The Clare Champion Clare news, sport, entertainment and local notes
ONE year after its formation, the Clooney-Quin Hill-Walking Club is going strong having held its first official hill-walking weekend in County Kerry.
The club was set up in October 2009, following the huge success of a sponsored climb of Carrantuohill in aid of the Irish Cancer Society the previous April. This event saw a large contingent from the parish brave Ireland’s highest peak and the enthusiasm of that event carried through to the formation of the new hill-walking club, which currently has 30 members.
The club organises walks both locally within County Clare and also other Irish mountain ranges with walks varying in difficulty to cater for different skill levels take place on Saturdays or Sundays, with one walk held every two weeks.
This is the first year the group embarked on a weekend trip, which was organised by Frances Quinn and Paul Hally. The 10 strong walkers stayed outside Annascaul and took the opportunity to visit the South Pole Inn, made famous by its original landlord, the Antarctic explorer, Tom Crean. The Saturday walk itself consisted of an ascent of Beenaskee Mountain from Annascaul Lake, while the summit of Beenaskee offered stunning views of both the Kerry mountains and coastline in glorious weather. The climbers returned following the six-hour trek and embarked on yet another outing the following day when they went on a four-hour circuit of Derrymore Glen.
The club is affiliated to Mountaineering Ireland, the national representative body for ramblers, walkers and climbers in Ireland.
The club, are keen to recruit new members at all levels and those who would be willing to become a walk leader and who are already confident in mountain skills are welcome.
Anyone interested in finding out more information about the club can contact Frances by email to clooneyquinhillwalkingclub@gmail.com or by phoning 087 2547910.
