Floods in Galway,an Irish winter

When we were in school we learned in Geography that Irish weather was mild moist and changeable, as you can see it was more than moist today and yesterday. The funniest thing though that I have seen is a guy in an agricultural tractor driving people back and forth to the pub. Meanwhile elsewhere a guy I am not sure if he said his name was Noel or Noah is gathering animal's of every variety.
the pictures were taken through a rain soaked windscreen so forgive the quality.

Kiltullagh old road in the foreground with Kiltullagh Castle nearly surrounded

Ballyfa this afternoon

Kilconieron Austin DB9 stuck in flood, he almost made it.

Kiltullagh the turlough had burst over ther wall, a brave soul tries to get through, I turned back but got stuck later :(, back on the road again :)

Kilcash Castle and Church, Co Tipperary

One of the first Irish poems that was put to music, that we learned in school was about this castle. It sounds better in Irish language, it is about Lady Iveagh of the Butler family, this was one of the last seats of the Butler family of Tipperary. The poem is about the sad demise of this home.

Now what will we do for timber, with the last of the woods laid low?

There's no talk of Cill Chais or its household and its bell will be struck no more.

That dwelling where lived the good lady most honoured and joyous of women

earls made their way over wave there and the sweet Mass once was said.

Old buildings on the castle grounds

The old Church, I had to shoot all the pictures tight, because of restoration work

Knocknarea, Queen Medb's burial mound, Co Sligo.

Knocknarea mountain is supposed to be the final resting place of the Warrior Queen Medb (Maeve), this was taken from across the bay in Rosses point. On the top the what looks like a pimple is a burial mound 55 meters wide and 10m in height making it one of the biggest burial mounds in Ireland, outside of the Boyne Valley.

Before we changed over to the Euro currency, this was the Irish 1 Punt (Pound) note. the woman represented was Queen Medb

Lough Talt in the Mist Co Mayo

Under bare Ben Bulbens head, Co Sligo

Under bare Ben Bulben's head

In Drumcliff churchyard Yeats is laid

These shots are taken just north of  Drumcliff where W.B. Yeats is buried, those words were part  of the poem Under Ben Bulben. I know I have taken pics of it before but it is a striking mountain, the way it shoot straight up sharply.

A shot from the foot looking out to the sea

As most people see it looking east

The other side of the mountain looking west

Milford Mills county Carlow

This mill was set up in 1790 by the Alexander family and by 1830 it had a turnover of nearly £200,000, amzing in that the buildings and land were valued in 1853 at £370(not including machinery). It had both an 18 foot and a 22 foot wheel making it one of the largest and most powerful mills in Great Britain and Ireland at the time. In 1862 it was turning out 40 to 50 thousand bags of flour a year when disaster struck. Fire struck in November destroying most of the machinery and a several thousand bags of wheat, but leaving the contents of the office. The fire is thought to have started by a spark of the grinding wheel and burned for several days, it was seen in Carlow town nearly 7 Kilometers away.

Gods Country revsited, Co Donegal.

The first picture is just outside Loughanure

This was taken further along the N56 I think at Dunfanaghy.

Innisboffin, Innisdooey and Tory Island before daybreak.

I know the Quality is not great in this picture as the picture was taken just before dawn on a wet morning. The two peaks on the right are Innisboffin and Innisdooey, the one one longer one on the right is Tory. Tory was the stronghold of the Mythical Fomorians an ugly bunch of  semi-divineNorwegians*, and was the scene of the last Naval battle of the 1978 Irish rebellion, between the English and the French navy.

*sorry to my Norwegian friends, but couldn't resist ;-p

Daybreak Bloody Foreland County Donegal

Bloody Foreland 'Cnoc Fola' translates to hill of blood, got its name from the colour that the rocks and heather turn in the Autumn at sunset. Not from any major battle on its hills.

Horse fair Sculpture Ballinasloe town Centre.

Ballinasloe Horse fair is one of the oldest fairs in Ireland, it is also the biggest and one of the most respected horsefair in Europe. It's success lies in the fact that the small guy gets to show his horse alongside the big guys and all meet in the same hotels, bars and nightclubs later in the night without any social divisions.*

*A funny anecdote that my Father told me about the fair when he was younger. There was not as many places for people to get food, so when you wanted a bite to eat there was a large Tea tent where the Great and the Unwashed sat elbow to elbow. One well dressed man sat at the table my Father and his friends were, with his tea and sandwiches and noticed the cleanliness of the mug and noticed the hygiene of most of the people in the tent. Looking back at the mug he came to a brainwave that if he drank with his left hand he would avoid any germs of the unwashed. A Traveller sitting at the end worst for wear after a few days flogging horses noticed this and guessed what was going on, shouted up at him "fair play to ya Sir, your a ciotóg(left handed) like myself". He winked at the rest of the lads at the table as the guy turned various shades of green and left in a hurry.