| Back to Donegal... this time with my PhD supervisor, Jane Nelson, and a couple of other PhD students from Queens. The weekend after that it was down to Ennsikillen with the rowing club. | |
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I
was invited to spend a weekend in Donegal, where Professor Nelson (my supervisor)
has a cottage (although strictly speaking it belongs to one of her daughters).
Our party was Jane, Beatrice (a French student also doing a PhD with Jane),
and Sandrine (another French girl doing a PhD with Vicki Mckee).
Jane had to visit a student in Killybegs, so we stopped there on Friday night for an hour or so, then had a feed of fish and chips, before heading on to the cottage. It was very close to where I'd visited the last time, about 2 miles from Carrick. The 'cottage' turned out to be a 3 bedroom house, I'd been expecting something like a Kiwi bach, but it was a lot more civilised than that. We got the fire going as soon as possible after arriving (a small bellows is part of the normail fire starting kit - besides poker, coal shovel etc), and Jane broke out a bottle of whiskey and brewed up some coffee. Just what I needed before crawling into a very warm, comfortable bed. This was the view from the cottage that greeted us in the morning (it greeted some of us earlier than others - I think I managed 10am). There is a small wharf across the harbour where the fishermen bring in their catch. Fishing seems to be the main industry in the area, there is a lot of farmland (sheep) as well, and I guess tourism brings in a lot of the income in the area as well. Donegal, especially the north, is very famous for music, being the home of the Brennan family (Clannad and Enya), as well as a lot of other famous trad Irish bands (Altan and others). Jane had breakfast ready for us when we emerged (this was to be the pattern for the whole weekend - Jane treated us like royalty), and we got ready to head out into the hills. We drove to Slieve League to begin with, but the cloud was very low, so we decided to go somewhere lower down, where there was a chance of getting a view. We couldn't drive all the way to the start of the walk - some bad storm damage (from the storms just after Christmas) was still evident. The road was completely destroyed at this point, where it wasn't blocked by huge boulders (over 1m diameter) thrown up by the water. |
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We
did get a nice view in places, the coast line is very rugged and beautiful.
Beatrice, Sandrine and I walked back to the
cottage along the road, took some more photos, and talked to a couple of
blokes, who clearly thought that it was unfair that I had two girls all
to myself. After getting quite lost, we made it back for a late lunch,
and just relaxed for the afternoon. The European rugby cup final between
Ulster and Coulomiers was just finishing as we came in - a victory for
Ulster, and a defeat for France (yes!) which gained me a pint from Beatrice
later in the evening.
Dinner was roast chicken (awesome), and then we drove out to see if we could find a pub with some music. No luck unfortunately, so after a drink or two we headed home, some to bed, and some of us to read in front of the fire. |
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The
next day we visited Glencolumkille (again for me). Drove through the village,
and around towards Glen Head. We started walking up towards the tower (this
was the walk I didn't get to finish last time I was here, so I was stoked
to have the opportunity to do it again), and about half way, Sandrine and
I discovered that although the ground may look flat and green and solid,
it may actually be a deep patch of peat swamp. She (and Jane) headed back
to the car to change and dry out, I wasn't too bad, so carried on with
Beatrice. The tower is one of many along the
coast, which were built to give early warning of the invasion of Napolean.
By the time we got back from the walk, it was time to pack up and head home - wetter, tireder, but with a lot more photos and great memories of Ireland and Irish hospitality. |
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next
weekend was a trip of a different nature, training camp with the rowing
club. we stayed at portora, in enniskillen. this school is one of ireland's
most famous, where oscar wilde (amongst other luminaries) studied. it has
been there since 1608 (i think), and has a beautiful location overlooking
the erne and the town of enniskillen. not much to say about the weekend
really, we rowed, and then we rowed some more, then we ran and rowed some
more again. we all went out on saturday night, which was good fun - although
it had a disastrous effect for graeme, our bowman (i decided not to publish
that photo in the interests of decency and good taste). the town of enniskillen
is very pretty, impressive cathedrals and other old buildings, and very
clean and prosperous in general.
in the first photo is paul (tall paul, or tp), simon (our stroke), seàn (pronouced shane), michael (who has never ever been called fat michael by any of us), and dave (danger). the second photo shows us gliding in to the slips, starting at stroke (ie the stern, closest to the camera) is simon, dave, myself, michael, seàn, lindsay, oisin (pronounced aw-sheen), and graeme. we are, as usual, being coxed by the diminutive Sarah, who has her back to the camera. |
