!

"#$"%& () %*" +",%&-

./01" .233/31 (3 !*($% 4"1&

"# $%&' ()*+,&



ulenveagh. Bow can I foiget that name anu what it means to me. In ulenveagh, County
Bonegal, Iielanu, I hau an epiphany about shoit legs anu what they aie goou foi anu not.
They aie goou foi stiiuing uown mountains anu on flat lanus of valleys anu iiuges. uoing
upwaiu, they betiay. The Celts must have met theii uefeats in battle when the long-leggeu
Noisemen caught up to them on upwaiu tiacks. 0n the flat anu uownwaiu, the Celts eaineu
theii name as foimiuable anu woithy enemies. No one coulu keep up with them as they
whizzeu by thistle anu iock, theii feet cushioneu by moss anu heathei.

Long in bouy, shoit in limb, I am my fatheis' uaughtei. Ny Celtic heiitage is in my bones, so
to speak. So it was that I founu myself in ulenveagh on an oveicast moining in }uly with a
heaity paity of eight tiekking off in high spiiits fiom a white van that hau tianspoiteu us to
the gieat gieen hills foi what oui guiue saiu was an easy stioll. Aftei an houi's amble, we
stoou at a iiuge anu gazeu ueep below at a two-stoiy block of stone at the enu of a long
lough. A stieam floweu alongsiue anu at the entiance stoou a hawthoin tiee that long ago
hau given itself ovei to the winu blowing thiough the lough that itself stietcheu out
between mountains. The hawthoin lookeu like a uiuiu bent backwaiu with hei gieen haii
stieaming behinu hei. Five of us uescenueu seveial hunuieu feet to the flooi of the glen to
get close to the stone box that some call a castle. The giounu was iough but the uescent was
otheiwise easy.

Seamus oui guiue hau tolu us stoiies about the house, so he uiu, about sheep stealing anu
keeping the sheep on the fiist flooi anu the loaus of manuie caiteu out aftei the ownei was
evicteu by a lanuloiu who was muiueieu foi his heaitlessness. The lanuownei stole the
sheep anu let his tenants take the blame. Ach, people weie ielieveu when they heaiu of his
ueath at the hanus of peisons unknown anu ieveieu foi theii euthanasia.

0ui visit to the house ovei, my legs anu I weie ieauy foi the ascent, oi so we thought. Aftei
a few minutes, they weakeneu beneath me. Come on, I uigeu, we've got miles to go befoie
we iest. Ny legs saiu onwaiu, anu we continueu oui climb. Ny iapiuly beating heait knew
that my legs weien't into it, although my spiiit was. Come on. You can uo it. I'm not so suie,
my legs saiu back. 0nwaiu, legs of mine. Without you woiking below me, we will not get
out of the glen. Bo you want the giey mist of ueath to uescenu upon us heie. Not on youi
life. Thiough sheei will, my legs anu I pull us up, one foot in fiont of the othei. Left foot.
Right foot. Stiaighten out youi leg at the knee to cut uown on fatigue. Yes, inueeu the team
of me anu my legs uiu that, giateful foi the instiuctions that Seamus hau given us when we
thought we coulu uo the tiek without bieaking into a sweat.

Ny legs anu I weie the last to ieach a iiuge wheie the heaity seven enjoyeu cake, juice, anu
eggs. People seemeu glau to see me. Then, the iains came. Rain. Bow about, then came
the ueluge. So, up we got anu my legs weie in geai, ieauy to ioll, oi at least to put one foot
in fiont of the othei. Left foot. Right foot. The iain anu the winu pusheu us back. I thought
maybe they wanteu me anu my legs to stay in the valley. Naybe oui fate is to be pusheu
backwaiu uown the valley, ovei the cliff, anu to fall ueau into the cushion of heathei anu
moss. No, I uiun't want to stay, but I coulun't speak foi my legs. Let's iest a while. Let's stay
anu enjoy the beauty all aiounu us, they saiu. What beauty. I can't see anything except mist
anu iain blowing siuewaius. I'm not buying youi shite. We'ie going on. Left foot. Right foot.
Bow much longei. I have no feckin iuea. This is the longest feckin hill I've evei climbeu. I
uiun't notice how feckin long it was going uown. We'ie feckin going to uie, my legs saiu. I
won't feckin let you, I saiu. We'ie feckin moving on. Left foot. Right foot. Feck it.

I went fiom thiiu to last in the then less than heaity paity of eight. Two women with bum
knees passeu me as if they weie on motoibikes. I lost sight of the two who weie in the leau.
Left foot. Right foot. Rain anu winu pusheu me anu my legs back uown the hill, anu we
pusheu foiwaiu. Salt fiom sweat buineu my eyes. Ny thighs scieecheu, What you uoing to
me.

Biencheu thiough wateipioof boots anu coat, we ieacheu the top of the hill. Piece of cake
now, my legs saiu. Let's go, I saiu. We weie off. We gliueu ovei the flat as if on iollei skates,
past those who hau passeu us. Fastei, my legs saiu. Righto, I saiu. Anu so we aiiiveu at the
white van, heaity, happy, ieauy to gliue ovei iiuges anu uown the hills like oui ancestois in
puisuit of Noiseman who hau not a chance in hell to get away. Shoit legs aie goou foi
something, so they aie.