The Gala concert at Kilfenora was a great evening – three hours of almost non-stop music from a group of musicians who were all so good that they made it look effortless – not a sheet of music in sight and lots of unrehearsed sets. There were probably 250 people tapping their toes in time to the music in the community hall all having a good time celebrating an incredible local tradition – pity there was no room for dancing – that came later at the ceili at Vaughan’s Barn down the road.
Went back for some of the open air events on Sunday but the rain had set in and there wasn’t room in the hall for everybody – there was hardly room in the village for all the cars. We ended up home in front of the fire with the Sunday papers, a bottle of white wine and some freshly smoked salmon from the Burren Smokehouse in Lisdoonvarna.
Have had a generally dry week – although 14 hrs of non-stop rain over Thursday night left me with a little work to do clearing some of the drainage channels – luckily Friday and Saturday stayed dry so I could finish the work before the heavy rain arrived on Sunday. There are a variety of "indoor" jobs that have been awaiting a wet period and it looks like that’s what we will get for the coming week.
Linda has been demonstrating her – previously unseen – skills in the kitchen and produced some nettle soup and fresh scones on Saturday. Both excellent and hopefully to be repeated soon – we have enough nettles to feed the proverbial 5000! It may be that the cooking is just a displacement activity to avoid cycling on some of our local hills – despite the new bike and a new helmet this week there has only been one joint cycle ride so far. I have been trying out Oli's technique for getting up the hills - get into the lowest gear early and then just pedal away as you enjoy the view. It's not fast but it is effective.
It has also been two weeks with no broadband and only v limited TV – despite previous assurances we will have to settle for dialup internet access since the cost of a satellite installation (the only alternative) seems prohibitively expensive.
At least two pairs ofbarn swallows – definitely not house martins now – are getting settled into some old nests in the outbuildings. I spent nearly an hour yesterday leaning on a spade watching their aerial manoeuvres – breathtaking skills.
Questionable translations
Linda bought some rubber gloves which she thought would be perfect for me when she read the manufacturers warning that they were not suitable "...for use with medical, irritant, toxic or corrosive children." Could have been something I wrote myself!
Monday 27 April 2009
Thursday 23 April 2009
Four-legged lawnmowers
Our first Burren walk took us to St Mac Duach’s Chapel under Eagle Rock and gave us a basic taste of the terrain and some of the flowers. In addition to some primulas and Spring Gentian we also saw our first wild orchid. Stopped at Cassidy’s for a Guinness on the way home and sat in the sun wondering what the workers were doing!
When we got home on Monday afternoon we found that Lucy (the horse) and Molly (the donkey) had finally arrived and were getting stuck into the long grass. After two days they now come over to say hello and are happy to eat apples from the hand – now need a bigger stock of apples!
Forgot to plug the Farmers Market in Ennis on Friday Morning. A limited selection of stalls but everything we bought was from the producers and great quality. They all seemed to be incomers – a couple of English, one American and an Austrian (or German) I think – but we are planning to go back again this week – the sausage lady had just slaughtered a couple of pigs and promised a greater selection of meat this week. Would definitely recommend it to anyone who is the area on a Friday.
Also bought our first garden tools for a long time and did more gardening in two days than I have done in the past 12 years - and that was only the flower borders - still have to start on the veg patch!
When we got home on Monday afternoon we found that Lucy (the horse) and Molly (the donkey) had finally arrived and were getting stuck into the long grass. After two days they now come over to say hello and are happy to eat apples from the hand – now need a bigger stock of apples!
Forgot to plug the Farmers Market in Ennis on Friday Morning. A limited selection of stalls but everything we bought was from the producers and great quality. They all seemed to be incomers – a couple of English, one American and an Austrian (or German) I think – but we are planning to go back again this week – the sausage lady had just slaughtered a couple of pigs and promised a greater selection of meat this week. Would definitely recommend it to anyone who is the area on a Friday.
Also bought our first garden tools for a long time and did more gardening in two days than I have done in the past 12 years - and that was only the flower borders - still have to start on the veg patch!
Monday 20 April 2009
Is that a week already?
Didn't realise that the transit bolts had not been removed from the brand new washing machine, so when Linda used it for the first time, it did a very good impression of Michael Flatley dancing across the floor until it stopped itself by pulling out its own plug.
Our landlord has been good as his word and we now have the paddock fenced off ready for the horse and donkey to be installed to keep the grass under control. Haven’t been formally introduced yet!
Haven't really had a proper chance to say thanks to all of my friends and colleagues at Headway East London and at St Giles’ for their parting gifts. I am truly grateful for these and for the good wishes which came with them. Particularly fond of the oil painting from the members of Headway East London which was one of the luxuries that came with us – thanks to all of you again. You can all see this painting if you have a look at my profile where it replaced an old photo of Oli & I in Monte Carlo
Those of you who followed the Monte Carlo Blog will know that Oli and I made our way through France commenting on the local wine as we went. Unfortunately we have not yet found an Irish vineyard and as our friend Caitlin at Vinoteca – the best place to buy or drink wine around the Barbican – warned us before we left, wine in Ireland is substantially more expensive than in the UK. Even the wines on special offer in the supermarkets and off licences are between 50% and 80% more expensive. Even checked out the selection at Aldi this morning! Will have to persuade some of our visitors to come by car and stop at Majestic on the way!
We have found at least one class bottle shop which had Buckfast in the cooler alongside Mateus Rosé at €10.50 a bottle. Thankfully the Guinness is still good.
What a fabulous weekend. Saturday was cloudless blue skies and 17degC, working around the house and garden watching swallows –or are they house martins? – and the first butterflies. In the late afternoon we went for a walk around the block which turned into an 8k hike and then sat outside after dinner and tried to identify the stars – almost as successful as my bird skills. With no light pollution at all, I had forgotten what a spectacle it is. Linda had the star charts out – fortunately the sextant is locked up in London – so we managed to pick out some of the brighter ones.
Sunday started off grey but brightened up by lunchtime and after church (Linda came too!) we drove up to Kilfenora to pick up tickets for the Gala Centenary concert by the Kilfenora Ceili Band . There’s a whole weekend of events including 4 Ceili’s to mark this amazing anniversary. Great to know that someone has been touring longer than Status Quo!
A very warm welcome to Sunday service at St Columba’s, Ennis in a very grand building from about 1870 which was built as a garrison church in the "Decorated Victorian" style and bears testimony to the fact that "Anglicans were in previous generations more numerous than they are today". It was the last Anglican church to be built in Ireland before the Disestablishment of the Irish church and has a lovely Pipe organ from 1873 and a flamboyant organist – are they all like that? A note for my friends at St Giles’ Cripplegate – ask the newcomers to read the lesson as soon as they walk in the door!
On the small world note, one of the ladies in the choir had worked for Lazard Brothers at 21 Moorfields some years ago and attended services and concerts at St Giles’ Cripplegate.
Just off for our first walk on the Burren - not only do I have to identify wild birds and stars, now I have to sort out the wild orchids as well. Still it could be worse - I could be reading about the recession!
Our landlord has been good as his word and we now have the paddock fenced off ready for the horse and donkey to be installed to keep the grass under control. Haven’t been formally introduced yet!
Haven't really had a proper chance to say thanks to all of my friends and colleagues at Headway East London and at St Giles’ for their parting gifts. I am truly grateful for these and for the good wishes which came with them. Particularly fond of the oil painting from the members of Headway East London which was one of the luxuries that came with us – thanks to all of you again. You can all see this painting if you have a look at my profile where it replaced an old photo of Oli & I in Monte Carlo
Those of you who followed the Monte Carlo Blog will know that Oli and I made our way through France commenting on the local wine as we went. Unfortunately we have not yet found an Irish vineyard and as our friend Caitlin at Vinoteca – the best place to buy or drink wine around the Barbican – warned us before we left, wine in Ireland is substantially more expensive than in the UK. Even the wines on special offer in the supermarkets and off licences are between 50% and 80% more expensive. Even checked out the selection at Aldi this morning! Will have to persuade some of our visitors to come by car and stop at Majestic on the way!
We have found at least one class bottle shop which had Buckfast in the cooler alongside Mateus Rosé at €10.50 a bottle. Thankfully the Guinness is still good.
What a fabulous weekend. Saturday was cloudless blue skies and 17degC, working around the house and garden watching swallows –or are they house martins? – and the first butterflies. In the late afternoon we went for a walk around the block which turned into an 8k hike and then sat outside after dinner and tried to identify the stars – almost as successful as my bird skills. With no light pollution at all, I had forgotten what a spectacle it is. Linda had the star charts out – fortunately the sextant is locked up in London – so we managed to pick out some of the brighter ones.
Sunday started off grey but brightened up by lunchtime and after church (Linda came too!) we drove up to Kilfenora to pick up tickets for the Gala Centenary concert by the Kilfenora Ceili Band . There’s a whole weekend of events including 4 Ceili’s to mark this amazing anniversary. Great to know that someone has been touring longer than Status Quo!
A very warm welcome to Sunday service at St Columba’s, Ennis in a very grand building from about 1870 which was built as a garrison church in the "Decorated Victorian" style and bears testimony to the fact that "Anglicans were in previous generations more numerous than they are today". It was the last Anglican church to be built in Ireland before the Disestablishment of the Irish church and has a lovely Pipe organ from 1873 and a flamboyant organist – are they all like that? A note for my friends at St Giles’ Cripplegate – ask the newcomers to read the lesson as soon as they walk in the door!
On the small world note, one of the ladies in the choir had worked for Lazard Brothers at 21 Moorfields some years ago and attended services and concerts at St Giles’ Cripplegate.
Just off for our first walk on the Burren - not only do I have to identify wild birds and stars, now I have to sort out the wild orchids as well. Still it could be worse - I could be reading about the recession!
Thursday 16 April 2009
How many shoes???
Well, finished unpacking and discovered that in addition to her walking boots, wellies and slippers Linda needed to bring 18 pairs of shoes with her! She justifies this by saying that it's only three pairs per month!
Of course she will now need another pair so she can ride the new bike which we picked up on Wednesday. It hasn't been further than the lane yet but great plans for an inaugural ride this afternoon. Just need to iron out a few of the hills first!
Oil tank was replenished on Tuesday and we now have heating again - still trying with the peat stove and beginning to get the smoke under control. Now need a chainsaw to clear some of the fallen trees and lay in a supply of firewood. Hoping that one of the friendly neighbours will lend me some essential tools to clear some of the overgrowth on the estate.
We can hear birds singing around us all the time - except in the rain of course - but haven't been able to see too many of them. Put up a feeder to try to entice them into view so I can pore over the Bird Book and identify them all. Among some of the regulars we saw a Linnet yesterday but will have to work hard to catch up with my old pal Bernie who has taken some tremendous photos of the wildlife around his home in Devon.
Trying to keep up with life hereabouts in the two weekly local papers and having read about a great Farmer's Market which was not too far away, we rushed down there this morning (only 50 mins drive) to find five stalls with very limited selection and prices not dissimilar to Borough Market. Seems odd but still haven't been able to find a fish shop anywhere close. Just have to try harder.
Sun is shining again so think it is time to get the bikes out.
Of course she will now need another pair so she can ride the new bike which we picked up on Wednesday. It hasn't been further than the lane yet but great plans for an inaugural ride this afternoon. Just need to iron out a few of the hills first!
Oil tank was replenished on Tuesday and we now have heating again - still trying with the peat stove and beginning to get the smoke under control. Now need a chainsaw to clear some of the fallen trees and lay in a supply of firewood. Hoping that one of the friendly neighbours will lend me some essential tools to clear some of the overgrowth on the estate.
We can hear birds singing around us all the time - except in the rain of course - but haven't been able to see too many of them. Put up a feeder to try to entice them into view so I can pore over the Bird Book and identify them all. Among some of the regulars we saw a Linnet yesterday but will have to work hard to catch up with my old pal Bernie who has taken some tremendous photos of the wildlife around his home in Devon.
Trying to keep up with life hereabouts in the two weekly local papers and having read about a great Farmer's Market which was not too far away, we rushed down there this morning (only 50 mins drive) to find five stalls with very limited selection and prices not dissimilar to Borough Market. Seems odd but still haven't been able to find a fish shop anywhere close. Just have to try harder.
Sun is shining again so think it is time to get the bikes out.
Tuesday 14 April 2009
Our first few days
Calm and uneventful ferry crossing from Fishguard to Rosslare except for coachloads of Osprey's fans on their way to Thomond Park in Limerick to meet their destiny! As two of the newest residents of Munster it was great to see them thrash the Ospreys in the Heineken Cup. Managed to find one of our 10 local pubs showing the game and welcomed warmly by the landlord and the rest of the clientele.
The cottage is everything we expected and have been lucky with the weather - sunshine and showers every day - although the rain has verged on torrential some times. Unpacking completed (except for Linda's trunk of shoes!) and most things put away - only problem is remembering where we put things.
First black mark was running out of heating oil so a bit cool for 24 hours. Managed to get the peat stove going for warmth but obviously need some practice as also managed to fill the house with smoke.
Saw the landlord this morning - everything's grand! - and sorted out the maintenance of the pasture - a horse and a donkey will arrive later in the week and stay for the summer. Assume they will be as friendly as everyone else.
First bike ride this morning - 8 miles up and down some of the local hills - definitely won't need the gym membership - just need to sort out a bike for Linda so she can join me.
No broadband or telephone yet but joined the library so free internet access for an hour a day - perhaps we won't need broadband after all.
Had a long walk on Lahinch beach in the sunshine - watched the surfers and ate ice cream - why did we leave the City?
The cottage is everything we expected and have been lucky with the weather - sunshine and showers every day - although the rain has verged on torrential some times. Unpacking completed (except for Linda's trunk of shoes!) and most things put away - only problem is remembering where we put things.
First black mark was running out of heating oil so a bit cool for 24 hours. Managed to get the peat stove going for warmth but obviously need some practice as also managed to fill the house with smoke.
Saw the landlord this morning - everything's grand! - and sorted out the maintenance of the pasture - a horse and a donkey will arrive later in the week and stay for the summer. Assume they will be as friendly as everyone else.
First bike ride this morning - 8 miles up and down some of the local hills - definitely won't need the gym membership - just need to sort out a bike for Linda so she can join me.
No broadband or telephone yet but joined the library so free internet access for an hour a day - perhaps we won't need broadband after all.
Had a long walk on Lahinch beach in the sunshine - watched the surfers and ate ice cream - why did we leave the City?
Friday 10 April 2009
Pigs & Troughs
While wandering around my new neighbourhood on Wednesday morning, I bumped into a couple of local characters and had a chat about life in West Clare. Clearly the mini-budget on Tuesday was a major topic of conversation - luckily I had paid attention to the morning news!
It was a bit of an eye-opener to see that one of the first announcements by the Finance minister was a 10% cut in pay and pensions for all TD's (members of parliament).
The opinion in the Rambler's Rest was that they could have given up a bit more but at least it was a start and they appeared to be sharing in the hardship of their electors.
Compare this to the situation on this side of the Irish Sea and as Jeff Randall points out in today's Telegraph, not only are we paying for our MP's and Minister's second homes, bath plugs and dodgy videos, but also for their lavish pension pots which will see the contribution (from our taxes) increase from 27% to 32% of their base salaries!
Where does the "Court of public opinion" sit on this? Its ok for Flash Gordon, Harriet Harperson and everyone else to criticise Fred Goodwin's pension arrangements - which were clearly within the rules (even if morally indefensible) - but not a hint of a concession about the cost of their own pension arrangements for all those "hardworking families" they talk about so often.
It's definitely time for me to get out for a while. At least I will have a woodburning stove in which I can use the newspaper as kindling!!
It was a bit of an eye-opener to see that one of the first announcements by the Finance minister was a 10% cut in pay and pensions for all TD's (members of parliament).
The opinion in the Rambler's Rest was that they could have given up a bit more but at least it was a start and they appeared to be sharing in the hardship of their electors.
Compare this to the situation on this side of the Irish Sea and as Jeff Randall points out in today's Telegraph, not only are we paying for our MP's and Minister's second homes, bath plugs and dodgy videos, but also for their lavish pension pots which will see the contribution (from our taxes) increase from 27% to 32% of their base salaries!
Where does the "Court of public opinion" sit on this? Its ok for Flash Gordon, Harriet Harperson and everyone else to criticise Fred Goodwin's pension arrangements - which were clearly within the rules (even if morally indefensible) - but not a hint of a concession about the cost of their own pension arrangements for all those "hardworking families" they talk about so often.
It's definitely time for me to get out for a while. At least I will have a woodburning stove in which I can use the newspaper as kindling!!
Husband Creche
On Wednesday afternoon, stuck in a queue of traffic in Tipperary, I saw this sign in goldblock lettering on a dark green background on the wall of a pub.
All I have to do now is persuade Linda that she wants to shop in Tipperary!
"HUSBAND CRECHE"
Does your husband get in the way when you go shopping?
Why not leave him with us so you can enjoy yourself.
Skysports on big screen and other entertainments.
No charge - just pay his bar bill when you collect him!
All I have to do now is persuade Linda that she wants to shop in Tipperary!
Thursday 9 April 2009
Its only 909 miles there and back!
Well I'm glad that's behind me!!
A quick trip to Moyhill in a rented car with a load of household stuff and clothes. How much stuff do you need for 6 months? Luckily the car was a Vauxhall Zafira which would have done the Doctor proud. No matter how much I packed in there was always room for more! It was only 62 hours but full of events and stories - more on some of these later.
Left London on Monday evening as Tamil protesters were laying down on Westminster Bridge and creating the sort of traffic chaos that local government road planners can only dream of!
Then almost punched a hole in the radio listening to PM on Radio 4 and a story about Claire Balding upsetting that down-trodden minority with decaying teeth because she made a joke about Liam Treadwell's teeth after he won the Grand National. In the midst of financial meltdown, traffic pandemonium and at least another year of a leader who was accurately described by Clarkson as a "one-eyed Scottish idiot", Eddie Mair decides it is appropriate to interview an orthodontist who appeared to be representing the human rights of all those people who don't brush or floss regularly. Roll on Clare FM and the morning bulletin of the death notices!
There is one serious drawback to the drive from London to Ireland - you have to go through South Wales. With apologies to at least 3 people who I probably won't see for 12 months, I saw it at its best - in the dark with rain teeming down. Fishguard is a decidely unwelcoming place even for a ferry port, while the Stena Europa had clearly seen better days when she was trading on the Baltic from Poland to Sweden (my old friend Ernst worked around there many years ago and used to tell tales of what the Polish girls would do for a pair of nylons!).
Arrived in Rosslare in glorious sunshine - only 4 hours to Moyhill. Signed the lease, collected the keys and started unpacking.
A quick trip to Moyhill in a rented car with a load of household stuff and clothes. How much stuff do you need for 6 months? Luckily the car was a Vauxhall Zafira which would have done the Doctor proud. No matter how much I packed in there was always room for more! It was only 62 hours but full of events and stories - more on some of these later.
Left London on Monday evening as Tamil protesters were laying down on Westminster Bridge and creating the sort of traffic chaos that local government road planners can only dream of!
Then almost punched a hole in the radio listening to PM on Radio 4 and a story about Claire Balding upsetting that down-trodden minority with decaying teeth because she made a joke about Liam Treadwell's teeth after he won the Grand National. In the midst of financial meltdown, traffic pandemonium and at least another year of a leader who was accurately described by Clarkson as a "one-eyed Scottish idiot", Eddie Mair decides it is appropriate to interview an orthodontist who appeared to be representing the human rights of all those people who don't brush or floss regularly. Roll on Clare FM and the morning bulletin of the death notices!
There is one serious drawback to the drive from London to Ireland - you have to go through South Wales. With apologies to at least 3 people who I probably won't see for 12 months, I saw it at its best - in the dark with rain teeming down. Fishguard is a decidely unwelcoming place even for a ferry port, while the Stena Europa had clearly seen better days when she was trading on the Baltic from Poland to Sweden (my old friend Ernst worked around there many years ago and used to tell tales of what the Polish girls would do for a pair of nylons!).
Arrived in Rosslare in glorious sunshine - only 4 hours to Moyhill. Signed the lease, collected the keys and started unpacking.
Saturday 4 April 2009
Where do I begin?
From our flat in the Barbican, I can be in 8 different branches of Starbucks within 10 minutes walk. From our new home in Co. Clare I will have to drive about 100 miles to Cork to get a Starbucks fix, yet it is only 60 miles to Tipperary!
This is only one of the changes that our new life will bring as we finish packing up ready to load the car and head for Corofin and the cottage which we have leased for the next 6-12 months. Our nearest shop will be 3 1/2 miles away - fortunately sandwiched between two Pubs so I can probably have a pint when I pick up my paper in the morning - but will I still want to read the paper every day?
The last few weeks have been busy as we try to clear the flat ready for new tenants - who are still to be found - and sort out household stuff, clothes, books etc ready for the move. For example, copying 250 CD's onto my laptop and then to a new IPOD was just one of the mundane chores which have kept me busy in the early morning hours while trying to sort out new bank accounts and insurances and all the other loose ends that life seems to require.
I've finished all my work with the Barbican and with Headway East London and have only a couple of final tasks at St Giles' - not least of which is avoiding the donkeys at the Palm Sunday service tomorrow morning.
This is only one of the changes that our new life will bring as we finish packing up ready to load the car and head for Corofin and the cottage which we have leased for the next 6-12 months. Our nearest shop will be 3 1/2 miles away - fortunately sandwiched between two Pubs so I can probably have a pint when I pick up my paper in the morning - but will I still want to read the paper every day?
The last few weeks have been busy as we try to clear the flat ready for new tenants - who are still to be found - and sort out household stuff, clothes, books etc ready for the move. For example, copying 250 CD's onto my laptop and then to a new IPOD was just one of the mundane chores which have kept me busy in the early morning hours while trying to sort out new bank accounts and insurances and all the other loose ends that life seems to require.
I've finished all my work with the Barbican and with Headway East London and have only a couple of final tasks at St Giles' - not least of which is avoiding the donkeys at the Palm Sunday service tomorrow morning.
It was an eventful week in the City, the G20 protesters on Wednesday and Thursday seemed generally good natured and often outnumbered by the police or the press. Even when I wandered over to see what was happening outside the Bank of England at lunchtime on Wednesday it was all very calm - almost like a summer rock festival. The only irritation was the Police helicopter which was buzzing around above our heads all day - dont expect to hear much of that in Co Clare!
How much stuff do you need for a year away from home? Clearly more than you can take on a Ryanair flight but how much is too much? As you can imagine this has been the subject of considerable debate over the last month or so and I have had to concede that we can't get it all into the MG. So I am leaving on Monday afternoon with a hired car which will probably be stuffed to bursting point to drive to Fishguard for the Rosslare ferry and then coming back on Thursday to collect Linda after she finishes work. At this point a huge thanks to her boss for allowing her a leave of absence for 12 months! She had her leaving drink & dinner on Wednesday evening and was able to walk home unaided - how things change!!!
Who knows what life in Clare will bring - at the moment I have got as far as cycling, Guinness, soda bread, golf (maybe) and traditional music. Our first visitor who has already booked his flights is a keen fisherman so I will have to give that a go when he is here. Fresh trout for supper anyone?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
