Ireland day 0559. Monday 10 April 2023- Stud *

Ireland day 0559. Monday 10 April 2023- Stud

Today’s summary	Val had a day off so we first went to the Bog of Allen (visitor centre closed) then had a quick look round Kildare town. Spent the afternoon at the National Stud, which was fascinating. Thai green curry takeaway for dinner
Today’s weather	Mostly cloudy with occasional torrential downpours, and occasional sunny intervals. Strong westerly wind. Appx 10C

Today’s overview location (The blue mark shows the location of our route)		Close-up location (The blue line shows where we walked) (Click button below to download GPX of today’s walk as recorded, or see interactive map at bottom with elevations corrected): National Stud Kildare

Commentary

(Summary blog only. Last full blog was Day 0368).

We’re trying to make the most of Val’s days off work so today we scoured our Ireland guidebook and decided to head off first to the heart of Ireland’s peatlands and take a look at the Bog of Allen visitor centre, then move on down to the National Stud, where racehorses are bred, at Kildare.

As it turned out, if we had read the fine print of the website properly, we would have known that the Bog visitor centre is (bizarrely) closed on Bank Holidays and, as today was Easter Monday Bank Holiday, it was duly shut when we got there. In fact the whole place looked a bit run down and I wasn’t entirely sure that it was ever open in the first place. Anyway I don’t think we will be going back tomorrow to find out.

But just down the road is the Lodge Bog trail, which we had a quick look at in the pouring rain – it was very atmospheric and the bogs do have a peculiarly hypnotic loneliness which is almost enchanting. From there we (well – Val as she is still doing the honours at the moment) drove to Kildare where we had a very brief look round – it’s charming and prosperous – and had lunch in the car as yet more rain thundered down outside.

Eventually we moved on to the National Stud, which is just outside the town (actually I think it’s a city, albeit a very small one). It’s an impressive and obviously very wealthy place. The visitor centre is good, and we managed to get on a guided tour which gave a much better insight than if we head just walked round on our own. Several hundred thoroughbreds are born here every year – and ones with good parentage can sell for millions. Which explains the prosperity.

The Stud is in fact owned by the Irish government – which might explain why members of the public are welcomed – I was surprised by how freely we were allowed to wander about these obviously highly prized stallions, mares and foals. I also learned that remarkably all the thoroughbreds in the world are descended from just three stallions – so care has to be taken with lineage to avoid inbreeding. We finished off the tour in the café with a cappuccino and scone (the first since my operation actually – remarkable restraint on my part I felt). But before leaving we had a quick look at the Japanese Gardens which should have been tranquil and serene but which were actually hilarious as a result of constant stream of noise from the M7 motorway running nearby, and the million or so children running about all over the place taking great delight in exploring the garden’s hidden nooks, crannies and ponds.

After that veterinary and cultural overdose, we took our leave and scurried back to Malahide down the motorway through yet another deluge, to enjoy a delicious Thai green curry take-away for dinner

Today’s photos (click to enlarge)


Heading off into the Lodge Bog. Ten thousand years old, eight metres deep, and 90% water. Fascinating	St Brigid’s cathedral, Kildare. It dates from the 13th century

Mare and newly born foal in the Sun Chariot Yard foaling unit	This is how much it costs to have your mare “covered” by a top stallion stud. And they can cover two a day for the whole of the five month studding season (which starts, appropriately enough, on Valentine’s Day). Astonishing performance.

On the tour. In the pouring rain.	In a sunny interlude – in the Japanese garden, which was very well done

Here we are, on the top of the Hill of Ambition in the Japanese garden