Mucky Mucky Muck and Maureen O'Hara



See the sheep Gortbaun

Last day in Gortbaun after a light breki Gerry and I headed out to the field, I was wearing my sister's Wellingtons that she keeps there. He took me back to the end of his land I wanted to see the little river flowing back there and I do not think I was that far back since 1978 when I was back there with my Uncle Mike Joe the river was barely visible as everything had grown in. We walked further and Gerry was telling me to be careful crossing this one spot which was very muddy well I put my down and landed in a sink hole and my foot sank to the top of the boot. I thought it was going to keep sinking scary. I tried to move it but since the boot was too big for me by 2 sizes my foot came out so I was standing on one foot balancing my cameras in hand. I was trying to hold my foot from going totally in the ground. Gerry grabbed hold and we were trying to rescue my boot, I was hoping around in circles and I finally put my foot down in the muck. It was already muddy so why not we must have been a comical site. I took off my sock and Gerry washed it in a stream.

We headed back to the house,  Gerry ran off to get me a phone card and came back

with a yummy chicken and salad for lunch after that it was time to say goodbye. Peadar drove his car and led me to the main road to Knock so I could drop my car off and catch the bus to Killarney. Long bus ride to Killarney 5 1/2 hours I dozed off some and read and looked at the scenery arriving in Killarney I walked to my b and b. On the way I saw a sign welcoming Maureen O'Hara to a show and saw it was that night. After checking in and because it was blue skies and still light I walked around Killarney took some photos. I then walked back to my B and B.

By now it was after 10 pm and I stood near the hotel where Maureen was. I decided to walk up to it as people were coming out and I thought well maybe she would be coming out.  I walked in as others were coming back from a smoke break and I saw her sitting by the stage. People were snapping photos so I decided to take some too. I then walked to the side at that point they were shutting the doors and the show that had been on was about to begin again. I stood to the side and said well since  I am here might as well stay. It was a good show Liam O'Connor was quite the musician and there were also some Irish Step dancers.

3 week old Connemara Pony

Wednesday I drove over to Ballintober Abbey and walked around I always enjoy a visit there brings back memories of earlier trips to Ireland, with my mother and sister and we would climb the ruins. I drove around and went back to Gortbaun Peadar had called and said he would be arriving around 4.

We decided to go next door and see the 3 week old Connemara  Pony I was excited at this prospect so we walked over. She was a real beauty and so was her mother Rosie. I took a few million photos and even posed with her. We also watched as Rosie and the baby trotted around the field. Nothing beats Ireland in the spring time with baby animals.

Gerry said he would take me to Castlebar to visit the Peace Park so we did that and also stopped at the library to check my mail we still had some time before my cousin Peadar would be arriving so we went to see Turlough House it was interesting museum and house.

Peadar arrived and Gerry made some steak and we had wine and I was totally exhausted so I took a 45 min nap when I awoke I walked into the kitchen but on the way looking out the window I was shocked to see that the sheep were walking around the front yard I thought I was dreaming did a double take and then called Gerry he and Peadar went out front to round them up it took a awhile and Gerry finally saw how they escaped so he got them all safely back to the yard.

Oh My Freaking Baby donkey

 

Gerry's friend's donkey had a foal on Sunday so Tuesday morning we went off to see it. The foal  was across the field with its parents. Gerry hopped the fence and walked over carefully to the foal.  He then snatched it up and carried it towards the fence where I was standing he turned back at one point to see the mother following him. The foal was a beauty, and it was so dark and I started filming as Gerry went to pick it up. I switched to my NIKON to take some photos I took quite a lot was snapping away Gerry posed with the donkey. He said at one point something like too bad you can not come over the fence but I did not want to press my luck.  He did have it close enough for me to pet so I touched its head and it felt very soft the mother came for the baby so Gerry let it go off and I shot some video as they walked across the field.                                         

After that we decided to take a drive I wanted to go to Mulranny as we were driving we saw the drive to Furnace and Gerry said it was a very beautiful drive so we decided to do that its part of the Nephin Mountain drive saw lots of sheep along the way and it was fun just to watch them walk along or occasionally run as we got to close. At the end of the drive we headed to Mulranny and stopped at the newly remodeled Mulranny Hotel. John and Yoko stayed there in 1969 so they had photographs of them. We had a drink and just enjoyed the view. We then headed back home as I had plans to visit a friend.
                                                                                       

Out and about

I was determined to find the old church and cemetery ruins I ran across in 1998 I had directions this time.  I tried last trip to no avail this time I was successful as it was marked. There was not much to it but I just wanted to find it. I had left my directions to other places at home. I then decided to go to one of the Beaches at Old Head been there before and liked it I parked and walked for about an hour.

Gloshpatrick  Cemetery

The weather looked threatening but I carried on I stopped at Murrisk Abbey and looked around and then started back towards Louisburgh. I walked around town to see if any place to eat but nothing appealed so headed back towards Ronagh Pier as wanted to be by the ocean it was very windy and cold but sunny I walked along taking photos but had to be very careful and stay away from the edges as the wind might blow me in it was that bad.

As I headed back to my car the rain that had been threatening arrived and I just managed to get in without getting drenched I wanted to explore more but the rain was too heavy so I started back to Westport.  I parked and then went to have something to eat as it was now well after 4 and found a Kehab place so I had that and then checked my email,  I stopped at a shop in Westport to introduce myself to someone there who had contacted me with research questions from my web page. He was happy to meet me an thank him for all my help, he wanted to meet me for tea but I did not have time then.

Off to Tullycross to see the Thatched Cottages

Took my car but let him do the driving.  We first drove back through Westport and took the route, towards Leenane.  A lovely drive and Gerry would stop for me to take my photos. We stopped in Leeanne I love that Village parts of the film "the Field" was filmed there. We looked in a shop and I I told Gerry I wanted to go to Tully Cross and being Sunday he said he would go along. I ttook photos and we moved on to Tullycross. The views were gorgeous and the rain actually stayed away and we had clear sunny with big fluffy clouds kind of a day.  My fave kind of day.  We went to a pub at TC and then had a drink after that I looked at the thatched cottages and took some snaps and walked around some.

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lovely lamb roast

Then we headed for Clifton and walked around for awhile and then looked for a place for early dinner we were trying to find lamb but were told that too early in the season we finally settled for a nice dinner with beef and a glass of wine and Gerry had dessert coffee and apple pie. 
Then I suggested RoundStone it was getting a tad darker then and we came across some beautiful Connermara ponies and we stopped Gerry got them to come over to us and I snapped away. I am now calling him the Animal Whisperer. Started getting darker and we got to Roundstone and we were only there a few minutes when the rain hit there were really nothing  to see so have no idea why it was listed as a place to visit.
We made some more stops on the way back and saw the Connemara Giant.

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Driving on the wrong side

Gerry took me to Knock airport to pick up the car after another big fry I told him last one of the visit or I would be dead on the floor.  We got the car and then he drove back to Gortbaun ahead of me me struggling to keep up he stopped and waited. Its hard doing the other side as so different. Gerry later looked at the car and the "gear" setting was off that is why I could not drive fast enough

I headed off to Aughagower "Field of the Springs" which is a tiny little village that I love the views there are awesome however it started to rain so I had to leave,

Aughagower 

Along St Patrick's Way

Westport

The Village my mother was born

Afterwards I drove around to Westport I love the town and walked around and also checked my mail at an internet spot and  did some exploring and ended up at Killawalla Cemetery to say hello to my grand mother and my Uncle Mike Joe.

Ireland Calling

Following my urge to be in the mother land again I booked a last minute trip to Ireland.

I flow to Shannon on May 5th, I arrived at 9.30am the next morning. I got off the plane taking my time as knew I would never make the 10 am bus to Castlebar well I came out of customs by 8 to 10 and saw the luggage had not even arrived. It started coming off as I walked up and low and beho my case was #1 off I grabbed it asked where buses went from and made the 10 am bus Thanks mom I knew she was up there working for me.

Cricket my companion

Galway

Westport

Murrisk

at Campbell's pub Murrisk

I called My cousin Gerry from Galway that I made the early bus and could he pick me up at 1.30 instead of 3.40 so it all worked grand. After a big fry (that's Irish Rashers, sausages, eggs, blood pudding)  and a 40 min nap he took me back to Campbells Pub at the foot of the Reek.  I grew up hearing we were related to the Campbells who had a pub at the foot of the Reek, my great grandmother was Biddy Campbell. My cousin Michael and I had a running joke for years how we were going to claim our inheritance. We really got carried away once saying we would open a Big Pat's. Had a drink and looked around he then drove me to Westport House it was closed but we looked around the grounds. They have really huge swans there never saw any that big.

Gerry and the Goa



view from Gerry window

Westport House

Really large Swans Westport House