Ireland day 1433. Sunday 31 August 2025- St Catherine

Today’s summary	Val was at work and I joined the Walking Club for a ramble round St Catherine’s Park in Lucan. I drove out there and picked up two Club friends on the way. It was a very pleasant stroll with lots of sun despite a couple of light showers. Really enjoyed the chat. Drove back after dropping off friends and arrived soon after Val. Lamb shanks in red wine (home made by Val and fantastic) for dinner.
Today’s weather	Blustery with plenty of sun and a couple of light showers. Strong to gale force southerly wind. Appx 17c

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): Lucan St Catherines Park DWC

Commentary

Today was a pretty decent day, weather-wise, but I think I had the better of it. Val was called in to do a shift at the Museum and yet I just ambled around the parks of Lucan while enjoying the fresh air. Anyway I think we both enjoyed our days albeit in different ways, and we have both reached the evening pretty satisfied with our activities.

Val was away to work at 9:30 so I was up early to make packed lunches, then once she was off, I packed my things and jumped in the car. It’s only a short drive to Lucan, the location of today’s walk, but I left plenty of time to pick up a couple of friends in Portmarnock and Donaghmede en route.

We got to the start point at the Ball Alley pub, just outside Lucan town centre, with half an hour to spare. So we had time to get a coffee in a nearby café before meeting the rest of the group and starting the walk a few minutes after noon.

You get to St Catherine’s park, which was our main destination for the walk, on a path alongside the Liffey for a couple of km, until you get to the bridge. There were lots of oak trees along the way but, interestingly, none of them seemed to have got the galls that are currently adorning the trees in the Malahide Demesne. Anyway we soon made it to the park proper and started our circuit.

I’ve walked round the park quite a few times in the past, but this time we added on an extra loop to the north. With this and the diversion down to the Liffey woodland path as well, our walk came in at around 10km, which was quite respectable for a “short” Sunday walk. The scenery was looking good after the rain and sun, and the company – the best part as usual – was great fun. We paused midway near the Rangers’ station to enjoy our lunches in the picnic area.

Eventually we wound our way back to the Ball Alley pub and the cars. But of course there was just time to get refreshments in the pub before driving back (sadly it had to Guinness Zero in my case, but it doesn’t taste too bad actually). The traffic on the M50 was light so the run back took under half an hour. After dropping off my friends, I finally made it into the flat just before 6pm, shortly after Val.

For dinner, Val had cooked up some absolutely fantastic lamb shanks, which we enjoyed with roast broccoli, potatoes and a glass of beer. Couldn’t be better. After a quick call with family in the UK, we ended the day in a good humour and decided to keep it that way with some lighthearted TV. “The Windsors” has been entertaining us lately, so I think that will fit the bill nicely.

Today’s photos (click to enlarge)


Looking upstream along the River Griffeen, a tributary of the Liffey which joins the main river in Lucan. We went for coffees at the start in the “Reeds on the River” restaurant on the left hand side of the picture	I was required to do a demonstration of hip flexibility for the benefit of my 13 fellow walkers..

Lots of Highland cattle grazing peacefully in a meadow alongside the Liffey, just over the bridge	In St Catherine’s Park – nobody was sure what these semi-ruinous buildings were, but possibly they were the ancestral home of the Sarsfield family, hereditary Earls of Lucan

Just before the end – the rain came down in stair-rods. Fortunately it was only a brief shower so we sheltered under a tree until it passed	There’s a lot of work going on to create what the council apparently describes as a “Feature” near the entrance to the riverside section of the park. I am sure it will be fabulous – and very useful – once it’s finished.

Lots and LOTS of blackberries this year. And the ones I’ve tasted have been quite sweet, too.