Entrance to Hell, Roscommon & Boyle

Gateway to Hell

corey says…I was up early for breakfast and managed to check emails afterwards. The B&B had broadband, but their computer was so slow it was hardly worth effort. I hijacked their ethernet cable and used my laptop.

Then I toured Boyle Abbey. The main portion of the church is undergoing some major preservation work, so there was scaffolding and fencing filling that portion.

I was tempted to go to the coal mining museum in the area, but the weather was just too fantastic to spend underground.

Strokestown
I then made my way to Strokestown to visit the big house and Famine Museum. Ended up spending over two hours there. I toured the house with one of the most misbehaved groups of adults I’ve ever seen. About a quarter of them couldn’t keep their hands off of anything. One woman nearly dropped a small glass bowl. Another man tried spinning the antique globe…which the tour guide told us was bought at auction for £85,000 ( $165,000 ). And they simply didn’t

Roscommon & Boyle Roadtrip

Turf Bog

corey says…When the sun shines, there are few places finer than Ireland. The chestnut trees are in full bloom, and they add bursts of white to the landscape.

My roadtrip has been absolutely beautiful. I headed north as planned, but didn’t try to have too think too far ahead. I knew my general direction, so I used my map to figure out where I was rather than where I was going.

My first stop was the Dominican Priory in Lorrha where I wandered around the cemetery. It’s hatching season for the crows, so the entire priory ruin has become a roost. I heard peeps coming from every open space in the grey stones.

Footed Turf
Then, I believe I was driving somewhere in Offally when

Roadtrip

corey says…I’m hitting the open road today. Not sure where I’ll end up…all I know is that I’m heading north from here.

I’m not sure what my internet access will be over the next few days, so please forgive me if I don’t give you your Irish Fireside fix quite as regularly.

In the meantime, please take a moment to leave a comment or catch up on any posts you may have missed. I look forward to sharing my upcoming adventures.

Chat with Norah Casey…from Ireland of the Welcomes

Norah Casey

Failte Ireland’s much-loved publication “Ireland of the Welcomes” has changed hands. Its new owner, Harmonia, produces a range of lifestyle titles that fill magazine racks throughout Ireland, but many long-time readers ask, “What does this mean for the magazine?”

At the center of it all stands Harmonia owner and CEO Norah Casey. The Dublin-born entrepreneur, took a moment to chat with us about “Ireland of the Welcomes” and offered her thoughts on Irish travel and culture.

First off, what is Harmonia? How did the company get its name?

Harmonia is Ireland’s largest magazine publisher (check out www.harmonia.ie for our full stable of titles). We publish some well-known and enduring titles in Ireland such as “Irish Tatler,” “Woman’s Way,” “Food&Wine Magazine,” “Auto Ireland,” “Eat Out,” “Garden Designs” and of course now “Ireland of the Welcomes.”

We have a web site called iVenus.com – aimed at women of course. When I was trying to find a name for the company a number of years ago, I came across the story of Venus who had a daughter called Harmonia from an illicit affair with Mars – I really liked the concept of harmony in a publishing company.

Harmonia is in the process of taking over “Ireland of the Welcomes.” What attracted you to this endeavour?

We took over “Ireland of the Welcomes” last month but our first issue is July/August, which goes

Lunch Atop the Devil’s Bit

Steak & Ale Pie

corey says…With a few hours before I had to touch base with my editor, I just had to take advantage of the warm, sunny weather.

I headed to the Devil’s Bit, near Templemore. This is the spot where it is said the devil took a bite out of the mountain and spit it across Tipperary. It landed on the site of the Rock of Cashel.

I parked in the car park and walked the trail through the field. It’s a steady uphill climb that quickly turns to forestry. The views from up there are gorgeous. Although the skies were bright and blue above, the moisture in the air causes there to be a haze in the distance. With each hour that passes, it’s likely the haze will burn off, and by 4pm, the view will be clear for miles.

There’s a circular tower on the way up the rock. As I approached it, a man was coming down the hill with his golden retriever. The dog was so excited to be out and about, he just made circles around me as his owner approached.

Once they passed, I had the entire Bit to myself. Just beyond the tower there is a Marion shrine. Once I got passed the shrine, the going gets a little more challenging with a rough trail and huge rock outcroppings.

STEAK AND ALE PIE
On my way to the Devil’s Bit, I stopped at a petrol station and picked a Steak and Ale Pie and a bottled water to enjoy at the top. What a perfect lunch!

The climb down was quite steep and the rocks didn’t look like comfortable landing pads. It was as I looked over a 20 foot drop that I realized I hadn’t told anyone where I was going, and I left my mobile phone in the car. I broke two of my own rules. I was just so excited to be out in such fine weather, I didn’t even think about keeping myself safe. Alas, I made it back safe and sound.

The weather is supposed to hold for a few days…I think I’ll be heading off on a roadtrip after my deadline is met.

This Week’s Photo Album

My Ireland Expense Report

Deadline Day

Nenagh Gaol

corey says…It’s been crunchtime for me on a few projects, so I’ve been running back and forth to the highspeed internet connection…my life would be so much easier if I could highspeed up on the mountain. Alas, they keep saying, “The lines are to be replaced next year.” They’ve been saying that for the last two years.

Anyway, weather has been fantastic for the last three days. The nights have been a bit chilly, but the sun warms things up a lot. Yesterday, the temperatures were in 70s!

After getting my work done in Nenagh, I

A Part of History

Family Photo

corey says…Today, I was a part of history. I had heard about something going on in the Tipperary village of Loughmore (lock-mor) where they asked anyone attending to wear turn-of-the-century clothing or black. This caught my attention.

The village was celebrating a very important Tipperary tale, the 150th anniversary of the Cormack brothers’ hanging.

In 1858, they were convicted of murder and not only did they insist they were innocent, so did 2,357 other local residents who signed a petition pleading for their release…including the jurors from their trial.

However, the evidence, which was later found to be fabricated by the police, was damning. They were hung outside Nenagh Gaol (Jail) on May 11, 1858.

Later, a man confessed to the murder, and the entire trial was labeled a miscarriage of justice…and held up as an example of how the Catholics of the day were discriminated against by the police, politicians and the justice system.

52 YEARS LATER
In 1910, the brothers’ innocence

Work on Nenagh Castle

Work on Nenagh Castle

corey says…After my morning visit with the cuckoo and the hare, I was off to town to get my work done. I managed to finish things up at around noon, so I took a walk around town.

As I wandered around, I started thinking how I wished Nenagh would go for Ireland’s Tidy Town. It’s an absolutely gorgeous town, but for every well-maintained building there’s a shabby one right next door. One serious year of Tidy Town contention, and they committee would have all that fixed up. Oh well, maybe some day.

I wandered by the caste which is undergoing some major preservation work, so its exterior is completely covered in scaffolding. I’m very curious to see what it will be like when they are done. For years, one could only view it from the outside. I hope they’ll let us inside when all the work is done. It’s one of the best…and largest…circular keeps in Ireland.

Then it was back up the mountain to do more work. As I was sitting at the kitchen table, The hare hopped by the window. Figuring I’ll be seeing a lot of him this summer, I named him Fergal.

I have to say, hares are very beautiful creatures…much larger and more muscular than the average rabbit.

This Week’s Photo Album

My Ireland Expense Report

Wildlife Good Morning

Morning with an Irish Hare

corey says…As I puttered around the house early this morning, I heard the cuckoo in the valley…the bird has a very distinct sound and repeats its “cuckoo” over and over. There was one round where it must have gone on for two minutes. The song is low and pleasing, so I didn’t tire of it.

I decided to step outside to get a better listen. The cottage was enveloped by fog today…the first day since I arrived. There must have been a little rain last night, so there is a lot of moisture in the air. Fortunately, the temperature is pleasant…on a cold day, the damp air would feel miserable.

When I stepped out, I was greeted again by the Irish hare that must live on the hill. This is the third time I’ve seen him in six days. I took a few photos, but it’s hard to tell how those will turn out with the fog.

ON DEADLINE
I was quite busy yesterday working on a freelance job…I’m on deadline this weekend, so that will take up a large chunk of time…I kind of hope the weather stays foggy…it’ll be much easier to

No More Guinness At St James’s Gate?

Guinness - St. James’s Gate Brewery, Dublin
Originally uploaded by Mixmaster

corey says…Well, it’s all over the news here…Will international brewer, Diageo, stop producing Guinness at Dublin’s historic St James’s Gate Brewery? The big announcement comes tomorrow as the company announces it’s global plans…leading to speculation of consolidation for the company’s Ireland-based brewing operations.

Rest assured, there are NO plans to close down the Guinness Storehouse, one of Ireland’s top tourist attractions. In fact, no one in recent history was ever able to watch beer being brewed on the Guinness tour anyway, so that Dublin experience won’t change a bit.

The topic of Guinness provided a decent break from the coverage of