Abandoned church, Great Connell, Newbridge

I came across this abandoned building in Newbridge. It's in the middle of a graveyard, a small church at a crossroads. Still open to the elements, and ruined inside though if you look carefully you might be able to see it had beauty once.

A lath and plaster ceiling once...


Colour view.



Black and White.

Caramel, liquorice, and apples

It's all in a Westvleteren XII beer from Belgium. A Trappist beer, an ordinarily very difficult to get hold of (only from the monastery, have to ring and arrange pickup etc etc), this came from a box sold as part of a fundraising initiative.

It's very robust and warming at 10.2%., but not overpoweringly so. Very smooth, and only lightly carbonated. Dark, though, with a light touch of foam head.

Taste wise, well to me it's got caramel, liquorice, and apples. In a very nice balance. This is a robust beer for enjoyment at slightly below room temperature, over a longish time. Boxes sell for around €50 including a pair of lovely gold rimmed glasses, and 6 lovely bottles, from many good beer stockists.

Corbally Branch - where does it go?

There was a question in the back of my mind for a long number of years - I knew the Grand Canal left Naas harbour in 2 channels, one toward Sallins, and the other was mystically called the Corbally Branch. I ner knew of a place called Corbally, and I never had the idea to Google it (though if I had I'd have found out all about it).



Until one day, I was travelling from Kilcullen to Newbridge along some backroads and I passed what turned out (after I checked some online maps!) to be the ruined harbour at Corbally. Click!


View Larger Map

A number of weeks since, I took an opportunity to take the camera out and make some picturegraphs to share.  It looks like an old harbour, with some buildings next to it. What the buildings were for, I'm not sure, but they're pretty ruined now - maybe stores for a local business?





Of course, it was a beautiful day. I'd intended to walk along the canal, but poorly I chose the eastern bank and soon the way was blocked by gorse and brambles - the western towpath seems a bit easier, but if you're a sheep, leave your dog at home. (really though, there are sheep farmers here, so do leave your dogs at home!)



Further research (see links below!) notes that this is a feeder, much like Pollardstown Fen for the canal. It's about 5 miles out from Naas, so easily walkable with a picnic (though I say stay west, and check on maps first!).

Links:
http://iwai.ie/maps/grand/maps.grand.23.html
http://kildare.iwai.ie/
http://heritageboatassociation.ie/cms/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=352&Itemid=43

Odd warning notice

I saw this today on a package of disposable latex gloves we have for jobs around the house and the car...

Irritant, maybe, but I've never heard of corrosive children. Caution indeed!

Things you find out or remember at the weekend...

Had a busy weekend, just gone. Car maintenance, visiting friends, cinema premiere, afternoon moseys in Dublin.....forgetting about The Match...

So, here's a brief extract from the list:

1. The new Muppets film is brilliant. Uproariously funny, universally appealing, unpretentious, and did I mention uproariously funny? Great to see the gang (+1 new muppet) back in action. And we saw a brilliant Pixar/Toy Story short too! A film for all ages.

2. The Queen of Tarts coffee/cake shop is still amazing. Yes, we've been in there before, but it's still refreshingly yummy in there. This weekend's conquests - Apple Crumble (and how did it crumble, perfect crunch, perfect apple), Victoria Sponge (a triple decker, bursting with berry goodness), Lavazza coffee and wonderful hot chocolate. Don't pass it, unless you're going to their other branch.

3. The Elephant and Castle is great for lunch. We'll have to go back to try the wings (everyone was having wings!), but our lamb pitta and elephantburger lunch was tasty, succulent, well presented and well priced. Again, we say.

4. It might be time to get some different shoes. In my rush to leave the house, I had a left and right from different pairs. Not dramatically different, but enough. Lesson learned.

Small few photographs taken, for a later time.

Till then!

Interesting video

Did anyone read Michael Crichton's Swarm? This video reminds me of it!

Sunsets over Kildare

Well it's early spring, and the days have been beautifully crisp and dry over the last few days - leading to some wonderful sunsets. I've tried to capture them, and here's one for you to enjoy.



Prints available here...

And here's another one, with some birds.



Prints available here

Colourful Galway Shopfronts

Let's face it - by now, if you read this 'ere blog, you probably realise I like Galway - and for good reason. Good restaurants and pubs, nice walkable city centre, and a certain atmosphere that is unique to itself. Perhaps some of its charm is down to the colourful shopfronts that advertise the shops and cafés along the streets.

I hope these photographs do them some justice!



A very colourful (if not entirely open) shop on Shop St.



McCambridges shop - maybe emporium is the better word. This photo was taken on a Sunday morning when the shop was closed, but when it's open, you'll get the best of food, wine and beer in here. There's a lovely coffee counter in the centre for your caffeine hit (and a yummy coffee here too), and a fantastic deli counter for a delicious. They have a wonderful selection of drinks to wash it down with too, and it's the only place in Ireland I've seen marzipan from Niederegger in Lubeck (Germany).



The Dew Drop - I didn't drop in here, but loved this Guinness signage. There's a lot of the Irish language around Galway, it being so close to the Gaeltacht, which is great!



Wooden Heart is a lovely toyshop, selling all sorts of traditional style toys.



Tigh Neachtain - a strikingly painted pub and landmark in the heart of the city.

More photographs from Salthill, Galway

As promised, I've uploaded a few more photos from the walk along the prom in Salthill, Galway, last weekend (like a month ago now!) Hope you like em as much as I liked being there, and being able to take them.


It really is a refreshing place for a walk and the weather was just right - a little cold maybe, but some sunshine and no rain, but enough cloud for drama!



These small waves still made a big splash off the breakwater - I think this is a swimming pool or something, maybe someone can correct me?

This next shot is of an interesting sign - I've never seen another like it in my time!



Always good advice - it is situated on the diving board at the far end of the promenade.

No ice-cream today.



And the bucket shop was unfortunately closed, but has a fantastic window display!



I wonder how it goes in Black and White....



Great walk, thoroughly enjoyable. After Salthill we went back into town. Galway, and that long street running from Eyre Square down towards Spanish Arch in particular has some of the most beautiful shopfronts in the country. I took some snaps of those and will get cracking on them over the next few days.

Nice of you to visit, see you again!

Star Trek Table, as seen on Etsy.

You might know I've been on Etsy  for a little bit. There's some really great stuff on there, people all over the world selling their craft, and if you're looking for an unusual gift for someone, it's a great site. Look at these lovely earrings I bought M recently!

Today I came across an amazing table, in the shape of a Star Trek starship......

Excellent.

I disagree with this sign

C is an important part of life and language. Sure, things like beer, wine, bailouts would still be ok, but imagine going into an afé and asking for an offee? Or an appuino?

Photo taken by the Liffey in - I suspect it has something to do with a canoe race, but I just read it differently!

Book review: The Christmas club

This book by Stephen Price is A decent read, well told. 6 people meet in Christmas 1989 in an abandoned house in Donegal, have a great time and prise to meet up every year. They don't of course, life gets in the way, but they do meet again in 2002.

Intervening years have brought change to them all, success in varying degrees - and stresses and strains in other ways. The events of their final meeting are perhaps a commentary on the way Irish society changed over those years.

Would recommend.

Perceptions...

We interrupt this train of Galway-related photographs to bring you this video. I found it through a "video of the day" podcast which shows a youtube video reasonably regularly. It's called "Fishing Under Ice" and as well as being an excellent, clever video, it made me think about perception...



You see it took me a little while (once I saw the bubbles "falling") to realise what was going on, and to realise that I'd expected these guys to be fishing underwater, but the right way up - using harpoons or nets or something - and that something unusual was about to happen to them!

It goes to show that our perception and expectation is coloured by a video's title, and without context, our own experiences.

It's really clever. I like it a lot, hope you enjoyed it!

Galway Bay - or, the Atlantic Ocean...

A view from Salthill. Further to my previous post, I have been hacking through the images I took from Salthill on Saturday. There was a nice wintry sun, and a pretty impressive breeze, but the sea was quite well behaved and calm! So here's a few I took and am reasonably happy with...









I thought I'd add the last one to Etsy for kicks...

More to come from Salthill, and a few in and around Galway city. It really is a very picturesque place, and you don't have to go far out of the lovely city to find the wilds of Connemara and the Atlantic Ocean.

Galway, instructions for a pleasing weekend.

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I've just spent a lovely weekend in Galway, courtesy of some living social deals. We had a stay in the Forster Court hotel, which was most impressive - a very welcoming hotel, with comfortable rooms and pleasant and attentive staff. The hotel's just off Eyre Square so is merely minutes' walk from the main heart of Galway city.

Arriving on Friday night after work we had a tasty meal in the hotel. Saturday then we made our way to Kenny's Bookshop in the Liosbaun retail park, where the famous bookshop has moved to. In all the times I've been to Galway since they moved from the city centre I've never been to the new location so I had it in mind this time. It's in an almost industrial unit - but there's a lovely almost untidy (no offence!) clutter to the seats, couches and stacks of books in amongst the tall shelves that makes it very conducive to browse. 

So that was an enjoyable hour or so - my wallet escaped almost unscathed, though I did purchase a book on a practice Martian landing in the Arctic which will I'm sure warrant a mention at a later time. 

Out to Salthill then for a walk along the prom - we parked by the diving boards and walked back down towards the centre of Salthill. Stopped for a "Strange Brew" in the Oslo bar before heading back up to kick the wall. Oslo is a great bar, with a fantastic selection of beers (some brewed themselves) and a beer hall towards the back - well worth a visit if you're out that direction.

Back to town then for a freshen up before a tasty pizza in Fat Freddy's (pizza bianco - pesto, pepperoni, potatoes and cheese on a yummy base) - oh, and if they have a crostini with pear, honey and goats cheese when you're there, do order and enjoy. After that a couple more beers in the Salt House.  This is a real cosy little place with an even better selection of beer (We went for the Bay Ale and a Metalman Alternator, both tasty) but perhaps not such a great selection of board games (as advertised on the website). Get in there early as it's quite small, not so many seats, and has a fantastic selection of beers and whiskeys. 

After another tasty breakfast and checkout (with gift of cookies and bread!) from the hotel, we wandered along the canal which sort of parallels the river Corrib. This was a part we've never seen and is a lovely route for a walk. 

Another lunch in the Front Door pub - a deceptively large pub, but with loads of nooks and crannies so it feels really snug. Great food in here too, and this place will be on our "must go again" list. I had a vegetarian quesadilla which was really tasty. I didn't miss the meat and there was lovely salsa on the nachos that came with it. M had a chicken caesar salad that had plenty of chicken and bacon and lots of flavour. 

There will be photographs, once I get a chance to download them and upload them! 

  

January skies

There is a stretch in the evening... Heading towards 5pm this evening, I caught these beautiful colours as I left the office. Both Venus and Jupiter were visible, very bright objects in the early evening sky. I'm not sure they are visible in the pic above though.

X marks the spot - the bright spot just below and to the left of the intersecting contrails is Venus. The contrails were moving across the sky (as they are wont to do, being clouds) and I was hoping the centre might pass over Venus - unfortunately I couldn't get that angle!
Maybe next time.

Back to Black and White

I had a bit of time with the photos this morning, and I picked one from the holiday in California last year to see how effective it would look in black and white. This was taken down a country road well off the highway (we were looking for horse-stables) and the United States Postal Service obviously don't go too far off the beaten track because all these mailboxes (post boxes?) were together at a junction!

I'm happy with it, think it worked quite well. I have it on my etsy shop for sale, wondering if it will attract much interest? 

In other news, we went for a bite to eat in Kildare this evening, and the Silken Thomas is now serving Crean's lager - a very enjoyable (and Irish-brewed) and reasonably priced alternative to Big Lager. I highly recommend it! 

Ballynafagh Lake, near Prosperous

As it was a midsummer's day, the like of which we hadn't seen since 2010, a walk was taken. Adventurously we made our way to Ballynafagh Lake, near Prosperous (click for map) in north Kildare. The lake is an artificial one, built on a high point as a reservoir for the canal systems.

There's a nice, if boggy, trail running around the lake.



Beneath a ruined valve house is the tunnel which forms the outlet from the lake into the canal feeder system.



The lake was nice and peaceful, and you can see why it forms such an attractive wildfowl habitat - it's a Special Area of Conservation.





There's quite a bit to be read about this interesting place, on the Clane Community website, Kildare's ehistory website and some information on Birdwatch Kildare's website about the birds to be found there.

And lo, there was some nostalgic reading

I'll have to get off this nostalgia kick, it's getting in the way of photography... Just as a "challenge" I re-read "Danny the Champion of the World" and "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" by Roald Dahl recently.....and thoroughly enjoyed them. Yes, it brought back memories, but also, they're great stories. You all know about Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, maybe you've also seen the films, but Danny is a brilliant story.

A mechanic and his son live in a caravan next to the workshop, scratching out an honest living off local and passing trade. As the son grows up, he realises that his father loves poaching, and catches him sneaking off one night. So the tale goes, and they describe many ingenious and clever (and Dahl-esque) methods of catching the pheasants - you may recall if you've read it that some of them involve horsehair and raisins - and how pleasurable it is to take a pheasant out of the forest belonging to the local nasty rich chap.

The story climaxes as the rich chap prepares for the annual shoot, that hundreds of the pheasant have been reared for. Danny and his father want to scotch the shoot (having rightfully developed a dislike of this guy during the book) and so they set about plotting to sabotage the whole thing by poaching all of the pheasant! Needless to say it is a success, but it's brilliant the way it all works out in the end.

I commend them both (and all of Dahl's stuff, I suppose!) to you, even if you're a "grownup". Enjoy! And yes, they were the original copies I had as a child....even seeing the illustrations brought some of my childhood back with a jolt. Great stuff.

Less nostalgia, more local treasures....

Weather was kinder to us today than has been of late. That might be the understatement of the year - the sun shone and I think the temperature might have hit 20 celsius... so somewhere outside for a wee walk was indicated. I know, Laois! Heywood gardens has been on the hitlist for a while since I saw it mentioned somewhere, so we struck out, as you do, in the car.

We hit Abbeyleix first, though, to see could we get a bit of lunch. A swift pie (I know, on a day like this?) in the Gallic Kitchen on Main St, which was delicious (one steak and guinness, one chicken and mushroom, both yummy) and in a lovely poky friendly café - highly recommended. Will hit this spot again on another day. Coffee and Brownie to finish!

On we went, heading in Ballinakill direction to Heywood Gardens. There's a school on the grounds, which is a bit strange and gives you that "did we take the right turn?" moment, but it was the right place. A lovely and unusual pair of gardens awaits the visitor, one set being very formal, set in circular form around a pond and a walled garden and the other more freeform and natural set around a much more natural pond with beautiful waterlilies and a woodland surround. The place was lovely for a walk on a warm day, and the trail takes you right into Ballinakill village, which we didn't quite go as far as - there was barbecuing to do!

Maybe some photos to come from the day - there's also a beer report (Beerdog Paradox, and Aecht Schenkerla) and some nostalgic reading to mention. And Vegas photos, don't forget those! Maybe it'll rain and I can get them typed up. Until then.....