St. Annes Cemetery

 

When I visited Bohernabreena Reservoir and read up about the area, I stumbled across a name on a map. "St. Anne's Cemetery". On Google Maps someone left a "review" about how stunning the place is and "how did I not know of this"? 

So I was instantly intrigued.

So on a Friday off I donned my HiTec's and went searching for this hidden gem.

Following the reviewer's instructions I did not go through the reservoir but rather approached the cemetery from the upper road. A small road, almost hidden, leads from the lane down, through a rather apt gate, and through some farmland to the graveyard overlooking the reservoir.

It is difficult to believe that you are, for all intents and purposes, still in Dublin. The peace and quiet soothes the soul. And the grave yard is ridiculously picturesque. Overgrown in some areas with new gravestones popping up here and there.

Standing there I was reminded of one of my favourite books; "The Graveyard Book" by Neil Gaiman. If you have not read it yet... shame on you.

 If I could choose a place to be buried, it would be here.

Looking deeper into the history of the site, it seems that it once housed a church, of which only one portion of the wall still exist. The site was actually called Kilmesantan, meaning Church of Santan and was dedicated to St. Santan. The church was in use until the late 1600's but was then abandoned and fell into ruin.

Remaining portion of the church wall

I absolutely love this place. If you take your time and look around there are some surprises looking up at you from the grass and some newer gravestones standing between the old ones gives a nice contrast. But for me, the best part is the peace and quiet.

Bohernabreena Reservoir

I was off for a couple of days after the Easter Weekend and decided to explore around the Bohernabreena Reservoir one afternoon. 

Alright, so let me give you the lowdown on the Bohernabreena Reservoir. Picture this: tucked away in the scenic Dublin Mountains, this reservoir has a pretty fascinating backstory.

Back in the day, way back in the late 1800s, Dublin was booming, and the city needed a reliable water source to keep up with all that growth. So, they came up with the genius idea of building not one, but two reservoirs: Upper and Lower Bohernabreena. Construction kicked off in the late 1800s, and by 1887, the Lower Reservoir was up and running, supplying fresh water to thirsty Dubliners.

But here's where it gets interesting. Fast forward to the 1930s, and Dublin's thirst had grown even more. So, they decided to build a massive dam to create another reservoir: the Upper Bohernabreena. Construction took a while, what with the whole World War II situation slowing things down, but by the 1940s, the dam was standing tall and proud.

Today, these reservoirs aren't just about quenching Dublin's thirst, they've become a haven for outdoor enthusiasts, with folks flocking here for everything from fishing to hiking. Plus, the stunning views of the surrounding mountains ain't too shabby either.

There is a decent walking route around the reservoir, but keeping one eye on the weather I decided it might be best not to venture too far. Did not have the brolly with me, after all.

I started from the main carpark, which is only 15 cars big, and ventured up to the lower reservoir. There were some signs along the route reminding me to take it easy.

A section of the dam wall was closed, so I could not walk onto that. I could however get onto the section above the spillway, and I have to say the rushing water is very soothing.

 

I hiked to the upper reservoir from the lower. There are some brilliant wetlands next to the road with an abundance of birds. It is not nearly full summer yet, in fact, I wonder if it will ever be summer this year, and already the birds are aplenty.

The ducks were having a little nap as well...

 I did not walk around the reservoir, although there is a clear walking trail around the reservoir. I will however be back to explore that. Because it was a work day, it was deadly quiet around the reservoir. The birdsong was clear and I really enjoyed the hike. 

There were some fishermen doing the fishermen thing and I came across some walkers / hikers, all being much faster than I am. No worries.

Fisherman doing the Fisherman thing.

I had my cameras, do photos were plenty. 

I did not even scratch the surface of this beautiful area. I only hiked up to the dam wall of the upper reservoir. There is still the entire ring route around the upper reservoir to explore. 

The route I took

 On the to-do list then!!

Farewell Strava

As I watch Facebook memories come past of me completing the Glendalough trail run last April, it is with a twinge of regret that I finally bid farewell to my good friend Strava.

We've had the best of times, we've had the worst of times.

On completion of the Glendalough race it became apparent that I have finally completely killed my IT band and that any further running would be detrimental to my health. not that it stopped me. I did indeed attempt to start running again,  but it was clear that the knee pain was not going anywhere, and that further exercise was just exacerbating the problem.

 So here we are one year later.

I have for the past couple of years been a subscriber to Strava, but due to the fact that I have not been using Strava for the last year that seems a little excessive. I therefore cancelled my subscription. And then, on a rainy and windy April morning, I finally deleted my Strava account.

I have downloaded all the data before committing to the final harikiri. Reading through the data does make for interesting bedtime stories. It seems that I took up running in 2015, and have completed a rather large amount of kilometers during the past nine years. Oh the memories.

So what now?

I think it is safe to say that my running days are now well behind me, and that I will have to find a new recreational activity. Luckily I live in Ireland. During the past couple of months I have slowly increased my hiking kilometers. There are oodles of hiking trails just outside Dublin in the Dublin mountains. Even ones’ that an ex Runner like myself can partake in. Yes, I am out of shape! 

So, onto the next adventure! 

Poolbeg Towers

So I previously posted on the little walk Narina and I took on the Dublin Harbour east pier. I took a photo that morning of the Poolbeg Towers, and everytime I look at it I think that it should be sketched. I am also interested these days in Pen and Wash sketches, so watch this space, it may get a facelift 😁. But for now you will have to live with the Pen Sketch as it is.

(I also noticed that I have dated it 2023.... new year syndrome!!)

Naas Harbour

 The wife and I drove out to Newbridge in search of a market. We found it, but was not impressed. We heard about a farmers market in Naas, and drove over there. Mheee. So we walked around and explored the area. 

Just off the main road there is an old harbour on the Grand Canal. An absolutely lovely little corner of Naas. I can definitely recommend a visit.