Perfect Day in Ireland

September 7, 2024|Rick Juliusson

On a lazy Saturday in County Cork, Ireland, we decided to do a Camino training day by walking 20 kilometers. After a half-hour morning dog walk (not part of the 20 km), we drove half an hour along the coast to hike the 14km Goortdubh Loop out of Goleen. The winding one-track road took us up the mountain past curious cows, then down the other side dotted with sporadic sheep and solitary houses. Sometimes the road squeezed between the squat square house (always with 2 chimneys) and the ancient stone building serving as a garage, tool shed, or just a reminder that people have lived here for centuries and centuries.

We hiked along the coast a ways, through a couple “villages” - cluster of 5-10 houses, no pubs :( - then back up across the mountain to where we began. Until joining a slightly busier road at the end, we were passed by a total of three (3) slow, friendly cars in over three (3) hours of hiking.

Dunlough Castle

Over a delicious small-town lunch (seafood fettuccine with very fresh shrimp and locally harvested mussels), we enjoyed watching a mom manage her 5 children in the pub while her husband sat nearby at the bar, feet up on the stool, enjoying his pint of Guinness. Then we drove down to the end of the Mizen Peninsula to hike up up up through stone-walled sheep pastures to the ruins of Dunlough Castle (aka “Three Castle Head.”) The ruins date from around the 15th century, though the first fortification on this site dates back as far as 1207.

Sitting overlooking the lake, the ocean far below the steep cliffs on both sides, and the Mizen Head across the bay (Ireland’s southernmost point), we imagined the spirit that drove this family to its “castle-building spree” 600 years ago, and marvel at how much of the structure still stands today despite the dry stone (no concrete mortar) construction. Misfortune plagued the families who lived here, and they say a drop of blood falls from the tower into the lake every day.

Sacred Well

Driving home we detour along another impossibly narrow dirt road, trying to follow the directions from the “Goleen Grocer” (a life-time resident who knows everything in town) to one of the many sacred wells dotting the countryside. We do finally find the site, much overgrown, and the nearby “Mass Rock” where people leave offerings in honour of the holy energy of this sacred site. As with so many things in Ireland, this centuries-old tradition and belief system is still observed and honoured today.

Live Pub Music

Much of today’s hiking was through private property where dogs are not allowed, so after a quick afternoon snack at the cosy WhiteHouse Cafe in Kilcrohane, we head home to take the dogs for another walk along our local farm roads, probably bringing our total to over 25km - a good sign that with enough pub stops we’ll be able to handle the 20km daily average on the camino.

Then just to prove we’re not exhausted, we pop into the Townhouse Pub in Schull to catch some live local music and enjoy my now-favourite Irish dessert treat - sticky toffee pudding. A sweet ending to a day filled with fresh air, inspiring views of vast countryside and rugged coastline, immersion into history and tradition, and a healthy dose of exercise.

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1 Comment

Elena on September 8, 2024 at 1:33 am

Pura vida! I really enjoy reading about your adventures. Thank you for sharing photos and tales of your travels! The desert looks amazing and I’m sure was delicious!

Greetings from the land of 10,000 lakes,
Elena Navin

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