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Today’s ramble began early- sunrise is around 5:45am these days so even though it was only 7am when I was out and about, the sun was up and doing its best to burn off the sea mists. Our walk is very local – I went to Bundoran’s West End Walk (also known as the Nuns’ Walk) which goes from the town south along the coastline – it’s a wonderful walk, with lots of little coves and inlets and step sets up and down, – and the views back towards the town were beautiful. Bundoran became known as a wellness resort back in the late 1700s- the wealthy people of Ballyshannon followed the lead of the Viscount of Enniskillen, who built a summer home for himself in Bundoran – and ‘taking the sea air’ continued to be a trend through the 18 and 19 centuries. You will see here what we now call an infinity pool – height of poshness in very expensive resorts- where did this idea come from? Check out our own West End pool- so beautiful, natural and absolutely free to all. The ocean was really clear and sparkling this morning – and some lovely flowers around- I’ll put the names on the photos. Directly out to sea, we are looking across Donegal Bay, and you can make out the dusky outline of West Donegal and the Sliabh Liag Cliffs. Gorgeous, my friends – enjoy!
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Hi everyone. The Irish word for a road is ‘bóthar’ – that’s pronounced ‘Bo -har’ and a small road is a ‘bótharín’, which became anglicized to ‘boreen’. As you’ve probably guessed by now, there’s nothing I like more than spotting an unknown road, and following it to see where it goes. So I often take lots of photographs of road, going wherever you want them to go! Today’s post is a combination of various different roads I’ve taken in the last month or so – you can decide where you end up! Enjoy x
The sun was out again, and the hills were calling, so off we go to the Blackslee Forest to do two things- climb up through the forest to catch views of Lough Erne, and down through the forest to see the Blackslee Waterfall. The forest was fun- all the usual suspects were out- dozens of butterflies, clutches of primroses and gangly bluebells now making an appearance, a couple of red deer that were camera-shy, and the views at the top were certainly worth it. Unfortunately, the Blackslee Waterfall was extremely underwhelming, a waterfall with no water, it turns out! The vegetation, the mosses, ferns, wood anemones, uprooted trees and crazy slabs of the Blackslee Dyke still makes for a very worthy walk. Enjoy!
Hi everyone. You’ll have to get your raincoats on today- I had made it about 3km down another anonymous little winding road when ominous lead-coloured skies burst open and reminded me why the landscapes are so green all year round! Personally, I do not mind the rain at all, but my iphone took it quite badly, and went on strike for a while. I took some shelter in a derelict cottage and talked it back to life, and we continued on, snapping some of the locals who looked similarly unimpressed by the weather. Enjoy, and happy May Day to you all. Stay safe! x
Calling everyone’s inner child… we are paying a secret visit to Faerie Hollow, deep in the forest on the shore of Lough Melvin. Not only can you spy little doors on the trees, but we’ve taken a fairy-sized view of the beautiful flowers, insects and plants of this magical little place – the clover-like leaves with the white flower is Wood Sorrel, there are pink and purple ‘Granny’s Bonnets’ (Columbines), Drooping Sedge, Marsh Marigolds and Marigolds, Ferns, Cow Parsley and the healthiest, fluffiest daisies I have ever seen! Keep an eye out too for some butterflies & bees…. and well done, Lough Melvin Eco-park, for creating such a wonderful resource. Enjoy everyone, stay safe! x
Today’s walk is to the very pretty townland of Cashelard, just outside Ballyshannon, County Donegal. As you will see, the burst of bright yellows that characterized early Spring is now beginning to change- we are seeing the beautiful pinks of the cherry blossoms, the purples of the bluebells and orchids, and the bright white flowers of the blackthorn bushes. The walk loops around a small lake named after our local saint, Colm Cille, and on a sunny Spring evening, with the sun beginning to set, it could not have looked prettier! Enjoy.
Hello everyone. Today, you’ll need to have your wits about you – we are out on the coastline, clambering over the rocks and stones to get views of the ruins of Kilbarron Castle, I’m always telling anyone who will listen that any walk anywhere in Ireland will satisfy all interests- for the nature lovers there is so much to see, for the history buffs, there’s bound to be a connection to something, or a set of old ruins on the way, for the scientist, the geologist. the artist, the botanist, endless opportunities, for the health enthusiast, the fresh air and space is intoxicating – It really has something for everyone. And to prove my point, just look at the colours of the rocks and stones here, and ponder their formation – or just enjoy the bright bursts of sea thrift (surely the coast’s answer to the Cherry Blossoms?) and the wild violets, – or as you spot the ruins of Kilbarron Castle, allow yourself to be transported to a time when the O’Donnells reigned supreme in the kingdom of Tír Chonáill, and later in the 17th century, an historian named Michael Cleary ( Mícheál O’ Cléirigh) set about collecting as much information as he could so that the Irish past would not be forgotten – O’Cléirigh was born at Kilbarron Castle, and his scholarship became part of the very famous ‘Annals of the Four Masters’, one of the most important chronicals of Irish history. Or you can just enjoy a happy little cormorant, contemplating a swim!
Enjoy everyone! Stay safe x Ladies and Gentlemen, we take a night walk around beautiful Bundoran and the beaches- (and credit please to Todd Vorenkamp and Clint Saunders for these pics- please don’t use without their permission) Todd and Clint run the photography course here each fall, which is open to everyone, and one of the aspects they cover is night photography. Enjoy!
Another river walk for you today folks- but this time it’s the magnificent River Erne, which enters the sea at the beautiful and historic town of Ballyshannon. My explorations took me down to an area around ‘Port Na Marbh’ or the Port of the Dead. Ballyshannon was, back in the 18th and 19th centuries, a busy shipping port, and emigrant ships sailed from here to Canada and the United States as early as 1804. Much changed now, there is still evidence of this history, as well as an amazing selection of lush greenery, complete with beautiful wild flowers and as you’d expect by now, butterflies, swans, and all of the ingredients of a very pretty Sunday afternoon. Enjoy!
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Email: [email protected] Phone: (071) 984 1205 Address: 51 Main St, Bundoran, Co. Donegal |
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