Rambling in the 'Mines on a hot June day
Memories of long hot summers and the tar melting on the roads came flooding back to me from the past since these lovely hot sunny days arrived stay. Silvermines Rambling Festival fixed a date for the second annual walking festival in the midst of those hot days. On Saturday last, June 30th, I arrived in the village to a buzz of activity. Colourful hats to ward off the intense heat, high visibility jackets on the helpers, lines of cars neatly parked in the hay field stubble, and a bus loitering at the gate ready to take the first group of walkers up to the starting point. At the rear of Tommy Hickey’s friendly inn, the nerve centre of the SRF committee Jacinta was registering the walkers.
In a convivial atmosphere, local walkers welcomed all visitors to their locality and while collecting into their chosen walking group, they had time for tea and scones, served out by Helen, our local B&B host. I sampled the delicious freshly-made scones with a cuppa and was informed that they were baked earlier by Colm and Andrew of the committee – well done boys.
Around ten o’clock, John G O’Dwyer, well-known hill walker, leader and travel writer came to open the event. Chairman of the SRF Committee, Padraig Collins, welcomed John to the second Silvermines Rambling Festival and presented him with a homemade walking stick, made especially for the occasion by local wood carver Tommy Martin. John G expressed his pleasure at being invited to Silvermines and indeed he is well familiar with our local walking routes. Last year his writings for The Irish Times included one on our Silvermines ‘Knockinroe Loop Walk’.
The first of three walks, the Silvermines Ridge Walk, collected its pack of walkers onto a bus to be ferried (by local company Arra Travel) to the starting point just after 10 o’clock. Donal Quinn led this group along the ridge with its panoramic views finally returning to the village through Lahid. To combat the temperatures, drinks were delivered up to the ridge by Liam on his quad.
The second walk, the Glenculloo Loop Walk guided by Pat Sheehan – again they were bussed to the starting point at the top and took the forestry road down into Glown, walked along into Glenculloo, turning in across the river at Clifford’s bridge and coming home via Harrington’s lane.
The third walk, the Lisnageenly Walk, comes down a forestry track and descended through mature trees and rhododendron. This was ‘home turf’ to the leader, Helen Quinn, and the walking was fun-filled, included children, and they had a song or two on the way.
Mining Heritage Walk: The last walk of the day was the Mining Heritage Walk led by Denis Gleeson. A large group gathered together and walked from Shallee to Mogul, then on to Magcobar and then home to Silvermines, taking in the following: Shallee Old Mine, King House, King Shaft and Cornish Engine House; Mogul Ltd, the Knight Shaft and its head frame and Loading Bay on old railway track; Silvermines Village –Ballygowan, K Zone Shaft, Smelting House (for a more detailed description of this mining tour, please see 'Mining the Past 2019', to be published later this year.
The festival organisers left no stone unturned, and the week prior to the events, a group of enthusiasts, committee members and friends cut back the furze bushes and briars on some walking routes. The committee would like to thank sponsors, helpers and everyone who got involved in any way. Thanks for contributing to the success and enjoyment of the entire event.
I had a lovely chat with John G O’Dwyer, our great Tipperary ambassador and skilled leader of walking, not to mention his excellent publications. A special thanks to Tommy Hickey and his staff for all their willing and generous support of the second Silvermines Rambling Festival.