Gdansk harbour – tidy it is. I guess a harbour has to be – otherwise chaos would be upon us. I only wish my desk was as tidy …
Travel
Kilmacduagh
The stunning Kilmacduagh monastery was founded by St Colman in the 7thCentury.
I loved everything about it – the serenity, the silence, the rural beauty of the area.
The round tower is dated from the 12th Century, and the tallest one in Ireland – Kilmacduagh is 34 meters in height with the doorway set 7 meters above ground level.
The tower also has quite a visible lean to it – said to be 0.5 meter from the vertical.
The biggest church building on the site is the cathedral ( Templemore Mac Duagh). dated between the 11th and 12th Century.
The Church of St John the Baptist (Teampuill Owen) is in the field next to the cathedral.
It dates from the 10th Century which would make this church the oldest building on the site.
The cemetary is still in use, and I do not think I have ever seen a thicker stone wall than this one.
Impressive!
On leaving, we finally got a closer look at the lovely cows – and they finally got a closer look at us…
Early Morning Kilkenny
We woke up early to take a morning walk in Old Town Kilkenny before breakfast. Kilkenny is one of Ireland’s most beautiful towns, and has been of importance since the 13th century – it was even the capital of Ireland a long time ago.
Eight degrees only, but silence and sunshine. A very pleasant walk.
Warning – slippery because of the butter maker’s
Kilkenny Castle, 12th C
Titanic – Cobh, Ireland
A windy and rainy day, we visited Cobh. Somehow the weather seemed appropriate.
The little seaside town of Cobh, with 13 000 inhabitants, has got one of the world’s largest natural harbours. Cobh was the place where most of the Irish emigrants left for America during the great starvation 1844-48. More than 1 million people died when the potato harvest failed (mildew) and by 1856 2 ½ million people had left Ireland for America. Not until 1930 did the Irish stop leaving the country – due to the Wall Street crash.
Cobh was the last stop for Titanic before her Maiden voyage across the Atlantic. Titanic entered Cobh harbour April 11, 1912. 120 passengers had bought their tickets there – hoping for a new and better life overseas. April 15 she went down after hitting an iceberg. I guess everyone knows she was a White Star Line ship.
Today there is a museum where the White Star Line’s terminal was. Down in the harbour there are mosaic tablets with memorials of those who embarked from Cobh that day. Even if we all know the story…this is a very special place to visit.
Travel theme: Abroad
Abroad means many things to me…but if I were to choose only one thing – it is Freedom.
Walking Botanical Gardens is a pleasure I never can get enough of…
No matter how large or small – I just have to visit. These pictures are from Dublin.
Thursday Thoughts – Bunratty?
The name Bunratty, Bun Raite (or possibly, Bun na Raite) in Irish, means ”river basin” of the ‘Ratty’ river. This river, alongside the Bunratty Castle, flows into the nearby Shannon Estuary. We visited for some hours and really enjoyed its genuin feel.
Bunratty Castle Plaque in Irish and in English
The first recorded settlement at the site may have been a Norsemen settlement/trading camp reported in the Annals of the Four Masters. in 977. But several castles were built – and lost – here.
The fourth castle, the present structure, was built around 1425. In 1956, the castle was purchased and restored by the 7th Viscount Gort, with assistance from the Office of Public Works. He reroofed the castle and saved it from ruin. The castle was opened to the public in 1960, and with its genuin 16th-17th century furniture, tapestries and works of art it has become a great tourist attraction.
The Great Hall
In a tiny room upstairs – a grand lit!
Surely they did not bring it up the narrow stairs…
Intricate and detailed woven structures
Interesting clockworks(?)
…flying over the spectacular tables
Travel theme: Precious
I believe Ailsa said it all…water, air, animals…
Precious are the lungs of the Earth – the rainforest. The Amazon.
Black & White Sunday: Windows
Thursday’s Special: Pick a Word in June
Continual and Vigilant – for Paula, a photo from a Cemetary in Dublin
Leya 
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