We breakfasted and the mist began to lift. By noon, it was clear so I set out to play golf. There was little demand for golf that morning. Arriving early, I was advised that I could start immediately as the last group had gone out an hour before!! The course is 9- hole designed by Paddy Hackett. The most demanding part of the course were the climbs to the tees!! Later, I was to feel muscles in my thighs that I never knew I had!!
I have never played golf on my own before!! I usually rely on others to steer me in the right direction!! Here, I had to consult the map, which I did successfully. At the 4th hole, I realised only 30 minutes had passed so I decided to slow down! I was pleased with my score particularly the birdie on the 9th hole par 3, where I had caught up with the group of the 4 golfers, using buggies!
CC had a falconry lesson at 13:30. He was assured that he would be driven back from the centre to the pier on time for the 14:45 cruise on the Corrib.
After golf I had a coffee at Mrs Teas - which incorporates the pro shop, a souvenir shop and a section of teas, coffees and pastries.
The weather had improved and people sat outside as other guests did outside Cullen’s Cottage
I walked to the nearby jetty and fell into conversation with the captain and his mate. They asked me where I had come from and I replied Dublin. They then asked if I was disappointed that Dublin was beaten by Mayo yesterday. I replied that as I was not from Dublin originally and that I was delighted for Mayo as was most of the rest of the country. They are very proud of the player from Neale. Then they decided to guess where I was from but didn’t succeed - I had to acknowledge my Limerick origins.
CC arrived by a hotel car as promised. We boarded the cruiser - the Inisfáil. The Corrib is the largest lake in the Republic and second in the country as a whole. I assume Lough Neagh is the largest. The captain was a mine of information. He told me it was the only subject he had any interest in at school.
We picked up some other passengers en route to Inchagoill. The Connemara mountains were dressed in a purple livery.
We arrived on the island
There are two small churches on the island of Celtic size but one was reputedly an Augustinian friary
The Graveyard
Through the trees we saw the abandoned cottage of Thomas Nevin. He was the sole occupant and caretaker of the island for many years. Lord Ardilaun gave Tommie the first battery radio in the area. In 1938, a hundred men sailed to the island to hear Michael O’ Hehir’s first broadcast of an all Ireland final. Tge match was a draw and the men had to repeat the process a few weeks later!
We returned to the Castle
and set off for Dublin
A thoroughly enjoyable weekend in spite of the weather!
No comments:
Post a Comment