I have a great many interests. Among them is writing poetry, taking photo's, the practice of T M and following a druid like path. What I am not nor have I ever been is subservient or fanatical. In the true sense of the term I am a free thinking person.
Showing posts with label ancient tradition. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ancient tradition. Show all posts
On our last day out we came home by a circuitous route that took us very close to the Burren
National Park. We did this because I thought I had seen a neolithic feature on my iPhone which turned out not to be one, however, I really did see a stone man looking at me over the hedge.
Can you see his face ?
As you are probably aware I have not posted for awhile and the reason is that Mrs H with a slight bit of help from me has been very busy preparing for her new exhibition. She has been doing all the behind the scenes work that artists have to do with their work, visits to the framers, selecting the right frame colour and style for each painting, besides having them all photographed and then resizing the images for our printer to make the art cards.
Additional cords
On the table is one of the finished paintings that we have brought back from the framers and you can see his cord stretching across the back which will be used by the new owner.
For exhibition purposes I have to put an additional hanging cord on to allow the viewers eye to see the detail of the paintings.
A stash of completely finished works with their exhibition cords added.
The Ninth of the First is my birthdate and this year it was my seventy-fifth birthday. The celebrations started early on Sunday 7th with a long awaited visit from a friend of longstanding. We met each other in Newtownards in Co. Down in the 80's and little did we know then of how are lives would intertwine over the coming years, or the respect that we have for each from our own perspectives.
Photo taken at 07.10 on 9/1/2018
I thought it only right to circulate this to the majority of my friends and relations
just to let them know that I am a Happy Man !
After breakfasting on a banana each, Mrs H and I set off for points west to Gort in Co. Galway. There we visited our friends who live in a small townsland in a very alternative home. So alternative that they sit next to an unlit fireplace and feel the warmth... !
as do the two small dogs.
Our next port of call was to Kinvara, where we dined on a light lunch in the Gentian Cafe, situated very close to the harbour and which serves great food at reasonable prices.
Then our eyes fell upon a small Gallery and Gift Shop and so being of good cheer and inquisitiveness
we entered. We had fun looking around, admiring the numerous products made by the local crafts people.
We are a Happy Pair
One of my main reasons in visiting Kinvara was to have a paddle in the sea.
Strangely however, I only ever remember that when I arrive back home. Ah well... may be next time I will remember to do so.
So here I am stood at the harbour side welcoming you all
to one of my favourite haunts
A unique Kinvara Fairy !
On our journey home I received a missed call from an unknown number, which I called back, wondering who it was. "This is Yvonne the florist are you Mel ? " asked a voice.
I said "Yes, but we are on the road, in the middle of a torrential rain storm so won't be home until
a few minutes after five pm."
On our arrival there was the delivery vehicle parked outside and as I stepped towards it out popped this very cheery lady who said "Happy Birthday Mel, I have flowers for you." And then she was gone into the dark rainy night.
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.
After we had had our lunch in Galway my desire was to visit Spanish Arch which I had heard much about over the years and never visited. Or so I thought.
Before making our way to Spanish Arch I spied the hull of a large vessel in the distance. Well, as most of you probably know I am attracted by almost anything that floats and so I just had to take a detour and see what was what.
The Galway City Dock
A small tanker but large enough.
An Irish Customs patrol boat.
The photographer receives a salute - it must have been my
bushy beard !
Spanish Arch
On arriving there it dawned on me that I was standing besides the Galway Museum, which we had visited a couple of years ago and I had never noticed the arch !
The Spanish Arch was built in 1584, originally as an extension of the city walls and designed to protect the quays. The name is in fact a misnomer, as there is no proven association between the Spanish in Galway and the building of the Arch. In the past it was known as The Blind Arch and is located on the site more appropriately known as Ceann na Bhalla (The Head of the Wall).
I took a liking to this cheery fellow.
Across the fast flowing River Corrib is the ancient settlement of Cladach
Across the river from the Spanish Arch sits the ancient settlement of Cladach, meaning ‘stony shore’, or as it is now known Claddagh. The area above the shore where the Corrib River meets Galway Bay, was once home to Galway fishermen and their families.
Located just outside of the Town of the Tribes (as Galway is known), the settlement dates back to AD 500, one of the oldest fishing towns in Ireland.
Old Cladach
Due to severe out break of TB among the inhabitants in 1927 the old unhealthy thatched cottages of the Claddagh were demolished in the 1930s. Council houses and other more modern homes replaced them yet the memory of the small Irish-speaking town's traditions and customs still live on.
Despite its close proximity to Galway city, Claddagh remained a completely separate entity for centuries because of the wall surrounding Galway which kept a divide between this village and the Anglo-Norman city across the river. The community also had it’s own King who was elected annually, today it is an honorary title.
With the sole rights to fish in Galway Bay, the Claddagh fishermen thrived and their fresh catches were sold by the Claddagh women at Spanish Arch and at other places thought the city. It is believed that by the early 19th century, there were as many as 820 fishermen in the village who ran around 80 boats.
The wives of the Claddagh fisher men
A Claddagh (Galway) Hooker
In boats such as these the Claddagh men would have earned their living.
The sound wobbles a bit during one part of the recording
The other day we wended our way across the landscape, seeking out places to explore and photograph. I felt duty bound to amend for the statue of last week. So our first stop was on the banks of Lough Owel in Co. Westmeath, a Lughnasadh site where horses were ritually bathed in it’s waters. Today it is the home of a beautiful statue, created by Linda Brunker, that stands proudly over looking the lake.
The Children of LÃr
The rich aroma of freshly made coffee wafted across the car park and as I turned I saw a three wheeled vehicle, complete with full sized coffee machine in the back. Two double shot expressos were ordered and quickly served by the camera shy operator.
Revitalised we headed to our next stop which, according to Mrs H’s research, would provide us with some rich material. I misdirected her on to a very narrow country road, which was not without interest, for there were two donkeys on the lawn of an empty house.
We finally arrived at Abbeylara where Mrs H found a holy well and visited the ruin of the Cistercian Abbey and I spotted a jolly gardener in the school grounds.
The Jolly Gardener.
Cistercian Abbey.
Onwards then to Ardnacliffe, Co. Longford and to Lough Gowna,
‘the lake of the calf’. The name comes from a legend about a supernatural calf which escaped from a well and raced northward with a stream of water following it. The flooded area became the lake and the mysterious calf is said to still live beneath the waters.
Not a calf but a horse visiting the waters at Lough Gowna.
We parked on the banks of very attractive small lake- Lough Leebeen known as 'the lake of the small fish' possibly the Stickleback. It sits quite literally on the outskirts of the village.
The tranquil Lough Leebeen.
Turning for home our next stop was at Ardagh to see the beautiful statue of MidÃr and Etain by the artist Éamonn O'Doherty.
For an account of their story see the Lady Gregory version here:
The other day we took off on our travels again, northwards this time instead of westerly or even southerly. Still though the hunger remained within us to learn more about the area we were visiting and we agreed that a return trips must be made to slake our thirst. You have probably have heard about the Children of LÃr or at least have read one of the many tales, for they are as numerous as the fleas on a dogs back. Well here is another.
