The Craic

Well it’s been a second day of relaxation and conversation!

We began the day at Parkrun in Lough Key Park where we had a smashing welcome from folks.  We particularly liked that most of the runners remained behind to have a cuppa and/or breakfast at the Visitor Centre coffee shop.  It made for a very sociable couple of hours.

Then it was back to the BnB for quick showers and we were off to Carrantemple to walk the bog road close to the Shiel family home.  This pretty lane lead up the hill to an open area where peat turfs have been cut for centuries.  There were large sections of turfs piled up in small heaps, drying out.  On the top of the hill we met and passed the craic with John and his son Gerry here in my blip.  I was hoping to blip the traditional turf cutting tool, the slein, but of course tractors are now used to take off the layers.  You can see the heaps drying out.  Gerry told me they take from one to five weeks to season and they are then taken down to the house for further drying out of the elements.

After much local family discussion, it was time for lots of photos and then a recommendation for eating in the Fiddler’s Elbow in the market town of Ballaghaderreen, which is where Tony’s mum and her family would have done their shopping in the day.

Walking back down the Bog Road, Tony identified many flowers in the hedgerows: orchids; wall pennywort; tormentil ; herb robert; two kinds of daisies; lesser plantain; red and white clover; foxglove; bird’s eye; eyebright; stitchwort; red sorrel; wild strawberries; buttercups; goatsbeard and wild roses!

The Fiddler’s Elbow did not disappoint and we were again on the receiving end of much hospitality and delicious helpings of apple pie and rhubarb crumble, served with both custard and ice cream!

The landlady pointed out that Gerry had arrived in the bar for lunch, so we went through to meet him and his wife and to thank him for the recommendation.  I imagine there will be much craic about the crazy Yorkshire folk who walk the bog road!

Before we left, Mary’s daughter Orlagh contacted us and invited us over for a cuppa so we drove to Carrick on the Shannon and spent a most enjoyable couple of hours with her and her two small, delightful children.  Orlagh gave us more family information and we learned that the family owned a big horse and cart which was used for working on the farm, but also answered our questions about how the family reached the local towns and communities.