Day 39

This was another quick lunchtime loop but there was a real highlight today. The bluebell is probably the most iconic spring flower in Ireland and they made an appearance today. The first sign of them was on the lane into our house where there is a small clump of them under a big ash tree than normally flowers a few days before the ones in the forest.

There had been a recent rain-shower so everything was a bit wet. I had foolishly not bothered with gaiters so my trousers were quickly soaked once I went off the road. That’ll larn me. The tadpoles up the top are doing well and the recent rain will have been appreciated.

There aren’t any bluebells for the first half of the walk but when I got into the deepest part, the first couple of flowers had started to make their appearance. There isn’t an abundance of bluebells in the forest but give them another 20 or 30 years and they should have started to take over properly.

As a final snapshot, although not strictly of the forest, the apple trees are now in flower and looking well.

This is going to be a quick post as I need to get ready for the weekend’s walking as I have planned to do the Great Western Greenway from Westport to Achill. I’ve been looking forward to this for a while and should get it written up over the weekend.