kilfinnan – Peter Donegan Garden Design & Landscaping

Before you read this post please read beautiful and guaranteed Irish – part 1[clck here]

Of course part of the reason I went to Limerick was to visit some good great friends. [Pictured left is T.J. and John Donegan [no relation – he was just in the bar that evening and decided to say hello 😉 but that is the Ireland I visited]

I went all of the back roads to see another good friend in Carrigadrohid. It was freezing and the sun was shining – yet Ireland is still so beautiful and we are so fortunate for this beautiful island. I drove around [very much around] the Galtee mountains and came in by the river Lee. It was worth it. I stopped into Doneraile Park for a picnic of sorts [another post for another day – but also free by the way..] and continued on our way to Cork City. I love Cork. I love the city. It is so colourful and energetic.

I got to meet some of the great people of the Cork Open Coffee on the Friday. To all of you who made this week, for me, amazing – go raibh míle maith agaibh. Thank you so much.

I suppose the question I’ve answered now is… that I am glad I took my ‘holdays’ in Ireland. I am so very happy that I kept my euros in this beautiful island of ours. And now I realise that rather than dwell on those who bore and snore me to sleep with their tales of woe and depression [the same goes for that Enda Kenny crapola spiel et cetera… that just keeps on coming…]. But, I at least made and effort to do my bit for Ireland. I am happier knowing that I did 🙂

T.J. Tobin, John & myself

beautiful & guaranteed irish [part 1]

As I write this post I’m in the beautiful city of Cork [i’m back in work by the time you read it]. I’ve just left Limerick. It is after all my summer holidays 🙂 I [and her indoors] made a concious decision to keep our euros in Ireland this year. I heard the media hype up the recession [every flippin’ day – yawn at this stage] and as soon as they finished they went to the euro/ sterling spiel and the buying of cross border televisions [are you asleep yet….?] That all may be so very correct. But I needed a break and I did it in this so very beautiful country. I am so very happy that I did. I saw the most beautiful towns, met the most wonderful people and not only helped ‘my’ economy – but I had a great time.

I’ve bought books on beautiful landscapes but there are very few as beautiful as those I saw surronding the towns of Kilmallock, Glenbrohane and Kilfinnan. It wasn’t expensive [our first guest house was €35pps – Fitzgeralds 063 98139 by the way]. It wasn’t rip off republic. It was simply beautiful. If you are there make sure and visit Mary Fox in the Kilmallock museum near the 13th Century Dominican Friary [the tour is free but you can make a donation if you wish]. Ireland doesn’t have to be Ferrari’s and flat screens – why can’t it just be beautiful to look at and enjoy. I wonder if this is a news worthy story…. ? [continues tomorrow… click here]