Camping in Tollymore Forest

Summer in Ireland... it's a fleeting experience, isn't it? The warm months whisper past us before we can even remember what was to feel the comforting heat of the sun and the gentle lap of waves at our bare feet. Though the season is brief, we Irish have know to appreciate every drop of sunshine while we can, revelling in the joy of back-to-back sunny days, outdoor picnics and endless adventures. There are so many wee pleasures to have during summer but of on my absolute favourites is camping. Sleeping outside isn't for everyone but for me it's one of life's real luxuries to fall asleep under the stars. It might require a bit of forward planning (and hardy expectations) but when you get that rare weekend jackpot of sunny AND dry weather, well there's no better place to be than the mountains! It was about a month ago when we struck weather gold and packed up our car with (definitely too many) camping supplies. We hadn't any real idea of where we were headed but we drove out of the city and towards the Mourne Mountains knowing we would be able to find a perfect camping spot up there. We decided to go a little off-grid and try wild camping in an attempt to savour the most of the Irish wilderness. I can completely understand the appeal of campsite comforts (especially when you have kiddos to keep clean!) but I love that feeling of being a little bit cut off from the world. We aren't too knowledgeable about the best wild camping spots so I just googled a few recommended spots and found this really useful website. We decided to head for the Spinkewee River since it looked like the easiest for rookies. It was a few kilometres walk from the Trassey carpark where we had dropped off the car which meant we had to cull a few things we could live without for a night (a duvet being one of them!). Once we were packed up like pair of wee camels, we trotted off in search of the river, stopping only a few dozen times to catch our breath and swap packs! We hiked along a country path which soon brought in to Tollymore forest. Old stone steps took us over gateways, passed ancient burial grounds and alongside towering piles of felled logs. We eventually found the river and set up camp and began collecting firewood to start dinner. We tend to get ingredients for a one pot dinner and this recipe always does the trick. After dinner we ate s'mores, listened to some music and chatted until the fire started to die and the wind picked up. The next morning we woke to the sound of rustling leaves and the river flowing near our tent. Andrew prepared some scrambled egg for breakfast while I went to wash my teeth down my the stream. It was such a beautiful morning; the blue skies promised a sunny day ahead and the breeze was just enough to keep us cool. We went for a quick hike up the neighbouring mountain after breakfast and came across an abandoned farmhouse that had the best views towards the mountains. We took a detour down through a field, said "hello" to a few sheep and dipped back in to the forest canopy to visit some of the waterfalls along the Spinkwee River. The Tollymore forest is such a treasure trove for any outdoor enthusiast. There's mountain biking trails, hiking trails, historical buildings and rivers peppered with the most gorgeous waterfalls. After we'd finished our small hike we started the even bigger hike back to the car. It was a warm day and poor Andrew quickly regretted wearing his jeans - another rookie error! The walk was beautiful though; we had blue skies above and nature hugging us at every turn. We had to stop for a few breaks but it didn't matter, we were happy to soak in as much of that sunshine and mountain air as we possible could. After all, the season is brief and each summer joy is to be cherished.