Mailin Head, the most northerly point of Ireland

Tags

Celtic Cross at Clonca, Clonca, cottages, Donegal, dreams, Inishowen 100, Ireland, Malin Head, photography, thoughts

Since I’ve been back from Donegal I have been busy getting things together for my trip to Germany next week. My day-to-day life has been a little hectic and I have had no chance to think, imagine or dream.

But on Tuesday I was still up in Donegal and my friend and I decided to take a road trip up to Malin Head on the Inishowen peninsula, the most northerly point of Ireland.

With the weather not being able to make up it’s mind we packed rain gear, hiking boots and a pick-nick. We opted to take the scenic route and drove the ‘Inishowen 100’, a curvy windy road through hill, mountains, past sheep , tumbling valleys and lots and lots of picturesque cottages.

The closer we got to the tip of Ireland the more we felt the need to buy our very own cottage, not that either of us have the cash to do so, but the scenery invites to dream.

Maybe these photos will inspire you a little too:

Mailin Head, the most northerly point of Ireland

names written in stone

crashing waves of the Atlantic

horizon in the distance

lighthouse out at sea

left over from the wind

a cluster of cottages

an Irish donkey and friend

waiting for a pick-nick

a little farm

dangerous area, a sign at Five Finger Strand

Five Finger Strand boasts the highest sand dunes in Europe

a happy seagull

blue water and lots of sand at the Five Finger Strand

sand dunes at Five Finger Strand

ready to seed

the old church at Clonca (near Cardonagh)

window with a view

climbing snail

celtic cross at Clonca

baby fern

tumble down cottage, a bit of a fixer-upper but maybe affordable

window plant

already broken, now just enter?

a window with a view

a broken chimney

left to rust

rotting away

bad luck?

Back from Donegal

Tags

Carrickabraghy Castle, Donagh Famine Village, Donegal, Famine Village, Ireland, North Atlantic Coast, photography

After spending a few days way up in the North of Ireland I came back from Donegal yesterday, tired but with lots of lovely memories and a camera filled with photos.

I stayed in a town called Cardonagh, close to the most northerly point of Ireland, on the Inishowen peninsula . Donegal is stunningly beautiful, very green and due to it’s isolation to the rest of the Republic of Ireland it has a very distinct cultural identity. As the people of Donegal say themselves: “Up here it’s different”.

As always in Ireland the weather was wet, sunny, windy, stormy, hot and humid one after the other and at times all rolled up into one changeable day. But when you are in good company and have lots to see the weather becomes secondary.

On Monday my friend and I went to the Donagh Famine Village and Carrickabraghy Castle (also known as the Castles), right up at the north Atlantic coast.Here are a few of the many photos I took:

Canny’s Cottage, this little home was built for a Hermite by the people of Inishowen so he wouldn’t have to live in a cave

Doagh Strand

Doagh Strand

for visitors only

green lighting in a ramshackled toilet

Doagh Famine Village, the tour guide lived in this house until 1984

thatched roof

the ceiling inside

hanging from the rafters

a swallows nest

take a seat (green and yellow are the Donegal colours)

cottage rose

hand woven basket

making the door fit

a cup of tea

pebble beach

for the brave

Carrickabraghey Castle, or the Castles as it is known locally

the Atlantic

build on rock (carrick)

an Inishowen Chicken

growing inside

some rusty nails

working farm

wonder if Queen Elizabeth knows about this

 

 

getting ready to go

Tags

Clonmany, Donegal, festival, Ireland, quotes, travel, trips

I’m off to Donegal tomorrow, right all the way up  to the top of Ireland, the most north-westerly part of the island. A friend of mine has invited me up to spend a few nights in beautiful Ulster in a tiny town called Clonmany.

But before I head up to it’s yearly family festival and spend a few days looking at vintage tractors, exploring the hills, finding treasure and maybe even screaming on some funfair rides, I have a lot to do.

I need to figure out what clothes will be suitable for a “country and western style” festival, and since I don’t own a stetson or cowboy boots I may need to stick with chewing some grass and saying ‘yea-haw’. I need to charge my camera (very important), buy some provisions, harvest some veg at the community garden, put on  a wash and just do all those little things that need to be done.

And when I get back Tuesday or Wednesday I need to start getting ready to go to Germany the following week. Things to buy (family orders), people to notify, book train tickets etc.

Somehow “getting ready to go” is taking up nearly as much time as the “going” itself, so I better start and get going.

You can spend your life planning. But once you’re ready, get out there and start doing it.