ANCESTRAL BREATH

On Saturday we took a road that is now very familiar.

We were visiting a friend's art exhibition, titled 'Ancestral Breath', at the Loughcrew Megalithic Centre. This is Lar's second exhibition at the centre and it opened earlier this week, in time for Autumn Equinox.

Lar Dooley a with Mrs H

Lar is a Primitive Artist who has developed his own unique style of painting

which is very textured and almost tempts the onlooker to touch the surfaces.

He is inspired by Ireland's ancient monuments and carvings.

I am very attracted by his depiction of the Poulnabrone Dolmen, Co Clare

The artist himself - Lar Dooley September 2018

R and R

You may have noticed that I have been absent from the world of blogging for a considerable time and my excuse is that I accompanied Mrs H  who was exhibiting her artwork, for a little over 9 weeks, at The Loughcrew Megalithic Centre near Oldcastle in Co. Meath. It was very successful and we met a lot of interesting people from all over the world, as well as making lots of new friends and reconnecting with old ones.

Physically we both felt weary after the exhibition closed so we decided to treat ourselves to a bit of R and R to recharge our batteries.

We have a favourite place in which to do this, a world away from our habitat, a place that I can best describe as being an area of old wildness that is skirted by the sea, a place that has always revitalised us with it's gentleness.

Please enjoy the photos.

Tell me do you too have a favourite place where you recharge your inner battery ?

A refurbished Norman Towerhouse

A ladies bike with no sign of the owner and just to make sure that she had not

jumped into the sea I did take a look.

Seeing this oarsmen reminded me of a favourite piece of music, The Lonesome Boatman.

Have a listen HERE

This old timer always catches my eye.

I'm not sure whether the yacht on the quay side has recently been removed from the water or if she has been there all summer. 

As for this green hulled boat I assume that it is a workboat of some kind or other.  

One thing is for sure it is the first craft I have ever seen to have exhaust pipes on 

either side of the wheelhouse.

A bird on the loose ?

Long ago, in a former occupation of mine, seagulls were known as being

re-incarnated Fleet Chief Petty Officers, others knew them as shite hawks.

Now here is a really tidy, neat and clean looking sloop to be proud of.

What about this elderly lady, isn't she in good shape for her age ?

I bet her owner is very proud of her !

Viewing The Cailleach.

The Weaver of Grass

left a comment on my last blog post saying 

that she expected to see something of the exhibition soon.

So in order to fulfil her request

here they are...

For more details and greater information please view

http://theeverlivingones.blogspot.com/2018/07/walking-with-cailleach-part-1.html

Loughcrew Megalithic Centre

Phew! It has been hot with a capital H with temperatures of up to 35. 5 deg C and no rain for 15 days,

a rare old novelty for Ireland. In consequence I dug into the back of my wardrobe and brought out my light weight linen clothes.

Mrs H's exhibition of her wonderful paintings are now on display in The Loughcrew Megalithic Centre. I have been forbidden to display them until they have been released on social media however, I can show you what is going on the outside and tell you that we have met some lovely kind and very interesting people from all over the world as well as meeting up again with old friends.

We set up the exhibition on Saturday 30th June and were very fortunate in having two very exceptional friends who took on the work of hanging and arranging the eighteen pictures on show.

They were Maj the ladder and Patsy who directed the order of hanging with a few suggestions put in by myself. We started at 10.15 and were totally ready by 12.45 for the 1pm opening.

The courtyard of the Loughcrew Megalithic Centre.

Visit the Centre - LOUGHCREW MEGALITHIC CENTRE

Two old lads: Lar and Seán  from Dublin having a chat.

The Artist entertains two lovely ladies from Drogheda.

A Monkey Puzzle Tree that caught my eye.

A twenty-nine year old Toyota Starlet that next year

will be a Road Tax free vehicle when it becomes thirty years of age.

Looking forward to seeing you all there at the

Tales from the Cailleach Exhibition

Where I will allow you to buy me

a coffee and a cake.

The Hill of the Witch

We took to the road last weekend intending to ramble around the area of Loughcrew otherwise known as Sliabh na Cailleach and to view the paintings of a Dublin based artist Lar Dooley, which had caught Mrs H’s eye on Facebook.

It was a soft day, meaning that although warm it was very damp, with fine misty rain. Not the type of day for me to walk up the hill to the cairns although I have done so in the past. The climb is quite easy when going up but coming down it can be very treacherous and my old bones no longer appreciate tumbles.

The hill of the witch - the Cairns of Loughcrew, a quick guide by Anthony Murphy


Instead we headed to the new to us visitor centre, several buildings, one of which was once a cottage home. The cafe was inviting and the staff friendly so we partook of a great up of coffee then went into the gallery to view the work of Lar Dooley. Each image was inspired by the landscape of Loughcrew and the ancient cairns with their stone art. His technique was unusual, to me it seemed almost ceramic in texture, with symbols seemingly carved into stone. Mrs H fell in love with an illustration of the stone which sits in a chamber inside Cairn T and is illuminated by the sun at the Equinoxes.

https://www.loughcrewmegalithiccentre.com/tips-for-visiting-loughcrew

This over looks the childrens' playground.

The courtyard where an old bone shaker leans next to the wall.

A fairy bridge - not that I was aware of any!

EQUINOX

We wended our way homewards stopping in Oldcastle Co. Meath which I was surprised to learn is a relatively new town, created by the Naper family in the 18th century.

This auction house had some classical pieces of furniture on show.

I can only presume that the people from these cars were

propping up the pub counters.

A memorial to two sons of Ireland who lost their lives

when fighting of independence in the 1920's

A colourful corner in Oldcastle

The link below has an audio which goes into great detail about the town of Oldcastle and I suggest that you read and hear for yourselves all about the place.

http://www.discoverboynevalley.ie/boyne-valley-drive/heritage-sites/oldcastle

We shall shortly be revisiting the megalithic centre and hopefully to meet and speak with Lar Dooley

so I will keep you informed. Until then take care of yourselves.

Amongst Trees and Roadside Things

Nut laden overhanging Beech Tree

macro shot of a Beech Nut

The Beech trees almost olive green are laden with nuts and soon squirrels will

dance on thin branches & to gather their winter fayre. 

A rare road marker

At the road side a rarity sits, it is almost a monument to old travellers, a

hand carved Milestone. The thoroughfares were littered with them once on main roads and byways, at junctions and forks in odd out of the way places; these sentinels stood marking the path and telling the distance.

A surprise came my way the other day. A call from a friend who said

'Can I use your poem "Moon Is" to decorate an entrance for the 

Body and Soul Festival at Ballinlough Castle?'

Needless to say I was delighted with this to me novel way of viewing prose.

Details:

Ballinlough Castle is located on the N52 (Kells to Mullingar road) approximately 3 miles south of Clonmellon and 4 miles west of Athboy. www.ballinloughcastle.ie

Body & Soul Festival bodyandsoul.ie

The words are :- 

Moon is 

                  subtle

Oval ivory white

                  countenance

A sensuous glow

                  disturbs

Who sits in quiet

                  encourages

Observance

                  merriment

At least

                  pleasures         

Tempts one

                  desires

To believe so

                  love 

Innocent  

                  lust

       

    She is an Earthy Woman

© MRL 2014

Brú na Bóinne & exhibition extra's

The silent stone that greets visitors.

The ornate entrance gates with a triple spiral design.

From the car park the approach to the visitor

centre is via a sloping pathway covered by a

pergola.

Along the entrance path the trees and shrubs are named

and the Ogham hieroglyph is shown when appropriate.

The view of the ancient monument from the upper floor of

the visitor centre, in the bottom left corner of photo the river Boyne

can be glimpsed.

Flor who kindly modelled for

the God Manannán

Flor & partner moved by the painting

perhaps ?

The Healing God Dian Cecht witnesses a téte á téte

between lovers !

Exhibition: The Ever-Living Ones

Looking to the left from the centre

Looking to the right from the centre

Appreciative onlookers

Card Stall  

The fellow in the red hat was brought over from England

by friends who made the trip especially to see J's work

and the basket of flowers were sent to J by Lady North who 

lives on a Canadian island.

The artist J now relaxes.

Link to J's blog : http://theeverlivingones.blogspot.ie/