Grannymar

Today we move to Connacht the smallest and most westerly of the four provinces. It includes counties Galway, Mayo, Sligo, Roscommon and Leitrim.  Today we begin with:

GALWAY

Galway city is the county town and stands at the mouth of River Corrib with a history that stretches back to 400AD.  Strategically located in the heart of County Galway it is the home of the Claddagh Finger Ring, a crowned heart held by two hands.  Attractions worth a visit include Lynch’s Castle, the church of St. Nicholas and the Spanish Arch. Right at the heart of the City is Eyre Square - a public park dedicated to John F. Kennedy.  There is a unique atmosphere and charm with a great night life scene all year round.   Festivals abound like the Galway Races (July), the Oyster Festival (September) and the Galway Arts Festival (July).

Drive the 45km Connemara Loop and you’ll enter a world where time seems to have stood still, With pre-historic bogs, magnificent mountains, sandy beaches, Connemara National Park, the wild Atlantic Ocean and some archaeological sights you won’t want to go home!  Connemara is also Ireland’s largest Gaeltacht (Irish speaking), so you might be lucky enough to hear the friendly locals speaking in their native tongue.

Spiddal or An Spidéal is a vibrant friendly town where the people speak both Irish and English. Spiddal is probably best known for Colaiste Chonnacht to which students come from all over Ireland and the world to learn the Irish language, culture and traditions.

A short 19 klms west of Spiddal is Rossaveel a small harbour surrounded by thatched cottages.  From here turf is shipped by barge to the Aran Islands.  The passenger boat trip out to the islands is only one hour as compared to the 2½ hour voyage from Galway.

The Aran Islands are the high peaks of a submerged limestone reef that runs out to the sea from County Clare, they are made up of Inishmore, Inishmaan and Inisheer.

Inishmore is the largest of the three islands, it has many sites of interest including the Dun Aengus stone fort, Clochan-na-Carraige and Arkin’s Castle. Inishmaan is the middle island and was the setting of the film Riders to the Sea. Inisheer is the farthest island and has remains of several forts and churches.

Dún Aonghasa is the most famous of several prehistoric forts on Inishmore at the edge of an approximately 100 metre high cliff that also offers a spectacular view. It is not known when Dún Aonghasa was built, though it is now thought to date from the Iron Age.  A popular tourist attraction, Dún Aonghasa is an important archaeological site.

Kinvara is a beautiful town located at a tidal port at the head of an inlet in the South-East of Galway Bay. The famous boats of Galway, the Galway Hookers, may be seen at the harbour in the town. Close to the village is the restored Dunguaire Castle, built in 1520 by the O’Hynes clan, the castle is now open to the public. Doorus House is also located close to the town, once visited by Yeats.

At Gortmore a road leads to Rosmuc, where Padraig Pearse, leader of the 1916 Rising studied the Irish language and wrote most of his works, including the O’Donovan Rossa graveside oration which he delivered at Glasnevin in 1915. Beyond Gortmore, the route follows the shore of Kilkieran Bay to Carna where lobster fishing is still the main occupation. Off the coast near Carna is the small St. Mac Dara’s Island, on which is a beautiful stone-roofed oratory.

Clifden is the largest town in the Connemara area. It is surrounded by the Twelve Pins mountain range which offers a beautiful backdrop to the town. It was founded in 1812 by John D’Arcy as a small market town for the region. The ruins of Clifden Castle can be found on the Sky road out of the town. The Church of Ireland in the town is proud to display a copy of the Cross of Cong.

The first transatlantic radio message was sent in the early 1900s when Guglielmo Marconi built his first high power transatlantic long wave wireless telegraphy station four miles south of the town to minimize the distance to its sister station in Glace Bay, Nova Scotia. The first point-to-point fixed wireless service connecting Europe with North America opened for public service with the transmission of 10,000 words on 17 October 1907 and ceased operation on 25 July 1922 after suffering serious damage in the Irish Civil War. Transatlantic wireless service formerly provided by the Clifden station was transferred to the more modern Marconi wireless station near Waunfawr, Wales.

Clifden area is also remembered as the landing site for the first non-stop transatlantic flight in 1919 by Alcock and Brown.  During the month of August the famous Connemara Pony Show is held, a show not to be missed by the visitor.

Kylemore Abbey is a Benedictine monastery founded in 1920 for Benedictine Nuns who fled Belgium in World War 1.  It is set into the rocks of Connemara with the Atlantic Ocean as a water feature on the front lawn.  It is on the grounds of Kylemore Castle, built between 1863 and 1868 as a private home for the family of Mitchell Henry, a wealthy politician from Manchester who was also MP for Galway County from 1871 to 1885.  He and his wife are both buried in the small mausoleum near the church in the grounds of the abbey.

Notable features of the abbey are the neo-Gothic church (built between 1877 and 1881), a miniature replica of Norwich Cathedral, made from local green Connemara marble, and the Victorian walled garden.  The abbey was an international secondary girls’ boarding school, the nuns decided to close the school in 2010, although they do not plan to sell the property and will continue to reside there.  The house and gardens are open to the public.

Near the head of Killary harbour is the village of Leenane, an angling resort and an excellent centre for the mountain climber.  This is the western end of the Partry Mountains and the 650m Devil’s Mother is the most striking feature of the landscape around a lovely village.   On the road to Louisburgh is Ashelagh Waterfall, which is well worth a detour.

Elly told me not to forget the N17 a notorious single carriage route from Galway to Sligo well known to fans of the Saw Doctors.  On this route you will find Tuam gets its name from the Tumulus - a bronze age burial ground - on which the town is built. It was established in the 5th century when St Jarlath founded a monastery here, stopping when a wheel broke on his chariot. The O’Connor Kings, Turlough and Ruari, lived here In the 11th century. Turlough built a castle and an abbey which later became a cathedral. All that remains is part of the wall of their castle, a stone throne known as the chair of Tuam.

Athenry is situated halfway between Galway City and Ballinsloe.   It is known world wide mainly due to the song associated with it, The Fields of Athenry.   Here we have yet another castle built this time by de Bermingham between 1235 and 1250. A typical Anglo-Norman stronghold comprising of a keep and a walled court. Located in the town’s market place is a ruined cross with a representation of the Crucifixion on one side and the Virgin and Child on the other.

Gort is a beautiful market town located on the N18 the main Limerick to Galway road.  It is surrounded by ancient monastic ruins, dramatic landscapes and countryside.  Just North of the village is the entrance to Coole Park once home of Lady Gregory who played a central role in the literary revival in Ireland. The house was demolished in 1941 but the tree on which her guests carved their initials is still standing. On the tree the following initials are still visible, WBY (William Butler Yeats), GBS (George Bernard Shaw) and many others. Yeats lived at the Castle of Thoor just North-East of the village. The tower has been restored as a Yeats Museum.

I hear the tiniest drip of water from the gutters through the downpipe to the drain outside my kitchen window!  It is the first sign of a thaw since 25th November. The roads, pavements and gardens are all hidden under a winter jacket of snow.

We are wrapped in a blanket of freezing fog since about 9pm last night.  I can just about see the end of my garden.

Both snow and fog bring an eerie silence to the place and I have not seen or heard a car move all day.  I may as well live in the middle of a field right now.  Worry not, unlike the two elderly ladies in Cumbria England, I have no intention of venturing outside.  The doors remain locked.

My house is warm and cosy, I baked a little this morning and have dinner all planned and ready for the oven.

Spoke too soon!  Ten minutes and the drip has stopped, so we are freezing again.

Anyone got a spare pair of braces?  We might need them to hold the freezing clouds up off the ground!

I’m off to hibernate…. I’ll see you next Spring!

It was Gaelikaa who came up with the topic for our LBC group this week.

Gossip

Did you hear the one about…….?

No?  Well I didn’t either, so I am depending on this little beauty that flew through the airwaves to land in my in-box about three weeks ago.  It came from our fellow member Ramana who is resting as the Actors say.  I think we can count it as a joint effort.  Don’t you?

Keep this in mind the next time you are about to repeat a rumour or spread gossip.

In ancient Greece (469 - 399 BC), Socrates was widely lauded for his wisdom.

One day an acquaintance ran up to him excitedly and said, “Socrates, do you know what I just heard about Diogenes?”

“Wait a moment,” Socrates replied, “Before you tell me I’d like you to pass a little test. It’s called the Triple Filter Test.”

“Triple filter?” asked the acquaintance.

“That’s right,” Socrates continued, “Before you talk to me about Diogenes let’s take a moment to filter what you’re going to say. The first filter is Truth. Have you made absolutely sure that what you are about to tell me is true?”

“No,” the man said, “Actually I just heard about it.”

“All right,” said Socrates, “So you don’t really know if  it’s true or not. Now let’s try the second filter, the filter of Goodness. Is what you are about to tell me about Diogenes something good?”

“No, on the contrary…”

“So,” Socrates continued, “You want to tell me something about Diogenes that may be bad, even though you’re not certain it’s true?”

The man shrugged, a little embarrassed. Socrates continued, “You may still pass the test though, because there is a third filter, the filter of Usefulness. Is what you want to tell me about Diogenes going to be useful to me?”

“No, not really.”

“Well,” concluded Socrates, “If what you want to tell me is neither True nor Good nor even useful, why tell it to me or anyone at all?”

The man was bewildered and ashamed. This is an example of why Socrates was a great philosopher and held in such high esteem.

It also explains why Socrates never found out that Diogenes was sha**ing his wife.

I wonder if this is where Sleeping Beauty lives?

Jake was dying.

His wife, Becky, was maintaining a candlelight vigil by his side. She held his fragile hand, tears running down her face. Her praying roused him from his slumber. He looked up and his pale lips began to move slightly.

“My darling Becky,” he whispered.

“Hush, my love,” she said. “Rest, don’t talk.”

He was insistent.

“Becky, I, I have something I must confess to you.”

“There’s nothing to confess,” replied the weeping Becky.

“Everything’s all right, go to sleep.”

“No, no. I must die in peace, Becky, I slept with your sister, your
best friend, her best friend and your mother!”

“I know, Becky whispered softly, “That’s why I poisoned you.”

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Thanks little brother for that one.

An the present time it is difficult to avoid hearing or reading about cutbacks, pull-backs or bailouts.

We have listened to economists and politicians telling us about recession for several years now.  There would be cutbacks here, reductions there and job losses all around.  At the same time prices were rocketing at every hands turn.  The cost of utilities & fuel were rising faster that a space shuttle.  Governments were run by blinkered leaders focused on builders, bankers and war.  War that we did not agree with.  War that we did not want.  War that they had not thought through, bringing misery and destruction to people at home and across the globe.  War that we the Joe and Joan Soaps will pay for over many a decade.

Twitter was on fire with anger and frustration at any mention of ECB, IMF & €85 billion #bailout causing blood pressures to soar.  It reminded me of the torrent of hurt and disgust for both the Catholic Church and The Government at the time of the Abuse scandal.

With all the outbursts, I was surprised by so little reaction to an item I saw in the Irish times the other day:

THE IRISH GOVERNMENT has contributed almost €2 million to refurbishment work at the Pontifical Irish College in Rome. The Irish College is a seminary and home to 60 seminarians, only half of them come from Ireland.  The college is generally where Ireland’s Catholic bishops stay when they visit Rome on official business and sometimes when on private visits.

Where did the government find that €2 million?  Does it come out of the €85 billion bailout?