Today my friends went to the disco. Today I was left wondering what happened to my invitation. Today I realised that they are not my friends. So, instead, today I went to the beach. I’ve always been unlucky when it comes to friends, many times resorting to my own company. I have many speeches about
This is about a river that flows through County Meath. It enters the sea at Drogheda, flowing through Slane at speed. Trinity is where it begins: from a well, a spring, a drain. Flows northeast past hilly heritage: Tara, Screen and Slane. I love to walk along its banks, starting off at the Bridge of
According to myself, Im something of a poet on the side. More of the folk poetry tradition more than the established kind, the local River Shannon has seen me cominsing a few verses from time to time while passing its banks. One verse in particular, which I wrote when quite young, in my teens, is
It isn’t a river. It doesn’t need a name. It is The Burn, a word that means a small stream and describes it perfectly. It isn’t deep enough to be dangerous. In dry weather a child can cross it by jumping from one brown rock to the next. Despite its short length and minimal depth
Living by the Irish Sea for most of my life; the poem ‘Sea-Fever’ by John Maseifeld strikes a special resonance for me and has a particular place in my heart. “I must go down to the sea again For the call of the running tide Is a wild call and a clear call That may
The Camac is a 24km river that runs through county Dublin. The source of the river is Mount Seskin , Saggart the mouth of the river is River Liffey at Heuston staiton. Over 100 years ago many mills such as sawmills, papermills, woollen mills, grain mills and gun powder mills all lined the riverbanks. Although
As a child, I was always drawn to the river. I wasn’t a lonely child but I was the first cousin of one. My parents worked hard on the farm and my brother who was 5 years older spent a lot of his time helping them. I was too small to help for many jobs,
There are many holes or pools on the river Feale in county Kerry but one in particular stands out. It is called the Cot Hole or Poll na Coite in Irish. It is a rather deep section, about twenty feet, between the Kilmorna road and Duagh village near where the Callaghans now live. It got
We were crabbing at Murrisk. Two adults, three children and one Foxford blanket. The sun was shining, the sky was cloudless, and The Reek was standing over us like an ancient grandfather in a pointed hat. This was part of our annual pilgrimage with my best friend Kay, her boy Edward and my two nephews.
Heading down to the River Dodder as a child during the summer was one of my favourite things to do. I would use a fishing net that was attached to a thin bamboo pole. You could buy them in the local newsagents for around a £1 and that would be it, you were set up
My name is Baggi, one cool black cat. Living in a small estate called Riverview. It`s right across the road from a river called the Dodder. One day a few years ago I fell from a car and hurt myself badly and to this day I walk with a wiggle. Lots of people laugh at
There were wild ducks on the river then, presided over by a magnificent drake. The Black Dinin River snakes down through our village tumbling over the rock face into deep pools locally known as the Sheep hole, the Horse hole and Harry’s pocket. Harry’s pocket was our favourite haunt. Two large rock boulders divided the