Sheeps head Way 3: Glanlough to Seefin

The sun shone, it was warm and pleasant, and gales are forecast for Monday, so everything was abandoned and we headed out to tackle the third leg of the Sheep's Head Way. This was going to be a long one and it was - 11.5km but up and down mountains, round mountains, up, then down then up again. We walked through valleys with long sausage shaped rocks then up high where it felt almost alpine. Everywhere was bog - living bright green bog holes and the large dents where turf had been cut in the past - turf being a traditional fuel. So many different kinds of grasses, some of them now tinged with orange, a great contrast to the purple of the heather and yellow of the gorse. We sat on a rock to have our picnic, surrounded by fragrant bog myrtle and bobbing blue scabious. We thought we saw something out in Bantry Bay, possibly a pod of dolphins with seagulls wheeling overhead. A lone yacht glided silently below, so white against all the blue. We descended on an old Board of Works road, quite a feat of engineering - Himself reckoned it had been made to bring the turf down off the mountain. Large blocks supported the road off the bog but it was now hugely overgrown and difficult walking. The final leg was on the Goat's Path - a small road that winds snakily along the northside of the Peninsula. This bit goes up, and up and a Crunchie (me) Nak'd bar (Himself) break was needed before we tackled the final leg. The walk ends at an unexpected and enigmatic statue of aPieta , recently throughly scrubbed so it was glowing mightily in the sunhine.
Here we are pretty high up looking back towards Glanlough, that's Bantry Bay on the left. Seefin, our final destination, is the largest mountain on the Sheep's Head - named after the famous rock throwing Fionn McCool.
I've just treated myself to a 99 ice cream and a swim. Fab.
Please biggify.
And thank you so much for all the lovely comments on yesterday's birthday sp - much appreciated.