Up on the limestone pavement above Ballyvaughan stands this amazing construction..Poulnabrone Portal tomb.
(There is a lovely textile piece based on this on Paddy's daughter's blog here)
Its incredible to think that thousands of years ago the dead were laid here.
The fissures in the limestone make beautiful patterns and we were told that in the Spring there are hundreds of species of flowers growing in them.
Just over the edge of the site we found this deep pond teeming with mating frogs.
Look at their little heads popping up out of the water.
The noise was amazing.You can hear it as vibrating hum in this video.( I think the other clicking sound is something to do with me trying unsuccessfully to zoom in )
How fortunate we were to be there on that particular day.
Is this somewhere in Eire?
ReplyDeleteAnd how did you achieve that sweet video - amazing.
Is that the sound of creaking knees?
ReplyDeleteOhhhh - these photographs have been *so* beautiful - thank you! The palette seems uniquely Irish (to these eyes that have never seen Ireland), and the contrast of old and new, soft green moss and hard stone, sky and earth, life and death - well, I am lingering long.
ReplyDeletewow! thank you so much for sharing this, that sound was incredible!!!
ReplyDeletelovely phots too, I am so enjoying this trip!
What a beautiful place to be laid to rest. It certainly beats an urn with ashes in it. I'm loving the travelog of your trip thank you so much.
ReplyDeleteYour pics are beautiful Jackie, and I enjoyed your video too.
ReplyDeleteFor some reason those patterned stones put me in mind of some of your work....your beautiful brooches mostly.
Thanks Jackie, for adding the link to my version of Poulnabrone Dolmen, it was piece I was pleased with, and really would have like to keep! Sue McB
ReplyDeleteI love your pictures. I would so love to see the rock fissures filled with flowers later in the year - and what a David Attenborough moment with the frogs, an unusual sight to come across. I have seen similar with toads in Bali at sundown but they don't make a nice humming noise, they just croak .
ReplyDeleteVery lucky indeed that you were there on that day. Absolutely wonderful little film, it made me smile :O)
ReplyDeleteI didnt fancy listening to the froggies mating...feeling delicate enough at the moment...it loks like a wonderful trip thanks for taking us...H
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful trip, Jackie. Your pictures are visions to step right into....except the pond. I love the patterns of the rock....I would not have been able to resist touching them.
ReplyDeleteI liked the picture of the stones, it's very similar to some of the stones we have in Cornwall
ReplyDeleteI am fascinated by ancient stones and their textures. I have never seen so many frogs at one time - amazing! What a fantastic trip - beautiful photos and the video really makes me feel as if I am with you.
ReplyDeleteI love the panorama photo. I think I have some photos somewhere of flowers in the limestone on the Burren. I shall have to look them out and scan them. The frogs are amazing, they seem to be mating quite late this year. I shall have to go out and check our pond.
ReplyDeletewhat a lovely spot to visit and photograph!!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful, beautiful photos Jackie...it's 20 years since I was in Ireland, sigh! Yeats is probably my favourite poet! And I'm now off to look up Patricia Lynch, and wondering why I haven't heard of her...C.S. Lewis and Susan Cooper were my favourites, so she sounds like she would have been right up my alley as a child!
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely experience. Ireland is so beautiful and is so lovely and GREEN! Our countryside is incredibly beige and colourless up here at the moment. Gorgeous photos and interesting limestone patterns.
ReplyDeleteHi Jackie. Loving your photos from Ireland.
ReplyDeleteI got that felting ball I was talking about from Twist Fibre Studios. If you Google them they have an online shop....or I could get you one next time I'm in and post it to you. They are about £5.95 I think. : )
Loved the frogs! Reminded me of my last year at college when the pond on our campus was full of mating frogs and they were spilling over onto the pathways. Late one night my friend got one of them caught inside her sandal.......the scream was heard for miles around.
ReplyDeleteForgot to say; I've enjoyed the travelogue. Glad you enjoyed your stay.....
ReplyDeleteLike your panoramic collection at the top of this post Jackie and am glad to see that you had glorious weather for your magical trip to Ireland.
ReplyDeleteI made it to York (glorious weather there too) and to Betty's. No queuing and a pianist playing mellow music, while I drank my tea and admired the wonderful stained glass windows! I'd like to go back, but it's so far away and much colder than here! Bye for now, Lesley