In Reply to: once upon a good time posted by Oliver Killeen on July 21, 2009 at 18:13:50:

a cara.....i was all set to tell you of my adventures at saleen lake .......when i was reminded of the date by my car radio...then i realized its the last sunday of july.........my mind began to wander back to the last saturday of the month when i lived on mchale road......the buzz word then was ....the reek.....well in 1953.....i too geared up for the reek.....paddy mcdonagh and myself arranged to climb the reek.....for paddy it was his first ascent to the holy peak....me ....well i climbed it every year from a very young age....and every year i brought a rock from the reek home to the queen....mrs.heavey......well in 1953 paddy and myself met at jb's and headed down to tom cullens.....there we bought 3 crubeens each....and ate them whilst we stood at the bridge at mcglinchkeys.....we devoured them as if they were duck'la orange......we sucked every piece of grizzle off the bones and then licked our fingers clean.....bring porridge....bring sausage....bring fish for a start ...bring kidneys....and mushrooms....and rabbits legs.....but let the foundation be piggys legs.....we then wandered up to nearys cafe in castle street and had a plate o'chips....with plenty of salt and malt vinegar......then it was off to smiler murphys for a pint.....now we were ready to meet st. patrick himself.....and so we headed off to the wesport road with 2 packets of kimberly....and 2 mikado.... and hitched a ride to wesport......our first stop in wesport was blowser walshes.....after a courtship with arthur we headed to the railway hotel.....where we really got stuck in......between pints and songs....we almost forgot our pilgramage purpose.......and we toyed with the notion of giving clew bay and st. pat a miss......but after serious reviews...we decided to head back to murrisk.......we got the bus and as fate would have it the conductor was an old friend of castlebar..jackie....? ..his name illudes me at this time....but he used to sing in concerts in the town hall....he was a short fellow....with a develish grin...and this night a generous heart....ara your' all right lads don't worry about the fare.....c.i.e. can handle the shortfall..........watch your step on the mountain.....we arrived back at murrisk...and our first stop was that pub at the base of the reek....a couple o'more pints and a couple a bottles to go ....just in case we did meet st. pat.....and he was a little thirsty.....and so we headed off on the climb.....the first part was easy......we mingled with true pilgrims bound in prayer.....before we knew it we arrived at the first station.....round and round st.pats statue the pilgrims went and so we made one circle and moved on our way.....just beyond there was a tea stand ....so we had a hot cuppa.....and then a leak.....we had to venture to the side amongst some scorce and heather.....and the sound of a rushing stream.....sure we might as well have a bottle for the road we decided.....we planked ourselves beside a pile of rocks....and drank our flat guinness.....up and ta it again....we joined the throngs as they moved towards...the next station.....rosaries were been recited and responded with almost believable piety.....we arrived at the second station ....but decided to move on .....our enegies were running a little flat ....but we pushed on......there was an umbrella of darkness and mist on the mountain....and magnificent clew bay ....was but a faded sketch.....in the reaches of below.....soon we were on that part of the mountain where sheet stone seems to be in as much abound as the sand on the sahara.....we took the odd slide and spill.....but were carefull to protect the guinness.....groping and swearing we made our way.....we wished we were amongst the many who were on there way down....as they chanted ...not far to go now boys......we rested where we could.....and the we began to feel the churning guinness and crubeens.....on again......we were not going to give up.......another tea stand ....and another cuppa scalded water....keep going boys ....ya can almost see the church.......determined to meet st.pat we headed up......we soon saw the semblance of a building......we're there we said.....as the church became more distinct......people were going around it in prayer......we got to its base....and decided to find someplace where we could rest for awhile.....we found and abandoned rock pile and curled into it......we did'nt know another thing until daylight.......we killed our last bottle...the morning had brought much clearer conditions.....and so we looked out from the top on clew bay....in the distance a harbour light was flashing......and the many islands looked like emeralds floating on a sea of calm.....we did'nt meet st.patrick so after we gazed on the descent we headed down......we made good time going down....but we were cold.....wet......we bought a sandwich and tea at ground zero.... we looked around to see who might give us a lift to westport.....and before we knew it we were outside the west.......evtually we hitched another ride to castlebar.....and we were dropped off at eddy cannons......the only thing we had left was 2 sticks......
....anybody want to buy sticks for the reek........ ?
amarach....saleen lake......
.....tog go bog e......