The Paps of Anu

My favourite sort of walk is one that includes some history, archeology, flora and fauna. Our walk today started on an ancient track that connected the remote rural communities with the small town of Rathmore. The routes Irish name is An Sloigeadal, which means boggy quagmire, the terrain was very wild indeed and as the weather closed in it seemed quite bleak. We walked up the heathery mountain side of the eastern Pap, when the heather is in flower it must be a beautiful carpet of purple. The cairn at the top forms one of the characteristic nipples of the breasts of Danu, the corresponding nipple could be seen on the western Pap. these cairns are thought to be burial mounds built 3,500 years ago.
Earthdreamer decided a bit of balance was needed and went off to the western Pap, the wind and rain were pretty miserable so I decided to walk down slowly taking a closer look at the amazing diversity of mosses. The mist was blowing in over the cairns now and I wondered if it was a good idea to separate on such a wild mountain with cliffs on the northern eastern descent. No worries though we met up and continued to the Cathair or city, which was supposedly lived in by a sisterhood of maidens who worshipped the goddess Dana in the late Bronze Age. So much history here but the whole site was in a state of neglect.
Very glad indeed to get back to the car and get into some dry clothes, home to a fire, friends and good food!