Walking the South Clare Railway, Day 3

 beautiful sunny day, larks burbling in the air.

A longer section of the track to do, and much easier going at the beginning. ...

I started where last weekend’s walk had left off, at the missing bridge, and headed south and slightly west. Sections of the line actually felt like you were on a railway line, well maintained and used by farm vehicles (though still wet and muddy, of course). A couple of houses built on the route again, but generally fine and fair. Crossed a partially collapsed bridge (pic 4), and soon after the line passed under a road for the first time. Saw two large foxes in the field, and startled a pheasant while climbing a drainage ditch and a mallard later on, so lots of wildlife.

With the sun, and the skylarks, it was very 'Grantchester Meadows'. But of human habitation, there was little. Several old and abandoned buildings, and of the 30 or so fields I crossed, not a single one had any animals or crops.

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The last mile or so was rather wetter and bramblier, unfortunately. Met a small boy with a stick (the only person I saw during the walk), who asked me, given I was now stuck in brambles, how I had got up there. “Slowly and painfully”, I think I replied.

I ended at what was once Doonbeg station, a mile or so from the sea. Its hard to be sure, but I think the yellow shed in the last but one picture is an original relict of the station. I think the station itself is a private house, but I couldn't be sure which one.

Not being in a television program, at the end of the adventure, I had to walk back again. Pretty much immediately passed the entrance to Trump international golf course (which has been edited by a helpful passer-by). Then a long sunny walk to the car. Overall, about 3.5 km start-to-end as the crow flies, 5 I suspect by the route I had to use, and slightly longer back again.