Old cottage Co Clare

This is just outside Ennis, an old cottage living out its latter days as a little shed, its thatch gone, it reminded me of a poem learned in school

O, TO have a little house!
To own the hearth and stool and all,
The heaped up sods upon the fire,
The pile of turf against the wall!
from the 'Old woman of the Road'

Snowdrop driveway, Rathville Kiltullagh.

Snowdrops on a driveway, not a great shot, but someone says that I dont have enough pictures of flowers ;)

Athlone Skyline from the Shannon

Taken from the bridge on the motorway, not a place to stop usually but I was working there today.

Snowdrops, March 10

Snowdrops not a great picture as I had to zoom and could not get a closeup macro shot, posting anyway because it was suggested that I do not take enough pictures of flowers. 

These were on the moss covered lawn of an old house.

Old Irish Postbox, Gilligans Cross, Knockroe, Co Galway

For those that are new to this site I have published pictures of Old English postboxes, here here and here, but there are old Irish ones scattered about in random places too. This one is has the old Irish lettering for P&T (Post and Telegraphs), before they were divided into two groups in the late 80's early 90's.

This one is near my home and like the others is on a junction on a minor road, like the others is still in use today.

Galway Sunset

Sunset this evening, I liked the cloudscapes in the first two.

Drumcondra, Co. Meath revisited in the snow

Just over a year ago I was in Meath and saw a fantastic sunset on the Meath/Louth border, this morning I was back in the same area with snow, by snow I mean just enough white powder to cover the ground . I tried to get similar shots to the ones I had before.

This morning in the snow

2008 at sunset

This morning in the Snow

2008 at sunset

This morning in the snow

2008 they were not the same angle I know, btw Leisha,  Jacques is doing fine.

This morning as the snow melted

2008

The mound again after the snow had melted this morning

2008 at sunset

Clare abbey, Co Clare

This is the ruin of Clare Abbey an Augustinian Monastery founded around the 1190's and was in use up until the 1700's. Its just of the M18 motorway south of Ennis, forward planning by the monks!

Some views from inside, you'll notice the slabs on the ground where people are buried inside of the ruins of the church, this is a common practice in old churches around Ireland.

A closer view at the detail of the stonework on the windows.

A high cross in the graveyard of the Abbey.

A stone slab on one of the graves outside.

A closeup of the detail on one of the slabs inside the church. 

A stone crypt built in the late 1800's

Carlow random pictures

Sunburst in hills in south Carlow

I tried to get the reflection in the mirror to align with the hills in front and the ditch

Clonmore Castle, Co. Carlow

Clonmore Castle was probably built in the 13th Century but there was non mention of it until the 14th Century when it was repaired  by Sir Anthony de Lucy in 1332. In the 15th Century it was one of several castles granted to the Earl of Ormond.

The Pooka head on top of the tower.

One of the many holes in the walls

Stone steps

A vaulted passageway

There must have been very little light in some of the rooms

Vaulted roof in one of the parts that is intact

A view of the back of the Castle complex

A view along the east wall

A view from the front of the front (south facing) and the west side of the Castle.

Wicklow mountains

These are part of Wicklow National Park.

Tombeagh standing stone, Co Carlow

Standing stones are one of the most basic of megalithic monuments, they were easy to create, just a stone that stands in the ground. There are a few different trains of thought as to their purpose, were they boundary markers, ancient signposts to mark travel route, or for use in some religious ritual. Some of these stones have carvings others seemed to be picked just for there shape for their shape. 

There are a few in Carlow, this one is close to Hacketstown. There appears to be no superstition or other  local trivia around this stone according to a local, which is unusual I thought.

The markings on this stone are all naturally made.

But when viewed from certain angles  I wonder if this stone was picked because of its shape ( I will admit that it was the first thing I thought when I looked in the field at it).