CORNWALL TO IRELAND 2018
At the end of June 2018, I set off on another adventure. This time I was accompanied by my partner, Vlad, horses Oisín and Dakota, and Spirit, my wolfdog. We set off from our home near Bodmin Moor in Cornwall and rode 400 miles up through the South West of England and across South Wales to Pembrokeshire.
There we caught a ferry over to Ireland and then spent several months riding 600 miles from the southernmost point at Mizen Head, up to the northernmost point at Malin Head. Along the way we collected folk tales and fiddle tunes from the places through which we passed, and used the journey to raise money for the Conquest Centre near Taunton, and the Red Horse Foundation in Stroud. To find out more about this journey, please purchase my book Fiddler on the Hoof.
Photos from the journey can be found below.
Dakota packed and ready to leave
Vlad and Oisín taking the lead
Leaving the Bowyers' with a newly shod Dakota
Burrow Mump, Burrowbridge
Sunset over the Sumerset Levels
Vlad exausted at the end of a long day's ride
Dakota meeting a goat for the first time at Maggie Bombley's
A disgruntled Spirit sporting some very fashionable paw protection
Leaving Maggie Brombley's
Somewhere on the outskirts of Bath
The yurt at the Red Horse Foundation
Crossing the River Severn near Gloucester, finally!
Vlad in his element at Perrygrove Railway
Oisín sampling some cider left over from a wedding at Perrygrove Railway
John Crofts working his magic on Dakota in Wales
Sunset over the Black Mountains
Hot air balloons over the Black Mountains
On the way to Abergavenny, Wales
A kind lady let us sleep in the shepherd's hut in her garden when we failed to find the bothy at Grwyne Fawr Reservoir
Dakota looking out across Wales
A rest stop on our way down from the Black Mountains
Looking back at the Black Mountains
Enjoying one of our days off with Jacqui and Phil
Vlad and Oisín in Brechfa Forest
Vlad in his element fixing a tractor at Plad Dwbl
Leaving West Cork Equine Centre on our first day in Ireland
A road with an optimistic speed limit near Clonakilty
We tried our hardest to break the speed limit!
With Jane Scully near Baltimore
Oisín and Vlad on the 'start' line at Mizen Head
Dakota, Spirit, and I on the 'start' line at Mizen Head
Looking across Dunmanus Bay to the Sheep's Head peninsula
Some curious donkeys watching our progress
A mountain road in West Cork
Heading into the Shehy Moutains
Writing up the day's events and sheltering from the rain in Kilgarvan
Heading towards Moll's Gap
Tired horses having a lie-in in the Black Valley
Coming down from the Gap of Dunloe
Horses at Kate Kearney's Cottage
Vlad and our kind host, Eric near Castlemaine
Looking across to the Beara Peninsula from Inch Beach
Vlad and Oisín on Inch Beach
From Castlegregory we followed the beach for nine miles to Derrymore
The horses quickly became accustomed to flapping flags and bunting because many houses were kitted out to show support for their local teams
Beautiful mules near Broadford
Micheál's first day on the road. Oisín was not impressed
Making Micheál a pack blanket from an old hessian sack and some straw
Micheál modelling his new blanket
Back on the road after two weeks off at mum's in Mountshannon
Joe Cooley's house, Peterswell
Our bed for the night in Mount Bellew
A rainbow before the storm: on the shores of the Shannon near Drumshanbo
Chatting with the locals in Drumshanbo
Micheál in County Leitrim
On the road to Kiltyclogher
With fiddle players Ben and Maurice Lennon
With Cockney Jogger, Paul, and his lovely family
With Catherine and Michael
Spirit very making herself at home in Wendy and Francie's kitchen
On the Inishowen Peninsula, Donegal
We made it to the North Pole!
Spirit making herself at home in Toni's kitchen
Dakota and I on the 'finish' line at Malin Head
Vlad and Oisín on the 'finish' line at Malin Head
