​So, my last blog was on our visit to Carton House in April for Charlie’s birthday.  Well, we loved it so much that Charlie gifted me a 2-night stay for my 60th birthday…..and this weekend we again went with Benji to indulge in another memorable stay.

​As I mentioned before, this 5-star hotel, less than a half hour from Dublin, is set in 1,100 private acres of sweeping parkland and ancient woodlands and lakes beside the meandering River Rye with the gorgeous country mansion at its heart. Once the ancestral home of the Earls of Kildare and the Dukes of Leinster for over 700 years, this walled estate is located close to Maynooth in County Kildare. No shortage of walks for Benji and us to explore! 😊He was looking especially spiffy as he was fresh from his hard-working groomer Louise.

​Carton House has 169 bedrooms, 18 of which are in The House, the 18th century Palladian style mansion. Our room was a dog-friendly room on the ground-floor of the gorgeous more modern Garden Wing, No. 17.  It was branded as a “Fairmont Garden Terrace King” and we had access to a lovely patio area which was great for Benji. Although the wet weather wasn’t conducive to sitting outside this time, it was still so handy for Benji’s pee breaks.  

The room was immaculate and you would be hard-pressed to find fault with a single thing.  A nice touch was a fruit bowl, chocolates and home-made lemonade laid out for us!  Benji had two requested bowls for him.  The room had everything you would need for a comfortable stay (comfy bed with plush linen, air conditioning, in room entertainment system with huge LCD TV, USB charging points beside the bed and lots of free sockets elsewhere in the room, hairdryer / iron & ironing board, In-room tea/ coffee/ espresso making facilities, bottled water in a small fridge, laptop sized safe, complimentary Wi-Fi, 24-hour guest & in-room service.).  The bathroom had a separate shower and bath and complimentary soaps, lotions etc.
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As soon as we walked through the hotel door we were welcomed back.  As before, Benji enjoyed the adulation and was offered doggy treats by the concierge. Check-in was warm, friendly and efficiently.  We were offered help with our bags.  

We were immediately struck by how gorgeous the Christmas decorations and lights were.  Every single reception room had at least one fabulous tree.  We headed outside to walk the immaculate grounds and see the outside trees and decorations.  As it was a Friday afternoon, there were a number of golfers on the courses.  Many walkers with doggies on leads and several runners and joggers.

For us the highlight inside the hotel was the staff – every single one without exception was great.  But the highlights outside were the amazing gardens and walks.  It was so peaceful with loads of paved walkways to explore amongst the huge ancient trees.  And easily accessible for someone like me with limited mobility.
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We were feeling peckish after our walk in the fresh air and headed in to have a delicious ham, turkey and cheese toastie with festive cranberry sauce just down from Reception in the Courtyard Bar.

After exploring the hotel facilities for the rest of the evening, we got ready for dinner in The Carriage House with Benji.  This can be accessed through the Hotel and then across the Courtyard.  We were given a lovely private table with a great view of the gardens.  The service from Ted our waiter was attentive and friendly.  They even sang Happy Birthday to me when presenting dessert. OK so it was over two months ago …. but I’m still celebrating!! 😊
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The food and drinks were scrumptious.  I had the Kilmore Quay fish and chips – tempura battered haddock with minted mushy peas, chunky chips, lemon and tartare sauce followed by bread and butter crème brûlée with clementine and vanilla ice-cream.  I also sampled a mojito and a glass of rioja.  Benji of course loved all the attention.

For breakfast both mornings, it was served this time as a buffet in the Carriage House.  I’m afraid I’m not a fan of buffet as I have difficulty balancing a plate, serving tongs and stick.  Table service was limited it seemed to omelettes and eggs so I had fried eggs which came with a tiny slice of sour dough toast – a bit disappointing …but the coffee was really good.
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​We had a really relaxing day.  Lovely to be indoors from the wind and rain.  Dinner on that Saturday evening was in a table reserved for us outside Kathleen’s Kitchen.  Our server Rebecca was excellent.  This meal was probably the highlight of the stay for me.  I started with a Northern Cardinal cocktail (casamigos blanco tequila, italicus, amaro cocchi, citric solution and demerara syrup).  Yummy! I had starter of paté with brioche toast and main of chicken supreme with potato gnocchi, peas, tomatoes in a chicken and butter emulsion…..with a side of mash.  Really scrumptious!  Followed by apple and pear bakewell tart with cinnamon anglaise, apple crisp and vanilla ice-cream.  All washed down with a sauvignon blanc.

​So, we had a wonderful pre-Christmas treat.  Benji had a wonderful time.  If we charged a euro for everyone who patted him on the head, said he was cute or gave him a belly rub, we could have paid for the weekend stay!!  😂Looking forward to returning! 🐶🐕❤️

​So, last week mid-week, Benji and I celebrated Charlie’s birthday with him by indulging in a memorable stay at Carton House…another one of those smashing hotels a handy half hour from Dublin.  Charlie and I both had been there with the ISE on training sessions/ away days about 20 years ago but hadn’t been back in a while.

​This 5-star hotel is set in 1,100 private acres of sweeping parkland and ancient woodlands and lakes beside the meandering River Rye with the gorgeous country mansion at its heart. Once the ancestral home of the Earls of Kildare and the Dukes of Leinster for over 700 years, this walled estate is located close to Maynooth in County Kildare. The original estate was 70,000 acres!!  So, there was no shortage of places for Benji to run around and go on sniffari! 😊

In the 2000s, much of the demesne was redeveloped into two golf courses and the house was reimagined as a hotel complex.  It is now a Fairmont managed resort.   It has been really sympathetically converted and nowadays hosts a wealth of resort activities from cycle or walking trails to tennis, falconry and fishing.
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Carton House has 169 bedrooms, 18 of which are in The House, the 18th century Palladian style mansion. Our room was a dog-friendly room on the ground-floor of the gorgeous more modern Garden Wing, No. 15.  It was branded as a “Fairmont Garden Terrace King” and we had access to a lovely patio area which was great for Benji.  We sat outside there a lot as we were blessed with glorious blue skies for the duration of our stay.  

​The room was immaculate and you would be hard-pressed to find fault with a single thing.  A nice touch was a small Happy Birthday plate laid out for Charlie!  The room had everything you would need for a comfortable stay (comfy bed with plush linen, air conditioning, in room entertainment system with huge LCD TV, USB charging points beside the bed and lots of free sockets elsewhere in the room, hairdryer / iron & ironing board, In room tea/ coffee/ espresso making facilities, bottled water in a small fridge, laptop sized safe, complimentary Wi-Fi, 24-hour guest & in-room service.).  The bathroom had a separate shower and bath and complimentary soaps, lotions etc.

​As soon as we walked through the hotel door we felt welcomed.  Benji was offered doggy treats by the concierge. Check-in was warm, friendly and efficiently done by Sinead.  We were offered help with our bags.  Benji was supplied with a doggy bed (which he sniffed at happily), water and food bowls laid out and a pack of doggy treats ready for him.  A lot of hotels say they are dog friendly but Carton House really is.

​For us the highlight inside the hotel was the staff – every single one without exception was great.  But the highlight outside were the amazing gardens and walks.  It was so peaceful with birds singing and loads of paved walkways to explore amongst the huge ancient trees.  We only scratched the surface of the grounds but the tiny bit we saw was beautifully laid out.  And easily accessible for someone like me with limited mobility.

​The Carton House Spa & Wellness centre features an 18-metre swimming pool, Jacuzzi and gymnasium…but we didn’t visit this time. Of course, if you are a golfer (which I’m not), there are 2 championship eighteen-hole golf courses designed by Colin Montgomerie and Mark O’Meara.
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In the hotel there are 3 completely unique eateries - Kathleen's Kitchen (just off Reception & the Courtyard Bar) where we had our breakfast with Benji, The Morrison Room (the Michelin starred fine-dining restaurant, off limits with a doggy understandably) and The Carriage House, where we ate dinner with Benji.  

​So, after our walk in the grounds, we got ready for dinner in The Carriage House.  This can be accessed through the Hotel and then across the Courtyard….but the evening was so glorious, we made the short walk across the grounds in front of the hotel with Benji.  We were given a lovely private table with a great view of the gardens.  The service from the wait staff was attentive and friendly. 
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The food and drinks were scrumptious.  I had the steak frites followed by a rhubarb cheesecake.  I also sampled the pornstar martinis and a glass of merlot.  The staff came and sang Happy Birthday to Charlie!!  A lovely relaxed experience.  Even Benji was offered a bowl of water and treats and of course loved all the attention.

​For breakfast in the morning, we sat outside Kathleen’s Kitchen in the bar area as we had Benji in tow.  The staff were friendly and efficient and we didn’t have to wait long for our “Full Irish” with tea and OJ.

​We left Carton House totally relaxed.    We plan to go back soon! We haven’t told Benji yet! 🐶🐕❤️

​So, last weekend, Charlie and I accompanied Benji when he stayed in Barberstown Castle in Straffan, Co. Kildare…a handy half hour from Dublin.  OK, so it was really a Valentine’s treat for me and Charlie.  But try telling that to Benji…..who revelled in the plush surroundings and lapped up all the attention from hotel staff and guests alike.  We were reminded that his breed of shih-tzu were bred for Chinese Royalty during the Ming Dynasty.  As he strutted his stuff around the hotel, with his head and tail in the air, he was in his element.  As if to say “my people look at me, I’m here, you may approach, prostrate yourselves and pat me on the head!” 🐶

​This was a return stay for both me and Charlie, as we had both been there at our ISE Christmas Party 17 years ago.  But we were surprised at how little we remembered of the hotel!  😂  It obviously was a very good party.  Anyway, this weekend we wanted to go somewhere with Benji and Barberstown Castle is one of a large number of nice Irish hotels that are catering for doggie guests.

As you can see from the first photo above, the Castle part of the hotel is to the right of the entrance with the more modern bedroom wing to the left.  The décor is ornate and chintzy which is in keeping with the olde-worlde theme.  The Castle portion dates from the late 13th Century, and has sat in the Kildare landscape for nearly 740 years! Built in 1288, by Nicholas Barby (who gives his name to the castle) Barberstown Castle, sits in rich fertile plains.
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The Castle walls were built originally for defence, when Barberstown played an important role in defending the so-called ‘Pale’ from attack. This area, the ‘Pale’, was a series of castles and fortifications which encircled the city of Dublin ensuring that native Irish clans could not attack the seat of English rule in Ireland. I was amused to learn that for the first two centuries after it was built, Barberstown was regularly attacked by the Ui Faolain tribes and other ‘native Irish’ clans.  My name Phelan is derived from Faolain in the Irish language so I suspect some of my ancient ancestors may have been doing some of the attacking!  Anyway, the hotel could rest assured I was not going to cause any trouble on this visit!

Opening as a country house hotel in 1971, Barberstown Castle is now a 55-bedroom Fáilte Ireland approved 4 Star Hotel and a member of Ireland's Blue Book of properties and Historic Hotels of Europe.  The castle has been home to agricultural innovators, horse breeders, decorated veterans of war, members of the British House of Parliament and celebrity musicians, among them Eric Clapton CBE who purchased the property in 1979, to name but a few of the more illustrious of the 37 owners of the castle. 

We had booked a dog-friendly room and opted to eat all meals in the Garden Bar on a table d’hote menu basis …. where Benji would also be allowed …..instead of the fancier Barton Rooms.  On check-in, we were given the doggy rules to sign which was all reasonable stuff.  We were offered a bed for Benji but Charlie had packed his own from home, along with his food/water bowls and favourite toys, food and treats.  This would be his 3rd hotel stay.
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We were helped with our bags and shown to our ground floor room by a lovely woman.  (From the moment we stepped through the doors of the hotel we felt looked after by the attentive staff at every turn).  I was a bit surprised that our dog-friendly room (No. 40) was at the very end of a long, carpeted corridor.  The deluxe category room also has a pale yellow carpet with no door to the outside.  I was hoping against hope that Benji wouldn’t “cock his leg”….. especially if he picked up the scent of another dog.  Luckily, he was on his best behaviour and didn’t let us down. 🐕🐶

The price of a stay for a doggie is €25, remarkably cheaper than a kennel booking.  The room itself was very spacious.  It felt good to be indoors out of the bitter cold….it was lovely and toasty.  We were very happy with the accommodation.  If I had to be nit-picky, I would like usb ports near the bed, a blue tooth speaker and a bigger TV.  The bathroom didn’t have a walk-in shower which didn’t suit us either…but hey-ho!
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A very nice man from reception accompanied us to the gardens when I asked about the best place to walk his nibs.  He showed us the route to take and was very helpful.  The grounds are pristine even in bleak winter weather but as the rain had stopped it was perfect for a wander before dinner which is what we did.  There were interesting sculptures dotted here and there.  And lots of snowdrops heralding spring.  I’d say the gardens look spectacular in summer when the hedges have greened up.

So, after our walk, we got ready for dinner in the Garden Bar.   It’s casual dining open every day and set in the Moroccan-inspired décor with brass tea tables and geometric lanterns.  The mood was warm and welcoming, and in contrast to the grey clouds of the Irish winter outside, it worked!  Our fixed menu offered us a choice of 4 starters, 4 mains and 3 desserts/ cheese board.  The food was A-mazing and became the highlight of the visit.  Even Benji got a big bowl of water.

Over our stay, we had the delicious pork croquette, chicken wings, wild mushroom linguini and pan-fried salmon.  I’m the dessert person, so I tried the pear & almond tart ….and passion parfait.  All the food was piping hot and tasty and the service from the girls on both nights was attentive and friendly.  I also had a couple of cocktails…the stairway to heaven….and the pornstar martini …. And the latter was one of the best I’ve tasted.

The first morning, we headed down to breakfast in the Garden Bar as agreed.  However, the place was almost empty and we were told that breakfast is served in the fine-dining restaurant located in a part of the castle built in the 18th century. Having explained that Benji was with us and he wouldn’t be allowed in fine dining, the very gracious lady went and retrieved menus for us, took our orders and promptly delivered delicious Eggs Benedict, OJ, tea and toast without any fuss.  It was so tasty!  The second morning we had room service breakfast = the Full Irish with juice and tea.

We had a lazy day strolling in the gardens, having coffee in the bar and driving into nearby Straffan for snacks.  Benji loved running around outside on his toilet breaks and lapped up the constant pampering.  There were lots of places to relax and there were books to borrow from the shelves in the bedroom corridors.

We had thought about popping down to the shopping outlets at Kildare Village, or the Japanese Gardens or the National Stud.  But to be honest, we were so comfy, we just stayed put and lazed around. 
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We left Barberstown Castle refreshed and relaxed.  Benji said it all when he didn’t want to get back in the car.  We will be back! 

​At this time of year, lots of worthy charities are vying to raise much-needed funds.  One charity I like to support is The Irish Cancer Society.  It is the national charity in the Republic of Ireland dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem, and improving the lives of those who have cancer. 

​You can buy Christmas Cards to support them and their website has lots of gift ideas e.g. tote bags, teddy bears, tea towels, tree decorations, backpacks, dog bandanas, dad socks, water bottles.   I’ve bought several down through the years and they are always good quality.

​The Society was founded on October 10, 1963, as Conquer Cancer Campaign, by Austin Darragh, a general practitioner, and is 94% financed by voluntary contributions from the public.  It is the largest voluntary funder of cancer research in Ireland.  The four strategic goals of the Society involve improving the lives of those affected by cancer, reducing the risk of cancer, influencing public policy on cancer and leading collaborative research.

​In the area of education, the Society provides educational bursaries to nurses who undertake the Higher Diploma in cancer and Palliative Care Nursing.  The Irish Cancer Society is also committed to the continuing education of non-specialised nurses caring for cancer patients through a five-day educational programme which is intended as an introduction to the concept of cancer nursing.

​The largest single fund-raising activity of the Irish Cancer Society is the annual Daffodil Day each spring.  It is responsible for 20% of all Society income.  The first Daffodil Day in Ireland was held in 1988 and was led by President of the Irish Cancer Society, Professor Austin Darragh and the CEO, Tom Hudson.  Charles Cully had been President of the Society from 1984 to 1987 and he was inspired by the Canadian Daffodil Day.  Daffodil Day has been held in Ireland every year since and it has become a major annual event.

​The money raised by the Irish Cancer Society is spent on research, providing information, support and services, increasing cancer awareness, keeping cancer at the top of the Government agenda and funding fundraising events, and providing:

• A free National Cancer Helpline with a team of specialist cancer nurses offer support and advice
• Free home-care nursing service
• Night Nursing for families who are nursing a seriously ill relative with cancer at home
• Hospital based cancer liaison nurses
• Child psychology and play therapy services
• Cancer Nurse Education

This Christmas 2024, it is special to see Night Nurse, Hilary Neville, wife of my 2nd cousin, as the face of this year's Irish Cancer Society "Gift a Night Nurse" Christmas Appeal.
https://www.cancer.ie/ways-to-help/fundraise/christmas
Hilary has done amazing work as a Night Nurse for the last 27 years!  She ensures that cancer patients are pain-free and offers reassurance that end-of-life symptoms are controlled and managed. This allows family members and carers to get some sleep and emotional support at a hugely difficult time.  Super well done to Hilary...we are all so proud of her!!
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So, if you are looking for Christmas gift ideas still, maybe give the Irish Cancer Society a go! ❤️

I was saddened to hear that Rod Stewart has announced he is to end "large-scale world tours" next year, but thankfully he brushed off retirement plans.  So, with a bit of luck, we may still see him in Ireland for years to come.  The British star, who will celebrate his 80th birthday in January, confirmed his 2025 European and North American tour dates will be his last major projects.   The 

​singer-songwriter confirmed he is looking to perform at more intimate venues for his next tour slated for 2026, following the release of album Swing Fever with Jools Holland earlier this year.
"This will be the end of large-scale world tours for me, but I have no desire to retire," Stewart wrote in a statement on Instagram.
"I love what I do, and I do what I love.
"I’m fit, have a full head of hair, and can run 100 metres in 18 seconds at the jolly old age of 79.
"I’d like to move onto a Great American Songbook, Swing Fever tour the year after next – smaller venues and more intimacy.
"But then again, I may not…"

Rod is an amazing performer.  Charlie and I had the pleasure of seeing Rod at the 3Arena in Dublin on 19 Nov 2016.  Hard to believe it was 8 years ago!  A lot of water under O’Connell Bridge since then.

From Gasoline Alley to Another Country: Hits 2016 was the name of his concert tour that year.  “Gasoline Alley” was released by Rod in 1970 and this particular tour was in support of his twenty-ninth studio album Another Country! 
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The tour began on 7 November 2016, in Prague, Czech Republic at the O2 Arena and continued throughout Europe, the United Kingdom and Ireland before concluding on 16 December 2016, in Glasgow, Scotland at the SSE Hydro Arena.   I believe there were 20 shows planned but after Dublin he had to postpone a few as his voice gave out 😂.

​He gave it his all in Dublin and was absolutely brilliant.  As well as some of his newer stuff, he belted out Rod classics such as “Maggie May”, “You Wear It Well”, “Sailing”, “The First Cut is The Deepest” and my favourite, “I Don’t Want To Talk About It" (which I captured on a shaky video).  Thanks, Rod!  Hope to see you live again one day! ❤️

Click to see my Facebook Video Here

Bucket List Items Ticked Off in the above Blog 144
​Number 25 - Entertainment/Sporting Event - Be in the audience of a memorable show

• Rod Stewart - From Gasoline Alley to Another Country: Hits 2016 - 3Arena - 19 Nov 2016

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​Other Blog Posts
Blog 11 - Sydney, Australia
Blog 12 - Hong Kong, China
Blog 17 - Beijing, Xi'an & Shanghai, China
Blog 19 - California, USA
Blog 27 - Scotland
Blog 28 - Barbados
Blog 29 - Canada
Blog 30 - Alaska
Blog 31 - Everglades, Florida

If you liked this post, please share.  Sharing is caring 😊

​I’d hazard a guess that there wasn’t a home in Carrick in the 1970s that didn’t have one of these homemade nail pictures!  We definitely had.  I remember making very like this one in 5th class in the Presentation Convent in 1976! 

​We had Sister Bernadette that year and she did a lot of arts and crafts with us … embroidery, knitting, crochet, painting as well as the nail pictures.  We were in the upstairs classroom “up the garden” that could be seen through the gates from New Street.  It had a covered outside metal staircase that brought you up from the yard below to the classroom door.  It was fairly noisy with a clatter of 11-year-old girls running up and down them all day.  Mostly we preferred to be running down them and out the gate on our way home for the day.  But we all loved going to class when arts and crafts were on that day.

​Back in the day we had to gather the individual materials – tracing paper to set out the pattern , 1 inch nails, a piece of chipboard thick enough to hold the nails (I think I got mine from Nolan’s builders yard), a screw-in hanging hook, black serge material thumb-tacked on the board, three colours of embroidery thread (bought from the lovely Mrs. Glascott on the Main Street), finishing metallic thread for a bit of bling….and some of my mother’s nail varnish to finish off the nail heads.  I was amazed to find that these days you can buy ready-made kits on Amazon with all of the bits and bobs needed.

Because we were only 11 years old, the pictures we did were fairly straight-forward.  I remember doing a tear-drop with white, yellow and orange thread layers topped off with gold metallic thread.  Some of the other girls did star-bursts.  Nowadays, the kits on Amazon are of all sorts….just search under “string art kit”!
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We started by covering the board with the material tacking it down at the back with thumb tacks.  Then we taped the paper pattern with each of the nail placings marked with a dot.  Then we hammered in the nails halfway, into every dot around the pattern, leaving enough nail to wrap 4 layers of thread.  We then started wrapping the first layer of thread around the nails following a pattern e.g. 1 to 9, 2 to 10 etc ………being careful to tie the thread on the first and last nail.  Each layer was slightly different numbers so that it ended up in a 3-D effect.  When finished threading we tore away the pattern.  We finished off by putting nail varnish on the nail heads and screwing in a hanging hook.

​It was a great way to teach kids their numbers, how to follow instructions and a bit of manual dexterity.  And you ended up with a Christmas present to give your Mammy!! ❤️

I was browsing through Prime Video looking for a film to watch this holiday weekend when I saw that The Shawshank Redemption is coming again soon.  This film comes from 1994 but is always worth a re-watch.  In some ways it’s hard to believe it’s 30 years old!!

If for some mad reason you’ve never seen it, it’s based on the 1982 Stephen King novella Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption. The film tells the story of banker Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins), who is sentenced to life in 1947 in Shawshank State Penitentiary for the murders of his wife and her lover, despite his claims of innocence. Over the following two decades, he befriends a fellow prisoner, contraband smuggler Ellis "Red" Redding (Morgan Freeman). Red procures a rock

hammer and a large poster of Rita Hayworth for Andy. Assigned to work in the prison laundry, Andy is frequently raped by "the Sisters" prison gang and their leader, Bogs Diamond.
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In 1949, Andy overhears the captain of the guards, Byron Hadley, complaining about being taxed on an inheritance and offers to help him shelter the money legally. After the Sisters beat Andy to near-death, Hadley beats and cripples Bogs, who is subsequently transferred to a minimum security hospital; Andy is not attacked again. Warden Samuel Norton meets Andy and reassigns him to the decrepit prison library to assist elderly inmate Brooks Hatlen, a front to use Andy's financial expertise to manage financial matters for other prison staff and the warden himself. Andy begins writing weekly letters to the state legislature requesting funds to improve the library.

​Brooks is paroled in 1954 after serving 50 years, but cannot adjust to the outside world and eventually hangs himself. The legislature sends a library donation that includes a recording of The Marriage of Figaro; Andy plays an excerpt over the public address system and is punished with solitary confinement. After his release from solitary, Andy explains to a dismissive Red that hope is what gets him through his sentence. In 1963, Norton begins exploiting prison labour for public works, profiting by undercutting skilled labour costs and receiving bribes. Andy launders the money using the alias "Randall Stephens."

​In 1965, Andy and Red befriend Tommy Williams, a young prisoner incarcerated for burglary. A year later, Andy helps him pass his General Educational Development (GED) exam. Tommy reveals to Red and Andy that his cellmate at another prison had claimed responsibility for the murders for which Andy was convicted. Andy brings the information to Norton, who does not want to know. When Andy mentions the money laundering, Norton sends him to solitary confinement and has Hadley fatally shoot Tommy under the guise of an escape attempt. After Andy refuses to continue the money laundering, Norton threatens to destroy the library, remove Andy's protection by the guards, and move him to worse conditions.

Andy is released from solitary confinement after two months and tells a sceptical Red that he dreams of living in Zihuatanejo, a Mexican town on the Pacific coast. He asks Red to promise, once he is released, to travel to a specific hayfield near Buxton and recover a package that Andy buried there. Red worries about Andy's mental well-being, especially when he learns he had asked a fellow inmate for a rope. At the next day's roll call, the guards find Andy's cell empty. An irate Norton throws a rock at the poster hanging on the cell wall, and finds behind it a tunnel that Andy had dug with his rock hammer over nearly two decades.

​The previous night, he had used the rope to escape through the tunnel and prison sewage pipe, taking Norton's suit, shoes, and ledger, containing evidence of the money laundering and corruption at Shawshank. While guards search for him, Andy poses as Randall Stephens and withdraws over $370,000 of the laundered money from several banks, and mails the ledger to a local newspaper. State police arrive at Shawshank and take Hadley into custody, while Norton commits suicide to avoid arrest.

​The following year, Red is paroled after serving 40 years but struggles to adapt to life outside prison and fears that he never will. Remembering his promise to Andy, he visits Buxton and finds a cache containing money and a letter inviting him to come to Zihuatanejo. Red violates his parole by traveling to Fort Hancock, Texas and crossing the border into Mexico, admitting that he finally feels hope. He finds Andy on a Zihuatanejo beach, and the reunited friends happily embrace.

​While The Shawshank Redemption received critical acclaim upon its release—particularly for its story, the performances of Robbins and Freeman, Thomas Newman's music score, Darabont's direction and screenplay and Roger Deakins' cinematography—the film was a box-office disappointment, earning only $16 million during its initial theatrical run. Many reasons were cited for its failure at the time, including competition from the films Pulp Fiction and Forrest Gump, the general unpopularity of prison films, its lack of female characters, and even the title, which was considered confusing for audiences. It went on to receive multiple award nominations, including seven Academy Award nominations, and a theatrical re-release that, combined with international takings, increased the film's box-office gross to $73.3 million.

Decades after its release, the film is still broadcast regularly, and is popular in several countries, with audience members and celebrities citing it as a source of inspiration or naming it a favourite in various surveys, leading to its recognition as one of the most "beloved" films ever made. In 2015, the United States Library of Congress selected the film for preservation in the National Film Registry, finding it "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".
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Although nearly three hours long, this film gets you thinking, feeling, following stories, finding yourself taking sides, questioning people and motives. The story, the characters, the simple fact that life goes by so fast and the world moves on without you... It's not about prison, it's about everything else.  ❤️

The Dean – This week I have my childhood friend Catherine visiting from Oregon.  As a treat, we travelled 1st class by train from Dublin to The Dean Hotel in Cork last Sunday. The Dean is ideally situated just beside Kent Train Station within walking distance of everything.

Check in to our twin room was not until 4pm but the bar at reception served cocktails so no worries.  After a quick check in our room on the 3rd floor was soon ready.  The guys at reception were friendly and helpful.

Similar to my recent stay in the Glasson Lakehouse, a sister hotel, the room had a Smeg fridge, munchies to buy, a retro turntable and records and a Marshall Bluetooth speaker.  The room was a good bit smaller though.

Dinner on Sunday night was very tasty in Sophie's on the 6th floor with a great view of Cork.  I had the pork chop/ pork belly combo, Catherine had linguine and we both had delicious panna cotta desserts, all included in our package.  Our waiter from Hungary was super attentive.  A very nice experience.

Breakfast on Monday morning in Sophie's was also delicious….I had the Eggs Benedict.  We enjoyed the food while taking in the great view of Cork.  We had a little time to chill before we headed for the nearby bus station.  I’m looking forward to returning already!!

The Field is a 1990 Irish drama film written and directed by Jim Sheridan and starring Richard Harris, John Hurt, Sean Bean, Brenda Fricker and Tom Berenger. It is one of my favourite films as I believe the acting of Richard Harris and the others was brilliant and absorbing. It was adapted from John B. Keane's 1965 play of the same name. The film is set in the early 1930s and was shot almost entirely in the Connemara village of Leenaun, a beautiful part of Ireland.

Of course, everything is exaggerated for dramatic effect, but there’s no denying that the hunger for land is and was very real in the Irish psyche.  Several years later, when I first started going out with Charlie, a city guy, I remember he joking to people in Carrick on his first visit that he was not after their land.  Which was a good thing, as the only land my father had was the back garden where he grew a few spuds! ❤️
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Anyway, all these years later The Field is still up there with the best and that is what I’ve done this week’s blog on.  Enjoy ❤️

​Plot
Bull McCabe, an Irish farmer, dumps a dead donkey in a lake. It transpires that McCabe's son, Tadhg, killed the donkey after discovering it had broken into the field the family has rented for generations. The donkey's owner blames Bull McCabe for the death and demands "blood money".
McCabe has a deep attachment to the rented field, which his family has cultivated and improved, from barren to now very productive, over a number of generations. The field's owner is a widow who, around the time of the 10th anniversary of the death of her husband, decides to sell the field. She decides to sell the field by public auction rather than to McCabe directly. Unbeknownst to McCabe, Tadhg has been harassing the widow for years, causing her to believe that McCabe is behind the harassment in order to force her into a sale. On hearing there will be an auction McCabe goes to the village pub and announces that nobody would dare bid against him for "his" field.

​McCabe has constant doubts about Tadhg's ability to safeguard the field. His older son, Seamie, committed suicide when he was 13. McCabe blames himself for the death, as he told Seamie the field could only support one family, and that Tadhg would have to emigrate when he grew up. McCabe and his wife have not spoken in the 18 years since the death.

​Peter, an American whose ancestors are from the area, arrives in the village. He has plans to build a hydro-electric plant in the area and quarry stone for new roads. Central to his plans is McCabe's field. At the auction Peter repeatedly out-bids McCabe, forcing the price up to 80 pounds, 30 pounds more than what McCabe can afford. Seeing the bidding war the widow stops the auction and insists there would be a new auction, with a reserve price of 100 pounds. Knowing he cannot outbid Peter and seeing his cattle thrown off the field, McCabe goes to the rectory to confront Peter, and the parish priest who has been supporting him. McCabe now discovers Tadhg's actions, expelling him from the meeting, and goes on to explain his deep attachment to the field. This includes the death of his mother while saving hay.

​Peter refuses to back down from his plans. In a desperate last attempt McCabe and Tadhg confront Peter at a waterfall he has just purchased, the night before the second auction. When Tadhg fails to defeat Peter in a fight, McCabe himself intervenes and beats both men in a rage. Peter is killed, and upon realising this, McCabe has a mental break. He confuses Peter with his dead son Seamie. Tadhg flees to the Traveller girl he has fallen for. He tells her he has killed Peter, and they make plans to run off together. Bird O'Donnell bids on behalf of McCabe and secures the field for 101 pounds at the second auction, unopposed.

​A Traveller boy spots the dead donkey floating in the lake and a crane is brought in to recover it. It inadvertently recovers the corpse of Peter. At the same time Tadhg comes home to tell his father he is leaving with the Traveller and says he never wanted the field. The Parish priest arrives to confront McCabe about the discovery of Peter. Having lost his son and with the corpse discovered, McCabe goes insane and herds his cattle to the cliffs. Bird informs Tadhg that his father has gone mad. Tadhg rushes to stop his father but gets driven over the cliff by the herd of cattle and killed. Further maddened with grief, McCabe attempts to drive the waves back from his dead son, while Tadhg's mother and the Traveller sob on the clifftop.

Cast
 
·       Richard Harris as 'Bull' McCabe
·       Sean Bean as Tadhg McCabe
·       Tom Berenger as Peter - The 'Yank' American
·       Frances Tomelty as Widow
·       Brenda Fricker as Maggie McCabe
·       John Hurt as 'The Bird' O'Donnell
·       Ruth McCabe as Tinker Woman
·       Jer O'Leary as Tinker Girl's Father
·       Jenny Conroy as Katie - The Tinker Girl
·       Joan Sheehy as 2nd Tinker Woman
·       Sean McGinley as Father Chris Doran
·       Malachy McCourt as Sergeant
·       Frank McDonald as Quarryman
·       Brendan Gleeson as Quarryman
·       Tommy Walsh as standby extra

​One of the things I remember well from my childhood was the excitement of getting a new comic.  My mother Peggy sometimes shopped at the newsagents “down at the Bridge”, O’Donnell’s, and If I had been extra “good”, or there was money to spare, I would be treated to a comic.  It wasn’t every week mind you.  Those weeks when I wasn’t getting one, I could only look wistfully at that week’s new comic sitting on the shelf in O’Donnell’s and imagine what the stories would be.

​Most of the comics in the 70’s came to Ireland from Britain and a lot were published by the same publishing firm D. C. Thompson & Co. Ltd.  I remember the one that I loved the most at age 7 to 8 was Twinkle, "the picture paper specially for little girls," (the famous tagline).   It came out weekly, supplemented each year with a Summer Special and a hardcover Annual (the first annual was dated 1970).

​The comics were introduced by Twinkle herself and featured comic strips, dress-up dolls, a Twinkle Club letters page, and, often, puzzles. Among the most popular comic strips were Nurse Nancy (a nurse in a hospital for broken dolls), Jenny Wren, Witch Winkle, Polly's Magic Paintbox, Goldilocks and Her Three Bears, My Baby Brother, The Three Pennys, Patsy Panda, Patty Pickle, Sally Sweet, Molly and her Dollies (which I particularly loved for obvious reasons, being a Molly 😊) and Dandy Lion.

​The thing I really loved about Twinkle was that there was often a “free gift” included, often a piece of cheap plastic jewelry or a hair slide.  I treasured those little trinkets.  I’d hazard a guess there’s probably a beaded necklace or bracelet knocking around in a drawer somewhere in my family home still! 😂

After Twinkle was outgrown, I remember graduating to Bunty (another comic) at age 9/ 11.  It consisted of a collection of many small story strips, typically being three to five pages long.  So, it took a bit more concentration to read but still had a lot of pictures.  I remember that Bunty include The Four Marys (another namesake story!!), Bunty — A Girl Like You, Lorna Drake, and Penny's Place.

After Twinkle was outgrown, I remember graduating to Bunty (another comic) at age 9/ 11.  It consisted of a collection of many small story strips, typically being three to five pages long.  So, it took a bit more concentration to read but still had a lot of pictures.  I remember that Bunty include The Four Marys (another namesake story!!), Bunty — A Girl Like You, Lorna Drake, and Penny's Place.

The average weekly issue of Bunty also contained letters pages (when people wrote physical letters!), competitions, featured readers, puzzle pages, promotions, next-week previews and advertisements. The back page in my time featured a cut-out doll and paper clothes, which I loved too.  One of the great things I remember is that we used to borrow comics from our friends.  Each comic would be read by two or three girls.  I remember getting several from my buddy Anne-Marie next-door.

But, my Bunty reading coincided with the opening of a wonderful new public library at the Fair Green in my hometown of Carrick-on-Suir so I didn’t read that comic as much.  I had graduated to “real books” without pictures.  The best bit was I could borrow new books every week.  I remember walking past The Forresters’ Hall each Saturday on the way to the library with bundles of books under my arm along with my buddy, Catherine.
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I didn’t abandon comic-reading completely though.  I recall moving on to Jackie, another magazine for young teenage girls.  It only closed in 1993 and was a really popular magazine particularly in the 1970s.  Apparently, the title of Jackie was chosen from a list of girls' names, although it was nearly dropped in the early days due to the association with Jackie Kennedy following her husband's assassination in 1963.

Jackie was the best-selling teen magazine in Britain for ten years, with sales rising from an initial 350,000 to 605,947 in 1976. The best-ever selling single issue was the 1972 special edition to coincide with the UK tour of American singer David Cassidy.   During the 1970s, Jackie published a mix of fashion and beauty tips, gossip, short stories, and comic strips.  Both the comic strips and the short stories invariably dealt with either romance or family issues.

The centre pages of the magazine usually contained a pull-out poster of a popular band or film star. In the days before MTV or the Internet, these were often the only way we could see what the pop singers we heard on the radio actually looked like! 
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Jackie became very popular with young teenage girls, not least because of the Cathy and Claire problem page, which received 400 reader letters a week apparently and dealt with controversial issues that were nonetheless relevant to the readership. However, the subjects covered in the column by today’s standards were fairly innocent.

The last magazine I remember reading as a young teen was Blue Jeans, a magazine first launched in 1977 amidst an era of teen culture that was starting to be influenced by music, fashion, and evolving social norms. Published each Monday, the magazine was designed to cater specifically to teenage girls, offering a unique blend of content that resonated with the interests and concerns of its audience.

Blue Jeans’ success was rooted in its ability to blend various types of content that catered to us girls.  The magazine offered an inside look into the lives of popular celebrities, including interviews with music and movie stars. It was a go-to source for fashion trends and beauty advice ….. even if the only make-up I owned at that time was my trusty blue eye-shadow!!
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Music was a significant part of teen life in the late 70s/ early 80s, so Blue Jeans included regular updates on new releases, band profiles, and concert reviews. This kept us readers in the loop with the latest in the music scene and provided a soundtrack to our adolescence.  The best thing for me about that magazine though was each issue included full-page and centrefold posters of popular pop stars and bands, enabling us to hang them on our bedroom walls!!

One of Blue Jeans’ most cherished features was its romantic photo stories. Long before we had real love interests and romances, we were reading tales of love and heartbreak, often serialised over several issues, captivating us readers and keeping us eagerly awaiting the next instalment.  A great sales technique!

All of the above magazines brought out hard cover annuals usually in time for the Christmas market. I can remember being delighted to get one nearly every year.  Either from my parents or from friends.

All of those girlie magazines reflected the changing dynamics of society at the time. They also reflected the changes in me as I grew from reading about a doll’s nurse in Twinkle as an eight-year old to drooling over David Essex in Blue Jeans at eighteen!
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Most of those magazines eventually ceased publication in the 1990s. Their closure marked the end of an era but left behind a legacy of fond memories for us readers.  They were part of our growing up from childhood to our teenage years, offering guidance, entertainment, and a sense of community. We couldn’t wait to grow up! This brings to mind The Special Years, a song by the late Val Doonican, a famous Waterford singer.  That is my blog for this week.  Enjoy! 

When I was doing my recent blog on moving to Hill View 50 years ago, it got me thinking of the things that have changed for children in that time.  Growing up in the 1960s and 70s, one of the biggest things is the amount of time that we spent outdoors playing.  Hopscotch, betchels, tip (tag/ chasing), red rover, taws (marbles), elastics, skipping, juggling two-balls or three-balls against a wall and playing with a tennis ball in nylon stockings tied to your ankle and jumped over…. or hit side to side against a wall under and over your leg!  No wonder we were all so skinny.
​
Television
To be fair, one of the reasons I played outdoors was that, for most of my childhood, I lived in a one-station television zone in Ireland.  We only had RTE 1 ….. in black and white! I envied those in Dublin and others on the east coast that could get the UK stations by aerial.   

Add to that, our televisions were rented in the old days and picture quality was dodgy.  Many people used rabbit ear aerials though we had one that Mickey erected outside on the side of the shed.  We had a Sobell tele as our first rented one then a Pye before we bought a Murphy.  It was the 80s before we bought a colour Ferguson.
​
I came across some old RTE listings from the 1970s below and a few things strike you.  Firstly, in the early days of RTE television, radio still took precedence over the tele.  TV transmission during the week began at 6.00pm with The Angelus; namely the sound of bells marking the recitation of the daily Catholic prayer. This is still retained in Ireland – albeit with a more secular attitude – hence why RTÉ’s early evening news bulletin remains known as the Six-One.  At weekends, it opened at 5:35pm.  Transmission ended at about 11:20pm, the test picture came up….and the country went to bed. 😂

On RTE television, entertainment for all ages was sourced from Ireland and other countries, mainly the US.  Most evenings started with a cartoon for children e.g. Bugs Bunny, Quick Draw McGraw, Top Cat.  We liked comedy shows.  Laural and Hardy, I dream of Jeannie (with young Larry Hagman from Dallas) and I Love Lucy were favourites of mine.  Most weekend nights there would be two films….one around 8pm and one after the News at 9:45pm.
​
The News was a big thing and it was on at 6pm ish, 7:55 pm An Nuacht (in Irish), 9:30 pm (with the weather forecast) and 11:35 before TV closed down for the day.  I can still hear the dulcet tones of Maurice O’Doherty, Charles Mitchell and Don Cockburn our newscasters for many years.  People would rush home so as not to miss The News!!  As children we knew we had to stay quiet!

​We were encouraged at school, from about the age of 8 or 9 to watch The News.  Often it would be discussed in class the following day in Current Affairs and we sometimes had to write essays on a recent news topic.  This way we learned about the world’s peoples and cultures, geography and politics.  We trusted the newsreaders to give us the facts from people on the ground, they never gave their own opinions, we never heard of fake news as a concept back then.  I remember being shocked, when I first visited the States in the 1980s, that News was entertainment there and “the world and his mother” pitched in on news programmes with their own take on things.  I was brought up to gather information from different sources and then to form my own opinion … not be told it by someone else!

There was nearly always a music programme on at the weekends….in one of the listings I found from August 1969, our own Maxi, Dick and Twink were singing.  Who would have thought Twink would still be a household name in Ireland after all these years!
​
There would usually be a sports programme e.g. greyhound racing, boxing, GAA, soccer, rugby, horse racing, swimming.  We love our sports in Ireland and even though it was hard to sometimes tell the teams apart on a black and white tele, somehow, we managed 😂.  I remember a great interview done by Cathal O’Shannon with Mohammad Ali before Ali boxed in Croke Park in the summer of 1972.  We loved Ali in our house …. he was so quick witted. 

There were also some great home-spun nature and animal programmes. Let’s Visit The Zoo and Amuigh Faoin Spéir (Outside Under The Sky) taught us about animals, endangered species, nature and habitats ever before climate change became a thing.

To be fair, in looking back, we were pretty well-served by the broadcaster.  They did their best to have something for everyone every night on one channel!  And a lot of it was educational.  No mean feat.

Radio
Having just one radio station meant that RTE had to balance news/speech programmes and music against each other; a situation which would be remedied when the music station RTE Radio 2 – now RTÉ 2FM – was introduced on 31st May 1979.
​
Before 1979, Radio 1 covered all music -  pop, country and western, opera, orchestral, jazz and blues, brass bands.  People would write in requests and later, when people got house phones, phone-ins were popular.  It must have been a scheduler’s nightmare to ensure it was all covered, but even in the small sample I found you can see they did their best.

One of the truly Irish radio shows for me was Take The Floor with Din Joe at 8:30 pm….a radio programme with people live dancing!  Nowadays that seems a bit comical but actually it was a great idea and very popular!  It was introduced by Din Joe (Denis Fitzgibbon) from Achill and featured an hour of Irish dance music with the bands, singers, dancers and instrumentalists, all in the traditional style. It probably owed a great deal of its success to the popularity of its compere, Din Joe, himself.  The series was produced following the results of the first Listener Research Survey, which showed an exceptional popularity of dance music on the radio in urban as much as rural areas. Programming for dance music, which had been limited to 15 or 30 minutes, was greatly expanded and the flagship of this new policy was Take the Floor.  I’m sure we weren’t the only household to have mammies and daddies joining in and dancing around the kitchen!

If you look at the weekday Radio listings, most were sponsored programmes.  Birds (of the custard fame), Jacobs (biscuits), McDonnells (soups etc.), Odlums (flour) were household names.  Borne of necessity to fund programming and the upkeep of the Athlone radio transmitter in 1927, sponsorship of non-news programmes on Radio Éireann is clearly evident from the listings attached in both the morning and afternoon.   Sponsorship within this context came to an end only in January 1981.

Fictional works are scattered throughout the day’s radio schedule – ranging from in-house adaptations of existing books, original stories, and the serial The Kennedys of Castleross.  I also remember Tolka Row.

There were a number of “agony aunt” type programmes that were very popular where people wrote in with their problems.  Some of the issues were really serious (e.g. domestic abuse) and some were frivolous and entertaining.  Dear Frankie was a favourite with the late Frankie Byrne and her distinctive deep voice.  We used to joke “Dear Frankie, my husband has got a new wooden leg, should I break it off??” 😂

So hopefully the above has brought back some happy memories of childhood games and TV/ radio programmes for you.   My theme of the blog this week is Memory as performed by the one and only Barbra Streisand.  Enjoy! 😂

​The performance of the Irish Olympics team in Paris was incredible and really lifted the mood of the whole country in this damp and miserable summer.  An unprecedented number of medals were won and national records broken.  They did us proud, every one of them.  One of the most memorable moments wasn’t even a sports performance for me.  It was seeing Irish boxer Kellie Harrington belt out Grace (her party-piece) in Stade Roland Garros after her stunning gold medal victory in the women's lightweight final.  

​Now, it might seem a bit odd to be singing about an execution on a night of celebration.  But we Irish have a habit of singing sad songs.  Sure, The Fields of Athenry (our unofficial sports anthem) is the same in a way; a couple on the verge of a lifetime’s loss due to deportation.  The raw emotion in all of these song lyrics, combined with haunting melodies, creates a poignant and moving experience. Love shared, captured in tragic circumstances, serves as a reminder of the strength and resilience of the human spirit. It’s a testament to the power of love, even in the face of adversity and impending loss.  So maybe not so unconnected to the Olympics after….. all when you think of all of the sacrifices needed to make it there for both athletes and families.

As many people know, the heart wrenching-ballad Grace tells the true story of Grace Gifford and Joseph Plunkett, who were married in Kilmainham Gaol hours before he was executed by firing squad for his role in the Easter Rising of 1916.
​
"Oh Grace just hold me in your arms and let this moment linger
They'll take me out at dawn and I will die
With all my love I place this wedding ring upon your finger
There won't be time to share our love for we must say goodbye."

​The song was originally written in 1985 by Frank and Séan O'Meara, and has been performed many times and by many people over the years, including by Rod Stewart.  For me, one of the most moving renditions of Grace was performed as part of the 1916 centenary commemorations on Easter Monday 2016.  Danny O’Reilly (from The Coronas) along with his sister, Roisin O’Reilly and cousin Aoife Scott performed a stunning vocal rendition inside Kilmainham Gaol, where the story of the song is set. The captivating performance was part of RTE’s centenary programmes and I’m sharing it below.

​This song has always stopped me in my tracks. It’s deeply moving, beautifully written and the fact that it’s based on true events from this particular time in Irish history, it resonates all the more.

So, a little about the people involved…..Grace Gifford was born in Dublin to a Protestant mother and Catholic father in 1888, 28 years before the rising at the GPO.  A talented artist, whose work focused on cartoons, Grace was active in the Republican movement despite being raised Protestant and living an affluent childhood. She is known to have had a deep interest in Catholicism—and converted when she met her future husband, Joseph Plunkett.

Grace met her future husband through her brother-in-law Thomas MacDonagh, another man executed after the Rising, who was married to her sister Muriel.  Joseph proposed to Grace in 1915-- the pair planned a double wedding with his sister and her fiancé, and the wedding date was set for Easter Sunday, 1916.
​
But instead, the failed uprising, now known as the Easter Rising of 1916, took place, and Joseph was captured and imprisoned in Dublin's Kilmainham Gaol along with the other leaders, including Thomas MacDonagh.

Hearing that her fiancé was to be executed by firing squad at dawn, Grace bought a ring from a Dublin jewellers and pleaded with the military authorities to allow their wedding to take place.  As the famous song goes, Grace and Joseph were married on the grounds of the prison, hours before Joseph Plunkett was executed for his role in the Easter Rising.

Struggling for money and for housing, with just her cartoons to sell to make a meagre wage, the chance of financial security was withheld by her in-laws, who denied her husband's will, which stated that all of his money be left to her, as it contained only one witness' signature.

Joseph Plunkett, in his final letter to his soon-to-be-widow, had requested that she fight for the money as it was rightfully hers-- and after a number of years, Joseph's parents agreed to pay her a sum of money.   She also received a Civil Pension from Éamon DeValera's government in 1932, allowing her to live the rest of her days in relative security.
​
Grace Gifford-Plunkett died in 1955 at the age of 67, and was buried with full military honours, close to her husband's final resting place in Glasnevin Cemetery.  Her grave continues to receive countless visitors each year, many of whom were moved by the song which put music to Joseph Plunkett's last thoughts. ❤️

 ​[Chorus: Aoífe Scott & Róisín Ó]
Oh Grace, just hold me in your arms, and let this moment linger
They take me out at dawn and I will die
With all my love I place this wedding ring upon your finger
There won’t be time to share our love so we must say goodbye

[Verse 2: Danny O'Reilly, Aoífe Scott & Róisín Ó]
Now I know it's hard for you, my love, to ever understand
The love I bear for these brave men, my love for this dear land
But when Padraic called me to his side down in the G.P.O.
I had to leave my own sick bed, to him I had to go

[Chorus: Aoífe Scott & Róisín Ó]
Oh Grace, just hold me in your arms, and let this moment linger
They take me out at dawn and I will die
With all my love I place this wedding ring upon your finger
There won't be time to share our love so we must say goodbye

[Outro: Aoífe Scott]
There won’t be time to share our love so we must say goodbye

​This weekend 50 years ago, my family and I were getting ready for a life-changing move.  I was two months shy of my 9th birthday.  Our house in Mass Road had been earmarked for demolition by the Council and we had been rehoused in St. Mollerans….the bit on the Dungarvan Road renamed Hill View to make things easier for delivermen  The old houses, you see, on Mass Road had no running water or sanitation. None at all.  Most of our former neighbours had been rehoused at that stage so we were one of the last few remaining. 

In 1974, having no water was becoming rarer in Ireland.  My family had been on the housing list since my parents’ marriage in 1953 but for several reasons (mainly because we only were two children) other larger families got priority.  My parents also weren’t ones to make a fuss….they just got on with things…..making the home as warm and comfortable as they could.  So, I guess the Council didn’t see an urgency!
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So how did we manage? Two answers….one, my amazing, hardworking mam Peggy….and two, our amazing, kind, generous neighbours.   I say Peggy, as my dad Mickey, was out of the house for most of the day working in Ferrersflex …. so the real coping was done by Peggy.   You see, our neighbours across the road in O’Hickey Place had mains water and toilets and by 1974 many also had bathroom extensions.  So, twice-a-day Peggy hauled a white enamel bucket of water across the road having filled it in our neighbour Biddy Sheehan’s scullery sink.  Biddy was a wonderful neighbour with a heart of gold and a hearty laugh to go with it.  We also got buckets of water from my Aunty Allie who lived right next door to Biddy.  I loved my Aunty Allie…..she was always cooking something delicious.

As a child, I loved those trips with Peggy back and forth across the road.  Biddy had a budgie called Joey that was always up to something.  In Allie’s I got to play with my first cousins while waiting for the bucket to fill.  We played house, shop and school in Uncle Ned’s two sheds and the poor man was forever tidying them up after us.  Allie and Peggy had the chats and the laughs.  As I got older, I too learnt to carry the bucket for Peggy …. without spilling any…or sloshing it on my white knee-socks.
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The water from that white enamel bucket with the wooden handle was used every morning to fill the kettle to be boiled on the gas cooker for the morning tea.  It was kept in a little press under the loft stairs that my father Mickey had built with tea chest ply wood.  It stayed deliciously cool throughout the day as we dipped our mugs into it for a drink.  Peggy also filled saucepans from that bucket to boil spuds, cabbage and bacon….or whatever else needed cooking with water.  For several years as young girls, my younger aunts Joan and Teresa thought we had a well in that little press!! 😊

For washing ourselves, we used heated rainwater, harvested by Mickey in a large covered blue barrel.  The barrel was filled from a chute draining from our slate roof and kept in the yard to the left of the backdoor.   That barrel was kept spotless by Peggy.  Martin and I were washed in front of the fireplace with that water in a large tin bathtub that hung up in the shed.  But mostly we “topped and tailed” daily from a red plastic basin.  Peggy was most particular about our hair and we always used nice shampoo.  I remember her treating me to “Johnson's No More Tangles” shampoo as I wore my hair to my waist and tangles were the bane of my life.
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My favourite character on Sesame Street was Ernie.  Ernie loved having bubble baths with his rubber duckey.  I remember thinking “when I grow up, I’ll always have a bathroom with a rubber ducky, just like Ernie”.  And that is the reason I love rubber duckies and keep one (or two or more) in my bathroom….even though I currently have no bath having replaced it with a shower after my stroke. 😊

The clean barrel water was also used by Peggy for washing our clothes by hand also in a basin or plastic bucket.  I can still see her down on her knees with the basin and a box of her trusty Ariel (never Daz or Omo!). Our clothes and ourselves were always spotless.  Thanks to Peggy’s scrubbing on a washboard and wringing and rinsing!  I don’t think anyone at school ever guessed we had no water! 

As for the water itself, none ever went to waste.  The used washing water was also used to wash the lino on the floor every day and then flung down to clean the drains outside.  We were living “Reuse and Recycle” long, long before it became fashionable out of necessity.
For toileting we used a dry toilet in the shed and as we got older, we used the toilet at school or across the road in O’Hickey Place at Biddy’s or Allie's.  I think, looking back, that is what caused Peggy most embarrassment …. having to direct any visitors or my playmates across the road to a neighbour if they needed the loo.  Moving to Hill View was a new lease of life for Peggy.  I have never forgotten how important water is.

So, it's completely unfathomable that in 2024, 50 years after our move, that more than 2 billion people in the world still lack access to safe drinking water.  It must be said that compared to them we were steeped as we actually only had to cross the road to a tap for clean, safe water and access to a toilet if needs be.  Too many people risk their lives and the lives of their children having nothing but contaminated water. This brings all sorts of health risks, including waterborne diseases.  The United Nations says water challenges like scarcity, pollution and degraded water ecosystems are partly to blame. Water access, sanitation and hygiene go hand in hand.  When communities do not have all three, the consequences can be dire. They may miss school, succumb to waterborne disease or even be at risk of death.
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The challenges with climate change and water access have a connection.  Climate change involves long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns.  On one hand, climate change can worsen water challenges. About half of the world’s population experiences water scarcity and drought for at least part of the year. On the other hand, practices that improve water quality and availability can help build climate resiliency. Providing access to water supply and sanitation systems that can withstand climate impacts could save the lives of 360,000 infants per year, according to the UN.

​One of the big issues, as I see it is the disproportionate impact this has on little girls.  They are the ones often tasked with fetching water.  Too often this has a detrimental impact on their education as they miss school or are prone to related accidents.  For rural families, of course water is a complete necessity if they are to grow food.  Farming efficiency is improved no end if the farmer no longer needs to walk long distances for clean water.

For several years, I have supported WaterAid (https://www.wateraid.org/ )as a charity and the work that they do in bringing clean water and toilets to communities worldwide while educating on hygiene.  WaterAid is an international non-governmental organization. It was set up in 1981 as a response to the UN International Drinking Water decade (1981–1990).  WaterAid works in partnership with local organisations in 34 countries in Africa, Asia, Central America and the Pacific region to help poor communities establish sustainable water supplies and toilets, close to home, and to promote safe hygiene practices.

It also works to influence government water and sanitation policies to serve the interests of vulnerable people and to ensure water and sanitation are prioritised in poverty reduction plans. As a matter of policy, WaterAid supports public ownership and control of water supplies but does not take a particular view regarding public, community or private participation in service provision.
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So, I gladly pay the €15 per month for a great cause to honour Peggy.  Each time I open that receipt I think of her and Biddy and Allie XX ❤️
 

​So, two weeks ago we got away to the “Lake County” of Co. Westmeath, just an hour and a half from Dublin.  We chose the 4-star Glasson Lakehouse as our hotel as it is promoted as being super dog-friendly……and that it certainly is.  It was our second time away with Benji, Charlie’s little doggy. 

​Benji could stay with us in a Dog-Friendly Room on the ground floor with direct access to an outdoor patio area.  Benji was also allowed into the reception, the outside bar and large lobby (for dining). The room came with a super-plush doggy bed with bone chewy and food/water bowls.  The staff were very friendly and welcoming.  Benji loved all of the attention 😂

Located in the townland of Glasson, and on the shore of Lough Ree, the Glasson Lakehouse traces its origins back to 1993, when local farmer Tom Reid and his wife, Breda, decided to convert their 1780 period home into a club house, and establish Glasson Golf & Country Club on its surrounding lands and farmland. In 2019, responsibility for the day-to-day running of the 70-room hotel and golf club passed from its original owners, the Reid family, to the hospitality wing of Paddy McKillen’s business, Press Up Entertainment.
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The drive from Dublin on a Monday midday was lovely.  Getting there was straightforward and we were really blown away by the views as we drove in the long driveway.  The open lobby feels like an Alpine resort, wrapped in wood, with a large fireplace ……which sadly was welcome even though it was July!!  There are several lobby tables suited for having drinks and a large rustic table where we could tie Benji while eating our meals and where we could pick up a free newspaper each morning.  

​Out back, there is an outside bar and BBQ area, a stunningly beautiful golf course with lake views of gorgeous Lough Ree, a huge slide dipping into a new playground for the kiddies, an outdoor pool heated year-round to a comfortable 32C, and three hot tubs steaming beside a sunken terrace.  There’s a lovely garden walk straight downhill to the lakeside Jetty that we walked with Benji. Boat trips (from €40) and kayaks (€20/€10pp) on the lake can be booked at the hotel but unfortunately, we didn’t get the weather this time to enjoy fully.

​Our room #3 was fabulous and came with an extra-large bed and a double bed; both with crisp white linen, goose feather pillows and thick duvets. The room looked rustic with floorboards and warm teal paint colour.   I loved the funky animal and botanical prints and neat touches like the "Munchiebox" (with Tayto, popcorn, chocolate etc.), the minibar cocktail shaker, the teeny Smeg fridge, the Remington curling tongs along with the hairdryer!, the retro record player complete with a couple of LPs, a Marshall speaker (that you can bluetooth pair with your own phone playlist) and lovely fluffy robes and slippers (weirdly, there were very few clothes hangers …. the only small quibble I had). The bathroom was lovely with brass fittings, lovely floor tiles and a great rainfall and handheld power-shower with quality product dispensers.  

​We had a few drinks outdoors at the bar that first evening and Benji loved checking out the other doggies….there was a big black labrador, a couple of miniature dachshunds and a white poodle amongst others.  We ate outside the first night also near the bar but it was chilly so the second night we ate indoors at the large table in the Lobby and that was much more enjoyable.  We also had breakfast in the Lobby each morning.  The food was tasty every time and the service was good everywhere.  Benji even got a bowl of water.   

We had intended to do the various walks with Benji in nearby Athlone but unfortunately the weather was atrociously wet and that had to be abandoned.  If you’re luckier than we were with the weather this week’s blog outlines some things to do there with a dog.  As for the hotel, I would highly recommend as it is Pup-tacular and Re-barkable!!  Enjoy! 🐕🐶🐩
 
Things To Do Near Glasson Lakehouse With A Dog, Co. Westmeath

1. Portlick Millennium Forest - Walk along the peninsula of Lough Ree in Portlick Millennium Forest. There are three trails with different levels of difficulty and all trails are dog friendly. Walk through the woods and farmland of the Whinning Peninsula and the old ruins from ancient times. 
   
2. Shannon Banks Nature Trail and Athlone Canal - Beginning at the back of Athlone Castle, this 5 kilometer loop walk guides you along the banks of the River Shannon and the Athlone Canal, taking you on a nature trail. See the flora and fauna, wildlife and fish that live within the hidden heartlands. 
3. Burgess Park Athlone - Located near Athlone town, this short loop walk around the River Shannon is the perfect place for a short walk to stretch the legs. Burgess park also has a memorial garden. Dogs must be on a lead when visiting the park. 
4. Mullingar Dog Park - Westmeath also has its first ever Dog Park, which opened in 2022. Located between the Royal Canal and the Old Rail Trail Greenways, the enclosed three-acre dog park offers a safe and friendly space for your dog to exercise. This is the perfect place for them to enjoy the freedom of being leash free. 

​In re-reading my last blog post (B133: Cobh & Emigration), I was thinking again how my great grandparents John and Alice had the chance to return to Ireland.  Sadly, for some who would love to, this never comes to pass. 

​It put me in mind of one of the most memorable emigration songs ever, “Kilkelly, Ireland”.  In the late 1970s or early 1980s, an American called Peter Jones discovered a collection of century-old letters in his parents' attic in Bethesda, Maryland. The letters had been sent by his great-great-great grandfather, Byran Hunt, to his son, Jones' great-great grandfather, John Hunt, who had emigrated from Kilkelly, County Mayo, to the United States in 1855 and worked on the railroad. As Byran was illiterate, the letters were dictated to the local schoolmaster, Pat McNamara, who often wrote letters on behalf of his neighbours who were unable to read and write.

Covering the years 1858 to 1892, the Hunt letters shared family news of births, deaths, and marriages, and reports of the annual harvest.  John Hunt was never far from his father's thoughts and the letters expressed the love and affection his family in Ireland still held for him. The last letter, dated February 1892, was written by John Hunt's brother, informing him of the death of their father. Peter Jones decided to compose a ballad based on the contents of the letters.
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The ballad has five verses covering the time period from 1860 to 1892.  It conveys really well the effects of poverty, bad weather, emigration and forced separation on a family.  I personally can never listen to it without shedding a tear.

​My favourite version is by Robbie O’Connell, who is the nephew of Carrick’s famous Clancy Brothers.  However, it has been recorded in Ireland by Danny Doyle on his album Twenty Years A-Growing and covered by many artists, including Mick Moloney, Jimmy Keane, Atwater-Donnelly, Seamus Kennedy, The Dubliners, Seán Keane, Ciara Considine, Marc Gunn, David Gans (with Eric Rawlins), and Empty Hats.  The particular YouTube version I’m sharing here is Robbie with Mike Moloney and I chose it as the video includes the words of the letters as sung….and I think it makes it all the more poignant. Thinking of everyone living in exile wherever that might be and wishing their hearts peace if they’re longing for “home”. ❤️