Ireland... It was always my biggest dream to visit Ireland and when I finally did, I didn't wanna go home. I have thousands of photos and I will post them in time, but today I was so inspired by posts on the travelphotography challenge that I needed to share my very amateur and cellphone photography with you Steemians, so be gentle!
For my first birthday without my father, I wanted to go see a place he never got to and always spoke of, I wanted to do as he inspired me to do "follow the music and fall in love", well I followed that music to Ireland and then all the way to Galway past Letterfrack and found myself in a place I can only describe as Enchanting!
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When you think Ireland, you think GREEN, TREES, CASTLES, HISTORY and you would be RIGHT! I spent 7 hours in Conamara alone and I walked the majority of that time in fog, with the smell of grass in my nostrils and as far as the eye could see (when it wasn't foggy) green trees and plants everywhere. If you have ever been in Clifden, Letterfrack then you know walking from there to Conamara is pretty far and I did so on a morning I could not see my hands in front of my eyes. I was picked up by an old fisherman, name Pat and he took me halfway there and after walking for what felt like forever and watching my step on the muddy side of the road (there are no sidepaths on your way Conamara just this awful barbedwire fence you try and avoid, a stream and LOADS of trucks- the combination of which almost got me hit by a rickshaw wearing a white coat in the fog 😂). When I finally did look up this is what I saw:
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Kylemore Castle was built in 1800's by Mitchell Henry MP, as history tells is he was a wealthy man and he was deeply in love with his wife Margaret. The estate boasts of walled gardens, Turkish baths and even had turbines that brought electricity into the castle. The walled gardens has everything from flowers, vegetation and tropical fruit and it is said that the most extraordinary parties were hosted here. Today unfortunately majority of the greenhouses has collapsed, but the garden still remains breathtakingly beautiful. And although the Turkish baths were long since removed, the Castle was turned into a beautiful museum, with even the tables set in the luxurious dining rooms as if they are expecting a party to arrive by horse-cart at any minute. If you close your eyes I am sure you can hear them...
The love affair between Henry and Margaret is one legends are made off. Henry was an English financier and politician and even studied for a degree in Medicine. He married Margaret in 1875 and built Kylemore for her, as legend had it inspired by her beauty (Kylemore means Big Wood and if you are ever lucky enough to walk along the trees you will see acres and acres of it.), so this proclamation of love is by far the most romantic and the biggest gesture I have ever seen! Their 23 years of marriage brought them 9 children and at the age of 45 Margaret died tragically from a fever contracted in Egypt. After her death Henry brought Margaret home and built her a mausoleum were he entombed her and when the time was right, Henry went and joined her...
A little further up the pathway from where Margaret and Henry was laid to rest (and later joined by their sons and daughters), Henry had built a memorial church for Margaret overlooking a lake in the style of a Gothic cathedral. On the inside of this church you will find different coloured marble, beautiful painted glass and votive candles where you can light candles for someone either as a prayer or if they have passed as a memory, this is where I lit one for my dad.
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Today Kylemore Abbey is owned and run by the Benedictine community, and when you walk the pathways between the castle, the woods and the walled garden you can find shrines for prayers and nuns everywhere. But for me when I walk the halls of that castle, I stand in the walled garden, the garden cottage or the beautiful church, I think of Henry and Margaret and how love inspired someone to build something so significant and magical and even after her passing to honour her memory and her beauty in a shrine that will stand the test of time.
Oh, Penny. It's lovely. I mean seriously. Incredible beauty.
There is a mission south of Tucson where I light my candles. I'm not of the faith, but putting a name on a candle and lighting it just seems the right thing to me. I also have a private Carin in the wilds of New Mexico where I have named the stones that are on it.
There is a castle on the breaks of the Columbia River in Washington. Jim Hill, the railroad robber baron married a Romanian princess and built it for her. She took one look at the countryside and refused to live there. It is now a museum that has the largest collection of Rodin sculpture outside the Louvre in Paris. Most of the plaster molds for his sculptures ended up there. It's a thing to be seen.
Thank you for a lovely post, and the thoughts, which are even more important.
BigT, I feel like I should just move to your side of the world, we hop on Connie and you show me all these things! Do you have photos? You need to write a post about this please! It sounds incredible! Of course Romania has it's own place in heart and I would love to one day see that as well (as you mentioned the Romanian princess), is there anything more romantic than a tragedy ...sigh <3
There is a Stonehenge replica near by. Hill built it as a monument to the stupidity of war during WWI. It's not as Stonehenge is today, but as it was built. It's on nearly the same latitude so the Sun and Moon angles are the same. I'll try to be there for SunUp photos soon.
I need to see this!!! PLEASE!
OH what a heavenly post. This is why my heart is always in England (and ireland scotland and wales too!) The history and beauty. I always feel like I am 'home' when I am lucky enough to get of the plane and be there.
Really lovely and dreamy.
Thank you so much my cheeseygoodnessfriend <3 I really really am so appreciative when my posts are linked (forget the cash it just feels great being acknowledged). Ireland has my entire heart! I would love to just be there and grow old. I will post so many more posts about it I have memories and experiences enough to last me a lifetime!
holy cheeses! that castle is beautiful. And that table.. kinda looks like dinner at my place.... righhhht??
It is gorgeous ey ? You have a table at home ? I remeber floor picnics on blankies they were my favourite !
I have always wanted to visit Ireland. It is high on my bucket list of places to visit in my life. The landscape on its own is absolutely breathtaking and I can't wait to visit some of the historical sites and castles. The stories you can experience and learn more about must be the type that can take you to a different world and you can get lost in. I am so jealous but I will get there eventually.
Do it sooner rather than later! We sometimes imagine we will do it LAAAAAAAAAAAAATER and then when later comes we are too old or life and circumstances changed, it's so important to chase your dreams NO! <3
I LOVE Ireland, Scotland, those places are MAGICAL and it really feels like all fantasy movies are based on these places... I'm so happy for you that you were able to experience it and understand why your father spoke about it so much. It doesn't matter it's 'just' smartphone pics because you captures the essence anyway. Oh, my travel itch!
I know exactly what you mean I stare in envy at everyone's pic when they go anywhere, I don't know I am a wanderer at heart forced to have a day job :P