The Cockerel, Mouse and Fly.

On Mother's Day we took ourselves off on an adventure to southern Laoise [pronounced as Leesh] and in particular to the picturesque village of Timahoe.

Timahoe, derives its’ name from Saint Tigh Mochua, 

there the houses are built around a large, central piece of common land known as the Goosegreen.  

St. Mochua established a monastery at Timahoe in the seventh century which burnt down in 1142, later it was re-established by the O’Moores.  

A 12th century round tower standing 96ft high is located close by Mochua’s Abbey and there was a monastic community here as late as 1650. It was then that the Franciscan friars were murdered at a spot known locally as "Boher a wurther" or the murdering road, by Colonel Hewson and Cromwell’s army. 

Along the road to Timahoe.

The locals call it 'Goosegreen'

Looking East the River Bauteogue

Looking West along the River Bauteogue

The round tower stands in a lovely setting accessed by a footbridge that crosses the River Bauteogue, Báiteóg, meaning ‘a swamp’. Originally access to the tower and Abbey was via a ford.

Drawing from Laois County Council archive

Detail of the towers entrance.

The Round Tower 

St Mochua had a reputation as a healer, and is said to have cured two other abbots – St Colman Elo of a sudden loss of memory and St Fintan Munnu of ‘leprosy’.

Mochua died in the year 657.

St. Mochua's companions

St. Mochua lived as a hermit without worldly goods except for three pets – a rooster, a mouse and a fly. The rooster wakened him for the hours of Matins; if he didn’t wake up or dozed off during the day weak from his vigils and prayers, the mouse would nibble at his ear not letting him sleep more than three hours a day or night. The fly would walk along each line of his Psalter as he read and when he became tired, the fly would stop at the point where the saint had broken off until he could return again to resume reading the Psalms.

The Little Pets of St. Mochua

When St. Mochua knelt to pray

Each morning at the break of day

There always was about the house

A rooster, fly and little mouse

Three willing slaves to serve him well

And share his solitary cell

The rooster every morn would crow

And waken him for matins, though

When he slept too sound to hear

The mouse came forth and nipped his ear

And though he never had a clock

The mouse would call him or the cock

And if he had to leave a book

From out some dusty hidden nook

A fly, with patience and with grace

Would sit for hours and mark the place.

 © John Irvine

I very much hope that your appetites have been whetted sufficiently enough to make a visit to this breath taking place. Where a on a sunny warm day you can lose yourself in peaceful surroundings and enjoy some wonder filled dreams.

CILL DARA - KILDARE

Round Tower at St Brigid's Cathedral

We awoke on Monday morning to a bright blue, sun filled sky and I felt this was a sign to rid ourselves of the cabin fever which we had both been aware of for sometime. 

"Kildare is calling us” I said to Lady H.

"Which way shall we go ?” said Lady H.

"We will take the stress free route and take the old road towards Dublin.” 

So we did, for the old roads are a pleasure to drive on these days and relatively free of traffic for most people use the motorways.

Kildare in Irish it is Cill Dara meaning the Church of the Oak, made famous by St Brigid who had her monastery there complete with a perpetual fire which was kept burning until the 15th century.

On our arrival Lady H hopped out of the car and went off to take photos and on her return said we'd visit the Parish Church next. 

“Hang on a minute" I replied “just behind us is the Cathedral with St Brigid’s Fire pit and the round tower, it’s important that I go there first.”

The first and last time I was at the Cathedral was in 1993 when I took a few friends to visit Kildare.We spent most of our time sitting in St. Brigid's Fire Pit chatting and when we decided to leave, we found ourselves locked in after the caretaker had chained the entrance gates together. 

We tried to attract attention to our plight by shouting but to no avail.

The youngest member of the group, a lad by the name of Tolly, climbed over the gate and went to the nearby pub for help, but not until he had tried to

con us all out of money. We were not so easily fooled and understood that if he was in funds he’d be in the pub for hours whilst we’d be still behind bars! 

After twenty minutes or so the landlord came across with a tray of free drinks and passed glasses of Guinness

through the gate to us. Tolly was dismayed after being told he was underage and about thirty minutes later the key holder arrived to let us out us out.

St Brigid's Fire Pit

On arriving at the cathedral we found the building locked, not that it bothered me for I have no love for church buildings.

www.chooseireland.com/kildare/st-brigids-cathedral

Lady H was keen to move on to the Parish Church which has doors decorated with Brigid’s Crosses and bronze hands. 

I explained it was just across the hill as I’d noticed a spire as we drove into town.

Over the hill we went and arrived a large church. There were doors but no bronze hands were to be seen, however we entered, lit a candle as requested for by a friend and left. 

Lady H disappeared (again!) and I was left alone to my own devices. This time I noticed two signs one said White Abbey Church and the other Carmelite Convent 

In my mind I said ‘Whoops I have erred! This isn’t the right church at all.”

Never the less during Lady H’s absence I went for a wander as you never know what may be discovered. 

Find something I did, something that I can best describe as a breasted tree with a ring seat around the trunk

'the breasted tree'

www.carmelites.ie/whiteabbeykildare.html

Finally returning to the car Lady H produced a map and she was right, the Parish Church was elsewhere. We drove down to the correct church, parked outside

and herself took off to take photos of the bronze hands, while I contented myself with a pipe of baccy. 

Our next stop was St Brigid’s Well and I spotted the sign easily so was able to direct my driver on her return.

St. Brigid's Well is in the countryside and it is in 'Nature' where I think you can best connect to any deity and by whatever name you care to use.

SACRILEGE IN GOUGANE BARRA

St Finbarr's Church,  Gougane Barra 

(Guágán Barra)

A shameful theft has taken place of a stone altar from within the grounds of St. Finbarr's Church, Gougane Barra, which many believe may have been part of  ritual focus in pre-christian times.

St. Finbarr, an early sixth century Irish saint, is said to have had an oratory on this site and Gardaí in Co. Cork are investigating the disappearance of the pilgrim altar at the famous island church.

Divers have been searching the surrounding lake in the hope of finding the  stone, which was first noticed missing last weekend.

The slab, about four feet in length which was situated in the ground at the rear of the chapel, is known to be at least 350 years old and might have belonged to St. Finbarr.

Local historian Seán Ó Súilleabháin said the altar stone forms an integral part of the Gougane Barra pilgrimage ritual:
 "The altar stone was one of a number of stops on the 'rounds' here in Gougane Barra. Pilgrims stop at the stone and use a small stone to score the sign of the cross on the surface of the stone.

He added: "We don't know who stole it or what the motivation behind this is.
"It was a very foolish act as people around here strongly believe that bad luck will follow the person that took the stone from such a sacred site."

The altar stone was first noticed missing last weekend but it is believed it may have been taken up to three to four weeks ago.

Neil Ó Luasa, owner of the nearby Gougane Barra Hotel, said the local community is deeply upset by the removal of the sacred altar.
"The altar is a big heavy flagstone and it would take at least three men to lift it.

"We have two theories: that the stone was lifted and thrown in to the lake, or that it was carried in the opposite direction and put into the boot of a car."

Members of the Cork-based Atlantic Divers Club responded to a request from the parish priest, Fr Martin O'Driscoll, and carried out an extensive search of 

the surrounding lake yesterday evening.

"I think it's safe to say at this stage that the altar is not in the lake," 

said Mr Chambers.

Local Gardaí are investigating the theft and are asking anyone who might have witnessed suspicious or unusual behaviour at the popular tourist spot in recent weeks to contact Macroom Garda Station.

The missing stone altar

The Guágán Barra area, and indeed the whole of south Cork, south Kerry and the Dingle Peninsula, is composed of old red sandstone. 
The characteristic layering or bedding of the sedimentary rocks can be clearly seen in the high cliffs around Com Rua at the head of the Guágán Barra valley. The Lake lies in a rock basin carved out in the ice age and nowhere does it reach depths greater than 12 meters it is also the source of Cork's famous River Lee.

A JOINT BIRTHDAY

My friend Ita and I share the same birthday and often have a joint celebration, I should stress that there are several years of difference between us, however that day is the 9th of January.

The niner's at play

OUR JOINT PARTY

Started at 3pm when our friends arrived some of whom where musicians and we partied away for 12 and half hours before falling into bed. It was a brilliant time of song music and dance; the nominated photographer slipped into the joviality and the consequence is that very few pics were taken.

Musicians in session

Charles on the harmonica, Seamus on the accordion

and Colm Mac Con Iommaire on the fiddle

Sean-nós dance is an older style of traditional 

solo Irish dance and is a casual dance form. 

A SECOND PARTY

Took place on the 12th January at 3pm for those who were unable to make the one on the 9th, this one was minus musicians and it focused mainly around a Storyteller who arrived and sat in the kitchen entertaining guests by the telling his tales for most of the night, similar to the first party this one went on till gone 4 in the morning!

I have gloriously celebrated my 70th birthday and am looking forward now to my 150th !

If I had any doubts this card sure told me

The grand collection of cards

A special gift from Lucy

representing Earth, Air, Fire & Water

her web site

http://crelegra.com

Ita and I wish to thank everyone who attended both parties, because we know that some of you travelled many miles from all over the isle of Ireland to be with us; our very special thanks and appreciation go to Mrs H whose organising ability astounded us ! 

A BIT OF BACKGROUND (about me)

A wonderful event took place in Birmingham City Children’s Hospital on January 9th 1943 at approximately 0520, the timing, place and date were unique for it marked the umpteenth rebirth of Me. Little did I realise at the time that a warm welcome heralded my arrival, for evidently several resounding blasts were heard in the locality.

These were caused by the Birmingham Blitz of heavy bombing by the then enemy (9 August 1940 - 23 April 1943). Overall, about 2,000 tons of bombs were dropped on Birmingham making it the fourth most heavily bombed city in the United Kingdom. Is it any wonder then that sound of a propeller driven plane flying at night has always awakened me?

Happier events though were around the corner when hostilities ceased and chocolate, biscuits and other goodies became available and better still, we departed from ‘Brum’ in 1946 to soft and sleepy Somerset.

In a Monastery Garden

Amongst my wide variety of friends there are those who have religious vocations ; They being members of the third order of Franciscans, whose local monastery was established in 1820 with the dictate to educate and feed the people. So on a recent visit, I was inspired to take photos of some of the unique features in their garden.

As many of you may know I am a druid and a pagan, this neither stops me nor them from enjoying each others' company and from having some interesting discussions on subjects which are not always common to our individual followings. That being the case we stretch our minds to seek a common understanding.

One commonality between us is our love of nature, plants, trees, animals, ancient sites and the night sky to name but a few.

The pictures which follow speak for themselves.

A stone circle with a difference

The centre stone of the circle has a hole in it, which means that it

might be described as a contract or marriage stone.

For in ancient times: each lover would put a hand through the

hole to make their marriage vows.

What strange creatures can you see

in this ancient tree?

Not a Sun Dial but a Moon Dial.

The face of the Moon dial, a device that was created

by one of the monks many years ago.

This large iron pot is believed to have been a cauldron

in which gruel or stew was cooked during the famine times.

A modern waterfall feature using

recycled wine bottles !