John Foley To Feature At March Meeting

In one of our previous newsletters, we had mentioned that photographer and film maker John Foley would come to our February meeting to show a film he has made set in the Comeraghs. He will now come to our March meeting instead. Our March meeting is on 3 March at 8pm in the Tudor. We will confirm that he is coming in advance of that meeting.

Fitness, Friendship and Fun in 2020

Fitness, Friendship and Fun in 2020 with Dungarvan Hillwalking Club

At this time of year, resolutions are made – and then quickly broken. But at Dungarvan Hillwalking Club, we make it easy to keep your resolutions. Our motto is Fitness, Friendship and Fun and that means we’ve got all the basis covered. It’s not just about physical fitness – your social life and your mental health will get a boost too.

Here’s a flavour of how we can help you keep your New Year’s Resolutions past 31 January.

Fitness: Many of us want to get fit when a new year comes, and Dungarvan Hillwalking Club makes it easy for you to achieve that goal. We offer four walks a week, so there’s plenty to choose from, no matter how busy your schedule is. People often think you can only do hillwalking if you’re a rugged mountainy type. But we’re very committed to making hillwalking accessible. Whether you want to scale the heights of the Comeraghs or do a gentle ramble in a forest, we have the right walks for you.

Friendship: Have you decided this is the year you’ll expand your circle of friends? At Dungarvan Hillwalking Club you’re guaranteed to make friends. As soon as you arrive on a walk, there’s a friendly face to say hello, to offer you a lift and to give you advice about what to wear or what the terrain is like. And you’ll be able to bond with the other members on our holidays and weekends away.

Fun: You’ll be caught up in a social whirl of activity when you join our club. We organise nights out, fun charity events weekends away and even holidays abroad. There’s always something happening, and you’ll never be lonely or bored. Even if you just come on our walks, they’re full of laughter and crack. It’ll be your most fun year ever when you join our merry gang.

Here's a pic of some of our members having a fun day out in Crosshaven, which happened last September. (Photo Credit: Eibhlin Power)

If you’d like to find out more about the fitness, friendship and fun on offer at Dungarvan Hillwalking Club, visit www.dungarvanhillwalking.org or contact club PRO Derbhile Graham, derbhile.graham@gmail.com

January 2020 Newsletter

January 2020 Newsletter

Walk Report: Mulled Wine Walk, Sunday 15 December

This event was a success, despite the gloomy weather, with around 31 people turning up to walk. The walk went along the Ardmore cliffs, and the path along the cliffs has been revamped, making it much easier to access. Heroic attempts were made to keep the rain away, with Christmas carols sung at various stages of the walk, at varying levels of ability.

Peter Mangan led the walk, so many thanks to him. Big thanks also go to our catering team, Erich and Ronagh Baumann, who provided mulled wine and mince pies. These disappeared in no time. Thanks to all who brought cakes and other confections, and above all, thanks to all who contributed to our bucket collection for our three charities, the Lions Club, Mountain Rescue and the Hospice. The rain did come when we reached the carpark, but this did nothing to dampen our spirits.

Club Weekend Away 2020

If you’re planning to go on the club weekend away to Kilkeel Co. Down, happening on the May Bank Holiday Weekend, don’t forget to have your deposit in with Mary by the 7 January meeting. The deposit is €50, and the remaining €120 is due 3 March. For more info, contact Mary Murphy on 087 2273825. Thanks to Mary for her hard work in organising the weekend.

Club Christmas Party

This was a huge success, with some revellers leaving Merries Restaurant at unmentionable hours. The food was tasty and the crack was mighty.

Camino Inglese September Trip

Tony Fitzgerald is planning a trip on the Camino Inglese in Spain on 6-13 September. The Camino Ingles is one of the shortest routes to the pilgrimage city of Santiago de Compostela. If you’re interested, you can contact Tony on 0872588171

February Meeting

There is a plan to bring in a guest speaker for our February meeting, on Tuesday 4 February at 8pm in the Tudor. John Foley is a talented photographer and film-maker and he will share his experiences with the club members. We feel that having speakers adds an extra dimension to the meetings, plus you get all the inside gossip on what’s happening in the club.

If you have any news or walk reports you’d like included in the club newsletter, please contact club PRO Derbhile Graham, derbhile.graham@gmail.com.

December 2019 Newsletter

December 2019 Newsletter

Club Weekend Away 2019

For our 2020 weekend away, we are crossing the border into Northern Ireland, for a weekend in Kilkeel, Co. Down. This location will give us close proximity to the beautiful Sieve Donard area for walks. The weekend is priced at €170 for two nights’ B&B and an evening meal at the Kilmorey Arms Hotel. If you’d like to come, please pay a €50 deposit to Mary Murphy by the 7 January meeting, and the balance of €120 by 3 March. For more info and to give in your name, contact Mary Murphy on 087 2273825. Thanks to Mary for her hard work in organising the holiday.

Mulled Wine Walk

Before that, we have all the festive fun of the Mulled Wine Walk on the Ardmore Cliffs, happening this year on Sunday 15 December. It’ll be for our three charities again: Dungarvan Lions Club, West Waterford Hospice and South-East Mountain Rescue. It leaves Scanlon’s Yard in Dungarvan at 1.30pm and leaves from the main carpark in Ardmore at 2pm. Please bear in mind that there are works being done on this walk, to make the road more secure. Afterwards, there’ll be mulled wine, mince pies and much more. People are encouraged to bring along a flask of hot water for the refreshments afterwards.

Club Christmas Party

Last chance to get your names down for the club Christmas party, happening on Saturday 7 December at 7pm in Merries Restaurant, Dungarvan. We will have the upstairs area to ourselves this year, with space for 40 people. There’s a new price for the meal of €30 per person for three courses and a glass of wine. you can contact Ronagh on 087 7986753 for last-minute tickets.

Walk Report: Thursday C Walk in Carrigavantry, 24 October. Leaders, Norman and Derbhile Graham

This walk was at the end of October, but there was so much happening last month that the report was held over. This walk required the walkers to venture east to Carrigavantry Lake near the village of Fenor. Luckily, more than 20 walkers were adventurous enough to make the journey for the walk. This was led by Norman Graham, with a decorative role played by Derbhile Graham. Though Halloween feels long ago now, Derbhile is still feasting on the memory of picking up the ring in the barm brack. Though a good day was promised, rain did fall during the walk, but the woods provided shelter. The walkers also enjoyed stunning views of three counties from a hilltop.

If you have any news or walk reports you’d like included in the club newsletter, please contact club PRO Derbhile Graham, derbhile.graham@gmail.com.

A Snowy Mahon Falls

The weather has been very eventful of late, and last weekend, the mountains were covered with snow. Those mountains are covered with rain now, but here's a reminder of when our walkers walked through snow, as captured by Patricia Hurley. She was one of the walkers on a walk in the Mahon Falls area of the Comeraghs.

Two Contrasting Thursday Walks

On Thursday 14 November, our Thursday C walkers enjoyed brilliant sunshine in Ardmore, as captured in this pic by new member Sarah Northey.

Meanwhile, the Thursday B walkers trudged through snow near Melleray in the Knockmealdowns.

And though it didn't happen on a Thursday walk, I can't resist slipping in this picture of a fox spotted by C walkers in the Nire last Sunday. It's straight out of a Disney movie. Pic by Mary O'Shea. 

Club Weekend Away in Co Down - May 2020

Here's the word on the street about Dungarvan Hillwalking Club weekend away, on the May Bank Holiday weekend next year.

DHWC – Club weekend away May 1^st and 2^nd. 2020

Accommodation – Kilmorey Arms Hotel, Kilkeel, Newry, Co. Down.

2 nights B & B & 1 evening meal €170 PPS.

Extra Night + breakfast €50 PPS.

NO single rooms available, Rooms Allocated on first come basis.

Total of 7 triple rooms, (please arrange your own sharing).

Deposit of €50 PP by January 7^th (club meeting).

Balance by March 3^rd. 

Lots of good walks for all levels will be arranged.

November 2019 Newsletter

November 2019 Newsletter

Club AGM Happenings

We’re delighted to say that we were able to present cheques for €1,700 each to our three chosen charities at our AGM, which was held on Tuesday 1 October in the Park Hotel. We presented them to John Moran of West Waterford Hospice, Erich Baumann, representing Dungarvan Lions Club and Richard Dykes, represented SEMRA. We’d like to thank John Moran for coming to the meeting to collect his cheque.

A few committee changes were also announced. Tony Fitzgerald stepped down as chairman of the club at the AGM, and we’d like to thank him for his commitment and thoroughness over the last three years. He was replaced by Neil Fitzgerald. Marcus O’Halloran is our new website coordinator and Michael Daly is our new B walk coordinator. The others are remaining in their roles, and we wish our new committee the best of luck.

Club Fees Increase

Technically, our fees are not increasing, but we have removed our early payment discount and our couples discount. That means all members will now pay €40 each per year, regardless of when they pay or whether their partner is in the club too. The increase is happening because Mountaineering Ireland are increasing their fees for membership and they supply our insurance.

Club Christmas Party

Ronagh Baumann is now taking names for the club Christmas party, happening on Saturday 7 December at 7pm in Merries Restaurant, Dungarvan. We will have the upstairs area to ourselves this year, with space for 40 people. The price is €31.50 for a three-course meal and €26.50 for two courses. You can pick up tickets at the November club meeting on Tuesday 5 November or you can contact Ronagh on 087 7986753.

Spring Weekend Away

On the May Bank Holiday Weekend in 2020, the club will be heading to Kilkeele in Co. Down, close to the beautiful Sliabh Donard area, where we will be able to enjoy lots of beautiful walks. We will be staying in a place called Kilmurray Lodge. Mary Murphy will be revealing more details in the coming weeks.

Dates For Your Diary

SEMRA Long Way Round Walk, Saturday 23 November, Clonmel

Mulled Wine Christmas Walk, Sunday 15 December, Ardmore

If you have any news or walk reports you’d like included in the club newsletter, please contact club PRO Derbhile Graham, derbhile.graham@gmail.com.

Thursday Walk in Carrigavantry, Fenor, 24 October 2019

The Thursday C walkers ventured east for a walk around Carrigavantry Lake, Fenor, on Thursday 24 April. The walk was led by Norman and Derbhile Graham. The weather was mixed but the views were stunning. Photos taken by Derbhile Graham.

Sunday B and C Walk

Last Sunday, 13 October, the C walkers had a challenging C plus with John Power, which saw them ascend the Sugar Loaf. Veteran photographer Patricia Hurley was on hand to catch the action.

And the B walkers went on a moisture laden walk up Mahon Falls with Richard Dykes. Another veteran photographer, Michael Daly, took stunning pictures of waterfalls, amongst other views.