Different Views

I really had to take a photo of the Heron hunting for food !

The poor quality of the photo above is because I was too lazy to use the tripod... 

and perhaps over fed.

LINANNE'S BAR at New Quay, Co. Clare.

This is my favourite Bar and Seafood Restaurant and so popular that the best time to visit to be sure of getting a table is in the winter on a weekday lunchtime.

Sea fresh lobsters stuffed with prawns are my favourite and if unavailable then I can recommend their seafood pie which is also delicious. 

Washed down fifteen minutes afterwards with a pint of Guinness!

http://linnanesbar.com

The Russell Gallery - http://www.russellgallery.net

A truly amazing place to wander around and see a great variety of arts & crafts.

There a great many very attractive and skilful paintings there, a few of which I would have brought home had we the wall space. 

One in particular, entitled 'Not all who wander are lost' by Roland Byrne 

really caught my eye - follow this link and see for yourselves.

The work of Roland Byrne

I love this old building which is so full of character and as well as the gallery it also has a small bistro that sells a wide range of organic wines with delicious dishes. 

Mine choice was their Antipasto which I did great justice to, not a crumb was left.

 I can also recommend their great coffee.

Reflecting on reflections.

Mrs H took this amazing photo of me looking out of the widow of our holiday home.

Here she is again beachcombing.

My good self with the amiable Toby.

I took dozens of photo's during our holiday and have lots tales about

our fun times too; so as they say watch this space for there is more to come !

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 !

Coffee in the Old School House.

This building was once Ballinahown’s National School and was built by John Ennis of Ballinahown Court in 1863. During 1924 the interior was redesigned by Canon Denis Reynolds making all of the classrooms co-ed as opposed to the segregated classes of the previous years’. This arrangement continued until the closure of the school in 1982 when a new school was built.

The Old School building was leased for a time as a private residence before being sold by the Parish and converted into business premises. 

An tSean Scoil

The Old School House

On the ground floor is Westmeath Craft Design selling a range of handcrafted products from jewellery to bog oak carvings.

The upper floor houses ‘Woodfield at Balllinahown Tea Rooms’. 

This is a new venture opened by our friend who owns the wonderful Woodfield Cafe in Birr which, as you know from my previous posts, has an excellent menu. At Balllinahown the food is great too and as always the staff are friendly, efficient and brew a wonderful cup of coffee!

Quite literally up the wooden hill.

The Café

The rear view of Ciara at work.

 Plates of mouth watering goodies 

I wondered what that old bald fellow was doing and then I realised

that he is checking his phone and so I was...

https://aheronsview.blogspot.ie/2017/01/our-friday-treat.html

https://aheronsview.blogspot.ie/2017/04/woodfield-garden-centre-birr.html

https://aheronsview.blogspot.ie/2017/05/an-almost-village.html

Anyone For A Cuppa ?

We purchased a loose tea strainer the other day or perhaps you could call it a steeper - strainer. It is very efficient, easy to use and clean and cost very little.

I do not drink black tea and on the advice of my doctor I have recently stopped drinking coffee because it was raising my BP. My preferences now are for organic infusions and mainly Rooibos or Green tea (thank you Rachel)

Our new strainer is made by a German company Finum who call it a brewing basket. They also make a lot of other interesting applicators.

See for yourselves at http://www.finum.com

I think my fresh brew is now ready

to enjoy, so bye bye for now Heron.