One year ago, June 2022, I took the opportunity while on holiday in West Sligo to tick this one off. My ambition was much greater than my ability and the dreadful dampness of the Bangor Trail didn't get me close enough, quickly enough to make it in a single day trip.
Fast forward one year, and the dry spell of late May 2023 and I decided to make a weekend of it in the Mountains for the June holiday weekend.
I arrived in Bangor Erris on a Friday evening, parking outside the RC church as the 6pm Angelus was pealing and made camp on Knocklettercuss for my first night.
Next day in the heat, I diverted across to Sheann, then crossed the great bog southwards on its Eastern fringe, very glad of the dry conditions. My plan was originally to go up onto the spur to Slieve Carr and clockwise via Corslieve to Tawnyanruddia, but the heat of the day and the heavy pack on my back decided on the path of least resistance. I lunched and bathed my feet at F89122 16150 C a few hundred metres upstream of what appears to be an old cottage being renovated (bothy perhaps?).
3 hours later I huffed and puffed my way to the top, dripping in perspiration, really feeling the affect of the heat. Glad to have attained it though, and I dropped back to the NW to a wee tarn where I had the benefit of a peat hags to shelter me for a 2nd night of camping. It turned out a glorious spot and I was treated to a stupendous sunset.
Next day I did the lesser trodden but yet not to be underestimated Sheannmore, followed by the amusingly moniker Slieve Alp. From here I made what I've promised myself is my last trip on the northern half of the Bangor Trail, resting for an hour at the so-called bothy adjacent to the over engineered marvel of the footbridge at F868 161 D. I was glad to get back to civilisation in Bangor 50 hours after I left it. Despite the dry weather, and the fact that the bogs and mountains of the Nephin Beg range were drier than camel's toenail, the trail was a morass not much better than when I trod it a year before.
My advice , for what it's worth to anyone who might listen is don't bother with the trail, wait til good weather and use the high ground, much easier and much better underfoot. Linkback: https://mountainviews.ie/summit/1457/comment/23984/