Every summer, there is a hike organized around Lough Nafooey – it is called the Joyce Country Challenge because that part of Connemara is named after the Joyce clan – once of the Galway tribes. It takes the participants through the Maumtrasna mountains, across the Devil’s Mother, up Bunaconneen and along the ridge to Ben Beg, Lecarrow and Bencorragh until they stumble, knackered after the 30 km hike, back to the community hall beside Finny church, from whence they started. I hiked it in 2009 [stumbling home last], but every year since, I have had an excuse (and not just the lack of enthusiasm for a hard day’s hike). It clashes with the Galway Arts Festival and this year, I had tickets booked for the Saturday before realizing it. The picture above shows Finney Church, at the base of the Maamtrasna mountains in Co. Mayo, from where the hike begins and ends – int he background is part of the Maumtrasna plateau.