Baltimore to Crookhaven 25 May 2023

 

Baltimore monuments 
Left: “Heart of the Sea” In memory of those who have lost their lives to the sea. Never to be forgotten. Commissioned by Baltimore Rath and the Islands Community Council 2020.
Right: The Beacon or Lot’s Wife.  Built to mark the harbour mouth for sailors far out to sea. It is shown on a map dated 1788.  The building of the present structure was completed in Feb 1849. The height and circumference are both 50 feet.

We’ve fallen in love! 




Baltimore became an incorporated market town in 1607 occupied by new English settlers. On 20 June 1631 Baltimore was attacked by pirates from the North African coast.  This bold and dramatic attack, known as the “Sack of Baltimore” was the only attack in history by these pirates on Irish soil, with over 100 town-folk kidnapped during the dead of night, taken from their beds, then chained and brought to Algiers and sold as slaves.

Despite this, we love it! We might emigrate!


At our mooring at Baltimore 

Our route - but part of it is missing (Marine Traffic was not able to pick it up).  We have finished at Crookhaven where the red smudge is.


Arrived in Crookhaven, Gordon’s dream, just after 15.00 after a wonderful slow route through the islands.  There was an instant urge to go ashore for a pint in O’Sullivans Bar.



Walked from Crookhaven to Barley Cove for old times sake.  It was a little disappointing because the caravan site must have closed during Covid and still has not been properly opened.  The shop, office, community hall are all closed, though there are a few people staying in the static caravans and the site looks well maintained:


Barley Cove beach looks a lovely as ever

Along the way there is a new sculpture to commemorate Marconi:
Before we got to Barley Cove (just south of the bay) is Brow Head where there is a Marconi Station which was opened in June 1901, where Marconi picked up a test  signal transmitted from Poldhu in Cornwall.  It was important for shipping communications until 1914, then operated by the Royal Navy during WW1, and then it was destroyed by republican forces in 1922.

Offshore Fastnet lighthouse has been clearly visible today.

Lazaway at its mooring in Crookhaven (she looks much bigger in real life!)

I call this very considerate: In the gents toilets in O’Sullivans Bar in Crookhaven
there is soft pad above each urinal to rest your head against when
you’ve had too much to drink and it’s hard to stand up.

The boat bird list is very small today with just 18 species.




















































































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