Exploring Ticknock

James, Ashley, Caitlin and I made a short trip to Ticknock this evening. Ticknock is located just south of Dundrum and provides panoramic views of Dublin. We left Dundrum around 3:30pm after a day indoors with the girls. We wanted to get out for some fresh air and exercise. The sun was starting to set and we decided that even if we outlasted the sun a walk in the wood in the dark would be a lot of fun. Ashley was even excited at the prospect of seeing the stars if we were still out when it got dark.

The new motorway (M50) caused a bit of a circuitous route to get onto Ticknock Road. Previously we'd just drive along the Balinteer Road and onto Ticknock. This evening we had to turn off the Balinteer Road onto Balinteer Ave, then onto Grange Road, which then turns into Kellystown Road. At the end of Kellystown Road we could then turn onto Tichnock Road and drive up to Ticknock.

We still had light as we walked through Ticknock Wood. There were many trees uprooted. They looked long dead so I was unsure if they had just naturally fallen or some large gale had taken them down. There was also alot of trees that had been cut down. A later websearch led me to the Irish Green Party website, which had a brief article on clear-felling taking place on Ticknock. At least ten acres had already been logged. I couldn't find an exact date for the information on the website but another 20 acres were at least designated for further logging. The Green Party were pushing for conservation to preserve the woods for recreational use.

We enjoyed a little walk and then played hide and seek behind the trees. This is the girls' most favorite game of all. After that we played another favorite game: acting out The Three Little Pigs. We played the game four times, which allows each of us the chance to be the wolf, the pig in the house of straw, the pig in the house of sticks and the pig in the house  of bricks. We use a different tree for each of the pig's houses. When the wolf huffs and puffs and blows a house down, the pig(s) run to the next tree. Depending on the location, and the number of times we play the game, the girls can get quite a lot of exercise out of this game. If it's a park we can often run a little distance from tree to tree, if it's a wood, like at Ticknock, it's a shorter run with the trees are a bit closer together.

Cailtin is still obsessed with pinecones and delighted in all the tiny pinecones on the trail in the wood. This autumn and winter she developed her love for pinecones and acorns and continues to admire and collect stones. She likes stones of all sizes but seems to prefer to collect those that can fit into her hand with preferably one or more others. As we walked in the wood this evening she'd call out, "Look Ahee [Ashley] stones", as she stepped on various rocks embedded in the ground.

In the end we left before it was dark. So, once again, we enjoyed spotting sheep and horses in the fields as we drove along the very narrow country roads (about the size of one lane on a US highway). Ashley learned that the color painted on the sheep's back was painted there by farmers so that they would be able to recognize their flock. She originally thought it was some special kind of sheep and wanted to know what it was called :) We were  all delighted to spot a couple of young deer in a field and, as there was no traffic behind us, we stopped for a bit to watch them. They were quite close to the car and seemed as interested in us as we were in them.

A link for Ticknock:

http://www.getarounddublin.com/2104g-gcllntgh.html (There is very little information available online about Ticknock. This site has some pictures that at least give a feel for the area. We forgot our camera but might go back up as it is very close to Dundrum where we're staying.)