BSW3A 11. 'Pooching' and fasting

Speaker: Dan GallagherFrom The Bluestack Way - Part 3 playlist.The Owentocker is regarded as one of the best Grade IV rivers in the northwest.  According to canoeist Neil Fox, 'the starting point is at Lough Nillan bridge which is on the Alternative route and is marked on our guide. It’s a 35m/km gradient that travels for five kilometres. The Owentocker or commonly called ‘Ardara River’ is steep, narrow, rocky stream. The runoff is immediate so it must therefore be raining heavily in order to consider launching onto this river. Given the required flood conditions, this is probably one of the best mountain rivers in the area.  There is no time to warm up, and the first two kilometres to a metal frame footbridge is continuous and difficult mountain paddling. Watch out for wire stretched across the river. Short flatter sections of Grade II and one Grade IV drop, lead down to a small bridge. This is a good place to take out if a second run on the more continuous section is preferred. In the remaining 2km to the finish, there are many technical rapids. One in particular, a narrow constriction should be inspected'.  Our audio piece from local man Dan Gallagher is a gem. As a good Catholic, he always fasted the night before taking Holy Communion in Glenties, but nevertheless had no problems doing some poaching in the river or 'pooching' as they called it. It's not a sin if you don't see it as one we guess!