The Strollers meet on first Tuesday of every month at St Philip’s Church and enjoy friendship, moderate exercise and hopefully refreshments afterwards. I can recommend all of the walks mentioned below and urge you to explore the attractions available on our doorstep.
In March we braved blustery and rainy weather to explore an area new to us, which is north of the Phoenix Park. We started near the Ashtown lock gate on the Royal Canal and then walked through Rathborne village to the entrance to Tolka Valley Park, which is maintained by Dublin City Council. We followed this path through a beautiful park alongside a bubbling Tolka River with wild flowers, swampy areas and many wetland birds. We left the park to walk up Broombridge Road and rejoin the Royal Canal for the walk back to the cars. We stopped to read the memorial plate, which celebrates William Rowan Hamilton’s eureka moment when he solved a quaternion problem and scratched his formula on the bridge. Our good luck with the weather failed for the last ten minutes of the walk and we entered the café and dripped onto the floor! It was a remarkable walk and do try this walk for yourself in an area that is undergoing refurbishment.
Our April walk was through Corkagh Park in Clondalkin. Another exploration of a new area and this walk was led by Sandra Cooke who planned the route with meticulous detail. This fantastic park is maintained by South Dublin County Council and has many different attractions and amenities The River Camac flows through it, and there are fishing ponds, a fairy glade, the Dublin Pet Farm, a rose garden and a famine memorial with a difference. It was opened to the public in 1986, consists of 120 hectares and was formerly part of Corkagh Demesne. Near the N7 entrance to the park is a caravan park. Afterwards Sandra treated us to refreshments in her apartment, which were thoroughly enjoyed.
In May we returned to a favourite walk above the Scalp and by the Lead Mines Chimney at Ballycorus. It was a beautiful day and the gorse was magnificient as we walked through the woods, which are under the control of the Dublin Mountains Partnership. Barnaslingan Wood leads to a wonderful viewing point looking south to the Wicklow mountains and we felt as if we were on top of the world. Then we followed the trail to Carrickgollogan woods, looked up the flue of the old chimney, enjoyed the new vista that opened overlooking Killiney and Dublin Bay and finally climbed to the top of Carrickgollogan itself. It was windy up there but what a view: a 360° panorama and perfect weather. What more could one ask for! We adjourned to The Golden Ball in Kilternan and enjoyed meeting up with two other friends who happened to be having afternoon tea.
Do join us for one of our forthcoming walks:
June – Kilcoole Beach
July – St Anne’s Park & Rose Garden
August – Sandymount & South Wall
Margaret Wynne