Araglin to Kilworth

The fifteen-mile leg of the Blackwater Way from Araglin to Kilworth was a beautiful walk. The path moved from sweeping farmlands, down two grassy bog covered hills, through a lovely pine forest, along the gentle Douglas River, and into the pleasant village of Kilworth. Fermoy, where we are staying, is only a few kilometers away and a larger city with more options for accommodations. The Blackwater Way is so named for the river I will be walking parallel as I go west tomorrow out of Fermoy. The Irish weather is quirky. Yesterday I experienced some lovely clear sunny skies, then three times a single low swinging dark cloud scattering good showers lasting about ten minutes (long enough to require the rain pancho), then some cool breezes and back to the sunshine. After a few days of road traffic, backtracking, and feeling frustrated by my poor map reading skills, it felt nice to just walk and let my mind meander through the lovely Irish countryside. I was told this part of the walk wasn’t very exciting. Honestly, I was ready for a little mundane stroll. Sometimes, quiet, easy, stress free days are preferred to high drama. The day was just plain Irish at its best. We’re enjoying our day off in Fermoy, relaxing and doing a little planning for the rest of the pilgrimage. We’ve traveled 220 miles at this point. The plan now is to walk nine consecutive days to the coast and end at Glenbeigh and Dingle Bay. The path should take me another 130 miles past some of Ireland’s most ancient history. I’m looking forward to the experience. After the walk there will be some time to write more extensively about the experience and to be just plain tourists.