GO WALK: JOHN G O'DWYERtakes a tortuous path to find inspirational views at Slieve League
A QUIRK OF the Irish personality is a fondness for moving statues, milky tea and assuming a standing position when in pubs. Another idiosyncrasy is an attachment to bungalows arranged in ribbon developments along roadsides.
Donegal offers many fine examples of this latter unendearing characteristic, and so travelling west through the county, it’s unsurprising that there are many elongated settlements. Then, in the equally bloated village of Teelin, I swing right and suddenly all our irresponsibility with concrete blocks is forgotten as the road propels me into the fairytale fastness of Slieve League.
Along with Croagh Patrick and Mt Brandon, Slieve League forms a trinity of sacred mountains along Ireland’s western seaboard. For more than 1,000 years, the monastic site here was a focus for Christian pilgrims who took the path of least resistance upwards from Teelin.
Following their footsteps from my parking place, I find it pleasant going as I tag the firm trail past lonesome Croleavy lake to reach a modern footbridge constructed beneath a scenic waterfall.
Here families are celebrating a rare good day of summer by dipping their feet in crystal-clear pools.
Continuing upwards, the tortuous path eventually brings me to the objective for early Christian penitents – an isolated monastic site that holds the remains of a chapel and a nearby spring whose waters are, appropriately enough, reputed to cure aching joints.
It seems something of a mystery why anyone would set up a monastery on this austere, storm-lashed Donegal plateau or how the monks survived on such impoverished land. Eventually they abandoned Slieve League but not as you might expect, in favour of some fertile, lowland abbey.
Uninterested, apparently, in a comfortable retirement, they sallied forth from Teelin and carried Christianity to the equally inhospitable shores of Iceland.
Following a muddle of cairns across the plateau to join the clifftop path, I then swing right along the edge. To reach the summit proper it is now necessary to traverse the rather over dramatised One Man’s Pass which is really nothing more than 300m of an elevated but benign walkway about a metre wide.
The summit (595m) is a little disappointing. Crowned by a trig pillar it is really just a continuation of the ridge and doesn’t offer a mountaintop feel.
The compensation, however, is inspirational views in all directions stretching from the eye-watering whiteness of Mount Errigal to the unmistakable profile of Ben Bulben to the south.
Recrossing One Man’s Pass, I continue by descending the clifftop rather than retracing the pilgrim route while enjoying many stroll-stopping views and startlingly sheer vistas over some of Europe’s highest and most dramatic sea cliffs.
After a short break at the monumentally exposed viewing point of Eagles Nest, I descend along a more heavily eroded track to reach a paved trail, where humanity immediately thickens like a forest around me. Then it’s just a question of continuing to Bunglass carpark where, to avoid the long road walk to Teelin, I have cannily arranged for a pickup.
Slieve League
Getting there: Go south from the village of Carrick for about 2km and then swing right at a signpost for Slieve League. Follow the signs through a gateway to reach a small parking lot.
Suitability:Moderately challenging outing suitable for most reasonably experienced ramblers. Map OSi, Discovery Series, Sheet 10.
Time:Allow 3.5 hours for a there and back ascent via the Pilgrims Path. Add another hour for a descent to Bunglass.