Firstly I hope that everyone is safe and sound after the weekend of storms. I know that there is a massive clear-up on a personal level, with garden trees down, glasshouses broken, tiles dislodged. I know also that many of you have been without power, broadband and mobile signal. I hope that everything is soon restored, cleaned up and put back in place, so that we can get on with our daily lives again.
There are many reports of devastation to the forests that we orienteer in. I’ve heard that Castlewellan and Kilbroney are still closed, with trees down across forest tracks and entrances. Tollymore and Drumkeeragh have been badly hit. Paths within Woodburn are severely blocked. The road towards Cairn Wood was closed. Not only is this a worry in terms of access, but it is simply heartbreaking to know that such areas of beauty have been partially destroyed.
On a brighter note, we made good decisions by postponing Saturday’s Club Score Champs and Sunday’s Running Wild coaching sessions. Although we’ve now set new dates for these, unfortunately we still don’t know if the forests will be in a viable state to run in.
It is with all the above in mind that I would ask patience over the coming days as we try to work out what to do with upcoming fixtures. All of our events are run by a band of dedicated volunteers who have been planning and organising the events before the arrival of these storms. In some cases, the forest may no longer be viable for an event. In others, there may not be time to re-plan courses to avoid treefall. We therefore ask for your understanding as we do our best to assess the situation and make good decisions going forward.
Moire, LVO Chair