Working, Living & Travelling In Ireland

Category: Co. Galway

  • Yeats ‘s activities around Galway this weekend

    Yeats ‘s activities around Galway this weekend

    Hi all,

    This weekend there will be hive of activity around the 150th anniversary of the birth of William Butler Yeats.  I was at the park during the weekend, and sat on a bench, overlooking the scenery, it was absolutely beautiful!

    The below tree, better known as the autograph tree, is located in Coole Park, where the poet spent a lot of time with Lady Gregory and many other famous people that were at the base of the then “literature revival“.

    Signature Tree in Coole Park, Co. Galway
    Autograph Tree, Coole Park Walled Garden Co. Galway

    autograph_guide

    It’s called autograph tree, as when the friends of Lady Gregory visited, they carved in their name on the tree. At this stage it’s hard to make out the names, so the above display which is at the base of the tree makes it just that little bit easier!

    As for me, I am going to the picnic at the Kiltartan Museum :

    Kiltartan Gregory Cultural Society is hosting a picnic in the Millennium Park at Kiltartan Gregory Museum to celebrate Yeats’ birthday on June 13th. Bring your choice of picnic, enjoy a recital by Coole Music Ensemble, poetry reading by local school children, face painting for the younger generation and a Trad session with Gaillimh Theas Comhaltas.
    ‘ Mr Yeats ‘ is on the guest list. Come in period costume. Time. 12.30 to 2.30 pm.

    And after that, I am heading to the official opening of Thoor Ballylee.

    The Yeats Thoor Ballylee Society invites you to the re- opening of Thoor Ballylee on the occasion of W.B. Yeats 150th birthday.
    With special guests:
    Senator Healy Eames, Chair of Yeats Thoor Ballylee Society, Jimmy Deenihan, TD, Minister for Diaspora Affairs, Joseph Hassett, Yeats Scholar and Thoor Ballylee Benefactor
    Niall De Burca, Internationally acclaimed story teller will perform at the event
    Followed by Community BBQ

    So my next quest is, where I am going to find “period” clothing as seen below!! Help!!

    picnicatkiltartanHope to see you there!

    Katleen

     

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  • ColgaFC World cup at Kilcornan

    ColgaFC World cup at Kilcornan

    Hi all,

    I am becoming a frequent visitor to the pitch at Kilcornan , as that’s where my eldest son trains with ColgaFC. I was there again last Saturday, as ColgaFC had their yearly World Cup competition. On my way to the pitch it was absolutely lashing and wasn’t really looking forward to get drenched, but by the time I arrived at the pitch, it was all sunny!

    Below some impressions

    ColgaFC World cup Kilcolgan
    Welcome Sign to ColgaFC World Cup Kilcornan

     

     

    IMG_9369.JPG
    Alex, wearing the blue socks
    Hiding under umbrellas
    The weather was very changeable, and all of sudden the sky turned grey , and we all huddled underneath umbrellas
    015
    Improvised shop, but trade was very brisk! Who doesn’t like a nice treat with their coffee or tea!
    Rueben
    Rueben with the long sleeved red/white top
    The Red Wagon, serving hot dogs, & Drinks
    Little Red Wagon
    The long queue for the BBQ
    The long queue for the BBQ
    BBQ Colgafc
    It was worth the wait, the Cheese burgers with onions were absolutely yummie

    The boys didn’t make it to the  final, and there were some tears 🙁 but it was a very well organized family event by ColgaFC, and all credit must go to all the volunteers who coach the youngsters and to the committee for  organizing the event.  Thank you!!

    If you have Under 8’s who are interested to play football during the summer, there is a 5 a side session they can attend, see more info below with contact details or check out the FAI Summer Soccer camp.

    summer5aside

    The boys never went to bed so easily 🙂

    Katleen

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  • The Song of Wandering Aengus, read at O’Sullivan’s Hotel in Gort, Co. Galway

    The Song of Wandering Aengus, read at O’Sullivan’s Hotel in Gort, Co. Galway

    Hi all,

    When I was at the Auction at Yeat’s tower last sunday, I heard about the initiative from Yeats Galway 2015 to read a Yeat’s Poem a day at O’Sullivan’s hotel in Gort, Co. Galway during the month of June. Maybe instead of an apple a day keeps the doctor away, a poem a day keeps the doctor away 🙂

    I decided to head over to O’Sullivan and listen to the reading of Els Van Hout, who read a beautiful poem called “The Song of Wandering Aengus”, written by Yeats in 1899.

    I recorded the reading, and you can read the poem below.

    “The Song of Wandering Aengus”, written by Yeats in 1899.

    I went out to the hazel wood,
    Because a fire was in my head,
    And cut and peeled a hazel wand,
    And hooked a berry to a thread;
    And when white moths were on the wing,
    And moth-like stars were flickering out,
    I dropped the berry in a stream
    And caught a little silver trout.

     

    When I had laid it on the floor
    I went to blow the fire a-flame,
    But something rustled on the floor,
    And someone called me by my name:
    It had become a glimmering girl
    With apple blossom in her hair
    Who called me by my name and ran
    And faded through the brightening air.

     

    Though I am old with wandering
    Through hollow lands and hilly lands,
    I will find out where she has gone,
    And kiss her lips and take her hands;
    And walk among long dappled grass,
    And pluck till time and times are done,
    The silver apples of the moon,
    The golden apples of the sun.
    Hope you enjoyed the reading !
    Cheers,
    Katleen

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  • Walk around Kilcornan and Kilcornan Woods

    Walk around Kilcornan and Kilcornan Woods

    Hi all
     
    In one of my previous posts I mentioned I went for a walk around Kilcornan Woods and as today I am at the football pitch again, I thought I’d give you a visual!

    Hope you enjoyed the images! I was using the blogging app again, loading up images goes much faster than uploading via my pc !

    Enjoy your weekend
    Katleen

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  • The New Look of Coole Park

    The New Look of Coole Park

    Dear Readers

    Coole Park is park very closely located to where we live, and we love going there for a walk or a picnic in the walled garden. I had noticed a while ago that there was some signage up that they were going to do some tree felling, but didn’t take too much notice.

    I did take notice when the beautiful avenue of trees was taken down, however I understand this was done for safety reasons, as some of the trees were rotten/diseased and from time to time  some branches would have broken off, which would have been very dangerous if you were walking under it.

    This is the way the trees used to look:

    Once that the avenue trees were felled, there were bigger plans to fell a large amount of Norwegian Spruce trees. The result if a significantly brighter park with ….fewer trees.

    Below are a few images. The largest transformation(first image) is across from the toilets in the park. This area would have been the back of Lady Gregory’s house. Someone told me that when they lived in the house, they could see the lake from the back of the house. The area that is now tree less, used to be their vegetable garden.

    Image of Coole house in its hay day. The house fell into disrepair and has been leveled to the ground many years ago. 

     Exiting the walled garden, I took following images.

    The play tree – the kids love it!

    Sown off tree trunk – Counting circles, I think the trees was about 80 years old.

    It’s of course a pity to see all the trees felt, but I think there good things happening too!!
    The kids spotted this fresh growth of Cowslip, which is a protected Irish wildflower: I took following info from the Irish Wildflower website :

    The yellow-orange flowers (8-15mm) nod in a one-sided umbelwhich is borne on a hairy, stout stem.  The individual flowers are comprised of five joined petals, each flower bearing orange spots in the centre, and are scented.  The bloom in April and May. The leaves are not unlike those of the Primrose in that they are wrinkled and hairy, forming a basal rosette. Like the Primrose, there are two forms of this flower.  (See Primrose).  One of fifty-six species which are given special protection in Northern Ireland under the Wildlife (NI) Order, 1985, this plant is now quite rare in Great Britain due principally to being overpicked and dug up for gardens. 
    This is a native plant and belongs to the family Primulaceae 

    This pictures was taken on the avenue , walking back from the lake into the direction of the car park.

    I took this last picture as it reminded me a  bit of the once avenue we had. It’s not quite the same yet, but over time the trees will grow,so hopefully when our kids are adults, their kids can enjoy this wonderful place.

    Have a great week ahead!
    Katleen

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  • Kylemore Abbey and the Belgian connection

    Kylemore Abbey and the Belgian connection

    Hi all,

    We are just back from a long drive to Kylemore Abbey, which is located in the middle of Connemara in Co. Galway.

    It took us 2 hours to do 140 Kilometres and we were still in the same County!  (I was in Dublin last week, and that trip is 200 milometers, and it took me the same time!) It’s a great drive, but as you get further and further away from Galway city, the roads gets windier, more bumpy, and the odd loose running sheep might reduce your speed. As you drive out of Oughterard, you enter Connemara, with its rugged mountains, beautiful colours, a real treat to the eye!

    We have been to Kylemore Abbey before, and as the weather was looking promising, I thought we’d go again. I am so glad we did, as the last time we went to the Easter Egg Hunt, we got rained out! This time the weather was on our side, and we had a fabulous time!
    Just a tip – the grounds are extensive, so make sure you are wearing good footwear and why not book your tickets online, it will save you 10 %, so you can have that extra cake/bun/drink:)

    If you have never been to Connemara, I thought I’d  share this video again, as it combines the song from a French singer called Michel Sardou, with beautiful images of Connemara.

    We arrived at around 12 and visited the restaurant, which has superb, home cooked food. Where possible the restaurant sources its ingredients from the estate.
    Once our bellies were full, we had to take the mandatory picture at the Lake with Kylemore Abbey as a backdrop!
    It’s a short walk to a bus stop that brings you to the walled gardens. You could also walk it instead of getting onto the bus, but I would allow at least half an hour from the bus stop to the walled Gardens.
    As we were approaching the bus, we were met by an Easter Bunny!
    Once off the bus, I had to take a picture of the backdrop, a feast to the eye!
    The kids picked up their Clue Sheet that brought us to the Walled Garden.
    As you can see the weather was stunning!
    Here some pictures of the Walled Garden, so worth a visit!!

     

     

     

     

     

     

    The kids followed a trail through the walled gardens, with all kinds of clues. Once they had found all the clues and written their answers on the sheet, they were given an Easter Egg. It didn’t take long for those to disappear in their tummies.
    I wasn’t exactly looking forward to a 2 hours drive back to base, so I decided to lie down on the grass, get some some sun rays, and have my tea and chocolate brownie (there goes my diet… haha)

     

    Oh yes, and the Belgian connection….in 1920, the Castle and Estate were bought by a community of nuns of the St. Benedictine order. The Irish Benedictine Nuns were refugees from Ypers, Flanders, and had fled from their monastery in 1914 during World War 1 bombardment of the city by advancing German army. Their history history is a long and eventful one reaching back to the community’s foundation in 1665.
    During the 17th and 18th centuries, when Penal Laws were in place in Ireland, the Abbey in Ypres attracted the daughters of the Irish nobility, both as students and postulants and enjoyed the patronage of many influential Irish families living in Exile.
    You can read more detail here
    I think I could do with another cup of tea!!
    Cheers,
    Katleen

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  • GalwayScience and Technology Festival 2014 #SciWk14

    GalwayScience and Technology Festival 2014 #SciWk14

    Hi all,

    Another year has passed, and it was time for our annual pilgrimage to the Galway Science and technology Festival. You know you are a regular when the exhibitors actually recognize you from the previous year(s) and welcome you to the event! 

     

    This was at the entrance of the Red zone, and it didn’t look like much, until you looked at  it with a camera. It was a design in 3D, and by standing on one leg, it looked like you were standing on a high building. We had a great fun taking this picture! You can check out the 3D Street Art Ireland Facebook page here.

    Previous years we never quite got our act in gear to book tickets ahead  for any of the events and/or the queues were so incredibly long when we were there, but this year was different. I follow the Galway Science Facebook page, and it was there I was reminded to book the tickets! I was all chuffed when I actually managed to book some tickets… so we went to  Steven Craig  Mad scientists and Dr, Ken’s entertaining Science Circus Show. We also went to a draw and design workshop, where the kids learnt how to use a cutting knive and make models. Below are some pictures and general impressions.

    Quite a few multinationals were present such as Medtronic ,Boston Scientific and Cisco, and even the multinationals from long time ago, left their impressions.  The add from Digital caught my eye:Are you leaving school this year? If your home is in the West of Ireland, then why leave the West?
    Digital no longer exists, but if you read this article, you’ll see the profound influence Digital had in the West of Ireland. And I bet if you take a a taxi in Galway City, chances are that the taxi driver is an ex Digital Employee!

    A great day was had, and a big thank you to the organizers!
    Katleen

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  • Phone trouble , day 3

    Phone trouble , day 3

    Hi all,
    I wasn’t so sure what to write about this week, so thought I’d share my phone troubles! So I wanted to make a call from my land line earlier this week, and realized the phone was dead. I figured the batteries were flat and needed to replace the batteries. Plenty of batteries in the house, but to find 4 triple A , that’s another story. I rummaged through kitchen drawers, kids toys, one of desk sets that has lot’s of clutter in it,  to finally find 4 triple A charged batteries.. Hurray!! The phone  lit up, so I thought I was all set.. Though the phone was lit, there was no dial tone. I then thought that the phone was broke. I bought the phone just  over a year ago, and rang the shop I bought it from to find out if it ‘s still in warranty. It wasn’t by 5 days, so she was going to check. I then picked up our regular phone to discover also that that phone was not working( and there were no batteries issues on that phone).. OK.. so then I had to ring my provider Digicom. They bill me, however our friends at Eircom look after the network, so I logged a technical issue with Digicom and they told me it will take 48 hours before an engineer would appear.. In the meantime my husband arrives home and I tell him the above story. He’d seen a bunch of cables at the end of the road, and reckoned this was linked. Didn’t hear anything yesterday, and today when I went for the school run there was a hive of activity at the end of the road. Was talking to one of the workmen, and they confirmed they had to replace a number of poles. When it would be fixed, well .. that’s not so sure yet. It seems that some telephone poles cracked during the winds we had over the weekend, and this resulted in snapped lines.. The lady from the shop did return my call, and advised they would offer a new phone, very nice gesture, but explained it wasn’t the phone that was broke, and that it was the actual phone line.
    Eircom in action

    One of the poles that has been replaced 

    Other pole to be replaced, dangling off the crane.

    Let’s hope they can finish the replacing of the cracked poles, and our phone is up and running again..

    Have a great day!
    Katleen

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  • The last of the Indian Summer – part two!

    The last of the Indian Summer – part two!

     

    Hello all,

    So I thought that the we had had the last of our our Indian Summer last weekend, but I am glad to tell you we had another beautiful weekend. It’s been a busy weekend, as I had the usual Rugby training, then I started to plant the bulbs for my #Bumbleance fundraiser, took Rueben to #Coderdojo in Loughrea and as I really enjoyed our walk to the Coole Park, I decided to go back today with the whole family!

     

    Enclosing some of the pictures I took!

    Gort Rugby Team getting ready for training

     

    Getting ready to plant the hyacinth bulbs

    Alexander helping with #Bumbleance Fundraiser from Katleen Bell-Bonjean on Vimeo.

    To keep up to date of my fundraiser, check out my new blog here.

    Rueben at Coder Dojo Loughrea

    To finish off , we went to Coole Park. I really enjoyed our walk from last weekend, so I convinced Alex and David to join. The horses were no longer there, which I think is to do with the fact that we had some rain recently and the place will flood shortly. The pictures below are probably of a better quality than the previous once, as I lost my phone at the airport in Eindhoven on the return of one of my recent trips but thankfully got the phone back..

     

     

    Last week the water wasn’t as high as it was today

     

    Last week we were able to cross over here, but due to recent rain fall, it’s getting flooded

     

    view across the riverside at Coole Park

     

     

    The horses that were here last week , are gone.

     

    David and the boys
    Me and my two wonderboys:)

    So that’s it for this weekend! Thank you for reading my blog!
    Katleen

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