Welcome to my blog! I started writing this blog post about the training I took last year at #Cooleparkrun for visually impaired people, but never got around publishing it!
I finished another #CooleParkrun today and thought it was time to share my experience in the hope it will motivate others to take the training and to encourage people that are visually impaired to make a leap of faith and join us at #Cooleparkrun . You’ll find information at the end how it works!
Click here if you are looking for GortcycleTrails , click here for Cycle routes or join the GortCycleTrails FacebookGroup here.
Training to guide people with visual impairments
I had seen on the Facebook page from #Cooleparkrun that training was set up to be a guide for visually impaired participants, so they too can take part in the Coolepark Run. CoolePark starts at 9:30, but on this occasion I was extra early as the training started at 8:30, delivered by Padraig Fahy the County Galway Ambassador.
Padraig Fahy with the various doctored glasses
What does visually impaired mean?
It means that people have issues seeing, such as cataracts, glaucoma, and other distortions such as diabetic retinopathy to people that are fully blind. Padraig introduced us to the various types of visual impairments by showing us glasses that simulated the conditions or a blindfold to simulate blindness. Once you put on the glasses you get a good idea of what the world looks like if you have cataracts. The glasses were fully scratched and I really couldn’t see very much. Glaucoma was another condition, where you have limited vision. It made me realize how lucky I am that I can see, even if I have to wear glasses to see far, that’s minor in comparison to the conditions we experienced.
Connected with a bungy
A bungy is used between the guide and visually impaired participant, however it is the visually impaired participant that leads, not the guide. Padraig then talked us through how to introduce yourself by giving the person a hand to make them feel welcome but also to make them feel safe. You then agree which side they would like you to be, if they would like to run or walk , and off you go.
The buddy is your eyes
My buddy was Padraig ( another one!) As I walked , Padraig guided me by voice by letting me know what the surface was like, and if it is changing, and gave me ample warning for obstacles. In our case, Padraig ( the first one) had prepared our terrain with branches so Padraig would tell move left, move right but also mentioned things like the surface is changing. The more information the better, so the visually impaired person gets a good idea where they are.
Blindfolded
The last scenario was when I was blindfolded. I closed my eyes, as I felt I could concentrate more on Padraig’s voice. Once I felt confident I could trust the guide, I felt quite comfortable walking and enjoyed the experience.
Visually impaired guides for visually impaired walkers and runners
The guide can assist both walking but also running visually impaired, register at https://www.parkrun.ie/register/. Then contact coole@parkrun.com and specify if you are runner or walker, the time it takes you to walk or run 5 km, and then a message goes out to the trained volunteers to ask if they are available to guide the visually impaired participant. Hope this will encourage someone who is visually impaired to take part at any of the parkruns in Ireland or further afield. If you are interested to volunteer we would love to hear from you! Visit https://www.parkrun.ie/coole/ to find out more.
Back in 2019 I cycled Gort’s Mini-Greenway with a friend so I thought that would be an ideal loop cycling the #GortMiniGreenway for #BikeWeek2021 . It’s a 9.2 km loop starting from the Gort Railway Station, via Glenbrack ( which I renamed the #GortMiniGreenway) into Coole Park and then return over the motorway bridge onto the main road, back into Gort.
Using EventBrite to set up an event for #BikeWeek2021
I messaged a few people with the registration link, put it onto Twitter and very quickly I had 26 reservations. Towards the end, there were a few cancellations that were very quickly snapped up by others that were interested to join the Cycle. The one headache/concern I had was insurance for such an event. I recently joined Cyclist.ie which put me in contact with many more rural cycling initiatives, and the added perk of insurance… so that part was covered. Definitely recommend using EventBrite so you know who has committed to coming.
RSA & Galway Sports Partnership goodies and Drink Bottles
Thanks to the very efficient team at both RSA and Galway Sports Partnership they turned around my order super fast and I received a number of drawstring bags, high viz backpack covers, safety straps, facemasks. All ready for cycling the #GortMiniGreenway !
Cyclists at the Gort Railway Station, Draw String bags against the wall
I separately ordered Drink Bottles via Printon Galway. I highly recommend them as they got my order printed in time!
Additionally, I also got Wheely Lights for the kids! Did anyone succeed to actually install them? (Click on the image to order)
Image Wheely Lights
Hot Drinks and Bailey’s Chocolate Cake at Coole Park TeaRooms
Part of the funding I received from Galway Sports partnership for cycling the #GortMiniGreenway was for the participants to get treated to hot drinks and cake from the Coole Park Tea Rooms… I pre-ordered for almost 40 people so there was no congestion — it all worked out perfectly. Big thank you to the Coole Park Tea Rooms for having it all perfectly organized and ready .
#RailAndBike
I decided I wanted to invite people to come to Gort by rail and pay for their Return Trip. I had added this as part of the funding, and 5 people came from Galway and 5 people came from Ennis! Check out the video I took as the Ennis Group arrived at the Gort Railway Station.
As I was booking the tickets, I realized there were very limited spaces available to book Rail Tickets with bikes. Turns out that there is a maximum of 2 bikes that can be booked in on the train that comes from Limerick or Galway. Luckily they were all let on, but it does make me wonder if more people would use the train to get into Galway/Gort and bring a bike, if they can’t actually book their bike online, they may not choose that way to travel.
Safety First
Setting up an event requires you to ensure the participants are as safe as they can be, so I did a short safety talk, recorded by Lilya, who has been promoted to the chief photographer for Gort Cycle Trails.
Image taken at the Gort River Walk
Check out the safety talk here before we headed off cycling the #GortMiniGreenway
Thanks to my husband who drove the front car, and Karen O’Neill for driving the back car. Couldn’t have done it without your help!
The hubby and myselfKaren O’Neill and myselfThe Back Car following those cycling the #GortMiniGreenway
I am currently taking a Cycle Right course by Cycling Ireland to become a Qualified Safe Cycle Instructor and it’s thanks to this course I was able to talk about some basics, such as when and how to break, what to look for etc. There is more to cycling than meets the eye.
Garda Help
Setting up an event also requires you to do a risk analysis, so I cycled the route again to remind myself where there are risks, and there are quite a few. I contacted the Local Garda Station who were extremely helpful and provided us with our very own escort from the Gort Railway Station to just past the Roundabout.
Gort Garda helping us out to stop traffic at the roundabout
Once we left Coole Park on our return journey, I rang the Garda to stop traffic so we could safely cross the main road back into Gort. Looking back this really made the cycle very enjoyable, the look of surprise on people’s faces as they saw a sea of people cycle on the streets of Gort was priceless.
I had a dream
I think it was when we were campaigning for #RedRoute5 I had this vision /dream of seeing a sea of people cycle in Gort. I hadn’t really given it much thought until I looked back on our way to the roundabout and saw…. A sea of people..
Sea of People on the streets of Gort on their way cycling the #GortMiniGreenway
Also looking back as we were cycling the #GortMiniGreenway, I saw a sea of people cycling and smiling
Happy people cycling the #GortMiniGreenway
Call me sensitive, but I cried….. A dream came through when I least expected it.
Videos taking during the Event.
One of my favourite clips is this one where Amelia – 5 years old, heads up the whole group and we are just turning into the #GortMiniGreenway — the weather was on our side at that point:)
Here is a longer clip I created from the footage I took on my phone.
Thanks also to Joe( Amelia’s dad) for taking this footage on his rear-facing camera whilst cycling the #GortMiniGreenway
Go Pro Footage from Gort to Coole Park cycling the #GortMiniGreenway
What’s next?
Well, I have been talking about the Woodford to Flagmount cycle quite a bit now, it’s 25 km one way, but it is not the easiest of cycles( read = hills). If you are interested to join this cycle, just fill in this form (if you haven’t already ) and I’ll be in touch when we will do this one ( very likely next year)
Another cycle on my radar is the newly opened Limerick Greenway. It’s 45 kms but it’s flat – so that’s the one I’d like to cycle first.. As it’s a Greenway, there is no need for Garda etc, making it quite a bit easier to organize it. All you need to bring is a bike ( or rent one) and bring good humour. I haven’t planned it yet. Register if you are interested to join this one – I do hope to get this done before the end of the year, the sooner the better… just need a semi-dry day for it:)
Looking for a looped cycle in the Burren Lowlands?
Itching to get onto your bike? Let me show you a looped cycle trail I recently discovered from Thoor Ballylee to the Gort River Walk( under development)
Join my Facebook Group Gort Cycling Trails and let me know if you cycled this trail, what you thought about it, and if there are other cycle trails that should be mapped in the #burrenlowlands
The total distance of this cycle is just under 20 km. If you are only cycling from Thoor Ballylee to Gort, it’s 4 km. I would allow up to half a day to really take your time! Have a picnic at Thoor Ballylee, have a rest at the River Walk, Walk around Gort( and visit Kiltartan Gregory Museum when it reopens.)Things to bring: snacks, breakfast or lunch, water, charged mobile and don’t forget to apply suntan lotion and wear high viz jackets. Switch on your bike lights if the weather is not so nice. If you are cycling on your own, let someone know where you are heading.
Thoor Ballylee’s History
To learn more about Thoor Ballylee and the link with the Irish poet Yeats and the dramatist Lady Gregory, click on this link. *****Please note – Thoor Ballylee is currently closed due to COVID-19 Check their Website/Facebook page for the latest updates!****
I should probably say re-discovered as this trail is an age-old trail that people used to travel on by foot and bike from Gort to Ballyanneene, Rinerush, and possible also Peterswell, where I live.
Route description from Thoor Ballylee to the Gort River Walk
I recommend you start from Thoor Ballylee (or anywhere on the Skehanagh side) to have the least amount of hills. If on the other side you are looking for a heart-pumping exercise, do the cycle anti-clockwise:) You’ll definitely sleep well 🙂
Check out this Google Map showing you the looped cycle.
From Skehanagh to Thoor Ballylee
Intro to the Cycle from Skehanagh to Thoor Ballylee to the Gort River Walk
The first video brings you from Skehanagh to Thoor Ballylee. There is one hill to climb before you get to the top of the Road- I had to get off the bike as I was also holding my camera( note to self – must find a way to mount my phone). What goes up, has to come down, so you’ll see in the latter part the downhill cycle to Thoor Ballylee – bliss:)
Once you have arrived at the castle, lock up your bike(s) in the cark park and go for a stroll to the watermill to the right.
Thoor Ballylee form the Pic Nic Area
Explore the watermill at Thoor Ballylee
https://youtu.be/LzkOfOtEgZY
Water Mill at Thoor Ballylee
There are big plans to restore the watermill. Why not take a seat in the picnic area in front of Thoor Ballylee and enjoy breakfast or lunch on the picnic tables or the grass. It’s quite magical.
Thoor Ballylee to Gort River Walk Cycle trail
Next video and pictures show most of the journey from Thoor Ballylee to the end of the road.
Cycle from Thoor Ballylee to the top of the Gort River Walk
The cycle trail from Thoor Ballylee to the Gort River Walk is very straightforward. Leaving Thoor Ballylee to your right, cycle all the way till you come to a crossroads where you take a left.
Country views on the Cycle from Thoor Ballylee to the Gort River Walk
Country views on the Cycle from Thoor Ballylee to the Gort River Walk
Country views on the Cycle from Thoor Ballylee to the Gort River Walk
At some point you’ll see a fork to the right. If you look very closely, there is an existing cycle trail called “Finding Yeats”. This cycle trail was mapped by the Burrenlowlands from Gort, sponsored by Sullivans Hotel on the square in Gort. I’ll have to write another blog article about that cycle.
Take a left to go to the Gort River Walk
Cycle for approximately 1 km and you’ll see a yellow bungalow to your left ( It’s a downhill road so you are picking up some speed). Across from that yellow bungalow you’ll see a narrow road/boreen to your right. If you are a local , this is the top of the Pound Road. This road ultimately brings you to the back of Gort.
Railway Bridge
Once you take a right, it’s a straight road that brings you to a railway bridge.
Railway Bridge
Once you cross the railway bridge, it’s a downhill cycle, and the road surface changes to a loose stone surface.
View over the railway track
You’ll see a ruin of a farmhouse to your right, and as the road takes a slight bend to the left you will have arrived at the top of Gort River Walk.
As you cycle down there is a gate, sometimes it’s open, sometimes it’s closed. If it’s closed, make sure when you open it to get through, you close it off.
If you look to your right, you may be lucky to see a swan family. When I was there, there was a swan family there with cygnets.
Swans with their Cygnets
If you look a little bit further down to your right, you’ll see the remains of a bridge. DO NOT ATTEMPT to go there or cross the bridge as it is not safe. The Gort River Walk has big plans to replace this bridge with a new bridge, follow their Facebook page to find out more.
Lavally Bridge
Lavallysheen Children’s burial ground
Look to your left, and you will see the Lavallysheen Children’s burial ground. To learn more about the Burial ground, check out this article in Guaire Magazine ( page 64. Since the article was published a group of volunteers have done an amazing job to restore and tidy up the burial ground. It has also enabled relatives to honour and pay tribute to their deceased family members. It’s a truly a sacred place.
Continue your journey, leaving the Lavallysheen burial ground to your left, the river to your right. The road surface is a bit bumpy but ok to cycle. It’s only towards the end of the cycle, there are bigger/rougher stones, and it may be better to dismount for a short while. You will now have a beautiful view of the River to your right. ( There are way more and better images, I’ll write another post dedicated to the Gort River Walk)
View over the Gort River
Gort River Walk
As I mentioned earlier, there is currently a project in progress by local volunteers to establish a Gort River Walk, find out more about the history here. The Pound Road, once a dumping ground and no go area, has been transformed into a beautiful walking area to be enjoyed by all. Follow Gort River Walk on Facebook and their recent fundraiser – please support if you can.
Flower Vale House
You’ll now see barriers, you can go around a little place to the right.
Gates and passage to the right
Continuing on to your right, you will see the remains of Flowervale House – home of the once mill owners. This article tells you all about the history of the house and the (tragic) story of how the mill was flattened to the ground. It is also the back of Aldi in Gort and the start of the Gort River Walk.( There are in effect 2 entries, one via the Pound Road and one via the back of Aldi.)
As you continue your journey, you will see the Gort Railway Station to your left and as you continue you will arrive in the town of Gort. Check out a blogpost I wrote about the Gort Railway Station last year, when it was 150 years since it first opened.
Gort Railway Station
This may be the end of your trip . Pop into Centra for ice cream or continue on the loop and take a right at the roundabout to head back OR you can take a left and go onto Gort’s mini -Greenway into Coole Park I documented a while back.
Icecream at Centra in Gort
Kiltartan Gregory Museum
If you are heading back, it’s an easy ride, passing entry into Coole Park. Further down is a nice downhill cycle at Kiltartan. You’ll see a red brick building onto your left, which is the Kiltartan Gregory Museum. It’s currently closed , due to COVID-19. Keep an eye on their Facebook Page to find out when they re-open.
Next you will pass the railway crossing at Kiltartan, and as you cycle you’ll see a sign for Quinn’s hardware store being 5 kms from that point.
This is the back of the Quinn Sign:) pointing to the Kiltartan Gregory Museum
Eileen Quinn Memorial plaque
Across from the sign, you’ll see a farmhouse, with a remembrance stone to Eileen Quinn, who was murdered there on the 1st of November 1920. I strongly recommend you listen to this recently produced documentary about the life of Eileen Quinn and what happened there on the 1st of November. Humbling is an understatement
Eileen Quinn Memorial plaque
It’s been downhill for most of the way, so it’s time for a bit of climb across from Tannian’s forge. There is a bit of bend in the road, and I always cross the road before the hill, as visibility is limited once you are on the climb.
Once you have caught your breath, you’ll see Cummins kitchens to your right and signs for Thoor Ballylee. Take a right, enjoy the downhill cycle or take a left and do an extra loop via Shehanagh.
Back to where I started my cycle
The road bends to the right, and this is where I started the cycle.
The road to your left brings you into Skehanagh, where there are few other cycles you can do, I’ll have to write another blog post about the Skehanagh cycle trails.
As it is summertime, the floods we had earlier in the year, have receded. Learn more about the South Galway floods here.
Hope you enjoyed this (long) article- look forward to hear if it has inspired you enough to do the Cycle from Thoor Ballylee to the Gort River Walk!
Join my Facebook Group Gort Cycling Trails and let me know if you cycled this trail, what you thought, and if there are other cycle trails that should be mapped in the #burrenlowlands
Did you know Gort has its very own greenway? A friend of mine mentioned there is a safe way to cycle from Gort to Coole Park. This was totally new to me, and until then I had never known about it. So I set out to find out. I have called it Gort’s mini-greenway! Greenways are ever so popular these days, so I am hoping the title of this blog post will trigger enough curiosity for people to explore it. It’s mini, as it’s not very long, but it IS there, ready to be explored. So where is this mini-greenway???
Join my Facebook Group Gort Cycling Trails and let me know if you cycled or walked any of the trails, what you thought about them, and if there are other cycle trails that should be mapped in the #burrenlowlands
For a full list of #SafeCycleTrails and maps I have mapped so far, click here
Start of our trip
We met up at the Supervalu’s Carpark in Gort ( hello Karen!!), so we could easily unload our bikes.
We then headed for the roundabout, taking the slip road L85311, which runs parallel with the motorway.
Taking the exit L85311
There is a bit of bend in the road, and a steep descent. You’ll feel your bike picking up speed!
Karen going down the hill, the view is amazing.
The road then gets a bit bumpy The Road has been resurfaced since I wrote this article! The road is narrow and when you come to the end of the road, you take a right.. ( Taking a left isn’t really an option, as there is a fence).
As you take the right, you are on a gravel road, with fences on both sides.
Apart from a tractor, we didn’t come across any traffic.
At the end of the straight stretch, there is another bend, and then you come to a fork, you take a right.
As you cycle along you’ll pass a few houses and a ruin of an old house, it would be interesting to find out what this building once was. As you look at the ruin, you can see the bridge over the motorway to your right.
You are now on the road/avenue that leads to … Coole Park. You’ll see the new bridge over the motorway on your right.
Now all you need to do is cycle/walk to Coole Park. Head for the Tea rooms, I hear they are serving coffee/tea/cakes and lots of other goodies. Check out their Facebook page to their latest menu.
This Cycle/walk is just over 4 kms. from Gort to Coole Park.
Next time I’ll show you how this route connects with the Golden Mile in Gort…
I admit, it’s been a while I dressed up, but I had great fun sourcing my Victorian clothes for the Picnic at The Kiltartan Gregory Museum in Co. Galway earlier today.
As I mentioned in my previous post , I wanted to go to the Picnic at Kiltartan Gregory Museum, and as they wanted people to dress up in Victorian clothes, I called into our local second hand store called Carecharityshop, who happened to have an across-the-board 1 Euro sale, so I went in to see if I could pick up a few pieces!
Carecharityshop the Square Gort
I found a hat, coat and matching shoes that I think might have been from that era and Carie (who is the part-time manager of the shop) gave me an outfit she wore for the St- Patrick’s parade, so I was all set!
Joe and Bridget May Orford at the picnic at Kiltartan
I took my friend’s kids from the Dollytub along along to the picnic. (Take a look at her blog, I have been pestering her to write on her blog, and she’s finally doing it!!)Rueben didn’t want to be in the picture, but in the end he did show up (he’s the head popping up behind the wall!) Alexander insisted to wear his communion suit, hey, I guess it’s great to see he’s getting some wear out of it!
Poetry reading at Kiltartan Gregory MusuemCheck out the ladies to the left!
I then dropped off Alex to a birthday party, and made my way to the opening of Thoor Ballylee!! Yohoo!! We went to the auction which was fab, so I couldn’t wait to be at the official opening.
It was packed at the auction and I remember parking in a nearby field, this time it was much more packed and the field was full(!) so I ended up parking rather close to a stone wall.
Full Car park at Thoor Ballylee
We arrived just in time to see Yeats himself arrive on his horse( aka Colm Farrel, one of the local auctioneers), and he read ” Wandering Aengus” whilst sitting on the horse. As you can see we were in the front row! Luckily the horse behaved:)
Yeats, aka Colm Farrell arrived on horse to read “Wandering Angus”
Wandering Aengus, By William Butler Yeats
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 aflame,
But something rustled on the floor,
And some one 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.
“I have spread my dreams under your feet.
Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.”
― W.B. Yeats
The speech of Joseph Hassett, who donated a 31 ooo Euros to help the reopening of Thoor Ballylee referred to how Yeats was present, referring to the empty seat he(Yeats) was sitting on. But also how your children and grandchildren can visit Thoor Ballylee, which is a beautiful building where Yeats wrote many of his poems!
And then it was time to pick up Alex from his birthday party.
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“.
Autograph Tree, Coole Park Walled Garden Co. Galway
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!
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!!
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.
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.
I hope you are enjoying your Sunday Evening! It’s been a very sunny day here in Galway, and we went for a walk in Coole Park! I took a newly found French friend of mine for the walk, as I wanted to show her Coole Park. It’s one of my all time favourite parks, and I don’t think she was disappointed! Pity the restaurant isn’t open yet, I saw a sign that it will open next weekend:)
We were up North last weekend, to attend a funeral, and decided to stay a few days days longer. It’s a long drive from Galway ( 5 hours) so it makes sense to take in some sights.
We had been to the W5 museum before, and thought we’d go again, as you never have enough time to see all the floors. The great thing about going there is that the kids can try and explore, so no need to run after them to tell them they can’t touch. It starts as you enter, where you can simulate how to make steam.
There was a light show, which explained about light, the power of light, the rainbow and much more.
There were a number of new displays or activities. Suffice it to say I did NOT climb to the top of this climbing structure called Climbit. The kids did and they loved it!
Rueben had great fun standing in a virtual goal, and Alex tried flying a plane with the flight simulator!
Definitely worth a visit if you are in Northern Ireland. Across from the W5 is the Titanic Museum, also very much worth a visit.
A word of advise, book your ticket ahead, as they get so busy, you may be refused entrance if you turn up without a booking!
So what about Fat Dad? When we got home, the boys were saying there is a way to remember all the 6 counties in Northern Ireland, and it’s by the two words of FAT DAD.
