This post is for all visitors and was inspired by my students. They often tell me they find it hard to get reliable information on the most interesting places to see here. This sounds a bit unlikely at first? With Ireland’s long-established tourism, you’d imagine we’re bursting at the seams with reliable, objective lists and maps,… Read More Arran’s Top Dublin Sights & Visits.
As an architecture and history obsessive, I often discuss with my students their favorite Dublin visits and “sights”. The great medieval Cathedral of Saint Patrick’s came up in class conversation the other day. I was a little mystified, not to say horrified, when one of my students shrugged her shoulders, and said it was “so-so” ! … Read More Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, my favourite place in the world.
The day after Carnac, Mike and I drop Lindsey off at the train station to make her way home. It’s a sad moment, the Fellowship of the Mast is coming to an end. Later the same afternoon Mike and I take our rental car to visit Pont Aven. This pretty little town was made… Read More Pont Aven Washout & the Cathedral and the Bridges of Quimper.
Another days sailing done. Having survived a mix of weathers, a run-in with a spiteful tug boat and long day’s sail, we find ourselves coming into view of our next stop: Concarneau. Passing the first harbor walls, it is a beautiful evening. Even from sea, the place looks amazing. In fact, arriving by sea is… Read More Sailing Brittany part VII- Audierne to Concarneau.
We leave L’Aberwrach early the next morning, for what Mike described, in his pre-trip internet briefing notes, as a “5-hour flume ride through the Chenal de Four”, (whatever that means) Not to be confused with tomorrow’s, much scarier-sounding “10-hour slog through the Rez de Seine”. The weather off the rugged Atlantic coast of… Read More Part V- Sailing L’Aberwrach to Cabernet-sur-Mer… Man overboard!
Part ii- Dublin to Concarneau and Carnac; a sailing voyage on the coasts of Brittany. Getting there: (Part Two) Day zero + 1. North Wales to Plymouth. We leave mid-morning to catch the train, first leg Bangor to Birmingham. Despite the continuing grey weather, the first part of this journey is quite nice, with the… Read More Part ii- Dublin to Concarneau and Carnac; a sailing voyage on the coasts of Brittany.
Following on from Saint Brendan in our previous post; another stone carving, from another church. This time from the lovely and medieval St Nicholas of Myra church, right in the centre of Galway city. As you see, this stone carving above shows an angel. But this particular angel is unique, for reasons shortly to… Read More Answer Picture 3… Saint Nicholas Church Galway.
a stone carving from a capital that adorns a column in Saint Brendan’s Cathedral, Loughrea, Co Galway. The Cathedral was designed by William Byrne and funded by the wonderful Edward Martyn, Catholic land-owner, Humanist, scholar, patron, and playwright. Martyn was an absolutely vital figure in Ireland’s Gaelic Revival, a hugely important benefactor to the arts. Among his many… Read More St Brendan’s Cathedral & St Brendan Navigator.
We asked readers to try and identify four architectural details, from buildings around Ireland. If you have not seen the quiz yet, you can find it here. Or, if you just want the answers, and a bit of additional detail, here’s the answer to picture 1. (below) This fierce and fabulous sea creature is… Read More Answer 1… Dolphin House, & the influence of John Ruskin.
A small set of curious pictures, just four today, for readers to puzzle over. In a break with tradition, these images are not all from the capital. Two pictures are from Dublin, but the other two from elsewhere in Ireland, from much further afield. Enjoy, and please feel free to share with friends or colleagues.… Read More Four details… four pictures from Dublin and around Ireland.
Arran Q Henderson 