She flew in from Massachusetts just as the temperatures shot into the late twenties.

My friend spent her first week in Cork being roundly congratulated by everyone she met for bringing the sunshine with her.

As temperatures nudged upwards into the thirties, the kudos tailed off; the novelty of some tropical heat didn’t last long.

Certainly not for me, especially after the upper half of my arm burned a crispy tomato red because I had the driver’s window open and my elbow out all the way back from Eyeries, where we’d gone to visit the Cailleach Bhéarra (the Hag of Beara), a trip we’d planned as part of the coursework my friend had to do for her college programme.

It started out well. The drive down under sparkling blue morning skies was nothing short of panoramic.

We found the site, which overlooks Coulagh Bay, and went through the little green gate and down the path to see the ancient monument, photograph it, and lay out our offerings alongside the shells, crystals, stones, weather-beaten coins, food, little dolls, carvings and bracelets arrayed on tiny natural shelves in the rock.

By the time we left, the heat had turned fiery. I didn’t realise quite how fierce, even though the car’s temperature gauge clearly said it was tipping 28........

© Evening Echo