Quick Re-Visit to the Ben Bulben Forest Walk


Since I published my blog post on our exploratory walk here a couple of weeks ago there has been more excitement for this Bards In The Woods event than for quite some time. I even had people phoning me on Saturday and on this Sunday morning telling me their excitement and confirming how to get here.

In response I made more tea, more salad and more lavish salads expecting quite a picnic. Add to that this was our sunniest warmest day this year so far, 18C and well into 60sF

I arrived early and sat on this seat awhile.


Pondering over Maeve and Knocknarea of course.

Took a few more pics, like this one down the side of the mountain


At 5 minutes before 3 pm, our meet up time, I was back in the car park, which was actually quite full at 2:30 pm, but several people had left, leaving these few ...


Despite all of the pre-Bards In The Woods excitement, nobody, absolutely nobody turned up for this.

Was I to continue the Forest Walk?


I was looking forward to a shared picnic at one of the spectacular viewpoints on this trail, but as nobody was here my mind wandered onto other ideas.


Though in these photos the day looks gorgeously sunny and blue, as it was inland, out to sea there was a thick haze so no views of Co. Donegal etc. so no photographing benefits for me.

Though not clear in the above pic, when I took this photo, the top of Ben Bulben was crowded with people. Pity for them, as they probably did not have much of a sea view either.

There are three Co. Sligo forests that I had not been to for many years so I decided I would explore them instead. These being Carns with a cairn, Glenview and Carrownaskeagh on the scenic Ladies Brae through the Ox Mountains.

This means three more blog posts after this, through this week, to tell you about them :-)

So it was bye bye to Ben Bulben and its forest walk for awhile, next year probably.


But do read my blog of our full visit here for this walk as it was truly lovely.

Click here to read about the full Ben Bulben Forest Walk



Oh, before I leave this, I was delighted and surprised to see Sligo and Co. Sligo shoreline roads plastered with Wild Atlantic Way signs, directions and symbols.

Most of these tourist initiatives seem to have a wee start, then the elected representatives and dignataries get together for a champers, cocktails, oysters etc. get together and "look at me, I'm doing something good with your tax euros" photo shoot ... and because there will be no more profile photo shoots the project seems to dissolve away. The representatives are already onto something else.

Locally, I've seen this happen to the Turlough O'Carolan Trail, Beara to Briefne Way and Royal Canal upgrades and promotion. Though I'm not so keen on the Wild Atlantic Way as its about getting around as much as you can in the car rather than hike, bike etc., it does seem to be a project that has happened. I suppose if it burns more oil ... it happens.

See the wavy line symbol in this pic? That's the Wild Atlantic Way.





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