A blog by an Irishwoman, written in both English and Swedish, depending on what humour is on me....
En blogg av en irländska, skriven på svenska och engelska.
Just scroll down to find the English bits among the Swedish, or vice versa.

Ta Gaeilge agam freisin, más é an rud é go bhfuil éinne eile le Gaeilge ag léamh mo bhlagsa.

Ich verstehe auch ein bisschen Deutsch, je parle un petit peu francais och klarar av lite norska med.

Wondering about the background of the blog? They're the Cliffs of Moher, in the neighbouring county, County Clare, 8km long, 700m high, and magnificent. Well worth a visit if anyone is around the West of Ireland



Sunday, February 14, 2010

Saint Valentine's Day 2010, Glenstal Abbey

Today was a lovely day, bright, clear and sunny. A bit chilly, but perfect for a walk.
The two eldest daughters were gone to friends so it was just the Swede, the 9 year old daughter, the 3 year old son and myself. We drove to the nearby village, to a place called Glenstal Abbey, which is a Benedictine monastery and an exclusive boarding school for boys.
We walked along their private road, while daughter cycled. It was a great day to be out and about, my first time back in Glenstal since the operation. I took lots of photos, of the lake, the playing fields, the trees, snowdrops, the cannon, the tower.


walking along the private road in Glenstal


we call this piece of wooden sculpture 'The Whistling Man'


Glenstal is a wildlife sanctuary, so no picking the flowers!


more snowdrops above...


approaching Glenstal Castle, the buildings which house the school are beyond the Castle


I doubt this cannon was ever used, I think the original owners put it here to add a bit of 'authenticity'...


daughter on bike


It may look like there's a guard on duty on the tower, but it's just a statue, with a crow on his head.

Potted history of Glenstal Abbey:
Glenstal Abbey was built in the 1830s for the Barrington family. It was designed as a castle in 12th century style. It has a great gate and a massive drum tower that resembles the one at Windsor Castle. The Barringtons moved to England in the 1920s and in 1927 sold the castle and lands to the Benedictine Order.
In September 1932, the monks opened the Secondary School. The school started with just seven pupils. There are approximately 200 pupils in the school now.
The monastery became an abbey in 1957. Visitors are welcome to Glenstal Abbey. They can walk in the extensive grounds and in the seventeenth-century terrace garden, participate in the community’s worship (at set times throughout the day), visit the Icon Chapel (by arrangement) and browse in the Abbey Book and Gift Shop. Refreshments by arrangement. Glenstal Abbey, Murroe, Co. Limerick.
Glenstal is south facing and has an excellent view of the Galtee Mountains. It is on an estate of around 500 acres (2.0 km2), of which some is farmland, forestry, games fields, lakes, gardens and school and monastery buildings.
The Abbey grounds contain a great variety of trees and flowers, mostly planted during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries by the Barrington Family. There are also five artificial lakes, mostly stocked with trout and one of which pupils may swim in during the summer months.

text borrowed from discoverireland.com and wikipedia.



When I came home I took this photo, below, of one of my favourite things - a full washing line, lots of clothes hanging out to dry! I maintain that hanging out washing is therapeutic, you get to commune with nature in your own backgarden, the birds are singing, the clouds blowing by and you feel the sun and the wind on your skin....



I also took snaps of the birch trees, there were some catkins on them, another sign of spring, I took these shots so I can compare the trees now in mid-February to the same trees in mid-March or so.

birch against a blue, blue sky



I love this weeping willow, (above), the little white catkins are also peeping out here.
And this is my Forsythia, (below), it will soon have yellow flowers on it, right now, I can just about see green tips on some of the buds.

7 comments:

  1. Vilken fästning, häftigt! Och vår.... Tack!
    Om Du är intresserad av något särskilt garn så kan Du nå mig på mail!
    sjovik.fredholm@telia.com
    Ibland finns det lite på lager!

    ReplyDelete
  2. åh vad jag blir frestad! Dina garn har en sådan bra 'texture' och fina färger, fingrarna kliade när jag såg ditt inlägg med tröjan Fjällbrud och vantarna...
    jag hör av mig, tack
    liz

    ReplyDelete
  3. Mmm, lovely photos, Liz! Thank you for sharing.
    Love and hugs,

    ReplyDelete
  4. wow vår det vill vi ha med,Va härligt med grönt gräs å snödroppar,
    Här har de lovat ännu mer snö nu:(
    himla tröt tpå det nu,
    Va fint slott!
    Jag håller på att läsa en skrämmande historia Berätta inte för någon som handlar om just Irland och dessA Magdalenatvätterier som fanns då,Usch vad grymt att sånt fått hända,
    Må gott

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hej Lambergsfrua och Soffie!
    Jag ser att det är fortfarande minus grader i Karlstad och att de lovar snö hos er de kommande 4 dagar!
    Här blåser det lite kallt norrifrån, men det är inte så farligt, man kommer ut bara man har passande kläder på, och det kalla klara vädret är mycket bättre än regn!
    Ja visst är det fint med Glenstal...
    Denna bok som du läser Soffie har inte jag läst, jag vill inte läsa den egentligen, men jag känner till det som hände på Magdalentvätterierna, det var hemskt, och det är inte den enda skandal som har hänt på Irland med kyrkan, präster, nunnor och andra som verkligen gav sig på unga utsatta människor och barn med våld och frihetsberoveri och sexuell utnyttande... Det är skamligt och sorgligt...
    finns inga ursäkter för sånt beteende...
    jag tror inte jag skulle klara av att läsa om sånt egentligen...
    allt är inte frid och fröjd här på Irland...
    suck...
    liz

    ReplyDelete
  6. I work part time in Limerick, rest of time in Stockholm. anoher Swedish -Irish link...

    Eliz

    ReplyDelete
  7. Hi Eliz,
    I'd love to hear more...
    Where and when do you work in limerick? and with what?...
    if you don't want to write about it in here I'm sure we can communicate in some other way, any suggestions?
    regards
    liz

    ReplyDelete