Benbulben Forest Walk

I walked out of the cottage to greet the sunny morning first thing and a hare came lolloping down the lane and into the field of happy cows, great start to the day.

Our plan for the day was to climb up to the Benbulben Ridge but when we found the track up to the start point we decided against taking the hire car up there and went instead to the Benbulben Forest Walk which, whilst not giving us the long ranging views of the hill, gave us lots of variety and birdsong.  The gorse is in full bloom which adds lovely colour everywhere.  We heard Blackcaps (and saw one, hurray!); willow warblers; garden warblers; goldcrests; wrens; song thrushes and cuckoos in and amongst the usual suspects.  Flowers were in abundance:  primroses; bluebells; violets; lady's smock; bugle; pink campions; cotton grass; celandines; wood sorrel and wood anemone.

The walk afforded us different views as we circled the forest and my blip is taken on our last section heading back to the carpark beneath Benbulben which you can see in the background.  We had just explored the ruins of a medieval ring fort with long ranging views across to the ocean.  Contrails headed towards America, a journey we took from Dublin several times when Becky and Rob were living there.

It was only lunchtime by the time we reached the car and Tony suggested we drove further up the Wild Atlantic Coastal Road to Mullaghmore as we had a map of the coastal trail.  Mullaghmore boasts a sweep of lovely beach which we overlooked from our parking spot.  We had also parked opposite the blue and white Ahoy! Coffeecart so we were forced to sit awhile with cuppas and enjoy the view before setting off on the circular trail around the shore.

This time the thrift and birds foot trefoil dominated the edges of the cliffs.  The sea was tranquil today but I can imagine the power of it in stormy weather.  There were blow holes and ridges of rock for waves to crash against and it's a popular placing for surfing.  As we rounded the point we came across two memorials, one to Lord Mountbatten, family and friends who were killed just off the coast, Classiebawn Castle being his holiday home here for a number of years.  Further on, the second memorial remembered the names of local people who were forced to emigrate by Lord Palmerston, yet another reminder of the appalling treatment of those on the bottom rung in Ireland prior to and during Famine Times.

Tomorrow we go to Sligo Parkrun.