Wicklow Mountain Views The Newsletter of Wicklow Uplands Council Autumn 2011 winter of 2009/2010 Wicklow County Council, Letter from the Chair like many other local authorities, was ill- prepared for the extreme conditions. Their Many people have asked The last twelve months has been a period of focus was to maintain access on main roads the question what does adjustment for the Council involving a and in towns, which left many rural areas cut the Wicklow Uplands reshaping of the organisation. Like everyone off for a prolonged period. In summer 2010 we Council do? What are its else in the country, we have had to cope with met with Wicklow County Council and significant achievements? the downturn in the economy so, with the attempted to set up a modus operandi for The answer is that we do assistance of County Wicklow Partnership, we future weather emergencies. The line of many things and have engaged in a full review of the organisation. communication with the Council seemed to achieved a great deal, but We retained the services of Dr Kathy Walsh work reasonably well in the severe weather of perhaps our most who in conjunction with the board produced a December 2010. Our role in this matter is in significant achievement is that we have three-year Strategic Plan 2011-2013. assisting the County Council to deliver an brought together, around one table, many We moved into new offices in the Parish Hall in acceptable service to upland communities. diverse and sometimes opposing groups and Roundwood during the second half of last year, One of the topics which has come up again and achieved consensus on what seemed to be where we now hold our monthly board again at meetings over recent years has been intractable problems. The most notable meetings. the deteriorating state of the heather on our example of this was on the issue of access for hills and the implications this has for sheep walkers. The work Wicklow Uplands Council Colin Murphy, our long serving Chief Executive Officer, retired in June and we have appointed farming, recreational use and the danger of has carried out, in co-operation with others, fire. This year, in conjunction with the Irish has resulted in Wicklow experiencing few of Cara Doyle to the position of Co-ordinator. Colin, who took up the position in 1999, has Uplands Forum, we held a series of meetings the confrontations that have been and set up a working group to advance the commonplace in other parts of the country. played a major role in the development of the organisation and was particularly successful in issue. We believe this will be an important Many trails and access routes have been project in the future. opened up and continue to be opened up with forging relationships with our sponsors and little or no controversy. partners. We wish him all the best in his Finally, our work could not continue without retirement. Murt O’Keeffe and Pat Ewen, two financial help and we have been very lucky In addition to the Council’s work with private of our longest serving directors, decided to with the loyalty of our patrons through these landowners and farmers, a number of factors step down at the Annual General Meeting this tough times. The Heritage Council remains our play a part in making the Wicklow uplands year. Both, in their different ways, have made key sponsor and we are extremely grateful for such an attractive walking destination; the fact significant contributions to the Wicklow their backing. Denis O’Brien has been a long that we have a large national park in the centre Uplands Council and we wish them well. time friend of the Council and has substantially of the county, the volume of forests which are Cara Doyle is I believe a dynamic appointment. increased his support this year. We also accessible through Coillte’s open forest policy appreciate the continuing assistance of and most of all the intrinsic natural beauty of She is a former employee of Wicklow Uplands Council who has worked in New Zealand for Wicklow County Council. We look forward to the place. As anyone who lives in or travels the working with all of our partners and members hills at weekends can testify, there is no the last four years in the Queenstown Lakes District, Parks and Reserves. She has the right on improving life in the Uplands for the people shortage of walkers in the uplands. We have who live, work and recreate there. however failed to fully reap the economic/ mix of energy and experience to bring the tourism benefits of our high visitor numbers. Council to another level. Declan O’neill The stark reality is that not enough walkers Through all the change and adjustment our chair, Wicklow Uplands council stay overnight or choose to spend money in work progresses. We continue to administer the county and we cannot criticise them for the PURE project in conjunction with our that. Our challenge is to help create the statutory partners. Our work with the village conditions whereby those walkers and their interpretative panels also proceeds. friends and families will want to stay and The oral history of the Wicklow Mountains spend money in the area. holds many stories of hardships endured in When people ask the question “what does the snow, stories of people being isolated without Wicklow Uplands Council do?”, it reveals a key food, of sheep being lost in blizzards and even Wicklow Mountain Views – weakness; we have not sold ourselves or what the odd avalanche. An old sheep-man once The Newsletter of Wicklow Uplands Council we do particularly well. In light of this, on said to me “you could go to bed wealthy and issue number 21: Autumn 2011 Published by: Wicklow Uplands Council Ltd. September 30th at 7.30pm the Council is wake up a pauper”. For years we experienced editor: Cara Doyle holding an open meeting in Roundwood Parish a succession of mild winters and, with talk of Hall at which we will explain what we do and global warming, we thought we might never what we hope to achieve. The theme for the see snow again. The last two winters have seen evening is ’Community led tourism – the key to a return of the snow and temperatures lower Wicklow’s prosperity’. than I have witnessed in my lifetime. In the Hidden History Hill Walk farmland and forest of the Cloghoge valley, giving way to a backdrop of open mountain. After a brief welcome and introduction by Cara Doyle from Wicklow Uplands Council, walkers listened eagerly as Dr Chris Corlett began to reveal the secrets of surrounding landscape. Chris led the group over stone stiles and along mossy lanes to the ruins of hidden farmsteads and spoke of the resilient people who lived in these parts. He pointed out a series of houses flanking the road from the Cloghoge Brook to Lough Dan which would otherwise have gone unnoticed. To celebrate National Heritage Week Along the way, a large herd of deer grazed Dr Chris Corlett leads the group to a ruined farmhouse 2011, Wicklow Uplands Council organised the open fields and, on disturbance a ‘Hidden History Hill Walk’ at Lough Dan bounded to an adjoining oak wood. The Once in a while a supply of flour and sugar was sourced on Sunday 28th August. The walk was led herd size was estimated at 200 animals, from Roundwood but, in general, self sufficiency by local history expert Dr Chris Corlett, testament to the growing issue of deer prevailed. Archaeologist with the Department of numbers in the Wicklow hills. Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht. As the rain loomed once again, walkers made their way The group stopped for lunch at a disused back to the car park via the ‘agreed access route’ Lough Dan Scout Centre provided farmhouse beside the ‘stepping stones’ overlooking Lough Dan. This access route was temporary car parking for walkers in a over the Cloghoge River before continuing developed in 2007 in agreement with local landowners field near the scout centre. From there, past the shores of Lough Dan, the largest and in co-operation with Wicklow Uplands Council, local farmer and B&B owner Sean Byrne natural lake in Wicklow. The last leg of the County Wicklow Partnership and Wicklow County ferried walkers by minibus to the start of walk proved the most difficult under foot, Council. the walk at ‘Pier Gates’. Due to transport with wet ground conditions after a period limitations, bookings were essential. Wicklow Uplands Council wishes to thank all who of heavy rainfall in the previous days. Demand for the walk was unprecedented, participated in the hill walk, but especially Dr Chris After crossing the river, the group were with fifty people participating on the day. Corlett for bringing the history of the area to life. welcomed to the townland of Thanks also to Sean Byrne who provided transport, Dark clouds gave way to sunshine as the Carrigeenduff by Sean Byrne where his Scouting Ireland for temporary car parking and not group set off on the descent to the gate family has lived for generations. Sean least, the local landowners who permitted access to lodge at Luggala. The hills were awash relayed stories of the families who lived in this beautiful area. with colour, the purple heather in full the area, cutting turf from a nearby bog, bloom. Along the way walkers enjoyed hunting rabbits, growing vegetables and cara Doyle, co-ordinator panoramic views of the mosaic of foraging for whatever nature had to offer.