowly it was getting the upper hand. When it was time for the final assault on the summit we were able to proceed without the aid of torches. Ground conditions were good. A stiff southerly breeze began to pick up. By the time we reached the summit of West Pap at 690 meters it was quite blustery. We were glad find shelter on the northern side of the large cairn. The breeze however did not shift the fog. Looking 48 degrees North East where the sun was expected to appear at anytime between 05.08 and 05.15 depending on which website you checked, it didn’t bode well for us. We had some refreshments and waited in anticipation. At approximately 05.07 the suns golden rays painted the sky a dazzling variety of orange and pinks and yellows............ But between this kaleidoscope of color,  and us was a bank of thick cloud obscuring our view.
We headed back down into the breeze , as we descended it began to wane. We retraced our steps and eventually reached the car park. As we were changing, the midgets were.about to get active.
It was decided to call to O Riordans Kanturk for some wholesome food...While we may not have seen the sunrise this year, never the less it was an excellent hike. You felt a connection with the people and the rituals which been part of this sacred mountain for millennia..

      “ We live in a fast paced
       society , walking slows
          us down “.................................... Robert Sweetgall

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