Hoofing it for 1,300km from Mizen to Malin has been more odyssey than pilgrimage for German photographer Florian Wagner and his merry team of horses and humans.
Fifty four days after setting off from Ireland’s most southerly point in Co Cork on their Wild Atlantic Way adventure the German troop landed at Banba’s Crown (Malin Head) yesterday.
The story of their adventure will be transformed into a high-quality coffee table book and three 50-minute documentaries for Germany’s Spiegel TV Wissen.
The wild west’s weather whims and stony topography may have caused sun and windburn, minor sprains and strains along the way for horses, Mara, Soloma, Rooh, Goodwill and Merlin but with vet Susanne Aloé as part of the team, Sudocrem and sunscreen proved to be the perfect antidote.
Hospitality
The team were struck by the warmth of Irish hospitality and the generous help they received on the way.
The first Irish person they met on the ferry from Pembroke to Rosslare was a trucker and horse owner, who offered them all sorts of help and advice.
“We were often surprised at the fact that people seemed to know we were arriving in a seaside village before we arrived at all. They thought we were really rich because we are pulling our two [specially designed] trailers with Audi Q7s but they were actually sponsored for the trip by the company,” said Mr Wagner.
He said there were many highlights from their Irish seaside safari but a trip to Clare Island, Co Mayo stood out.
“It was quite an adventure and another brilliant example of Irish hospitality. We tried to get the trailer off the ferry but it got stuck, so the skipper landed the horses on the beach and one of the crew, Joe O’Malley, took off his shoes and walked them through the water onto the beach,” he says.
The team was fascinated by stories of the 16th century pirate queen, Granuaile, whose castle guards the entrance to the Clew Bay island.
Alongside Wagner and Aloé, The team include documentary maker Johannes Maierbacher, horse-trekking guide Jürgen Schäffer, photographic and social media assistant Regina Singelstein, and camp manager and driver Barbara Welscher.
Mr Wagner has been an adventure photographer for 25 years, working for magazines and newspapers.
"Back in 2013, some friends and I crossed Germany from south to north on horseback for a National Geographic project," he said. The unique trip was so successful, National Geographic wanted Mr Wagner to organise another one.
There was a lot of interest using Ireland as the next destination but ultimately the idea was dropped. So it was back to the drawing board where publisher Knesebeck became involved, as well as a slew of other sponsors.
From Irish coffees in Dingle, a horse fair at Spancil Hill and fishing for dinner at Delphi to sunset on the Donegal cliffs of Slieve League, the 40km daily trek often culminated in a seisiún, to which Aloé and Schäffer contributed their Bavarian box-playing skills.
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