{"id":1280,"date":"2016-11-19T21:36:26","date_gmt":"2016-11-19T21:36:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.guidekillarney.com\/?p=1280"},"modified":"2016-11-19T21:50:45","modified_gmt":"2016-11-19T21:50:45","slug":"route-chieftain-stepped-queen","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.guidekillarney.com\/index.php\/2016\/11\/19\/route-chieftain-stepped-queen\/","title":{"rendered":"A ROUTE FOR A CHIEFTAIN, STEPPED FOR A QUEEN"},"content":{"rendered":"

– now in magical Autumn colour<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

The beech trees overhead were mesmerising in infinite shades of luminous yellows and browns. \u00a0I walked up and down, backwards and forwards. \u00a0I lay on the ground to get the full effect. \u00a0Eventually I had to drag myself away.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Last Sunday that headland south of Library Point on Ross Island was magical. \u00a0In May this whole place is covered in white flowering wild garlic.<\/span><\/p>\n

Leaving the estate road to Library Point I walked along the track on the northern side of Hyde’s Bay. \u00a0Across the bay the rocky outcrop of Governor’s Rock.<\/span><\/p>\n

The several sets of crumbling stone steps indicate that at an earlier time this was a popular route developed sensitively with some considerable care. \u00a0Perhaps for the visit of Queen Victoria in 1861.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Great erratic boulders, left behind in the ice age, evidence of a much older era, that also gouged out the basin that is now filled by lake water.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Along the wooded way oak and yew, ash and sycamore. \u00a0A pictorial representation of moving from Summer to Autumn contrasting the evergreen leaves of the arbutus with the endless Autumn colours of the deciduous leaves.<\/span><\/p>\n

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At the western end the captivating beech grove extends from the lake as far as the demesne road.<\/span><\/p>\n

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On several of the more majestic beech trees initials are distinctively carved. \u00a0On at least two trees ‘JG’. \u00a0On one added ‘1940’ and on another ’31 1 ’40’. \u00a0Another tree very decoratively remembers ‘MTM’. \u00a0I wonder if the ‘J’ and ‘M’ with a bulging heart carved in between went on to live the promise. \u00a0Carving on trees happened in years gone by but is now frowned on.<\/p>\n

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Further along the wooded track, high over the broad expanse of Lough Leane richly red-berried holly with its prickly dark green leaves, side-by side with Autumn dark browns to luminous gold … an indication of moving from Autumn to Winter. \u00a0Or, perhaps more appealingly, moving from Autumn to Christmas.<\/p>\n

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At the furthest headland,<\/span> having checked that O’Donoghue’s Library had all of its volumes, wondering how O’Donoghue managed on his prison, saluted the spirit of the monks on Innisfallen, imagined Mickey Mouse on his tiny island. \u00a0After all of that I preferred to retrace my steps than returning on the demesne road through the alder and sally of the swamp woodland.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Looking out from Gallan Eile<\/strong><\/em> there is still plenty of Autumn colour in evidence. \u00a0Even after the storm of the past days and the cold evidenced by the snow-capped peaks.<\/span><\/div>\n
– Frank Lewis<\/b><\/div>\n

for more information or to book a stay\u00a0Gallan Eile<\/i><\/strong>\u00a0…<\/p>\n

\u00a0Book Here<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

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