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4/04/2009

More of Ireland

Remember the chapel from the grounds of Kylemore Abbey? If not, a color picture follows the one right below - which is an interior shot of the pocket-sized little chapel. I won't make you follow a link. And you can click on any of these shots and see them large.

 


And, of course, the picture below is that chapel - this time taken at eventide - and in color.

 


A lot of people DON'T know that there are standing stone sites all over Ireland. The people who built Stonehenge apparently had cousins that lived in Ireland. In fact, there are standing stone sites all over Europe. Big family. In all seriousness, the similarity of these sites, one to another, speaks to a consistency of culture across all of Europe that no one has truly understood or explained.

This shot is of #2 Son at a standing stone site just outside the town of Tully, in Connemara, Galway, Ireland. No one knows who - or why.

 


And lastly, at a place called Renvyle, stands the remnants of what the locals insist is Grace O'Malley's Castle. Yes, THAT Grace O'Malley. The Pirate Queen. Supposedy - I cannot swear to the veracity of what I was told - the corner of the tower is missing because her husband's ship (He was a pirate, too) fired on the keep and blew out the corner. Honest. That's what they said. And they would have had no reason to lie to a fat old tourist from the States.

 


More during the coming week - if you like.

Ndinombethe.

11 comments:

Shadow said...

definately on my bucketlist... visiting places like these. and sitting down with my notepad and writing, writing, writing...

have a good weekend!!!

moneythoughts said...

Thanks for the pictures and the stories. I enjoyed them both.

Loraine said...

Beautiful. Makes me wish I could go...
You're not working for the tourist board, are you? j/k

Ree said...

Yes, please. I'd like.

Joyce-Anne said...

Of course, I'd like to see and read more. Thanks for sharing.

Patsy said...

Ah, Lou, ya makes me wan ta go back to Irlan -- so much me didn't get ta see. (My typing an Irish accent is as bad as my trying to speak one).

Interesting story behind the missing wall section.

Jientje said...

*Sigh*

YESSSSS please!!!!

Jientje said...

Oh and um ...
Irishmen NEVER lie.

They might BEND the truth just a little ...

Unknown said...

hahahaha...That must have been the mother of all marital fights! I'm sure she didn't hold THAT over his head for long "You just button your lip and take out the chamber pot, Mister-I-blew-off-the-side-of-the-tower."

I'm not religious, in the organized sense, but I could certainly see myself getting married in that chapel. WHAT are the multi colored column thingies? Is that stone? Are they painted? Are they the organ pipes?

I <3 standing stones. I've told you that about a million times, right? My heritage goes back to a Druid Priestess at Stonehenge.

Can I ask? (because if you say No, I'll never know!!) Do you ever take pictures of these old chapels or castles and find that when you view the shots in large format there are a lot of light orbs? Just curious.

Unknown said...

Shadow: An excellent venue for writing - for feeling the 'inspiration'.

Moneythoughts: You're so welcome, Fred.

Loraine: Nah. Besdes, they've no money!

Ree: Tomorrow.

Joyce-Anne: You are welcome, Joyce-Anne.

Patsy: Sure and it's a fine Irish brogue you've got there - and the story about the wall just may be true.

Jientje: Bend, but not break.

Hyphen Mama: Everything in the wall is stone. An I've never looked at the stuff in large format. Perhaps I shall.

Unknown said...

I would have loved to live and see the pirate lady :D
Lovely shots and thanks for the stories!