Discovering Ireland Etc.

[MauriceColgan]

Thanks Mowl, there are huge gaps in my knowledge of Dublin because I was away for many decades. Never heard of John McCormack Jnr.
But was at the unveiling of the John McCormack statue in Athlone 2014 and have seen the one of him HIDDEN away in a corner of the Iveagh gardens in Dublin.
Happenstance can lead to some great fun. You seem to know everyone in Dublin!

Classical proposal for Iveagh Gardens

Madam, – The Minister of State Dr Martin Mansergh TD, in turning down my idea for “Ireland’s N.ational Music Sculpture Park” …

www.irishtimes.com

 

[MauriceColgan]

An old photo as it appears on Facebook circa 2011. Maureen My rock star on the Burren county Clare. She posed in that particular ice age boulder a number of times as it opened up over the years.

 

[Coal Gas and peat]

32 million people when through Dublin airport in 2019

 

[MauriceColgan]

Wow 32 Million! and only 5 million living here.
My rock star again.

 

[MauriceColgan]

Another old snap found this morning.
On our motorbike tour of Ireland Ireland a stopover in a B&B near "The Meeting of the Waters" in county Wicklow.
The Glendalough hotel dinner was part of our first coach trip from Dublin to Wicklow 1963.

A great many years later we celebrated Maureen's 7Oth birthday there.
Holy bejazus the smoke from the candles on the cake set off the Fire Alarm!!! The staff were in tears laughing and us red faced, but enjoying the roars of laughter from our grandchildren and all the other diners that night.
Thankfully the smoke was dispersed before the sprinklers were activated. Whew!!!
A wonderful memory.

 

[DS86DS]

This is easily one of the best threads on all of Politics Isle, interesting and fascinating, page after page. Thank you for sharing it with us Maurice, it is a unique gem of a thread which will surely be read and studied for years to come.

 

[MauriceColgan]

Kind words DS86DS.
An uncle of mine escorting Princess Grace into the Shelbourne hotel Dublin. He was also Rock Hudson's driver when Rock was in town. The amount of Movie stars, authors, royalty and musicians that he met during his lifetime at the hotel beggars belief. I only met him once at a funeral lunch in Lucan.
This uncle's brother, Willy Dixon lived on Mourne road Drimnagh a long distance truck driver and the slowest and most careful car driver in the whole of Ireland! In the early 50s he had the only car on the whole length of Mourne road.

 

[Captain Con]

Worser'n the Illuminati. Probably ARE the Illuminati, the Colgans. There's one of 'em in the background everywhere except at the whole Kennedy Dallas thing.

 

[MauriceColgan]

Worser'n the Illuminati. Probably ARE the Illuminati, the Colgans. There's one of 'em in the background everywhere except at the whole Kennedy Dallas thing.

Yet it is all coincidental, Captain Controversial. What resembles a huge ego trip by yours truly is just a modest guy making the most of the famous Irish imagination and making the most all the opportunities provided.


The Penthouse overlooking the mighty Mississippi had under currents that led to furore on some Elvis forums.
(As for Dallas? A relative owns The Dubliner Pub there. Ha Ha Ha

 

[MauriceColgan]

Another old photo from 1971ish.
The Austin mini struggled to get to the summit of very impressive Slieve League in Donegal with five of us inside.
We toured Donegal extensively since then. A hearty meal in Enya's family pub near Mt Errigal a highlight.
Seeing Bridie Gallagher sing in Donegal town was another treat.
A trip to Malin head on a very windy day required arran sweaters in mid summer!
Not forgetting the thrill of my first ever sea fish catch on Killybegs pier. A Mackerel. Such a powerful small fish I thought I had caught a whopper!

 

[Mowl]

Great thread - it'll mature nicely.

 

[O'Sullivan Bere]

Thank you.
Yes been to Donegal dozens of times since about 1968. Every nook and cranny. Phots. Giants Causeway interpretive center and a pub in the Horn head region.
Stayed in Donegal town, just below Mt Errigal, the Frosses village, Fished off Killybegs pier and pushed an Austin mini up Slieve league, etc. Remember I am nearly 79 and been travelling Ireland from Dublin and UK since my first time on a Haystack in Westmeath. Yes all the 32 counties. More than a few times.

The Coast Road tour is lovely in NI, e.g., Giant's Causeway, Carrick-a-Rede, etc. Donegal is spectacular, and like Kerry, it needs to be done in parts given the geography with its peninsulas and the travels west. It's such a diverse county where in the east and south you can view the Plantation influence not only by people but by design, e.g., the 'diamond' town format, etc, but the Gaeltacht as well. The scenic sites are endless.

Like so many other parts of Ireland, the development and restorations also make it attractive for staying the nights, such as the restoring/conversion and opening of places like Lough Eske Castle, Rockhill, etc, and other manors spots now open to overnight stays like Castle Grove, etc.

 

[O'Sullivan Bere]

Another old photo from 1971ish.
The Austin mini struggled to get to the summit of very impressive Slieve League in Donegal with five of us inside.
We toured Donegal extensively since then. A hearty meal in Enya's family pub near Mt Errigal a highlight.
Seeing Bridie Gallagher sing in Donegal town was another treat.
A trip to Malin head on a very windy day required arran sweaters in mid summer!
Not forgetting the thrill of my first ever sea fish catch on Killybegs pier. A Mackerel. Such a powerful small fish I thought I had caught a whopper!

What I still like about Slieve League is the untouched N.ature of it. Unless something's change very recently, you can go up there on a boreen, lose mobile service of course, and just open a farmer's gate to view it. That's how the Cliffs of Moher were when I was young where you could view it whereas today it's a highly artificial tourist trap to view it.

 

[O'Sullivan Bere]

Another old snap found this morning.
On our motorbike tour of Ireland Ireland a stopover in a B&B near "The Meeting of the Waters" in county Wicklow.
The Glendalough hotel dinner was part of our first coach trip from Dublin to Wicklow 1963.

A great many years later we celebrated Maureen's 7Oth birthday there.
Holy bejazus the smoke from the candles on the cake set off the Fire Alarm!!! The staff were in tears laughing and us red faced, but enjoying the roars of laughter from our grandchildren and all the other diners that night.
Thankfully the smoke was dispersed before the sprinklers were activated. Whew!!!
A wonderful memory.

Maurice, do your family and others a favour and make sure each photo in your home has an explanation as to who, what, etc. I do plenty family history for my own entire extended family, and what's terrible is that once someone dies, the context goes down into the grave or ashtray with them. Make sure extended family gets copies with context of things you have because they often might not have what you have. I'd suggest an extended family FB page or something similar to share photos with context...great way to do that. You never know what others have that you might not have, etc.

It's the kind of thing that hides in plain view. It's like when people ask me or say "You know, maybe I should write a Will in case I die"...I'm like "I've sorrowful news for you." And we never know when that day comes despite presumptions.

 

[O'Sullivan Bere]

An old photo as it appears on Facebook circa 2011. Maureen My rock star on the Burren county Clare. She posed in that particular ice age boulder a number of times as it opened up over the years.

The Burren is lovely, but it takes a day to do the loop and stops properly so if someone wants to do Connemara or go south that's for another so plan accordingly. Like doing Kerry and other places, just because we can see things across the water doesn't mean it's easy to get to without wings.

 

[O'Sullivan Bere]

Never mind hazardous snow conditions.
How about a powerful force ten gale blowing in from the wide Atlantic Ocean and just a flimsy tent protecting my family and I from it's fury.
Not a wink was slept that night as I collected boulders to weigh down the tent and ropes to tie it securely to the mini Austin. With the roar of the Glencar waterfall and deafening wind terrorising the children and so called adults that placed that puny flapping all night canvas in the open when the gable end of a cottage was there to use as a shelter!

The Glencar waterfall made famous by the poet W.B. Yeats is just inland from the mighty Ben Bulbin in the unfairly neglected by most tourists, the rest of county Leitrim.
A very hearty breakfast was was devoured in a warm cafe in Sligo town not too far away by car.
Night cap drinks acquired not that they were needed, but a precaution just in case.
And yes the tent was moved to shelter behind the cottage. Thanks to the gentleman occupant.

Tis I the Hippy dad.

Lovely spot too. Sometimes overlooked as people bolt up and down the N15 given all the things to stop and see along the road itself is viewing Cassiebawn and the views from Mullaghmore. It's an easy off-road pit stop when going through that area.

 

[O'Sullivan Bere]

32 million people when through Dublin airport in 2019

...but they often never know what they're truly missing even though Ireland is a spectacular view from the air. Most transatlantic flights fly over some prime spots in the west and when landing in Dublin do some nice circles over Ireland's Eye and such, but it gets wasted when it's off season and dark in the wee hours and that's common in transatlantic flights.

 

[O'Sullivan Bere]

Too bad Shannon is becoming less significant because the landing there gives superb views of the estuary and north/south views into very scenic tourist spots. Anyone looking for the stereotype of 'Irish scenery' gets it there.

 

[DS86DS]

Castletown House, Co. Kildare

Castletown House, designed by Italian architect Alessandro Galilei and built in 1722, is one of Ireland's finest examples of Palladian architecture. It would be one of the main influences for Irish architect James Hoban when designing the White House in Washington, D.C.

 

[Mowl]

My fondness for Kildare grows with every visit. The brother and his Missus bought a place in Rathangan, a beautiful old country house and cottage which they joined together and modernized over a period of around eighteen months. An acre of land surrounded by landscaped trees and bushes making a lovely garden and patio dining area with a gazebo.

There's a brick built shed too which the nephew is presently updating to renovate into s studio for his music projects. Hopefully I can dump my excess gear into it and get it out of the Mammy's attic to put it to some use.