St Patrick

We were in search of red kites in Kilmagig Forest on a holiday in Ireland a couple of years ago, but saw none. In our wandering however we did find St Patrick standing in Kilmagig Old Cemetery on a hilltop near the forest.  It is said this is where he built a church for the name Kilmagig mean 'Church of the Windy Plain'. On our visit there was only a gentle breeze on a warm June day.

Happy St Patrick's Day.

Land Rover Rebellion

Travelling the country lanes of County Wicklow in the second week of our holiday in Ireland we kept spotting groups of old land rovers barreling along in the distance and then we happened on one outside Avondale House, once the home of the Irish politician Charles Stewart Parnell (1846-1891) land reformer and leader of the Home Rule League.  The house and its 500 acre forest park, full of tree trails and walks, is justifiably a popular attraction.   Why the Land Rover was parked by the house I don't know but from what I can glean a hundred of the Land Rover Series One Club was having an event in the area. These were Land Rovers produced from 1948-53.

Then we came across another one in the town of Arklow.  We thought the rather grand renaissance revival building was the town hall but it turned out to be St Mary's and St Peter's Church.  The Land Rover is parked by the Michael Murphy Monument, a catholic priest and United Irishmen leader.  He was shot and killed here at the Battle of Arklow as he lead an attack on horseback in the 1798 Rebellion (the town of Arklow was British held).  One of the banners taken into battle said "Liberty of Death".  The rebellion was inspired by the American and French Revolutions.

Disappointingly no Land Rover here in Aughrim but there is a memorial which was erected for the bi-centennial of the 1798 Rebellion.

And the added bonus of the An Post van outside the Aughrim Post Office and general store. My favourite design on the An Post's Renault vans was the flying postman with a parcel but unfortunately

the nearest I came to getting a picture was of this one as it overtook us on the road.

An entry to ABC Wednesday, a journey through the alphabet, this week sojourning at R here 

 

   

Japanese Garden

The Powerscourt Estate is one of Ireland's big tourist attractions being only 20 kilometers south of Dublin and its 47 acres and 300 years of garden design, which include Italian, Japanese and walled gardens, are one of things that attract the visitor.  Here I have arrived on the path that overlooks The Grotto a secluded space of mosses, ferns and falling water

which was created in 1740 and whose atmosphere flawlessly leads one into the Japanese Garden

with its twisting paths, running water and ponds.  The day was overcast and and a very cool for June but the

lovely candelabra primulas brightened the scene

as well as this woman in a yellow dress who seemed to fit in perfectly with the oriental theme, what a pity she was continually in motion while I was trying to trying to focus in from a distance.

I then went on to amble over bridges, admire the water lilies

palm trees, little shelters and lantern stands

No Japanese garden would be complete without a willow tree.  This Irish take on a Japanese Garden was created in 1908 and was one of the most popular parts of the Powerscourt Gardens the day I visited.

An entry to ABC Wednesday, a journey through the alphabet, this week sojourning at J here

 

Glendalough

The Gleneolo River flows softly in Glendalough, a valley famous for its monastic city

which grew up in the 11th Century, its buildings and 30m tower a popular film location today. But we are heading from here up past waterfalls and through a wood to gain the high ground

from where can be seen the two lakes that give the valley its name, Glendalough, or the 'glen of the two lakes'.

Walking further up and along the ridge on the boardwalk which in this area of high rainfall helps one over the mire although as we were here in June, and in the middle of a heatwave, the ground was dry(ish).

Eventually reaching the head of the valley and crossing the stream that will become the Glenealo River which will flow down the valley to keep the lakes full but only the higher lake can be seen at this point, the lower lake hidden in the bend of the valley.   As we come down to the valley floor we come to the remains of an old mining village

which grew up in the 1800s when lead, zinc and silver were discovered here and thousands of miners worked in this remote location which they called Van Diemen's Land (after the distant colony in Australia) because it seemed so far from civilization.  Today

the area and its lakes is a popular leisure destination. This is the lower lake with its little beaches.

An entry to ABC Wednesday, a journey through the alphabet, this week sojourning at G here