Ian O'Malley

Andrew Dowling Sponsored Hill Walk 2010 What? A hike up Lugnaquilla mountain! Where? Meeting at Fentons Pub, Glenmalure, County Wicklow. (Directions below) When? 9.30am, Saturday September 4th Who? You! Why? To have a great day out hiking in the beautiful Irish countryside with plenty of banter and (hopefully) plenty of good weather! To have the satisfaction of reaching the summit of Leinster’s highest mountain and looking down on the rest of Ireland. To raise some money for a worthwhile charity. Andrew (on the left) at the top of Lugnaquilla, March 2008 What you get for the day: We are organising some memento t-shirts for the day of the climb and we’re also hoping to make a video of the day (obviously with dramatic musical soundtrack etc. ☺) Most importantly, there will also be free tea and sandwiches waiting for you at the bottom in Fentons Pub. Raising money: We’d like to raise some money for The Andrew Dowling Fellowship at St. Vincent’s Hospital which carries out research into the disease sarcoidosis, the causes of which remain unknown. We’re suggesting that each person on the climb might donate €25 to this cause. We also have Sponsorship Cards if you want to get people to sponsor your heroic ascent up the mountain. All money collected will be greatly appreciated. Some Useful Information: How long does the hill-walk take? It’s possible to be up and down the hill in under four hours but with a group of people, factoring in breaks etc. it’s more likely to take over five hours. Is it a climb or a walk? It’s a hill-walk rather than a climb so you don’t need any climbing experience. At one point near the top, you may need to use your hands a little bit clambering over rocks. It is a challenging trek up and uses up a lot of energy so don’t take it lightly. You’ll have sore legs at the end and you’ll be glad of that cup of tea, sandwiches and maybe even a pint in Fenton’s Pub. What to bring? Bring a rucksack with food and water to eat and drink. A flask of tea or coffee is a good idea, sandwiches, bananas etc. You don’t need to bring a compass or a map, we’ll have those, but if you can use one bring it along. Some people like to use walking sticks. What to wear? In early September, the weather should still be quite good but at the top it is usually windy and cold, so bring a hat and gloves, no matter how nice the weather is at the bottom. There will be a big difference in temperature between the top and the bottom. Bring waterproof clothes. Bring plenty of thin layers that you can put on if you get cold near the top. Wear walking shoes or boots if you have them rather than runners. Don’t wear jeans. What can you see from the top? Lugnaquilla is 925metres high, the 13th highest mountain in Ireland and the tallest on the east coast. If it’s a clear day you can see all the way to the coast of Wales to the east and west to the mountains of Munster. Directions to Fenton’s Pub: From Dublin: Take the N81 to Tallaght and Blessington and continue on it towards Baltinglass. Turn left at a crossroads (Whitestown bridge) signposted for the Glen of Imaal and Knockanarrigan (this turn is around 4 km beyond the turn for Donard). Continue on this road for around 7 km until you see Fenton's pub on the right-hand side of this road. There is parking at the pub. From Carlow: Take the N9 to Castledermot. Turn right just before you enter Castledermot and then turn left which will bring you to the N81 just outside Baltinglass. Turn left, go through Baltinglass and stay on the N81 until you reach the crossroads (Whitestown Bridge) signposted for the Glen of Imaal and Knockanarrigan. Continue on this road for around 7 km until you see Fenton's pub on the right-hand side of this road. There is parking at the pub. Andrew Dowling Sponsored Hill Walk A hike up Lugnaquilla mountain, Leinster’s highest mountain to raise money for research into the disease sarcoidosis, (The Andrew Dowling Fellowship, St. Vincent’s Hospital.) Sponsorship Card Name Amount