Travelling around Ireland one sees many strange and wonderful things. This sign on the road between Dowra and Blacklion is for me very odd. It is meant to depict a dead Yellow Bittern. Someone did a drawing of a bird then turned it upside down! It just does’nt work for me. The story behind it is that a couple of hundred years ago Cathal went for a walk by nearby Lough Mc Nean on a very frosty morning, trapped in the ice was a dead Yellow Bittern which moved him to write a poem on the experience.
This Pine Tree blew over in a storm last year and has been in this position ever since. It is still alive and growing! Seen near Sligo. Wonderful!
This cross is in a garden I recently visited. The owner saw a similar cross in Armenia, liked the design, did a sketch of it then made it on his return home. When he dies it will mark his burial place. Weird or wonderful? I’m not sure if it’s either!
This object is in the same garden as the cross. I find it rather menacing. Weird!
Fossil on a rocky beach in north Sligo. It looks like a headress to me. There’s also a face if you look closely. Wonderful!
Finally a sight this is now very rare in Ireland. A water pump. At one time these were a common sight in all parts of the country. A few up and downs of the handle and fresh spring water was yours. Sadly this one is missing a handle so it is only an ornament.
arignagardener 
Follow-up: Was so curious about this fossil that I contacted the county of Sligo through their website. They recently published a booklet on the fossils of Sligo. When I asked how I could obtain a copy here in the states, a nice person from their office offered to mail me one at no charge. Now that’s cool! Happy fossil hunting!
Brilliant! Must get a copy of that myself.
What do you suppose that fossil is? A pile of ammonites? Looks like the entire surrounding rock is heavily fossilized.
Great post. Weird or wonderful, all these things are really interesting and I enjoyed looking at them very much.
I didn’t know that pine trees could be so flexible!
Gargoyles creep me out!
Jane x
The somersaulting bird is very disturbing, the more you look at it. The cross is lovely metalwork, but to have a memento mori waiting … there is nowt so queer as folk. This was a fascinating read all the way!