December: Fernhill to Barnacullia
This was a lovely walk from Fernhill near Stepaside and then uphill to the Blue Light Pub at Barnacullia where the proprietor had a roaring fire waiting for us. Over our coffee we discussed plans for the 2023 walks and enjoyed the views across Dublin Bay as far as the airport and Howth. We descended along the old Mass path towards Kilgobbin and explored the rounds of Fernhill as we returned to our cars.
Margaret Wynne
January: UCD
I was expecting a walk down memory lane through UCD in Belfield with fellow strollers, but that is definitely not what happened.
We met at the junction of Whitethorn Road and Clonskeagh Road, just down from UCD on Tuesday 3 January. We were all set for a ramble through Belfield (UCD). This was my Alma Mater after all. I would know everything I thought. There were also a number of other UCD alumni on our stroll.
Our main concern on the day was the weather, but it proved us wrong and not a drop of rain fell on us. The matter of viewing some sculptures and stuff was just incidental to us strollers. I imagined that I would be blessed among women with only a token male or two on the stroll, as per previous outings with the strollers. “Boy”, was I wrong. At one point, the men outnumbered the ladies by 7 to 5. It seemed to me that that this imbalance prevailed throughout the afternoon. The walks with the strollers are becoming more popular with the males of the species as well as the ladies. We ambled through the campus, up past the famous water tower and towards the O’Reilly Hall. The lake was adjacent to our walk for periods with lots of bird life including swans clearly visible, and audible.
However, that was not the purpose of our walk. Eric Rankin had a very well-resourced and informative walk prepared for us, to introduce us to the gallery of statues and such on public display in Belfield. This was not a stroll but a schedule. We were on a mission to view some of the many pieces of art to see on the campus, and indeed buildings and places to go to on campus.
I had attended college there over a period of three years and indeed lectured there subsequently, but to my shame, I had never once attempted to seek out and view the many pieces of art available. My main sights when a student were football pitches, table soccer, debating society nights, and of course, the odd lecture theatre (even had time to visit the Belfield Bar occasionally). Nothing as esoteric as statues and such. As a commerce student arts and sculptures were very far from my agenda. I was totally ignorant of the splendours on display. Eric corrected all that on this walk.
It would take far too long to describe the many pieces of art on display in UCD that Eric introduced us to on our walk, so I will just narrow it down to my choice of three of the best pieces on display. The Black Tulip by Eamonn Ceannt is a magnificent piece and must be seen in person to appreciate it. (Ceannt is the grandson of the 1916 leader) we were informed by Eric. Another piece that caught my fancy was “Wind and Water” by Paddy Campbell. Spectacular is the only word to describe this masterpiece. Again, it must be seen in person to be properly appreciated. “Joie de Vivre” by Jill Pitko was another spectacular piece we were drawn to by Eric. At the end of the stroll, we were all cultured out, but well informed of the jewels on public display in the UCD campus at Belfield. They are open to all to view, and I would highly recommend a visit to see the gems on display. Even a lowly commerce student could admire and appreciate them. The only problem is that you would not have Eric to show you around and lead you to the exhibits individually. Nor would you be able to glean all the information about all of the exhibits that Eric imparted. Finally, sincere thanks to Eric and of course Margaret for organising the day. Also, thanks to all my fellow strollers on the day who made me feel very welcome as part of this group. Cathal Gilbride