God the Creator reached for the large box and lifted it carefully from the shelf. ‘What’s that?’ asked the apprentice. ‘Electrons. Just look at this.’ He pulled back the lid to show off the mass of tiny particles shimmering inside. The apprentice was eager to learn. ‘Electrons. What are they for?’ ‘Watch this.’ God the
When I was young in the 1950’s we lived in Dublin but every summer we decamped for two months to a caravan near Blessington, in a field beside Poulaphouca Lake. There I had the freedom to roam with my dog Pickles. He was a very special dog. His mother was a pure bred Scotty and
Water is vital for all forms of life, water moves through many cycles of evaporation, condensation, precipitation, run-off. Water comes in many forms the seas, oceans, ground- water, glaciers, ice -caps, clouds, rainwater or run -off water. Freshwater has been used by humans for generations for agriculture, fishing, heating, cooling, washing, sports, to name a
My family lived with Pop at the Mill House which was dwarfed by the mill on the gable end facing our kitchen. We had a beautiful garden, but to the side was an untamed wilderness full of wild rhubarb, wasp’s nests, and badgers, which led directly onto the river. Although we were forbidden to enter
My husband and I decided to sell our house in Dublin and move lock, stock and barrel to rural Ireland. We moved into a rundown cottage in Doonass in Co.Clare in the eighties. Renovations were ongoing which we found difficult at times. As Autumn approached we finally got the chance to explore our local area.
It could not be said that I turned my back on the Shannon in the way that the city of Limerick was said to have done. It was a flowing presence not far from the end of our city garden. I recall pools of water on the saturated lawn After a spell of torrential rainfall
The 20th July 1969, the day that Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed the Apollo Eagle on the moon was a momentous event for the world. However, for the inhabitants of my local village, Ballinacurra, Midleton, Co. Cork, my family and myself it was a date which has always been very special for a different
One of my favourite features of my grandparents house in Ireland is the river that flows by the side of it. The beautiful, historic house looks onto the picturesque river scene on one side. With a view prominently from the living room, you are able to spectate the Boyne drifting on. It’s dark, murky waters
The lakeshore of Lough Mask in Tourmakeady was a few fields down behind our house and the rocky shoreline with its Alder trees growing on the banks was a haven for us children seeking adventure as we roamed along it’s shores. It was all of that and more. It was freedom to play, explore and
I grew up along the waterways. In a way everybody did. From rivers to lakes to canals, the waterways are always close. Banagher was the town my family lived in growing up, so my waterways were the wide Shannon and the Grand Canal at Shannon Harbour. I used to love walking along the marina at
Lough Gowna is situated in North Longford or South Cavan. It’s a very large lake of 6 miles long and about 3 miles wide, at its widest point. Lough Gowna is a very busy lake as people come from all over the world to fish for pike, trout, perch, bream, hybrids and roach. Lough Gowna
My earliest memory is of when I was four years old and I had got lost down by ‘the river’. Thankfully a man out walking his Alsaitan dog found me and brought me home. It was a pattern of adventure forged at a very young age. I had a happy childhood, often spent playing down
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