west clare meet 11/12 august

[martinguilfoyle]

Directions to Pure Camp Campsite. From Kilrush take the Kilkee RD. Approx 5 miles out there is a left turn at Lisdeen Church. Keanes restaurant is on the RHS of the main rd, and opposite the church. A very good eating place.Not the cheapest. Take this left turn and Follow this road and do not deviate despite the bends. After 3 miles approx you will see the estuary dead ahead and the road bends sharp right with a large grey shed on your left. Havin rounded the bend Pure Camp is approx 100metrs on your left.
I visited the place yesterday and the shower blocks and facilities are all completed. There is a small camping kitchen with a Clay oven for your fresh made pizzas. There is a plentiful supply of hot water on tap. There is also a traditional sweat lodge (for the modernist that is a sauna). There is also a 13M diam. geodesic dome for general use and shelter. There is hard standing areas for campervans and a place for caravans. There is plenty ofroom for tents and if you prefer you can book a previously pitched bell tent. It is worth looking up their site for all the options. When you book say you are with ISKA and for camping they have given us a price for camping of €6 per person pernight camping. This a relatively new set up and is seriously into the ECO Tourism and environmentally sustainable ethos. For anyone interested in renewable energy sources and eco friendly building Kevin the owner will explain many things to you if you ask. They do have some restrictions about driving on the camping areas but transport is supplied if neccessary for your gear.
Paddling;
Although no direct access to the water from the Campsite H.W is mid dayish so launching and returning to Querrin pier is possible for Estuary trips.This pier is 3 mins drive.
Kilkee is 15 minutes drive and there are options for fantastic day trips either left or right out of Kilkee bay. I think we have the greatest collection of Cliffs and caves in Ireland between Loophead and The White Strand at Dough Beag. this is more than 40 kms of spectacular committed paddling with little get outs. Check OIleain.
From Carriga holt 10/15minute drive you can head across to Bally bunion if you want to go to Kerry or for a big day out put in in Kilbaha20 minute drive and paddle up to Carrig a holt on the incomming tide and then down to Ballybunion and on to Kerry head with the fast ebb and back with a decent open crossin to Kilbaha.
Also from Kilbaha Go around Loop Head to the Bridges of Ross either return by Kayak pr walk back a couple of Ks.
There is also an option for more sheltered but very interesting paddlesin the Estuary including Scatterry and Carrick islands and if the weather is really foul or you just want some intersting Island hopping and a visit to Beaves Rock lighthouse try the Islands off Kildysart including Deer,Canon Coney, Inis Lua et al.
If you want more you can drive to Spanish Point,Lahinch Cliffs of Moherwell look at the map and the furthest drive you will do will probably 35 minutes for liscannor for the cliffs of Moher.
There is something here for everyone including marvellous company. The site is very family friendly and there is loads for non paddlers in the area.
A well known Restaurant in Kilkee will deliver Irish stew on sat night for €10 a head if the numbers ordering justify it.
What more can I say except you are all welcome and if you have any queries regarding the campsite ask them directly or if I can I will answer.
Looking forward to seeing you all and I am staking my reputation on being the friend of the weather gods on this.
Martin Guilfoyle

Paddling; Dave Walsh is the Trip organiser.

[Chancer]

I will be travelling on Friday. Just rang to book into the site and the lady there said she would like to know numbers if possible. I sent her a confirmation email to nfo@purecamping.ie. So send an email if you are going.Looks like a lovely spot.

[knotman2]

Hey Chancer, what\'s with the car ? How do you transport a sea-kayak. Do you have to use one of those folding kayaks you were so hipped about a few posts ago? :laugh:
Sennen

[afinn]

Hi guys, is this a level 3 meet or would favourable weather conditions allow fpr level 2+??

[conorsmith]

Alan
Can you ring either myself or better again Martin Guilfoyle about your post.
Martin - 089 4-3-5-9-7-0-6
conor - 086 8-2-8-3-2-4-7

[Chancer]

Knotman2? whatever happened Knotman 1? The car .... just vroom, vroom tho no vroom for a kayak.

[afinn]

conorsmith wrote:

Alan
Can you ring either myself or better again Martin Guilfoyle about your post.
Martin - 089 4-3-5-9-7-0-6
conor - 086 8-2-8-3-2-4-7

Will do, thanks

[DaveWalsh]

The weather is looking up. Manageable ESE winds Saturday will moderate on Sunday, but dry may go wet, to compensate. Saturday is often the main day of an ISKA meet so I kinda hear Loop Head calling. If things are as they say it will be, the only problem will be getting round the head (wind over tide), and then there should be shelter outside. No big headland ever goes easy, and I have been round this one only the once, out of several trips to the area for the purpose. Level 3 paddlers will enjoy Loop Head, provided conditions allow. The trip round is short and the shuttle non-existent, almost, Kilbaha to Bridges of Ross. Long distance junkies can add mileage as they see fit, but obviously terms and conditions apply.
There are other options. Scattery and Hog are always a good trip, then there is crossing the estuary to go dolphin hunting from Carrigafoyle Castle, and the race at Kilrush may operate a little. Neap tides means the ebb will be working morning and evening, as the HW is in the middle of the day, like a Waterford dinner, 1230 and 1330. I don’t know does the flood work, but if so that would be exceptional. The Fergus Estuary is a lovely place, most unusual, and the tides this weekend are right, dotted as it is with islands galore. Avoid LW. You have been warned. All the above are written up on www.oileain.org.
Non-paddling attendees will love the area. NB the Loop Head lighthouse is now open to the public and Enda Kenny is there most days. Kilkee is a beautiful place to explore, lovely beach to walk etc, and perhaps especially the famous rockpools, once the tide drops in the afternoon. There may be excursions available to Scattery and its infamous round tower (the door is at ground level, an architectural detail much loved by Vikings and others).
There will be a preliminary meeting for “management” at 0930 Saturday on the campsite. Anyone fully kitted out and ready willing and able to help with crowd control during the day, please attend. The general briefing should be possible by 1000. Numbers and persons present will dictate one group / two groups, and where they go on Saturday, while Sunday can look after itself, for the moment anyway.
Enquiries to me if you wish at 0 8 7 – 2 5 4 0 6 5 4
### or ###
d a v e w a l s h AT i o l DOT i e.
David Walsh

[knotman2]

Anybody landing on Scattery, be sure to doff your sea-kayaking hat to St Sennen, the original Knotman! Lets call him Knotman1.

Chancer: the mark 2 Knotman far and away exceeds the original version, especially in his ability to forget passwords!

Enjoy the trip guys. Hope the weather gods smile.

Sennen(not the saint).

[brianmacmahon]

Hi all,

There will be a free fireworks display Saturday night after twelve midnight if the sky stays any bit clear.

The Perseid Meteor shower is due to intensify that night with plenty of meteors hitting the earths atmosphere.

Hopefully we will get to see some of it.

Most of the Wiska crowd should be on their backs by that hour anyway. :laugh: