The King is in the House

They say that everything in Killorglin is judged to happen before or after Puck, "King Puck" that is. The oldest fair in Ireland, Puck Fair, is held August 10-12 every year. No one knows for sure when this festival began, but records show it began around 400 years ago. The story goes when Cromwell was invading the countryside a goat came down from the hills to warn to local villagers. Each year they honor this great heroic act by gathering a 'wild' goat from the mountains and crowning him king for 3 days. The king oversees all the festivities from a cage lifted high above the city square. Well, after reading about this you know I had to add it to my calendar.

The city of Killorglin is not very big, about 2,000 people live in and around it.  The town sits on a hillside at a bend of the River Laune.

They close a couple of city streets and for 3 days thousands of people party with parades, music, vendors selling everything from electric tools to cows. Yes, a local cow fair is held in conjunction with the Puck Fair. Acrobats and clowns wonder the streets, gypsies are there in their RV's to foretell your future - we even saw Elvis, but I could not bring myself to take his picture. Numerous concerts, of a large musical variety, are held each afternoon / evening with puppet shows during the day. They also have a carnival with lots of rides and games.  At then end of the 3 days the local town folk release the goat back to the hills and the fair is over till next year.

We chatted with a local man (on the far right) who participates in this fair each year.  He told us he was in charge of releasing the goat one year and he did not know how the goat would react after 3 days of being in a cage, he cautiously stepped back - not wanting to be butted, but when he opened the cage door the goat looked around, sauntered out and began to chew on a bramble bush - not so much as a thank you. He also told us of the American connection to the fair, the crown itself was made by a fella in Memphis (the king - get it?)  I think he had a touch of the blarney in him.   While he was on stage, and in the middle of a song, he waves and yells "hello to my American friends over there" of-course everyone looked at us.

There used to be a train that ran to the town but it has long since stopped.  The train bridge is now a very cool walking path across the river connecting the east side to the west.   I wish Athlone had such a walking path across River Shannon.

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Victor's Way

Ferryman

This is one of those extremely unusual places, off the beaten path.  I had seen an image of the
"Ferryman" on the internet and just knew I had to find this place. It's not listed on any travel guide in fact we drove by it twice before we decided to take a chance and turn into what looks like a personal drive. I had been looking for Victor's Indian Sculpture Gardens and found Victor's Way (same place).

This is a privately owned attraction that sites on 20 acres of forests, small lakes, multiple paths and has numerous sculptures.  Some made of black granite and some of bronze. I believe the main focus of the garden is on meditation and

spirituality. Actually the owner prefers children not come, hates cell phones and that adults spend as much contemplative time as they like there. The statues are huge, most over 10 feet tall and just as robust in width.  When we arrived there was only two other cars in the gravel parking lot, one on blocks. We did not have to be unsure of what to do or where to go, there are signs everywhere. We dropped our 10 euros in the box and proceeded through Victoria's Gate and out onto a large grassy field.  Sitting in the middle of this field is Lord Ganesha. I believe this was the only Hindu God there. But at the end of the field and at the opening to the forest, we found 5 more Indian elephant characters playing instruments and
2 more dancing.  Each statue included a small mouse somewhere. I'm not sure if all would be considered Ganesha.  We continued on the winding path into a small forest.  Every so often you come across another statue with it's explanation. Be sure to check out the PHOTO ALBUM to see all the statues.  After a few hours of strolling and contemplating life, we came out the other end.  Where there is a gallery of photos from India and a small gift store (also on the honor system).  

We had noticed an older man working around the house and yard, and at one time laying on a bench. When we left he walked across the parking lot, I thanked him for his gardens, asked him how any acres were there and he proceeded to tell us about how it all came to pass.  He is Victor, 78 years young, quite a character and simply, his father built these gardens. He chatted to us for about 20 minutes and I'm not sure what he said the entire time.

Check out one of his pages and you'll understand. I liked these gardens, and I liked him!



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Howth

One always needs to fulfill promises, and I fulfilled one made to a face book friend this past week. Last year when Phil (from Ireland) posted his poster for this charity bike ride (scooters & motor cycles) I told him I would be at the next one. would not be on my scooter, but would come and meet up with him. This years ride took place this past Sunday.  He had posted on his FB page that he was concerned with the weather and was expecting a smaller turn out.  I believe the participation was less, but they actually made more in donations this year than last.

Tom and I drove to Howth, which in itself would be a wonderful place to spend the day.  It's a small village on the Howth peninsula which is north/east of Dublin right along the coast. There is a castle and gardens, couple of museums, a wonderful walking path that circles the peninsula, ruins of a medieval Abbey and bird sanctuary. It a working harbor with lots of boats, private as well as commercial. The harbor is surrounded by a high and long sea wall and old light house built in 1817 at the very end.  I was envious of the beautiful homes that dot the hill side, they must have tremendous views.  A train actually goes directly into the village so I see a train trip in our future, perhaps when all the tourists have gone.   There was much to see and do, but our main focus was to track down Phil and his scooter buddies.  

We parked at the very end of the road, along the sea wall and walked back towards where the village begins and low and behold the street is lined with scooters (be still my heart).   I did not see Phil at first and asked one of the riders is he knew where he was.  We search inside and and and finally we spotted him coming across the street with his hands full.  He stopped and put a box down on a table and looked up just as I snapped his picture.  He recognize me and yelled "SUSAN!!" we hugged like we were long lost best friends.  I introduced him to Tom and the 3 of us stood along the sidewalk and chatted.  His daughter, Emily appeared and he introduced us

to her as well  He got back to his business of collecting funds and we visited with his older brother, Steve. Turns out Steve's got a boat docked at Carrick-on-Shannon and has invited us to take a ride in the next few weeks.  It was a great visit and I'm so happy to have finally met Phil and his daughter.  I hope to see him again before we leave Ireland.

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Bunclody

Some months ago, while still in the states, I learned the 2017 Irish National Sheep Dog Trials were to be held in August. So naturally I booked us a room and we traveled a few hours south to Bunclody where they were being held.  The drive was lovely as we wound our way through the Wicklow Mountains.  We drove through lots of little towns; Tullamore (fast becoming one of my favorites), Stradbally, Ballickmoyler, Carlow (will love to investigate this town more at another time - they had at least 5 Asian restaurants. Athlone only has 3) I just love the names of these towns, I'm sure I don't pronounce them all correctly, but it's fun coming up with our own versions.  Like the town of Leixlip - I call that Lillyput.  

Bunclody is not a very large town, in fact it's population is around 2,000.  They have a nice little downtown, park area, where the dog trials were held, and the beautiful River Slaney running around the town.  To me, it would make more sense to hold the trials in a larger, more central town such as Athlone – the competitors came from all over Ireland and we would have been able to attend all three days, instead of just the one day.  Maybe I should have suggested that to them. 😉

It’s very similar to the competitions we’ve attended for years at home, one dog, one handler and 5 sheep, same gates, around the handler, split off one sheep from the herd and then get them all into the pen – with time limits.  Pretty much the same course and rules, but they’ve got the added competition of teams.  Now this was fascinating to watch the herder call to both dogs consecutively. Having to keep an eye on both was tricky – a couple of times the dogs just wanted to do their job and not wait for the other dog’s turn. They have more sheep to herd as well, since once they get 5 split off they put them in a pen with no gate

– the dog must sit there and guard them, not allow any out.  Then the herder concentrates on the second dog and balance of sheep to get them into the other pen with gate.  The first team we watched did an excellent job, however the second team – not so good.  Once the herder got the sheep into the pen without the gate, the dog, after a few minutes, decided he was done and literally left the course by

He Quit! Up and over the fence he went.

jumping over the fence.  The judge had to go onto the field to let the herder know he was disqualified.  I’ve never seen a dog just quit.  There was a group of men behind us critiquing every dog and handler.  I so enjoyed sitting and listening to the accents and their laughter.

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Hodson Bay

Hodson Bay sits at the top of Lough Ree, just 30 minutes north of Athlone.  The Viking ship cruise that leaves from Athlone 3 times a day full of tourists cruises up there and deposits any that want to stay for awhile at the Hodson Bay Hotel.  The locals just drive up.  You can spend the day, enjoying the water and fresh air, or sit have a cuppa at the hotel.  It's got a little harbor, and a large sea wall that boats tie off to - and some of the local kids dive from. There is also a large golf course.

Apparently, this is also THE place for water play.  There is an actual water park, in the water.  Large floating blow-up slides and various other things that young and old can climb on, slide down, jump off or spin around.  This is all run by one company.  The entrance fee includes a wet suit (because I'm sure the water is pretty cold in these parts) and a small boat to take you out to the water park.  You could also swim there if you don't want to wait for the boat. I guess you can spend as much time as you like frolicking in the water.  We stopped and bought an ice cream from Mary, sat and watched all the action.  Lovely way to spend an afternoon on a sunny, warm day.

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Charleville Castle

It seems that most castles, or fortresses, in Ireland were built by the British, primarily for military purposes. Throughout history, battles raged back and forth, ownership's & alliances changed hands.  Few castles were built solely as a residence. This is one of them. 

  

What I have been able to gather about this Castle, and its location, is a hate-love relationship with Britain. Certainly not your typical ‘family’ castle. I find their history more fascinating than the actual structures.  The Castle was designed by Sir Francis Johnson in a gothic-revival style, construction began in 1798 and took over 14 years to complete. It is said, “the wonderful craftsmanship involved is mainly due to the skills of Irish people.”  A fun note about the design is the two towers on either side of the main structure.  The one on the left resembles the 'queen' in chess, the one on the right resembles the 'king'; therefore when guest were finished with their dinner the men would retire to the right tower and the women to the left. 

Back in 1577, the Queen of England, Elizabeth 1^st, gifted 1,700 acres of Oak forest (in Ireland) to the Moore family.  This raised the Moore family to an Earldom status – Earl of Charleville.  Due to the lack of a direct male heir the title lapsed in 1764 and the lands were inherited by a 6-month-old Charles William Bury – Grandnephew of the last Earl.  

As a little side story – it just so happened on the Earls 21^st birthday (1785) one of the hot-air balloons being used in celebration crashed and burned nearly destroying the entire town of Tullamore. Being a man of considerable wealth, his estate and trustees sponsored the rebuilding the city. Ten years later construction on the castle began. Due to his generosity Charles William Bury was raised to the restored Earldom of Charleville, as the first Earl of the second creation in 1806. Just about this same time the Grand Canal was being constructed which connected Tullamore with Dublin – bringing considerable wealth with it. For years the estate grew to approx. 24,000 acres.   However, over the years - due to changing fortunes and times, also meant new ownership for most of the lands.  Currently the estate is 100 acres.

“The castle is the direct outcome of grand and magnanimous ideas following the brutal suppression of a terrible and bloody insurrection which engulfed Ireland in 1798 by Britain.”

It was on April 8, 1861 that little Lady Harriet, age 8, fell to her death while playing on the 3^rd floor staircase off the main entrance.  They say she haunts the castle to this day.  Many have claimed to have seen and even heard her over the years.

Borrowed picture from the internet

Harriet Bury, age 8

The tile of Earl lapsed again in 1885 (sadly due to lack of male heir) and the estate passed to a niece, Emily, who was already married at the time. So, to comply with terms of the inheritance, title deeds, etc, they took on the name Howard-Bury.  Upon her death in 1931 her son, Lieutenant-Colonel Charles Kenneth Howard-Bury inherited Charleville Castle.  He chose to remain in his home, Belvedere House, which he had inherited some years earlier.  The castle was left with minimal care taking staff.  It’s told that the Colonel even had the roof removed to avoid paying property levies on it.  Given the condition of the castle authorities agreed to deem it as a ‘ruin’.  The Colonel died in 1963, a celebrated British soldier, explorer, botanist and conservative politician.   So, you can imagine when the Irish revolution came about in 1916, this abandoned home was broken into and whatever the Colonel had not previously sold off, was taken or partially destroyed by the Irish.  The estate remained abandoned from 1912–1970. 

It gets a little hinky here – It’s my understanding that a farmer either owns the estate and lands, or uses the lands and stables for his livestock.  Anyway, turns out a “group of persons”, including a family by the name of Vance from the USA took up a long-term lease on the castle with the sole intention of ‘gradual restoration'.  The Vance family lives on the 2^nd floor of the castle, the 3^rd floor is completely in ruins and unsafe and the main floor is used for tours and numerous events throughout the year.

Our limited tour was given to us by a summer intern from France, Damian. Besides volunteer interns, there is a large group of talented craftsmen & women, who volunteering their time. They ask for a small donation for the tour. This group is proud of the fact that most of the first floor did not suffer critical damage, but there is little left of the original furnishings or chandlers. Most of the rooms that we could see have been altered from their original state.  Even the ceiling in the dining room which was originally stenciled in gold by William Morris in the late 1860’s had been painted purple. They don’t claim to have original furnishings; even built-in bookcases have been altered to support mirrors. There are numerous hidden doors and hidden indoor window shutters.  Movies have been filmed here and some of the sets remain.  The staircase where Harriet fell has been deemed unsafe and roped off.  Sadly, the basement, kitchen and dungeons are not accessible to the public. Along with the small Gothic chapel (no roof).

In fact, we were unable to tour the grounds at all because they are preparing for their biggest money maker event of the year - The Castlepalooza/Irish Music Festival 2017 this coming weekend. Equipment and men were preparing 5 stages throughout the grounds for a 3-day concert, over 20 different bands and camping for the faithful.  Perhaps a thousand folks are expected. Damian said there will be some events in the main ballroom, but he did not know what.

So they continue to make money any way they can. 

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Powerscourt

I remember being disappointed two years ago that we were not able to visit Powerscourt.  We were leaving Waterford headed to Dublin and it was pouring rain.  So we passed by Kilkenny Castle and Powerscourt.  Not this time, the sun gods were in our favor for our visit to Powerscourt Estate.

The estate is located in the Wicklow countryside, which is in a very picturesque mountain range .  The house & grounds are located on a hillside on the east side of Ireland with a spectacular view of Sugarloaf Mountain (about 1600 ft high).  Before you actually get to the house you pass the hotel bearing the same name, a very hoytie-toytie - posh place.  The house itself was once a grand home that entertained many an aristocratic in it's day and held many a grand garden party.  In 1730, the 1st Viscount Powerscourt began the transformation of the medieval castle, completing his 68 room mansion in 1741.  It was only 2 stories high so a third story was added in 1787.  It was said to have some of the finest interior in all of Ireland.  However, in 1974 a major fire broke out and destroyed the entire 3rd floor and all it's furnishings.  No one was injured, but the damage took it's toll on the family. The shell of the home stood for almost 20 years when it was re-roofed and opened to the public in 1997 as a tourist attraction.  The second floor rooms now house a variety of shops including Tara's Place - Irelands largest period doll's house and antique toys. (superb miniatures)  Upstairs the floors are uneven the exposed walls tell of the estates' true age.

The main reason I think anyone would come to Powerscourt is not for the home, but the 47 acres of gardens. Seven various gardens, each commissioned over the years by different Viscount & Viscountess, beautifully maintained today.

The Tower Village takes you through the forest of trees. For over two centuries, trees brought back from all around the world and planted in this forest. The Tower was built to enjoy the tree tops.

The Japanese Garden was created by the 8th Viscount, built in and around a grotto, one of the oldest features of the gardens.

The Triton Lake is well known for the commercial shots of Powerscourt. This lake, with lots of water lilies and main fountain, sits at the base of the Italian Garden. This area was built in the 1840's and took over 12 years to complete.  The statues were collected and brought back by the 6th and 7th Lords of Powerscourt from various travels throughout Europe.

Late in the 19th century, the 7th Viscount also brought back a fountain of dolphins from Paris. Surrounded by Japanese Red Cedars from 1864, it now sits at the English Gate to the walled gardens.

The Walled Gardens are the oldest of the gardens on the estate. At the top of the gardens sits an exquisite gate - 240 year old Bamberg Gate from a Cathetral in Bamberg, Germany.  In the center of the garden is a reflective pond with an unusual statue in tribute to the 7th Viscounts mother, Julia.

Last, but not least, is the estate's pet cemetery.  The final resting place for many of the family pets - including a cow.

From here we drove to the Powerscourt Waterfall.  About 4 miles on a small, (did I say SMALL) winding road through the mountain.  This was on a Monday, but since the weather was good, the sun shining, temperatures high - the parking lot was packed, as well as the surrounding area at the base of the waterfall.  It is our guess that this is a summer destination for many locals. They have a snack stand and playground.  Blankets were spread, dogs ran a muck and kids of all ages frolicked in the stream. There are signs everywhere - "stay off", but mostly ignored. There was even a photo shoot taking place.  The mass of humanity spoiled what should have been serene in it's grandeur.   This is the highest waterfall in Ireland, close to 400 feet.

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