Grannymar

Back in January I was ‘Wowing’ about some changes at Clotworthy House in Antrim.

The Oriel Gallery and the newly laid grounds on a rather damp day.

The opening of the Oriel Gallery marked the completion of the first building of the major restoration project in the Gardens of Clotworthy House and Antrim Castle.

The view of the other side of this enclosed garden:from the oriel Gallery -

Tastefully reconstructed gateway.

The work progresses towards the completion of restoration and development

This gateway leads through to the front of the building. The door to the left leads to a bright office for the staff and further left (unseen) is a coffee shop.On the day back in January, I was more interested in exploring than drinking coffee so did not like asking for photos.

The door to the right is a gift shop and I did go inside and had a very interesting conversation with the young lady responsible for researching, and sourcing the goods for sale.  All products and produce are UK based with most from within Northern Ireland.

Sorting the shelves

Great use of natural light is provided with the new roof lights

Going through the Arch to the front of the building

The ground cleared for grassing.

The site is historic, the first trees were planted in the grounds of the castle over 400 years ago.

Six Mile Water from the Main Entrance.

A view through the trees

The bridge taken from the other side while standing on rough ground (May 2009).

View from the bridge on that day back in 2009. I was standing close to the laburnum tree in the previous photo. Note the Yew Tree it will appear again.

Tower of Antrim Castle (2009) through the trees

Elly & George at the base of the ruin in September 2009. The building in the back ground is Antrim Forum.

Can you see the Yew tree?  The ground has been cleared and foundations were found of the castle so they are rebuilding low walls along the founds to give an idea of what it was like and how far it extended.  Work is still in progress, the area is not accessible to the public at the moment.

I will return when the work is complete.

Joy’s Entry – What a lovely name.

It is very narrow and connects Ann Street to High Street.

Home to several pubs, such as McCrackens Cafe Bar.

The Entry takes its name from the Joy family who were prominent 18th Century residents of the city. Francis McCracken, shipowner, married Anne Joy, daughter of Francis Joy. The Joy family made their money in linen manufacture and Francis Joy McCracken was founder of the Belfast Newsletter in 1737. It was first printed here in Joy’s Entry.

Henry Joy McCracken, a grandson of Francis, became interested in radical politics and joined the Society of the United Irishmen in 1795. He was court martialled and hanged at Corn Market, Belfast, not many yards from Joy’s Entry in July 1798, on land his grandfather had donated to the city.

The best view is from the Ann Street end.

Pogue’s Entry
Church Street, Antrim

Pogue’s Entry Historical Cottages

This historic corner of 18th century Antrim contains the childhood home of Alexander Irvine, who became a missionary in New York’s Bowery and eventually pastor of the Church of the Ascension on Fifth Avenue.

Unlocking the half door

His book “My Lady of The Chimney Corner” recalls his boyhood years in Pogue’s Entry and describes the lives of Irish country folk during the post-famine days.

2 cottages, The Chimney Corner is on the left.

Dr. Irvine’s concluding three words in ‘My Lady of the Chimney Corner’ are a fitting tribute to both his mother and experiences of his family life in those early times. “Love is enough.”

View from the doorway

The cottage consisted of two rooms.

Alexander Irvine’s father was a cobbler

The open fire

The Bedroom

The bed looked like it was 4 feet wide.

View from the end of the bed

The cottage is preserved in its original state as a tribute to Dr Irvine and a memorial park is located at the junction of Castle Way and Church Street.

The ladder leading to where the children slept above the bedroom.

Did I tell you there were ELEVEN children in the family, all reared in those two rooms?

Standing inside the half door

Narrow lanes and alleyways, lined with cottages and cabins, similar to those of Pogues Entry, once led off the length of Church Street.

Children of today don’t know they are living.  They complain if they have to share a TV, never mind a bedroom!

The buzz of cottage industry has made a welcome return to Pogue’s Entry with a resident ceramicist and it is possible to watch him at work at his own on-site kiln, the only one of its kind in Ireland or perhaps take part in one of his ceramics workshops.

Seasonal Opening Hours: June - September
Visits/Tours outside these months can be arranged by appointment only.

Oscar Wilde - Bronze

Danny Osborne

This Oscar Wilde sculpture is in Dublin’s Merrion Square

In true Irish fashion the sculpture is known locally as “the Quare on the Square or the  “the Fag on the Crag”.

The sculptor is Danny Osborne. It was commissioned by the Guinness Ireland Group and unveiled on October 28, 1997.

Directly across the narrow path are two square marble columns covered in Wilde witticisms. The words are carved into the marble and it look like graffiti from a distance, but are to give the impression of Wilde’s handwriting.  One column is topped with a small sculpture of a kneeling woman, and the other of man’s torso.

The Stuart Suite entrance at the Culloden Hotel,  I like this gateway, leading to an archway and beyond.

The tall bare tree on the left is actually a telecommunication pole and not a real tree.

Aunt Sandra’s Candy Factory

Aunt Sandra’s Candy Factory at Castlereagh Road, Belfast, home of hand made chocolates, fudge and boiled sweets, made from 100 year old recipes. A visit to the shop is like taking a trip back in time to an Alladdin’s cave of candy and colour.

Traditional jars of sweets

A viewing window into the small quaint factory allows visitors to look in on the whole production process as well as enjoy tastes and smells of old-time candy-making at its best, using authentic 1950’s equipment.

Mallow sandwich £2.00

Visitors come from near and far to the Candy factory, and it has become a popular tourist attraction in East Belfast. Some of the handmade sweets available include;

•Honeycomb
•Yellow Man
•Raspberry Ruffle
•Macaroon
* Belfast Fudge (a number one best seller)
•Baileys Fudge
•Irish Cream Fudge
•Xxx Brandy drops (an old family recipe that will blow your socks off!)

For fun… an Ulster Fry!

How about a virtual tour of Aunt Sandra’s Candy Factory?  Just click on the link!

@eolai The Digital Nomad™, has completed his epic #paintingtour of 3000+ kms around Ireland, while painting, taking photos, blogging, twittering and updating his Facebook account.

It was at 8.30 pm last night that I twittered:

The Eagle has landed. To hell with the pills, I’m having a drink to celebrate @eolai finishing his #paintingtour. Congratulations my Friend!

Throughout the epic trip, The Thirsty Gargoyle (Eolai’s brother) has produced a write-up each week with photos and links  and a map of the journey.

You can also see paintings and photos here
Not alone was this a painting trip and a visual tour of Ireland in all weathers, it was a  community building experience.  Friendships were made between Liam/@eolai and his hosts, as well as amongst the followers on twitter, as we tweeted and re-tweeted what others had said.

For me, and indeed for many other followers, that special tweet each evening “I’m in and safe….!”, was a joy to read and the great sigh of relief must have been audible across the land.

The hard work of cycling may be over, but some paintings need finishing and some are yet to be started.  A dog left behind in Dublin for the past three months, needs attention and ‘yo-yos’ for the rent and other bills need to be earned.  Several paintings for hosts will not be completed – by agreement – until after Christmas.  I have told @eolai not to worry about my painting until I am sixty five.

I am sure there will be more chapters to this tale, stories to be retold of people and places, and at least one book of the  epic journey.

It was an honour to play a very small part in the #paintingtour.

It was a very ambitious project to cycle round Ireland visiting all thirty two counties in just two months.  Add in to the picture (pun intended) the fact that it was a painting tour, with coverage on several Blogs, Facebook and with updates on Twitter many times throughout the day.  The whole effort was to be funded by 10 commissioned paintings, and through social media connections, hosting Liam Daly/@eolai for a nights bed and board.  In return @eolai would paint a picture for each host, of a place or view of their choice and give it to them before leaving.

Looking down at the fast flowing waterfall at Gleno

Sounds easy doesn’t it?

GRADIENTS & ORDNANCE:  You forget that Ireland is not as flat as a bowling green.  There are things called hills and mountains that slow the legs down. Travel uphill is difficult for the leg muscles, while free wheeling downhill is dangerous so the hands need to be in full control of the brakes.  Walking on water was the Province of the bible, cycling on water - across lakes or inlets is not possible.  The cyclist needs to peddle around the edges.  It  all  takes  time!  Five miles in the morning when the body is fresh, is a very different story at the end of a long hard day.

VIEWING: Constant pauses or stops to look at the scenery and absorb the essence of it, before deciding to commit it to camera or straight to canvas.  If it is a ‘canvas now’ job then it takes time to unload the canvas, brushes and paints.  Painting in ’situ’ takes way longer than clicking a camera shutter.

TEA: The fuel for cars is petrol/gas, and they will not travel far without it.  Our Dear @eolai needs constant top-ups of his fuel - TEA - to keep his brain flowing with inspiration. You cannot drink tea while cycling.

PEOPLE: Passers-by, want to know what you are doing and why?  They ask silly questions like “Would it not be easier to drive?”  “Why did you come along this route?”  “Are the paintings for sale?”, “How much do you charge?” or “Where are you going next?”  Staying with hosts involves social networking and interactions.  A couple of hours at the dinner table and strong bonds of friendship are born.

WEATHER: Due to the tail end of Hurricane Katia, with 60 to 70 mph winds, made it impossible to stay in control of a bike or a body several inches off the ground, a couple of days were lost. Heavy rain, wiped out the scenery and made the roads a little more dangerous with water running off some fields bringing mud onto the road.  It became impossible to use the camera or apply paint to canvas.

HEALTH: Cramp is a disaster to a cyclist. The leg can ache for hours if not days.  A tummy bug can catch any one of us in a moment, literally wiping us out for days on end.

CARE & REPAIR: Punctures can happen when least expected.  One on the first day out was not a good omen.  By the time our Digital Nomad™ reached Mayo the puncture count reached four.

TIME & COMMITMENTS: Being flexible about dates can be a bonus giving an extra day in a particular spot, but it can also impinge on availability of a host further down the line.  Commitments at home tend to build up and an end date looms ever larger.

All too soon it was time for farewells as this amazing man headed off to the next host and to his 25th county of the thirty two.  I so look forward to hearing about a book or three in the weeks and months to come following this trip.

Safe home my friend.

Still in Market Square at Antrim Town, I have few more entrances or openings to share with you.

The centre piece of the square is the 300 hundred year old, Old Courthouse.

The Old Courthouse has been tastefully restored and the redeveloped building opened for business in early 2010. Antrim Information Centre and a new cafe/bar area for visitors are on the ground floor and the first floor features a multi-use auditorium space for culture and arts performances, civic events and conferencing.

The front of this Bank looks like it has had a recent face lift.

Right next door the gate is well secured to the entrance of another bank:

At least you can get a few bob from the hole in the wall!

Finally, directly across the square is another laneway leading down to the Board-walk at the river.

I took my camera for a dander around Antrim Town the other day.  At Market Square I found some interesting openings.

The building behind the gates is now home to a Firm of Solicitors.

The old Keep with a laneway beside it.  Perhaps these are actually part of the original walls that surrounded Antrim Castle and Clotworthy House at one time.

The lane through the Arch leads to the Six Mile Water, not far from where the river enters Lough Neagh.

At the end of the laneway I found the Boardwalk along the river. This view is looking back towards the town.  To walk to Lough Neagh, it is necessary to cross the river and walk along Lough Road past Massereene Golf Club, or return to the Market square and go through another entrance….

A modern roadway now separates the old walls from the Castle grounds.The blue and white hoarding that you can see through the arch stretches all the way around The castle grounds and means the public are not allowed access while refurbishment to Clotworthy House and the Castle Grounds takes place.  This work is due to be completed later in the year.

Pity, since it was one of the places I had on my list to suggest for Eolai!