Mechanical Music

It has been said that the first side of the Rush album 'Moving Pictures' is the finest slab of rock music ever recorded. Comprising the incomparable selection of Tom Sawyer, Red Barchetta, YYZ and Limelight it is hard to disagree.

I am currently listening to the live rendition that features on the 'Live in Cleveland' recording from 2011 (30th anniversary of the studio version) and indeed it stands proud and strong still.

However, it is not my own obsession with the band and their work that compels me to write this. On May 12th, 2011 Rush did visit Dublin for the first (and realistically last) time. This tour, the Time Machine Tour, was to feature the Moving Pictures album in its entirety. For the geographically disadvantaged Irish fans this was something of a momentous occasion - the band did not disappoint and the crowd response was overwhelmingly positive. I was in the privileged position of having seen the band more than once before so the reaction of my fellow concertgoers was of particular interest. None more so than my great friend Trevor Mooney who would not have proclaimed to be a fan at all. But he was in attendance and some short time into the second set (somewhere between Red Barchetta and YYZ at a guess) he sent me a text message (that I did not see until after the show) that read 'ROCK! ROCK! ROCK!'

Here was a celebration of a great live Rush performance being experienced for the very first time: I was pleasantly envious and quietly chuffed that this connection was being made.

Swansong

Here it is. The final album release from The Room of Rock in Wicklow. Whether I have saved the 'best for last' will never truly be known, but this collection is nigh on impossible to categorise. I'm sure I don't know what a pigeon-hole is but Progressive Rock will suffice for me. I'm confident I have paid homage to all of my favourite players and nodded to all of my major influences.

Though it is designed to be heard in one sitting I imagine most people won't be able to get their head around the mess or maybe even past the first 10 minutes - not that it's overtly madcap or technical or even original - but because unless one is Frank Zappa, eclecticism doesn't sit well in mainstream entertainment.

Outcasts (Part Two)

Some new soundtrack music from The Room of Rock in Wicklow.
 

My First Memories Volume 6 - Porcupine Tree

Porcupine Tree - Opeth...
Opeth - Porcupine Tree...

This is a kinda 2-for-1 deal as I see it. I discovered both bands around the same time, via the same initial source and there are some obvious connections between the bands beyond the purely musical. As such either band could occupy the number 5 slot. At the time of writing, I'd say Opeth just edge it for me...but there you go: that's the beauty of these lists!

Going back to 2005, many contributors to the Rush forum T-N-M-S.com had been championing PT as the true front runners in the Prog race for a couple of years. At that time, Rush had recently (Autumn 2004) made a long awaited and triumphant return to British shores with their R30 extravaganza. I was adamant that no band would be able to get anywhere near Canada's finest, but still I was curious. What was so good about this oddly named band that had Rush fans so fired up?

My first actual listening came late one Friday night in the rehearsal studios I frequented when I was part of the Dublin band, One More Outnumbered. Not unnaturally we would fraternise with the other bands that shared the space - trading beers and new music. Typically, the room next door was home to some very extreme metal: where the likes of Pantera and Machinehead were considered lightweight. Excellent bands...but lightweight! However on this particular night I heard an acoustic guitar riff (in 5/4) that made me want to sit up and listen more closely. Turns out this was a song called 'The Sound of Musak' by PT.

Now I knew what all the Rush fans were talking about with such heightened enthusiasm. This was definitely something I wanted to explore further. Thankfully, a very nice man called Dave Lack (fellow English Gent, Fellow Rush fan) offered to put together a CD sampler - these used to be called mixtapes, I think! - for my initiation. This was littered with PT standards such as 'Blackest Eyes', 'Trains', 'Russia on Ice', 'Lazarus' and 'Arriving Somewhere but not Here' and compounded my thoughts that this was a band to be reckoned with.

Right now, PT is on a break of indeterminate length (shame) but be assured I will be right there with them again when 'the time is now again'.

My First Memories Volume 5 - Opeth

This is not a sign that I am coming out of retirement, but I have wanted to revisit this series for some weeks so here is the next chapter.

Thinking about it now, this represents that last time I truly took a punt on a band without having heard a single note. My introduction to Opeth came in the latter part of 2005 - when I bought 'Ghost Reveries' on a whim (HMV, Grafton Street). I was aware of the Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree) connection, and the band's merits were well celebrated on the Rush forum site The National Midday Sun. This certainly seemed qualification enough that they deserved my attention.

No doubt about it, Opeth music is genuinely progressive when taken as a whole, but on first playback I was struck by what I dismissed as a straightforward cross between Dream Theater and Voivod...with decidedly gruff, death-metal styled vocals. Good. Well played. Modern production. But not amazing. Ok, well it was my own fault for not doing the research extensively...there really aren't any excuses in this overconnected age. However, I still liked to think of those days when you would go to record shops (!) and try something new based on a trivial connection: the album cover, the band name, the track titles, the producer that produced your favourite album by such and such a band...and so on. By 2005 those days really were ancient times but I am a music fan, a music collector, and I can still experience that hopeless (love?) optimism that you will be able to find new treasure in recorded music.

Eventually (read: a few weeks later - Ed), I did find the treasure. Not unnaturally, it was in the quieter, groovier moments that I first started to get to grips with this masterwork. However, it is in the grandiose title track and the epic 'Harlequin Forest' that I actually heard Opeth for the first time. 'Ghost Reveries' was an album that I found I could listen to on constant repeat and was ideal for the lengthy bus commute into Dublin. It is an album of tremendous complexity and texture and fully demonstrates the excellent vocal range of band leader, Mikael Akerfeldt. The man has at least 4 strong vocal personalities and he utilities them expertly as musical tones that weave in and out of the heavily orchestrated guitars.

I have since become a major fan of the band, travelling to see them if necessary. Subsequent albums have seen something of a stunning rise to the top of the Prog tree, and I am sure there are still several moments' of genius still to come.

A Farewell to Things

Following the release of 'Lab Rat and Lobster' (Maggy Simpson) and my next solo venture 'Vermin' I will be going into semi-retirement as I need to disconnect for an indefinite period. If you need to find me you will know how to. In the meantime, here are some images associated with the recorded works over the years, along with an extensive discography.

Nightfall Over Eden (solo)
Scream In Blue (1995)
Insomnia (1995)

Scream In Blue (with Justin Bell)
The Glasshouse Effect (1996)
Subterranean (1996)
Driven Out of Innocence (1997)

Scream In Blue (with Justin Bell, Rick Abbott & Fabio Finnochiaro)
Urban Tourists (1999)

Mr. Do (with Wayne Bussutil & Steve Barr)
That's Why Flamingos are Pink (2000)
Cubed (2000)

Cellardoor (solo)
Do What You Have to Do (2003)
Frames per Second (2004)
At The Third Stroke (2004)
The Random Event Factory Demos (2009)
Set Fire to the Snow (2011)

Sector 7G (with John Waldron)
Sector 7G (2012)

Solo
Man-At-Arms (2011)
Silence as Criticism (2011)
Unauthorised Soundtrack (2012)
Mountain Goat Misadventures in the Wicklow Wilderness (2012)
Mission (2012)
Vermin (2013)

Maggy Simpson (with Bat Kinane & Davy Ryan)
Lab Rat and Lobster (2013)

My First Memories Volume 4 - Alice In Chains

Dirt.

Videos for 'Would?' and 'Them Bones' had been on my radar for about a year, and I thought that I would like this band once I got around to it. I guess these were 'hits' of some sort. In honesty, I was slower than most to catch onto 'Grunge'. Maybe I was that little bit older, maybe I was too wrapped up in the world of PROG, but ultimately I still liked harder edged music a lot and there was some good noise emanating from a select group of bands that were lumped into that bracket. Whether Alice In Chains were Grunge or not, they were based in the Pacific Northwest. In those days that seemed to be enough to qualify.

It wasn't until the summer of 1993 that I picked up a copy of 'Dirt' on cassette for a mere £3...from a market stall in Derby Market Hall. If I remember rightly it was actually from a bookseller, too. This is when I first heard Alice In Chains at full tilt. The thing that struck me most was the hurt and the pain and the apparent honesty about drugs. The naive part of me was a little shocked that it was acceptable to even talk about these things so openly. Much in the same way that hearing Zack de la Rocha (Rage Against The Machine) denounce unjust governments so brazenly had shocked me out of innocence. Certainly, Layne Staley's soaring pain was a thing of beauty when set against such powerful music, and there were Classic and Progressive Rock elements that were hard to deny. This was definitely something I could get behind.

While Dirt is often considered the band's benchmark release, I don't know if it's my favourite these days (I'd probably opt for 'Jar of Flies'), but I do know that it hit me very hard back then and sent me in search of more sounds from Seattle. Twenty years on there appears to be some kind of a renaissance, though I feel it is probably middle-aged nostalgia at work. Either way, I still have great love for the Alice In Chains catalogue and I'm interested in hearing what they come up with next.

My First Memories Volume 3 - U2

The Joshua Tree, March 1987. On a train. On a yellow (!) Phillips personal stereo.

U2 are now 'bleedin' massive', ubiquitous, a major global brand. However, in the early part of 1987, I was only just starting to hear whispers about them. Almost none of my classmates were fans or champions for this Irish Rock band, at a time when Anglo-Irish relations were tense to say the least. I can't possibly say if these things were related, but the musical tide was certainly about to change in a big way. My perception of Ireland would be tested directly a couple of years later in a Maths class. A visiting Irish teacher took the class and as an ice-breaker asked each of us to list the first 3 things that came to mind when we thought of Ireland. Me? Pat Jennings, Green...and U2. You may imagine the debate that ensued in a classroom in a Tory stronghold in Thatcher's Britain, but I digress.

While in those days especially U2 were unafraid to share their social and political opinions freely, it was the musical backdrop that I found completely mesmerising. How can you not be moved by the epic rising intro to 'Where the Streets have No Name', let alone the soaring anthem that it becomes? At a time when I was starting to get some interest in Heavy Metal, here seemed to be something altogether less direct, but so much more sophisticated. It seemed to be sincere, honest, raw, pained, euphoric, anthemic, sparse, eery, celebratory, fierce, mellow, historic - all at once. The next 2 tracks ('I Still Haven't Found what I'm Looking for' and 'With or Without You') further cemented my feelings that this was monumental, legendary material unfolding right before me. It's still their benchmark album.

So much has been written about U2 that I won't even attempt to explain their place in music history, only to say it's a place that's richly deserved. Though I would continue to enjoy the relatively safe sounds of Dire Straits, The Eagles and Eric Clapton for a couple more years, listening to U2 offered something altogether more awakening and spiritual. The world was about to agree.

My First Memories Volume 2 - Van Halen

Not surprisingly for a man of my age, my introduction to Van Halen came in the mid 80s with the massive hit...and then again in the slightly later 80s with the other massive hit.

'Jump' and 'Why Can't This Be Love?' are both fine pop tunes in their own right, and in the privacy of my own home (sometimes in public!) I can't help but switch from air guitar to air keyboard and back again when I hear these songs - still! The fact that one song was from VH MkI and one from VH MkII made this pretty confusing for me as I naively wondered how they could still be the same band if the personnel were different. In the years since, of course, this has turned the band's story into the stuff of Rock Legend.

I consider VH to be my No. 1 guilty pleasure musically speaking, because they do sit at odds with the very large, very intense, very serious, not very Rock 'n' Roll section of my CD collection. There is no doubt that Edward is simply one of the finest exponents of the electric guitar that we will ever see. Alex is a groove king with riotously OTT kits. Michael can wield the bass ably enough for this brand of Rock, and sing nice harmonies, too. Dave is one the most entertaining front men in Rock history. Sammy possesses one of the top 5 Rock voices of all time. The band have sold millions of albums etc. etc. But, it's still just disposable Glam Pop Rock with tongue planted firmly in cheek. How could I possibly like it?

Here's the rub. I was not a teenager in the US in the late 70s / early 80s, but if I had been I would have known that the aforementioned tunes represent so little of what Van Halen is about. It was only in the very late 80s, as my tastes transitioned from Adult-Orientated Soft Rock to Hard Rock, that I first heard Van Halen. Turns out they had much more in common with Led Zeppelin, Kiss and Queen than with Duran Duran, The Human League or The Thompson Twins.

I can't remember which album was the very first that I borrowed from my VH-championing school chum*, but I'm pretty sure it was the band's debut album, Van Halen I - being mathematical fiends, we were also fans of chronology, and proper order, and things like that ;) As with so many impressionable kids before me, and probably a few more since, this felt like real Rock music. It was BIG but not overwhelming, it was HEAVY but not stodgy, it was FUN but not silly (ok - it was silly!). And, man, the guitars were from another planet. Truly, WTF? Jimi who? This was the kind of music I wanted at my parties from now on!

It wasn't very much like other bands that often get mentioned in the same breath: Kiss, Twisted Sister, Ratt, Motley Crue, and so on. There were definitely more progressive and quirky elements at play, and this would become more pronounced on subsequent albums. It's not really possible to get away from the fact that Van Halen were a good-time, arena-sized  bar band. They played a ferocious brand of RAWK, and stole lyrics from a teenage male fantasist's diary. It would be possible to say that they contributed massively to the Rock soundtrack of late 70s / early 80s USA. The release of 'Jump' and the following album, '1984', broadened their appeal to mainstream Pop audiences. And it stretched even further into the late 80s - to different continents and different generations. For me, music has a particular ability to be able to create timestamps in my life. I felt transported to another time and place, and doesn't that demonstrate the power of art, no matter how disposable?






*I also had fellow champions for Rush and Kiss during this time. Iron Maiden were my chosen Kings for those days, so we had lots of grounds for debate....and a wealth of Classic Rock material to trade!

My First Memories Volume 1 - Elbow

First sighted performing 'Grounds for Divorce' on The Jonathan Ross Show in 2008.

This track is one of the pillars of Elbow's mega-selling, mega-celebrated album, The Seldom Seen Kid. A mighty fine album it is too. However, in February 2008, Elbow was the given name of some band that I was only vaguely aware of - I thought they were a 'new Coldplay' or something like. Since that time, the band have gone on to achieve the kind of success you feel they deserve, and I have become a fan - realising that they have very little in common with Coldplay, or just about any other band.

To find such a gem on a TV chat show is something of a minor miracle. I expect to discover something worthy of follow-up on music driven shows such as Jools Holland's long running series, or on Sky Arts. However, it is a rare thing these days that I will be genuinely impressed by 'tonight's musical guest'. It's not even very Rock 'n' Roll to admit to watching chat shows at all, I suppose! If I go back to my youth I'd have to say TV was a very important medium for shelling out new talent. Though sometimes the talent wasn't that apparent, or maybe the talent wasn't even that new. It turns out that Elbow wasn't a very new phenomenon to the initiated, either. I'm just glad to have seen these seemingly working class heroes deliver something so well-crafted at a live TV performance. I'm not sure if this hit the screen just before the band's popularity went into overdrive, but it felt like it for me. Perhaps their invitation to the show was inspired by an evident sense that something special was happening for these Manchester men. That was neither here nor there for me - the main thing was that I wanted to hear more. I bought all their albums in the following weeks and was rewarded with music that was heavy on emotion, and richly arranged to boot.

I finally got my first glimpse of the live version of the band at last year's Electric Picnic, and they did not disappoint. Once again, when that riff kicked in, I was reminded of the beautifully controlled power that exists in all of the band's work - and especially in this song.

My First Memories (Prologue)

I've been struck by a heavy dose of nostalgia lately: listening to music from around the time of my birth or from a more innocent and optimistic time, listening to music on cassette tape (!) and even learning to play cover versions of some of my favourite songs. The early memories I want to document here are to be my recollections of the first time I encountered my ten favourite musical artists. It may well not be the first time I actually heard any of them, but merely my earliest, clearest memory. Therefore, the first time I actually heard them.

This means I will also need to establish a list of just 10! There are of course some no-brainers, and there will be a subset of 'glaring omissions'. Anyway, it's a list of artists and songs, so is very much open to criticism and debate. As such, this is the perfect form for such an indulgence. How does one go about such a task? If I was writing a thesis I would most certainly have to create some scientific controls, but I'm writing about the (disposable) art that is the soundtrack of my entire teen and adult life. Let's face it, I'm not going to consider England's World Cup anthem of '82 for this list! So, do I choose the top 10 based on how I feel today? The top 10 based on album plays? Based on concert attendance? Or those acts that have had the most significant emotional effect? Been so inextricably tied to a celebration, a tragedy, a commemoration, a triumph? (As I ask these questions now, there is one shoe-in for all of the above!)

Ultimately, I am not entirely sure about what will get you a place on this list but I started with a list of 26 artists and eventually whittled it down to the magic number (in this case, not 3!) by way of a 'Desert Island Discs' kind of approach. At some point (maybe only for the briefest time) a number of these artists have been my chosen 'toppermost of the poppermost', particularly in my formative years as a music fan, though I may hardly even listen to them nowadays. However, there is no top 10 placing for:

Coldplay
Dire Straits
Iron Maiden
Karnivool
King Crimson
Living Colour
Marillion
Metallica
Joni Mitchell
Muse
Sarah McLachlan
Queensryche
Skunk Anansie
Soundgarden
Tears For Fears
Yes

Honourable mentions for all of the above, naturally, but tough decisions have been made. Next time, I'll start working my way through those that did make the cut.

Until later

Shane

1st day of Summer

Mullaghcleevaun. I can see it from my house, but it doesn't pose any major threat. However, it is the 2nd highest peak in Wicklow, and I can see it from my house. Subject to all seasons on any given day, it is a beastly looking summit that casts a shadow over all of West Wicklow, and I've had my eye on it for some time. There is often a completely different weather system in effect up there, and it will definitely hold on to snow for much longer than the minnows in its kingdom. Yesterday, I slowly awoke from a good slumber to a beautiful looking day. Following a brief conference call in relation to the release of the MAGGY SIMPSON album, and realising there'd be no immediate movement on that, I decided I would put this great looking hill to bed.

There are a number of ways to tackle this mountain and I have been close to it before, on one of many trips to Black Hill. So, Black Hill was always going to be my launch pad. It's a nice easy 2km trek up from the Black Hill car park at the Ballynultagh Gap: broad, rocky, sandy pathway with a two-step gradual ascent. Even from this height (602m) you can get great 360 views ranging from Dublin to Laois. This hill is fairly featureless, but a great initiator for new hillwalkers and / or a great gateway to bigger and better things.

Mullaghcleevaun as viewed from Black Hill

Though I was unable to capture a suitably clear image, there were several adrenalin junkies working the airspace between Black Hill and Sorrel Hill, too. Some kind of base jumping to the best of my knowledge. Needless to say, it can get quite gusty in these parts and so perfect for this sport.

'cleevaun lies approximately 3km SE of Black Hill, and there is a bog path of sorts that will take you all the way to the top. Visibility provided no obstacle on the day, so no requirement for maps or compasses other than for security. As I said, things can change quickly at 849m. Only a small amount of peat hag scrambling is necessary at the foot of the mountain, but the summit can be reached with relative ease for someone of above average fitness (see below for my completely unofficial grading system!)

The peak itself is very broad and flat, with a number of excellent views available across the entire Wicklow / Dublin Mountains range, along with plenty of rest-stop options. I'd recommend going further onto Mullaghcleevaun East Top (also known as Stony Top) for lunch, though. Slightly better views, and as the name suggests, many more stones to choose from: some table shaped! Just be prepared to face the effects of over-farming peat. There are vast 'seas' of open bog of unknown depth, and very few hags to use as 'buoys'. Plan ahead, stay ashore and choose a route around these.

Blessington Lake as viewed from Mullaghcleevaun. Also looking down on Moanbane to the left, and Black Hill to the right

Lunch stop at Stony Top (Mullaghcleevaun East)

Looking back to Mullaghcleevaun from the East Top. Heavy scarring visible on the ridge between, and to the left of the summit

I took in the second 'top' at the East Top en route back to the Lough that sits beneath Mullaghcleevaun, before taking a straight bearing (yup, made use of the compass after all) back down into Ballynultagh Woods. The final few kms of my day were spent on typical forest trails and a short climb back up the road to the Black Hill car park, though there are any number of tracks that return you to the point of origin.

Mullaghcleevaun Lough

Distance: 16.46km
Highest Elevation: 849m
Climb: 453m
Duration: 5.5hrs inc. Lunch
Fitness Level: Slightly above average!

Views from a hill

I wondered if I would get my reward today. Setting out in very overcast conditions, and heading for even higher climes, today's venture may have ended with only exercise and challenge as the fruits of my labour. Anyone who knows me will know the vast natural views are a key part of why I do this...and the evening beers that follow. Oh, hell, there are any number of reasons for a solitary man such as myself!

Well, I started out along the St. Kevin's Way at Ballinagee Forest and traced the steps to the Wicklow Gap. Still no sunshine, but I could see the light desperately trying to break through. More hope than expectation at this point. The route up to the Gap is entirely pleasant: a genuine woodland walk, not one of those Coillte forest tracks that are somewhat sterile and functional. I really enjoyed this section as a suitable warm up for what was to come. The pathway weaves in and out of both the R758 (Gap Road) and The King's River, with only minimal road walking required at the final stretch.

Brunch! With view to Camaderry from Wicklow Gap

 After a brunch stop (yup, you can have brunch on hiking days!) near the main car park, I continued on up the ESB service road around Turlough Hill before departing civilisation for the next few hours. And this is where the fun starts. You're off the beaten paths now, and won't see anything discernibly traceable for some time. I took route one to Conavalla, mostly so I could avoid the scurrying orienteering types that were following then overtaking me. Nothing against their chosen exercise, but I'm here to enjoy the natural surroundings in peace, and I don't have much of a timetable. Turns out they were headed to Lough Ferrib - disappointed they must have been to realise I wasn't! Shouldn't have followed me, so! Now, this section of my chosen walk was fraught with trickery given the amount of snow still lying around. It is especially boggy in this area at the best of times, so one is forced to negotiate snow, granite, peat hags of massive proportions, under-ice streams and no end of random meltwater, plus wind chill factors of several degrees. Like I always say, this stuff is fun, fun, FUN all the way! Over my knees in snow on many more than several occasions I did get to Conavalla - a peak that has little to recommend it in itself, but does have great views to Lugnaquilla, into Glendalough, and back to the Tonelagee / Mullaghcleevaun stretch.

By now, I am very keen to lunch, but no suitable shelter can be gained, so I plod on to the Three Lakes, and eventually over to Art's Cross...and now I get my reward, as the sun comes out. Cornish Cove, Red Onion Chutney, Baked Ham on Granary Bread if you must know.

Tonelagee to Mullaghcleevaun (view from Art's Cross)

Stuck in the rut of peat hags and snow, I've still to take in a frozen Lough Ferrib (oh, yes, I went there in the end!), White Hill, and drop back down to Oakwood before meeting up with St. Kevin again.

Frozen Ferrib with view to Lugnaquilla

St Kevin's Way Marker

Once you leave Turlough Hill there is very little evidence of human activity throughout this whole rugged section. While at times it was very tough going today, there is much to recommend the area, and I'm surprised it doesn't get more visitors. Maybe in the fair weather, eh?

Distance: 23.15km
Highest Elevation: 732m
Climb: 491m
Duration: 7.5hrs inc. Lunch

The Four Tops (or Under the Shadow)

Today finally became the day that I got to venture out into the hills again. Weather being what it is, particularly in recent weeks, has meant I have not been brave (daft?) enough to tackle my preferred target. In fairness, I have also been very busy on a handful of musical endeavours, too. I guess the timing worked out all right in that respect.

Today was a day for sunscreen (almost!) even though temperatures barely got above freezing - windchill factor probably putting the feeling at -5 or so. Now, we all know a picture can ably supplant a thousand words so I promise to get to that part soon enough. However, I have to say that while I feel I have been on the ropes for the last 6 weeks or so, today I felt like I gave a few sneaky digs back, and that I really felt alive. Combined with the ongoing Maggy Simpson mixing sessions, today's outing has me thirsting for life again in a big way. I'm going to treat myself to some delicious craft beer later on, too!

I covered just shy of 12.5km on my route, visiting Fananierin, Croghanmoira (or Mottie) and Carrickashane. Yup, that's only 3 named 'tops', but Fananierin kinda has two discernible summits. All of these hills are set beyond the massive Lugnaquilla in the very southern part of Wicklow. The trek I chose follows very well marked tracks of varying quality, and overall this is a very pleasant and achievable walk for someone of average fitness. I met not a wandering soul out there on a Wednesday afternoon, however plenty of evidence exists to show that 'Mottie' especially has been traversed a good deal during the late snows we endured in March.

On with the show:

View to Fananierin (upper level) and Croghanmoira (left, centre, with snow!)

Croghanmoira Summit, looking back to Glenmalure Valley

Evidence of other life!

Imposing Lugnaquilla, as viewed from Fananierin

Distance: 12.45km
Highest Elevation: 649m
Climb: 367m
Duration: 4hrs inc. Lunch

VERMIN Track listing

My next solo collection of instrumental oddities will soon be available. Writing finished, Mixing in progress, Mastering and release details to follow. Once again, in the interests of keeping production costs to a minimum this will be a digital-only release.

Track listing:

Until later

Shane

'People who do this for fun must be idiots!'

This is the bitter exclamation of a TV show contestant. I overheard it while said contestant was scaling a hill in the Brecon Beacons as she raced to avoid elimination. I sit here as the wind howls down our chimney and I'd be inclined to agree: current Real Feel of -4 as we prepare to get a light dusting of snow.

By way of trying to inject humour into one of our recent sojourns in the (very wet) rain I rehashed this quote, wondering if she had a point. Getting wet is part of the experience of hillwalking, especially in Ireland, but failing gear can put a serious dampener (!) on your progress and leaky boots are the worst.

The first quarter of the year is not really conducive to outdoor pursuits and my boots were just not cutting it in anything over 1mm of rain, so the past couple of months have been all about sourcing really decent replacements. After some amount of online research I reckoned on needing a pair of Meindl Burma Pros, or something of similar stature. After some amount of travelling, fitting, waiting, phoning, more waiting and finally purchasing, turns out I was right. Approximately 50km in and I am very close to recommending them. Simple design, sturdy materials, very comfy right out of the box (when paired with a top quality replacement insole).

So....onto the actual walks. In recent weeks the joy of setting off to some unknown (and known) places has offered great therapy when most needed. Here are some of the highlights:

One of our 'go-to' spots, because it is local and has great 360 views taking in the Poulaphouca reservoir, the Seefin / Seefingan / Seechon trio, Mullaghcleevaun, Moanbane and Turlough Hill.

Summit at Black Hill

I'm looking over the reservoir, but you can see Black Hill and a snow-capped Mullaghcleevaun

When venturing further afield we went to Glendalough to tackle Derrybawn and take the ridge across to Braigue Mountain. It was a beautiful day for walking and this was our view at lunchtime:

Upper Lake at Glendalough, shouldered by Camaderry (right, centre) and The Spink (left, foreground)

Getting a new map is something I look forward to with an unnatural enthusiasm. The map opens new possibilities and is like discovering a secret doorway. Out first opportunity to explore new terrain came with a trip to the infrequently visited Keadeen and nearby Carringbrack. I had viewed Keadeen from afar on visits to Lobawn and Pinnacle Mountain. It's a good looking mountain that really stands out in the flat lands near Baltinglass and Rathdangan. In addition to the classical look there are extensive remains of a Passage Grave at the summit:

Passage Grave at Keadeen's peak, with life-size map reader for perspective

 

Fairy Castle

Tibradden Mountain, a feature of The Dublin Mountains Way, is always very rewarding for its great views over the city and beyond. Plus there is a worthy chambered cairn at the peak, along with ancient stone engraving. We passed by there once again on our way to the famous Fairy Castle cairn at Two Rock Mountain.

Cairn at Cullentragh

Ordinarily, a trek in and around Cullentragh and Braigue Mountain would afford some lovely views to Mullacor, Lugnaquilla, Derrybawn and the like. Not on this day, though. This is where 'the idiots' were thwarted and the household's original pair of Meindls died an undignified death - after 1000km of service! All in all I've definitely enjoyed breaking in my new boots, the weekly routine of route planning and the unmistakable taste of coffee from a metal flask. Here's to at least another 950km and the accelerated bagging of more peaks. Rain or Shine.


Massive thanks to Aoife Brennan for the awesome photos!

 

If you go down to the woods today...

Apparently there lurks a bear in the Glenealo Valley, specifically in the woods of An Spinc. I did not see it today, but prepare to be surprised if you're in the zone any time soon.

Today marked my return to hillwalking: the first outing of 2013, and I've decided to open up my blog to include tales of the trekking variety.

I chose to start with a visit to Glendalough on this fine, crisp January day. Though I have been there numerous times as a 'tourist' in my own backyard, I haven't spent much time exploring the outlying lands and hills. A typical visit to the area includes ample photo ops at the Monastic Village, a gentle stroll to the Upper Lake, maybe a pint of Guinness (or three) in Larragh, and then onward or homeward. Truth is, this land is truly awesome, and you can imagine the inspiration felt by those early settlers - centuries ago - as they stumbled on this perfect valley. If you have been, you'll know what I mean. If you haven't been - go. One of Ireland's greatest treasures, for sure.

My particular venture started at the Visitor's Centre Car Park, and I took the boardwalk route to the Upper Lake - an easy 2km stretch to get you warmed up, and exchange pleasantries with several small family groups. This section of the walk roughly traces a short section of the famed Wicklow Way, up past the Poulanass Waterfall, before bearing right towards An Spinc (Pointed Hill). For approximately 5km, a well built boardwalk will guide you along the very steep cliff overlooking the Upper Lake, all the while affording plenty of naturally beautiful views in all directions.

This route doesn't provide any navigational difficulties - it's a well marked, well trodden circular - but care should be taken in frosty / icy conditions, as some of the railway sleepers can be too slippery to pass. I couldn't resist taking a customised detour to Lugduff for a lunch stop. There is a decent track leading all the way to the peak, and several comfy outcrops on which to set up your pop-up cafe! With views to Lugnaquilla, Conavalla, Turlough Hill, Mullaghcleevaun and Tonelagee as well as back to base, this makes for a mighty fine rest-stop. I descended using a fairly direct bearing to Van Diemen's Mines and the footbridge that will allow safe crossing of the Glenealo river. The old miner's track will return you all the way to the Start / Finish point. There's a kind of 'sweet spot' halfway down the zig-zagged track, where you can get a little overwhelmed at the perfect nature set before you. Probably something to do with the fading light and the extremes of peripheral vision. Either way, it's a bit special:

Distance: 15.45km
Highest Elevation: 644m
Climb: 505m
Duration: 4hrs 20 mins inc. Lunch

Until Later

Shane (Composer and Hillwalker)