Dave Byrnes' Adventures

Round Ireland - 2016
Overview     Planned Schedule     Map     Diary     Pictures
Day: 009
Date: Saturday, 2 April 2016
Start: Mullinavat
Finish: Carrick-on-Suir
Daily Kilometres: 23
Total Kilometres: 270
Weather: Cool to cold with steady rain all day
Accommodation: Ash Park House Guesthouse
Nutrition: Breakfast:  Full Irish Breakfast
Lunch:  Muesli bars and chocolate
Dinner:  Pizza and chocolate chip cookies
Aches: Nothing new
Highlight: The offer by Nancy, the guesthouse proprietor, for me to use her own washer and dryer to do my weekly wash, saving me a walk in the rain into town and a laundromat.
Lowlight: The constant rain all day....it never paused for an instant.
Pictures: Here
GPS Track: Here
Journal: Although the Rising Sun Guesthouse staff were nice, the whole place had a bit of a rundown feel.  The rooms looked tired and the bed was lumpy.  Then the cook didn't turn up for the advertised breakfast time of 8:30am, so it was just before 10:00am, later than I hoped, before I started walking.

My destination for the day was the town of Carrick-on-Suir, which was large enough to have a laundromat, and I hoped to arrive early enough to do a load of washing.  When I phoned to book a room for the night, explaining that I planned to arrive early in the afternoon so I could do some washing in town, the guesthouse owner hinted that I may be able to use her machines instead, but I wasn't counting on it.

It was going to be a short-distance day (20-25km), so I decided to only have one break to save time.  I could tell from the map that I was going to be walking on roads all day, and although that didn't appeal much, it would be faster.

The wind had died overnight, meaning it didn't feel quite as cold, but the rain had continued steadily and everything was very wet.  Several people I have met along the way have told me Ireland had a very wet winter, meaning the ground is water-logged anyway, so additional rain is tending to run off and create minor flooding.

When planning the trip, I had visualised days that involved walking on busy roads all day in pouring rain, to mentally prepare myself for the "down" times, and it looked like today was going to be the first test.  And it was miserable, though I made a point of looking around and appreciating the countryside as best I could.  It seemed a wealthier part of Ireland, with many substantial family homes, some old and some new, on acreages, interspersed with working farms that boasted large sheds and modern equipment.  There was some agriculture, but it seemed mostly cattle/dairy-based and the smell of wet farmyards dominated my olfactory senses.

Some of the houses, particularly the older ones, had beautifully-tended gardens with lots of spring flowers along their roadside fences.  Daffodils were everywhere, though even they looked a bit bedraggled in the rain.

There was a fair bit of traffic, and I was glad of the bright orange pack raincover I bought to enhance my visibility from behind.  I walked on the extreme right-hand side of the road, facing the oncoming traffic and frequently stepped off the narrow roads, as much as I could, for approaching cars.  The puddles on the road added an extra hazard and I was occasionally splashed, but nothing bad.

I reached Carrick-on-Suir soon after 2:30pm and was quickly shown my room and the location of the laundry by the friendly owner, Nancy.  After a shower, I washed everything that was dirty and sat around in my room in minimal clothing while it finished.  Nancy suggested I call a local pizza shop for a home delivery pizza dinner, given that it was still raining, and I took her advice.

It seemed appropriate that I enjoyed the pizza while watching a live broadcast of the rugby match between the provinces of Leinster and Munster from Dublin.  In the last few kilometres of today I passed from Leinster into Munster (and from Kilkenny County into Tipperary County) and I have now completed the South Leinster Way and will start on the East Munster Way tomorrow.  It was a close hard-fought match with Leinster just prevailing.

ADVENTURE LIST

 

Round Ireland
(2016)

Hume & Hovell Walking Track
(2013)

Via Alpina
(2012)

Australian Alps Walking Track
(2011)

Land's End to John O'Groats
(2010)

Round Oz Bike Record Attempt
(2009)

Round Oz Bike Record Attempt
(2008)

Round Oz Bike Record Attempt
(2007)

Australia Tip to Top MTB
(2006)

Adelaide to Darwin MTB
(2005)

Sydney to Melbourne MTB
(2004)

Three Peaks Race
(2004)

Appalachian Trail
(1986)

Alpine Track
(1983)

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