Walk leader, Veronica Curran, had our walk well planned and to encourage us the first kilometre was downhill to an almost majestic lake. Nearly 40 RTAI members assembled to see the rhododendrons in full bloom on the Waterford/Tipperary border. If that vicious creature, the ladybird, has its best PR in nature the vigorous invasive rhododendron is not far behind. While seduced by its beauty our conscience nagged us a little- should we sing its praise or bring our herbicides to halt its dramatic spread? The pink/mauve modest mountains could have been the Himalayas. A Cork walker was seen to adopt a rhodo sapling….. “but I will keep it in its pot”. The latter promise kept us from informing the Department of Agriculture about the impending sabotage of our native flora in Cork! While the month was June, the cold wind was less than seasonal but the blooms and company jollied us along.
With Barron’s of Cappoquin promised for blaas and soup our morale was high as we walked on. By the time we came to the Samuel Grubb monument for our photo the “heavy lifting” was done and our picnic food had revved our engines for the return to our cars. With election talk in the air, there were some polite enquiries as to whether Samuel Grubb was standing as an independent!
Post walk, as we sped to Cappoquin, Methuselah’s older brother stopped us with a large STOP sign re roadworks ahead. The length of his biblical long beard alarmed us. If we had to wait on STOP for as long as his beard was unshaven the rhododendrons might well have conquered a United Ireland!
Seán Ó Callanáin
RTAI CORK BLOG - Suíomh na Múinteoirí Scortha Chorcaí 