Ireland day 0775. Sunday 12 November 2023- Lucan and Liffey *

Ireland day 0775. Sunday 12 November 2023- Lucan and Liffey

Today’s summary	Picked up a friend from Portmarnock then drove over to Lucan for a Club walk, while Val had a relaxing morning before going off to work in the evening. An excellent walk with brilliant autumn colours. Lucky to escape the rain which stopped just as we were about to set off
Today’s weather	Very wet overnight and in the morning then bright and sunny in the afternoon. Light westerly wind. Appx 12c

Today’s overview location (The red mark shows the location of our route)		Close-up location (The red 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): Lucan demesne and St Catherine's Park DWC

Commentary

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

In some ways, today was a re-run of yesterday. Val was at work in the evening, so was taking a day off to relax before she went out, then I was out with the walking club again.

When we got up this morning, though, the day looked distinctly unprepossessing. Rain was pouring down and lashing at the windows. So Val’s decision to stay warm and dry indoors for most of the day was looking like distinctly the better option. Nevertheless, I pulled my things together and, encouraged by a weather forecast that said it would dry up later, set off.

My first port of call was Portmarnock, where I collected a friend for a lift share to the start of the walk at (unsurprisingly) a coffee shop in Lucan. By the time we had all assembled, shortly after noon, the rain had stopped and the sun was trying to come out. In fact it turned out to be a beautiful afternoon, with bright blue skies setting off the fiery oranges of autumn, making the whole area colourful and photogenic.

We headed upstream from Lucan, walking along the banks of the Liffey as far as the pedestrian bridge north over the river to St Catherine’s Park. En route, we paused to watch the slalom kayakers in the river, practicing their skills. It turns out they were probably the Irish national kayaking team, and as the river was in spate today, it looked like pretty hard work. Sooner them than me!

Once over the river and in St Catherine’s Park, we stopped for lunch near the sports pitches, then headed back down the river bank on the other side, seeing the kayakers from another angle. From there, we looped back and down into Lucan via the Young Cú Chulainn statue and the impressive Lucan Bridge. The bridge was built in 1814 and still to this day is the largest single span masonry arch bridge in Ireland.

Once back in Lucan, it was time to reflect on an excellent and enjoyable short walk, with great views and great company. I’m back in Malahide now, and thinking about getting something to eat before watching some TV and awaiting Val’s return from work. At least she has a dry night for it.

Today’s photos (click to enlarge)


On the way into Lucan demesne	Lucan BMX track. It’s a great facility for adventurous cyclists of all ages

Cold and wet. Impressive determination	The path along the north side of the river Liffey

Young Cú Chulainn standing guard over the Lucan entrance to St Catherine’s Park	Impressive Lucan Bridge – 209 years old and still one of the biggest in Ireland

Beautiful autumn colours at their best this weekend