Yesterday was supposed to be a work day, but as it was technically the last day of the summer, my brother and I took off to explore the Barite mines in the Darty Mountains in Sligo. We approached from the other side of Slievemore, coming up the Gleniff Horse shoe valley. From this side there is an old road that led from the valley floor to the mining operations at the top of Slievemore. Unfortunately this road runs through private property and the owner doesn’t want people using it. Luckily we met the farmer before starting and he waved us off! The road is now mostly overgrown, and in parts doesn’t look like a road at all, as floods have turned it into a riverbed.
Mining has been going on in the valley for over 150 years, and while there is the remains of a fairly recent mining operation at the top, throughout the valley there are mine shafts that were in use in the 1800s. Our plan was to try find some of these early mine operations and have an explore. This valley also has Diarmaid and Grainne’s cave, though not strictly under the remit of an Urban Explorer is worth a visit. I haven’t found any historical evidence of mining taking place inside the cave, but there are a serious amount of chambers and tunnels inside, that are well worth a look.
This is the view from the approach on the Gleniff side
In this picture you can just about see the 3 black dots at the bottom of the cliff face in the centre of the picture. Just above them and slightly to the left is the entrance the mine
This is the closed up entrance to one of the early mine shafts from the 1800s. To get to here the miners used ladders, and according to one historian they had a wood walkway constructed down to the mine from the top of the mountain.
Following the roadway up about a quarter of the way, you can see whats left of a road way over to the foot of the cliffs
From underneath the cliffs, the 3 dots we can just about see from the second picture are a little closer. There are still two steel cables coming down from the cliff face and the closed off mine, further up the cliff face
The three shaft entrances up close and personal. The one on the top right is the one that can be seen from the road, and goes in for about 5 metres, the one in the upper left only about a meter or so….
but this mine shaft goes in for quite a bit. The entrance was flooded, but once inside its fairly dry going. I would say that the mine goes in for about 100-125 metres.
You can see the drill marks on the walls
The cables leading down the mountain. Originally the barite was sent down in buckets. A railway system was used to bring the barite to the port of mullaghmore, and coal to power the drilling machinery
Its steep climb to get to this mine, and there is quite a drop if you fall!
There are supposedly quite a few mineshafts around the Gleniff valley. We tried to reach this one but couldn’t, as the ground was slippy underneath. We think that it definately was a mineshaft due to the barite spoil on the ground around the entrance
After exploring this mine, we treked around to the most recent mining works for an explore. Open cast mining was carried out in the past and the cleft that can be seen at the top of the mountain runs north/south with the seam of barite.
This is the remains of one of the open cast clefts, to the left of the mine entrance.
Further down from the cleft above, is one of the earliest open cast clefts from the 1800s.
In one of these is a section that drops down about thirty or forty feet. Be vary careful
From inside the mine, this gulley leads to the surface, and is in line with the vein of barite, from the last two pictures
Beneath the gulley
The GPS watch said that we covered just under 15 kilometres from start to finish, and it took us six and half hours. If you fancy trying to visit the first mine on the Gleniff side, be extremely careful. The ground is fairly wet and loose in places, and the death factor is fairly high! Wear proper hiking shoes/boots as your feet will get wet, no matter how careful you are. Keep your hands free and keep a hand hold as you walk. Bring good torches, and plenty of food!
Head over to LoveGAA.com and “Like” them on Facebook to enter a draw for some pretty cool T-Shirts!
Sexual Hurling
Pancetta Spaghetti
5 cloves of garlic finely sliced
1/2 cup olive oil
4 ounces finely diced pancetta
8 ounces spaghetti
1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped, loosely packed
To make garlic oil, heat olive oil over medium heat, add garlic. Remove from stove and let infuse for one hour, then discard the garlic. Cook pasta according to package directions. In a separate pan, fry the pancetta in two tablespoons garlic oil until cooked (about three to four minutes). Drain pasta and add to the pancetta. Finish with parsley. Makes two hearty portions.
Calories: 600 Fat: 22 g (32%) Protein:10 g (15%) Carbs: 80 g (53%)
Percentages are of total calories
As seen on Runner’s World.com. Gordon Ramsey is also a runner, having started when his weight crept up towards 20 stone. He now regularly runs the London Marathon, and has completed some of the ultra marthons around the world. Apparently his favourite training is to run the ten miles home from work with a weighted rucksack.
Well, I did it. First ever road race, and I completed it. My goal was to complete this race, and my other goal was not to come last. Thankfully, I accomplished both. Considering that to enter this race was a bit of an impulse decision, and I had about six weeks to prepare for it, I’m happy with my performance. Last jogger/runner certainly, but not the last person to finish. Looking at the results on the web it shows me as being in last place whilst my beloved beat me, and she was walking. Explain that one to me precisiontiming.net!
My hat comes off to anyone who ran yesterday. Ten miles (16 kilometers) is a hell of a distance. One of the nice people I met yesterday told me that the local athletics club had been training for a good six months in preparation. Most first timers cut their teeth on one of the many 5 or 10K s that are run around the country. Picking a ten mile race as your debs is a bit on the ambitious side, but I know that I wasn’t alone in that yesterday.
My usual complaint came back to haunt me early on, meaning I had to stop and stretch a couple of times. My calfs cramped, and the cramp extended to the soles of my feet. Each step was like stepping onto a knife edge. Pat McManus (physio and osteopath – Phone (071)9166195) had made temporary osthetics for me using high density foam, but I think I knocked the goodness out of them in the previous couple of weeks training. Pat had told me that some folk have feet that will never give trouble until they start running, and i have those feet. My brother ( who ran yesterday also) has proper osthetic inserts which he won’t run without. So next on my to do list is get some proper ones made up.
As difficult as it was yesterday I enjoyed it. It was very interesting to see how much time and effort went into the event, by the organisers and sponsors Cara Pharmacies, and the other organisations who adorn the really nice T-shirt they gave us. Great goody bags too – I loved the optomism; I was expecting a can of deep heat and a packet of painkillers, rather than the energy gels, drinks, and assorted goodies they gave. A great event, and I hope it continues for years and years to come.
So where to now? I definately will sign up for the seasessions 5k, and the Ballyliffin 10mile coastal challenge looks very interesting. I think the Warrior’s Run may yet be a little beyond me for now at least. My goal for the next month is to continue with the training with the purpose of losing more weight.
Oh, and in case you are interested, I’m the blurry baldy guy to the right of the van in the picture
Not long now. Its been a busy couple of weeks, including one where I was laid up with a chest infection. Of course I did absolutely nothing, and felt like doing very little the following week, either. I’ve also had two painful visits to the physio. I honestly thought that the man was hurting me so that when I left I would automatically feel better better. Such are the mad thoughts that run through the mind of the tortured.
I managed to run Castlecaldwell on Saturday ( 3 miles) despite twisting my ankle, and on Sunday managed to run the 5 mile circuit from Ballyshannon to Bundoran, and home via the bypass. I felt I could have run the full length of the bypass which would have been 7.1 miles. Today I’m glad I didnt because my legs are killing me.
But I feel confident that I can run the race on Saturday week, and confidence is the important part.
You will often see motivational posters in offices and businesses throughout the land. They invariably consist of a very nice picture with some words of wisdom underneath. Unforunately they’ve become so commonplace and cliched that a massive backlash has occured resulting in what is now called “demotivational” posters. Here are some of the really good ones
You are gonna be replaced by a Robot
Chick Norris
Yoda T
Anger
What has been seen...
The Vet