Great walks around Mevagh /Rosguill Parish, Co Donegal

This walkers guide is the latest walking guide for our parish compiled by Caoimhín Mac a’ Bhaird.

This handy booklet, Carrigart-Walks and Explorations has details of 11 walking routes with distances. It is a gem!

The latest walks booklet from Kevin was published this year. – A labour of love, it is much more than a list of walking routes. It is a pocket guide to our local heritage and attractions.

The maps and photographs are excellent, and I really liked the notes on various hazards that might be encountered such as road traffic where the routes run along the main road, or the need for midgie deterrents in certain locations!

It is often true that we don’t always ‘see’ what we look at day after day, but Kevin has included great descriptions of the landscape features of this very scenic area, both nearby and in the distance, so you are not only walking, you are appreciating the wonderful scenery along the way.

This area is steeped in history, so you can learn about the lucrative seed potato exports days, the old ferry crossing between our parish and Fanad, a gun-running expedition on behalf of the Ulster Volunteers in 1913, the destructive sandstorms, or the origin of The Slate Row in Carrick. Not only that, the unique ecosystem of Mulroy Bay is included – who knows what a ‘Maerl bed’ is or a Couch’s Goby? Find out here!

Kevin authored ‘Danders around Downings and Rambles around Rosguill‘ a few years back. This is a mighty wee book, also of around 40 pages, with really attractive line drawings of places along the spectacular routes.

Concentrated on the rugged coastline of Rosguill, there is information on local archaeological finds, where to see long-gone ‘clachan’ settlements, and it has a great list of local place names along the coastline. Here you will discover the location of Frenchman’s Rock and the Little Frenchman. Who knew?

The walks are mostly either along the wonderful and epic Wild Atlantic Way, or afford great views of it.

Walking has grown in popularity in recent years. It is so good for health of mind and body, suitable for all ages and of course it comes for free. So if you fancy a wee short dander or a bit of a hike, or are thinking about New Year Resolutions, these lovely wee books will guide you on your way.

Both publications are available at McNutts Shop in Downings and at Galánta Gifts in Carrigart.

One of these days: A Winter Solstice Birthday

Our family Solstice birthday

A SILVER VOICE FROM IRELAND

Newgrange. Aligned with the rising sun whose light floods the chamber on the winter solstice. Image Wikimedia Commons

‘One of these days’ is a phrase that trips off many an Irish tongue and whose meaning is clearly understood asbeing ‘sometime in the near future’. I was not so sure if this is the case across all the English speaking world, so a quick Google came up with the following: “One of these days” is an idiom that behaves like an adverb. It’s basically a drop-in replacement for “someday,” meaning something like “at some unspecified point in the future”. So there we have it!

‘One of these days’ goes around in my head at this time of year for two reasons, both of which are ingrained in my DNA.

Growing up in North Donegal with its dark star-filled skies meant that we were reasonably familiar with celestial goings-on, especially in winter…

View original post 1,006 more words