Thursday 16 April 2015

Irish Views

 Here we are back in the North for the new school term. Dusk in April in East Entrim. This garden (inherited from the green-fingered couple who sold the Meadowplace to us) is most assuredly a Spring garden. From now on swathes of colour will roll across the beds.
 The magnolia is in full flower, and even my timid potted camellia is gaining courage. But last week we were down in Wicklow and Wexford for a few days. We stopped at Newgrange on the way..

Laid by Neolithic masterminds the overlapping stones of the roof have kept out rain for five thousand years. In Ireland by Frank Delaney the Storyteller has the most fabulous account of its construction. Maybe it'll be third time lucky when next I go and I'll actually manage to be there at the right time to visit the cairn and tomb themselves.
 Prince Charming on Brittas Beach.

 Strawberries at Glendalough for their first visit to Kevin's community. They bounded round the Lower Lough, and may have noticed some impressive sights along the way.
 Surely they noticed the Round Tower?

 We climbed the little hill to what is marked as the site of St Kevin's Cell. I think we were disappointed that there wasn't an actual cave. Though they do have a beautiful sculpture of the bird laying an egg on his palm. Much discussion as to whether you really could let the egg stay there until it hatched. Would the bird need to be hatching it all that time?


The Monastic City. It's as if you could catch a glimpse of someone hurrying to prayer, or carrying a basket of potatoes in from the vegetable garden. Glendalough survived numerous Viking raids, and was ultimately ended by Henry VIII's dissolution of the monasteries. I don't think you can come away without humming this...


8 comments:

Gill - That British Woman said...

never heard that version of the song.

Kezzie said...

It looks a delightfully scenic place to visit!!x

Elizabethd said...

I've never been to Ireland, but the countryside looks so lovely.

Angela said...

I thought Glendalough was lovely - but like you, I didn't quite believe the bit about the bird's egg! Mind you, my b-i-l Kevin is a Very Patient guy, so maybe it is possible.
The thing is, St K presumably sat there AS THE BIRD LAID THE EGG ON HIS HAND. If you could bear that experience, you might be so traumatized that waiting for the egg to hatch would be easy!!

rend are wonderful xx

Jane and Chris said...

Is that fantastic POP of yellow, gorse?
We are in the season of brown.
Jane x

Pom Pom said...

I love Rend (thanks to YOU!)
Those strawberries are adorable! So frisky!
Lots a good photos and info here, as always. YOU are a kind hearted share-er, Mags.

Lisa Richards said...

So many amazing views! I had the same thought as Angela about the creepy feeling of a bird laying a warm, wet egg on my hand. *shudder* lol!
Thanks for a little Rend inspiration!

M.K. said...

What beautiful views! I'm so glad you took your boys to see these sights. Beauty sticks in a child's soul :)

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