DAY 5 - MAAM TO LOUGH INAGH

To that point the weather had been really nice and dry, except for a short shower on Inishmore, warm and sunny.  Today it all changed and we faced a more difficult section of the walk with the promise of rain and wind, we got both.

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The start of the day at Maam

The end of the day at Lough Inagh

The first 4 kilometres were along a metalled road, with almost no traffic , which changed to a rough track.  We were now in somewhat more challenging terrain, first a climb up and over down to a river and then a long drawn out climb to a pass up a very rough track.  It was raining for much of the climb and we had a strong wind behind our backs but fortunately we had good rain gear   It would have been no fun going the other way.  At the top of the pass in the Maamturk Mountains we came to a small chapel at Maumeen (The Pass of the Birds).  This was a pilgrimage spot where Mass is held three times a year.  Beside the chapel was a small stone altar and scattered around the rocky boggy site were the twelve stations of the Cross.

The small chapel and the statue of St. Patrick

The statue by Cliodna Cussen, dated 1986, depicts Patrick with a ram. The inscription in Irish on the base reads "Pádraig Mór na hÉireann, Aoire Máméan" (meaning "Patrick-the-Great of Ireland: Shepherd of Maumeen".) 

The Mass Altar on a wet and windy day

The altar served as our dining table.  The typical Irish breakfast consists of lovely meaty bacon, a fried egg or two, two sausages, mushrooms, black and white pudding and, on Aran, baked beans.  We soon realised that this was more than a hearty meal so we always put the sausages into the back pack and these were the basis of lunch each day.

The chapel at Maumeen

We left the lunch spot and climbed down an even rougher track which, because of the rain, was more of a stream than a track.  We met two unfortunates going the other way battling the gusty wind.

At the bottom of the track we reached another lonely road that took us, after 5 kilometres, to our B and B for the night, Lough Inagh Ranch.  We were made very welcome with a cup of tea and a biscuit.  As promised by Hillwalk they took our damp outer gear and dried it overnight and we stuffed our boots with paper.  Dinner that night was at the swanky Lough Inagh Lodge.  We were joined by a young German couple who had started out that morning in the region of the board walk on the Western Way where they had camped.  They decided that the B and B was a wise choice after being buffeted all day in the rain.  They fell on their feet in another way because our large backpack was going to be taken to our next B and B in Leenane the next day and the host agreed to take their two backpacks to the same village where they could collect them from the village pub.

Lough Inagh Ranch B and B