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.
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 basalrosette. 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.
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!
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
I decided during the summer holidays I wanted to do a fundraiser for #Bumbleance growing Hyacinths. The type I am going to grow are called the “prepared ” version, and if I plan them around now, they’ll flower around Christmas, and will make a perfect Christmas gift!
I made some enquiries and was delighted to get sponsored by Horkans!
I have started a separate blog with the progress , so please come and visit my other blog to keep up to date how I am doing there!You can find the blog here: http://hyacinthflowerchallenge.wordpress.com
I picked up the bulbs, and this was one of the pictures I took!
We have been enjoying a beautiful September, lot’s of sun and very little rain, in fact it’s been one of the driest September ever, more about that here.
My youngest son Alex plays Rugby in the local Rugby club on a Saturday, and they have been incredibly lucky with the weather. The last few weeks, the friday before it’s lashing with rain, and I am having visions of holding an umbrella at the sideline. However, as faith would have it, by the time it’s saturday, the weather is glorious!I was out on Saturday at their match, playing Barna at the Dangan Sports grounds. As you can see the weather was gorgeous!! ( unlike today, as there is a weather warning for floods, storm and fallen trees)
To finish off the weekend, I went for a walk with Rueben in nearby Coole Park. We decided to walk to the water this time, and I was taken by the colours around the water, it was overwhelming. I know they have horses in Coole Park from time to time, but it was the first time I saw them across from the water. Usually they are on the park side, but this time they were across from the water. I am not so sure they’ll be there for very long, as it does flood their in winter time, so maybe they move them. I took some pictures, I hope you enjoy.
Today was another beautiful day! We had some sunny days last week, which I thought was the end of our Indian summer, however today was certainly another of those beautiful days. It’s on these days that you drop everything and venture out and let your eyes catch the beautiful colours in nature around us.
We regularly go to a nearby park called Coole Park, it’s a big park , with many trails, but from time to time I get a little bit bored, so today I thought we’d venture to Garryland. Garryland is to the side of Coole Park, but is not as well known, but definitely a trail to keep in mind.
Check out the below map, as there are no signposts to Garryland Woods. It’s pity as it’s a lovely walk.
Coming from Galway, get off the motorway at Ardrahan and continue driving to Labane and take a right. You’ll pass the national school on the left, the community hall and Bradley’s bar on the right.. It’s a long drive but eventually, you’ll see the car park on the left-hand side.
The trail is 4.6 Kms long, and that will bring you to the carpark in Coole Park. We didn’t do the whole walk, as didn’t want to have to walk all the way back, so we walked from the car park at Garryland to the fence where Garryland meets Coole Park and then turned back. All by all it took us 1 hour and 20 minutes.
The house you see below in Garryland isn’t a cake shop ( if only), it’s a bathouse, ie it houses bats. Check out this link to find out more details about the bats!
The trail is very well signposted, so you won’t get lost! I am enclosing some pictures I took whilst I did the walk! The surface of the trail is excellent for cycling, but the trail is a bit hilly at times, so if you are pushing a buggy, you’ll definately feel it in your legs!
So if you are looking for a change of scenery, check out the Garryland Woods Trail in Co. Galway.
Just last week there was a spate of job announcements!!
Mylan (pharmaceuticals)(both in Dublin and Galway) will be expanding their operations by 550
( 220 of which in Galway) by 2016.
Apple ( in Cork) plans to construct a three-storey office block next to its existing plant in the city, adding 500 jobs!This will cater for the expansion of its business in Europe, the Middle East, India and Africa.Apple has been in Cork for 30 years. It currently employs 2,800 people in the city and its business is booming.
This means that Apple will have 3,300 employees, which is nearly as much as Intel has in Leixlip!
As this expansion also involves a new building, it is estimated another 200 construction jobs will be created, which will be a welcome boost for those in the construction business!
You can check out the current Apple vacancies in Cork here.
To go to back to the Mylan jobs in Galway, as I live in Galway, I automatically assumed that the Mylan jobs would be in/around Galway City, but it’s only when I researched where they are located in Galway, I realise that those jobs are going to be in Inverin, which is not in the city at all, and is located about 25 minutes outside of the city. Inverin has a very small airport that has flights to the Aran Islands.
Bioniche Pharma,Kilroe East,Inverin,Co. Galway, Ireland
Email: careers_bioniche@mylan.com Phone: +353 91 593202
You can check out the Mylan Jobs in Galway here.
So that was that on the job front!
On a slightly lighter note, I decided to head to the beach on Saturday, as it was sunny( but very windy as you’ll hear in the videos). The beach nearest to us is in Kinvara, and is called Traught Beach.
To check out the location of all Galway beaches, click here
There was very few people at the beach, but my boys were all excited as there were these huge kites in the sky! (I thought to myself, where would you get those??)
But then I realised they weren’t just kites, they were kites used to do kite surfing with!
I took some footage, you’ll see the first clip is the getting ready , and the the rest is actual kite surfing in the ocean. Maybe when the kids are a little bit older (I was told at least 10 or probably better 12) they can take classes.. You can check out more information about Kite surfing here.
Unfortunately the sunny weather left us just before the kids went onto their Easter Break ( 2 weeks) but this did not stop us going on a few Easter Egg Hunts around the country.
I recently became a fully fledged member of “Vlamingen in the Wereld” ( Flemish people around the world) and they organized an egg hunt in Dalkey. Thinking about it, the day of the actual actual Egg hunt turned out a very bright day, and the kids had plenty of fun running outside on the grounds of St Patricks . The eggs were hidden around the grounds, all wrapped in a see through bag.
Once all the eggs were found , they were put into various boxes and then equally distributed between all the kids.
I took a picture of all the various Belgian/Irish kids, there was more than I had expected!
Most Belgians live around Dublin, and I was the only one who came from Galway, but I am glad I did, it was a great day! ( I am looking forward to the next activities, a BBQ, a visit to a petfarm etc..)
Our second Egg Hunt was at Kylemore Abbey in Co. Galway. Although we live in Galway, we live in East Galway, so to drive from our house to Kylemore Abbey, takes about 2 hours!
The weather was damp, went and windy, but it was absolulely worth the trip!
The gardens are beautiful and I would highly recommend a visit to Kylemore Abbey!
As it happens we weren’t alone, I overheard people speaking French, German, Italian, and I got talking to a couple with their young kids from New Zealand. To make some small talk, I asked if they enjoyed our “damp” weather, and they said they loved it ! Exactly what they were hoping for. Turns out they live in Sierra Leone, and rain isn’t something they ever see, so you see, it all depends, some tourists really don’t mind our damp weather! After getting completely drenched, we treated ourselves to tea and cakes, and the easter eggs, well, they didn’t stand a chance!
We are just back from a very relaxing week at Inishbofin Island in Co. Galway.
Ireland is of course already an Island, but as it happens, there are quite a few smaller islands off the larger Island of Ireland, Inishbofin being one of them!
To give you an idea where Inishbofin is, check out the below map:
Our journey started off missing(!) the 2 O’Clock ferry at Cleggan ( check out the Ferry schedule here), as traffic was quite heavy heading to Cleggan via Clifden, so always allow plenty of time. The distance from Galway to Cleggan is only about 65 miles, but the roads are narrow, and you might meet the odd sheep on your way, so take your time!
As you can’t take your car to the Island, you’ll need to leave it at Cleggan. You could try to find a space at the very crowded pier, but you are probably better off( ie safer for your car) to park it at a few of the impromptu cark parks in a field…charges vary, but allow 2 – 3 Euros a day .
When you are buying a ticket and you are bring your own bike, there is 5 Euro charge to bring your bike, so don’t forget to mention it, as otherwise you’ll hold up the flow of people getting on the Ferry!
Your trip will take you through one of Ireland’s most beautiful area named Connemara, and if you have never seen Connemara, you’ll probably want to pull over your car several times to take some pictures!
I am enclosing a French song from Michel Sardou about Connemara and its lakes ( even if you don’t understand the words, you’ll enjoy the stunning, crisp clear images of the Connemara region)
The Island has a very informative website which gives you a good idea of places to stay, things to do, music, festivals etc.
We had been to Inishbofin before, and rented a self catering cottage at the East End. It’s right at the beach, so if the weather is nice , the beach is just literally at your doorstep!
This year however, we had left it too late to book a cottage, but discovered that the local hostel offers family rooms. We were traveling with friends of ours, so we each had our private rooms. Ours had a bunkbed for the kids, and a double bed for us. We also had a sink, and shared the bathroom with another family. Our friends had 3 bunkbeds. There are also camping facilities.
Here is a link to their website http://www.inishbofin-hostel.ie/ and a picture of the Hostel at Inishbofin.
So we caught the 18.45 ferry instead, leaving us off at the Pier at Inish Bofin about 45 minutes later.
Kiaran – the owner of the hostel- was awaiting us with his van at he pier to bring our luggage to the hostel, so we cycled ( or at least the flat part – the road is pretty steep). It’s a good 15 minute walk from the Pier to the Hostel.
We brought most of our own provisions, as the Island has only one (food)shop and only operates from 11 AM till 5PM, so if you realize later in the day you have ran out of milk, you’ll have to wait till the next day ( way past breakfast!) to get your provisions. New provisions arrive every day by Ferry, but you’ll see that things like bananas will be gone once they arrive in the shop!
We missed out on the market on Monday at the community centre, as that would have allowed us to buy some locally grown vegetables.
Another important detail, the Island does not have an ATM(cash) machine, so it is recommended you bring cash for your stay.
Staying in the Hostel really was the highlight of our stay… there was a Danish couple who have been coming to Bofin for many years. I got talking to Anne, and she told me came to Inish Bofin about 35 years ago, and at the time, the Island didn’t have electricity. Electricity and running water only arrived in 2002!
There was a a great mix of Dutch, Canadian, French, German guests and a mix of Irish families all happily hanging out in the hostel. Don’t think the kettle ever stopped being boiled!
As we have two small kids( and no television in the hostel) they spent many hours in the playroom, playing cards and games with other kids and guests.
For our part, if we weren’t going for a stroll around the Island on our bikes or by foot, we spent many hours drinking cups of tea/coffee, talking to the other guests or just reading a book. There is a veranda on the front which has a beautiful view, or the back area if you wanted more privacy.
Inishbofin is also known for its music, so there is usually live music( session) in the bars.
This year they are also having concerts , we went to see Don Stiffe in the hotel next to the hostel.
If we had gone a week later( ie next week) we could have listened to Damien Dempsey!
I’d highly recommend a stay at Inishbofin, it really hasn’t been commercialized like other Islands, and is a great way to relax( just leave your Iphone, and Ipads at home, the reception is pretty bad out there anyway!)
If you are in Galway this weekend, call over to Kinvara, they are having the traditional Boat Festival
this week end!
It’s nearly the end of the Easter Holidays here in Ireland and the weather has been fantastic for most of the time.
As I mentioned in an earlier post ( though no one actually guessed where we’d been!!!) we visited some beautiful grounds last week.
The beautiful grounds were at Kylemore Abbey, in Connemara, County Galway.
This may sound far away:) from Galway City, but in reality it’s only an hours drive from Galway City.
(you can also book a bus tour. Here is just a selection of operators : Healy Tours or Failte Tours )
Kylemore is home to a community of nuns of the Benedictine Order, who came here in 1920 after their abbey in Ypres, Belgium was destroyed in world ward 1. Settling at Kylemore, the Benedectine community opened a world renowned boarding school for girls & began restoring the Abbey, Gothich Church & garden to their former Glory. I’d highly recommend the Victorian Gardens and the Neo Gothic church.
Have a look at their website for some visuals.To get 10 % discount on your tickets, buy them online here
If that’s too long of a trip, I’d suggest you break up your journey, and have a stop over in Oughterard.
There is playground now, and once you are passed the village, there is a picknic area on the left with benches, overlooking the Owenriff River.
I have a bit of a soft spot for Oughterard, as we lived there for a couple of years. When we lived there, we lived a stonesthrow away from Aughnanure Castle, which is worth a visit too!( and for those who like golfing, there a great golfcourse( and bar:) ) and if fishing is your thing, check out The Oughterard website.
