Take Your Feelings For a Spin
Whatever your mood there’s somewhere wonderful to match it on the island of Ireland. Leo Casey shares his favourite places for all your emotional needs.
Beleek Woods
There is a question that pops up frequently during the short, light limited, days of our winter months. It goes something like “What do you feel like doing?” and it’s often the precursor to a special form of litany. One side lists possibilities such as “let’s take a walk in the park?” The response can take various forms as long as it’s negative, ‘don’t feel up for that’, ‘what’s the point!’ or just a simple ‘no!’. This routine doesn’t even require two people, one can act out perfectly both sides of this tedious debate in one’s head. Either way nobody gets anywhere, precious time is lost and before you know, it’s getting dark and the opportunity is lost.
To get around this interminable cycle of proposal and rejection, I propose a new way of looking at the whole situation. The trick is to think about the experience rather than the location.
What we really need is to change the way we feel and the means-to-that-end is to go somewhere. Winter activities should be mood altering and the journey, wherever it takes you, is as much about transposing the mind as transporting the body. Here are my suggestions to get you off the couch and give your mind and body a good workout.
So go ahead and take your feelings to a new place in every sense of the word.
>>BLOW AWAY YOUR TROUBLES ON A BEACH We live on an island and Ireland’s beaches are never far away. There are many aspects of the sea that impact our emotions. The rhythm of the tides remind us of the ebb and flow of life’s fortunes. This is the cycle of life and the only certainty is constant change and renewal. Everyone will have their favourite beach, for me it is Narin Beach at Portnoo in Co Donegal. If you have troubles and you find it difficult to make progress, try walking or running up a sand dune to bring things into perspective. Yes it’s hard and there may be setbacks but you’ll get there in the end.
The best place for enormous sand dunes is Strandhill in Co Sligo with the Burrow at Kilmore Quay, Co Wexford deserving honourable mention. With the open sea, there’s usually wind, especially at this time of year. Sea breezes have a character of their own.
They engulf every part of you and let you know who’s in charge. It’s hard to worry in a sea breeze. If you want a really novel experience, with an almost guaranteed westerly breeze, try anywhere on the west coast with the Coral Beach in Connemara having the added attraction of the extraordinarily shaped sand.
>>FORAGE FOR FEELINGS IN A FOREST We are naturally drawn to the comfort of forests. Perhaps it’s because our ancestors were born in these environments. Forests are where our curiosity and lust for learning evolved. Here is where we figured out how to be human, to work together, solve problems and thrive in the world. No surprise therefore that we love to return to forests and woodlands when we need to work through the problems and challenges of our everyday life.
We are blessed for choice. Many of our oldest woodlands feature our native trees such as Oak, Ash, Willow and Birch. Killarney National Park is perhaps the best known example but there are many alternatives in every county. My personal favourites are Beleek Woods near Ballina Co Mayo, Glengarif Forest Park and Glenshelane Woods near Cappoquin, Co Waterford.
The best part of a forest walk is ‘getting lost’. This is not to mean that you should go off trail or literally lose your way. It’s rather to become ‘lost in thought’ and totally absorbed in your surroundings. It’s remarkable how time will pass and you will come away renewed by such close engagement with our wonderful trees and forest sounds.
>>BE BOLD AND BRAZEN IN A BOG Irish people have a special relationship with the many bogs scattered across the landscape. Thousands of years ago, following the most recent ice age, glaciers melted and left behind a watery world of lakes and marshes. The bogs formed as moss grew around the edges and gradually transformed the wetlands into peatlands.
Today, we still describe our bogs as alive and growing. Roughly one sixth of Ireland’s landmass is covered in bog, they are our ‘prairies’ and we often overlook their importance. In the past, bogs were deemed dangerous and often associated with lore and superstition. Although the sense of otherworldliness is still very much in evidence, many are now giving up their treasures for exploration and interpretation.
Don’t go to a bog with a timid disposition. They are wild places and it’s best to be bold and brazen when you are out on the bog. Wear your boots and mind how you go by all means, but don’t be afraid to shout, sing and let yourself go free.
There’s seldom anyone around to observe or to judge. What better counterpoint to our cooped up confines than to be let loose in our fabulous boglands.
A good place to start is Lough Boora Discovery Park, Co Offaly or Lullymore Heritage and Discovery Park, Co Kildare, while a fantastic alternative is the Ceide Fields in Co Mayo. All of these have added attractions and interpretative displays.
>>LIFT YOUR SPIRITS ON THE UPLANDS Ever since there were hills, we have wanted to climb them. e view from the top must be earned and there’s no better feeling than looking out across a wonderful landscape with a sense of achievement. Don’t be put off by the notion that only experienced hillwalkers and climbers get to experience the majesty of our upland environments. There are many such places that are easy to get to by car. Take Mahon Falls in Co Waterford, for instance. Follow the road signs and they will take you to the top of the world. There is a well paved car park, a rocky path, a splendid view and of course, a waterfall. How could you not be uplifted by all that?
What about any of the many routes around Glendalough in Co Wicklow. All are accessible by road and from there you can select paths to suit your abilities. The scenery is always stunning and you will learn a lot on the way.
>>DRIVE AWAY YOUR FRUSTRATION A well-chosen scenic drive can also be an exhilarating and mind altering experience. there are hidden gems that you can experience from the comfort of the car. Gleniff Horseshoe Trail in Co Sligo is tucked away in Dartry Mountains. The Bog Road to be found outside of Clifden links across the uplands to Ballyconneely. If you’re lucky enough to get a clear day, there are sumptuous views of the Twelve Pins as you traverse the rocky road. We have so many coastal drives that it’s difficult to select one that stands out; however, anywhere on the Ring of Kerry is hard to beat.
So, it’s not where you wish to go; it’s whether you wish to be ‘blown away’ or ‘lost in thought’; or perhaps you’d prefer to ‘roar and shout’ or ‘get high’ and ‘drive away your frustrations’.
The choice is yours!