A Morning walk by the Canal.

This morning I left our car into the garage at Drumshanbo (our local town), for a service. I filled in the time while I was waiting by taking a walk by the Lough Allen Canal just outside the town. It was such a calm, still morning, the water was like a mirror, everything reflected in perfectly still water. Under the bridge you can see the lock which brings boats from the lock into the canal and onto the Shannon river.

The canal was built in the 1820s for commercial traffic. It was used continously until 1930 when it fell into disuse. It reopened again in 1970 and is now used extensively by pleasure craft.

The lane alongside the canal is a widlife haven. Lots of birds calling and darting about as I walked quietly, observing the hedgerow crops which are a foragers dream.

Haws are just about ripe now. They can be used to make wine and jelly. They are of course also a valuable Winter food for the birds. The old people always said that lots of berries signify a hard Winter to come, nature or God, depending on your belief, providing for our feathered friends.

The Blackberries too are beginning to ripen. They are high in vitamin C and can be frozen for Winter use. They also make delicious jam, jelly, wine and cordial.

Further on the ubiquitous pile of silage bales, someones store of Winter food for their animals.

Even further in was this stash of firewood. This will keep someone toasty through the Winter months.

A stand of Beech trees, enticing you to walk through them admiring their gracious beauty.

Sunday Miscellany.

Two of the four wind harps by the waterfront in Carrick-on-Shannon. They make an eerie, haunting yet beautiful sound.

Craft stall at the Plant Fair in Farmleigh, Pheonix Park, Dublin on Sunday 21st August.

Stone fountain in the Famine Memorial Graveyard, Carrick-on-Shannon.

Daphne enjoying some Willow cuttings.

Red Banana leaf. A bit too tender for Arigna I fear!

Freddie watches and waits for a door to open.

Any more Willow branches?

Friday Musings from Prospect Cottage.

Eupatorium purpureum or Joe Pye Weed as it is commonly called is a hardy perennial which likes a sunny spot with a moist soil. Its common name was derived from a Native American who was said to have cured typhoid fever with it by inducing extreme sweating. It was also used as an antisyphilitic. The plant is also a benificial for bees and butterflies.

A bowl of Pot Marigolds, 70 heads to be exact, these ones were used to make an ointment which is excellent for any skin problems. An oil can also be made by covering the heads with sunflower oil, placing in a sunny place for a few days then straining off the resulting beautifully coloured oil. Again an excellent treatment for any skin problems.

This Lysimachia with the variegated leaves will hopefully spread like the plain leaved one. I was careful to plant it where its rapid spread can be absorbed. It too likes a moist situation. It can be divided in Autumn or Spring every 2 or 3 years.

The recent heavy rain has played havoc with the Poppies although they continue to produce masses of new blooms.

I think their seed heads look rather attractive anyway. I wonder if the seeds of these Opium Poppies can be saved and used in cooking? Anyone know ?

The Grapes are slowly starting to ripen in the polytunnel. They are in dire need of some sun which has been very scarce this Summer. Typically the forecast is good for next week just as all the children return to school.

Ireland’s Taj Mahal!

This little limestone chapel is on the main street in the town of Carrick-on-Shannon, Co. Leitrim. It was built by Edward Costello as a tribute and a final resting place for his wife who died at the age of 46.

Mary Josephine Costello died in 1877. After her death she was embalmed, put to rest in an oak coffin lined with metal and left in the care of a local convent. Her widower set about building the church which was dedicated in April 1879.

After the consecration ceremony Mrs. Costello’s coffin was placed in a sunken space to the left of the entrance. It was covered with a specially made sheet of very thick glass which is still there, undamaged, and through which the plaque on the coffin lid and the aged wooden coffin are still visible.

Edward Costello died in 1891, his body was placed in a coffin similar to his beloved and placed to the right of the entrance.

Over the years more buildings have gone up around the little church. The natural light that would once have shone through this beautiful stained glass window is no more.

The recently cleaned tiles commerate the Stations of the Cross on the floor of this church which is the smallest in Europe. It is 16ft long, 12ft wide and 30ft high.  The building is known as The Costello Memorial Chapel. A little gem in the heart of lovely Leitrim.

The Hedgerow in August.

The Blackberries have started to swell in the hedgerows. Hopefully we will get some sunny days to help them along. The picking of Blackberries is one of my cherished childhood memories. My Mother would turn them into jam to keep us supplied through the Winter. Today it is a tradition I still follow. Foraging is second nature and something I get deep satisfaction from.

Blackberry and Apple jam is delicious and the apples provide the pectin the Blackberries lack.  Mixed with Elderberry, another free fruit, they make a great chutney. Then of course there’s cordial, great for Winter colds or just as a nice drink, full of vitamin C.

The sloe is also filling out, this bitter fruit is the ancestor of all cultivated and wild plums. So bitter is it that one could possibly wonder what use it would have.  It however, has several uses when ripe. Usually picked after first frosts, which softens the by then black skins, sloes make a lovely claret coloured jelly, a very fine wine and added with sugar to gin or vodka make a very nice liquer.

 The Hogweed, alas, has no value to the forager, being inedible. It is however a useful plant for wildlife. The large heads are made up of hundreds of small flowers which attract Bees, Soldier Beetles and Hoverflies. Spiders spin their webs between the stems hoping to trap a Bluebottle or other insect to dine on.

The variety of wild grasses on the lane never ceases to amaze. They are at their best right now having reached their full height and developed seedheads.

This one lit up by the setting sun is gorgeous and to my eyes fit to grace any garden. I’m sure all these grasses have individual names but I don’t know them. I am happy, on my daily walks, to admire their variety and beauty.

August Flowers @ Prospect Cottage.

The Lilies are standing up well to the horrible weather. It’s more like Autumn here than high Summer.

This lovely velvet flowered Ivy Leaved Geranium is in a wall pot by the back door.

Montbretia just beginning to flower. This will have to be divided in the Autumn as it is spreading like crazy.

A late flowering Carnation among the Alyssum.

One of the little Fuschias that survived last Winter’s frosts with a Harebell in front.

In the hedgerow the wild Fuschia is flowering. Now growing wild in many areas it is the symbol used in Cork on quality artisan produce.

Historical Sites in our area.

Out walking on Sunday we stopped by Lough Meelagh, a small lake between Keadue and Ballyfarnon. Adjacent to the grounds of Kilronan Castle this little building was a folly for the gentry that once lived in the castle. The roof is long gone but the building has a certain charm about it.

Since I last visited the Ivy that had covered this building has been removed and some minor repairs carried out. The now visible stone is very odd shaped giving the building a gothic appearance.

Next stop was Kilronan graveyard where Edward King Tennyson, who dwelt at Kilronan Castle, now a hotel, is buried beneath this magnificent Celtic Cross.

Beautiful panels of Celtic designs adorn this cross. Whenever I pass this way I stop to look at it.

The designs are still as crisp as when they were first carved in the late 1800s.

Nearby is St. Lasair’s Holy Well where crawling under this slab 3 times and the recitation of prayers is said to be a cure for a bad back.

Drinking water from the spring well is also part of the cure. Many people still come here to pray and to find a cure for their ailments. Mass is celebrated here on the last Sunday in August. All these gems are only a few miles from our smallholding.

A walk to Doon.

When we come out our back door and look right we are looking at Corry Mountain. On Saturday last I went with the newly formed Arigna Field Club almost to the top of the Mountain. Our destination was Doon, a Promontory Fort, high on the side of Corry.

The climbers were rewarded with panaromic views of the beautiful Arigna Valley,

 

and a talk on the history of the place by Sean Daly. Doon is mentioned in the Annals of the  Four Masters which is a chronicle of Medieval Irish history dating from the deluge, dated as 2,242 after the Creation to AD1616.

Its position made it an excellent fortification against enemies. There are extensive remains of the ramparts. Tradition has it that Doon Fort was the headquarters of the legendary Tuatha De Danann. It is believed that most of the Fairy and Leprechaun stories of Ireland originated from the Tuatha De Danann from Doon.

The waterfall which has a 200ft drop adds to the magical feel of the place.

On the way down we saw this beautiful Dragonfly, or is it a Fairy in disguise?

The mist rolled in from the north as we descended, adding to the magical feel of the place. To finish the whole group had tea and biscuits in a neighbours house. A lovely finish to a fab outing.

Sweet William, Burdock and St. John’s Wort.

Sweet William is one of the oldest known garden flowers. I love its range of colours, the fact it is scented and that it is long lasting even when picked. Plants grow between 1 – 2 ft high and are topped with rounded clusters of flowers.

Flowers come in every shade from pink to white, they can be fringed, single or double. I prefer the single flowered ones as they are more suitable for bees.

Plants can be easily grown from seed planted in June or July, they will flower the following Summer. They can be overwintered in a cold frame or polytunnel. They do best in full sun in a well drained soil.

Along the lane wild plants with herbal uses continue to draw my attention. This one is Burdock (Arctium lappa), a biennial herb with a large taproot. It is an excellent blood purifier and promotes healthy kidney function. It expels uric acid from the body so it is helpful for gout and rheumatism. The fresh root can be used like carrots in soups and other dishes. In Japan Burdock is considered a premium vegetable, it is know as gobo root. Burdock can be made into a tea and used to bathe wounds, ulcers and ezcema.

St John’s Wort is also a perennial herb which grows wild here. In medieval times it was hung in windows and doorways to keep evil spirits at bay. An oil can be made from the flowers and leaves, 70 percent flowers to 30 percent leaves. Collect from the plant just as the blossoms are opening. Pinch a bud and a squirt of bloodlike oil will squirt out. If ready, the buds will stain your fingers bright red. It is desirable to pick on a dry day. To make the oil place the plant material in a wide mouthed jar. Pour in enough olive oil to come 2-3 inches above the herb. Cover tightly and leave on a sunny windowsill for 4-6 weeks. The oil will slowly turn a deep red colour. Strain the oil through a fine mesh strainer and bottle. Apply to sprains, bruises and burns. Some people can have a skin reaction which is aggravated by exposure to the sun so test it out on a small area first.

The Wider View. Part 2.

The gate to the vegetable garden.

First thing to see is this Victoria Plum tree laden with fruit again this year.

Following the path, Blackcurrant bushes on the left, veg beds on the right.

There are 2 polytunnels. The biggest one is 63ft long, the smaller one about 22ft. Among the vegetable beds there is a seat, an essential in any garden. It is one of my fave places to sit and contemplate or just observe the beautiful nature which surrounds us.

At the bottom of the small tunnel and looking back towards the house there are fruit trees, Plum and Apple. These are planted in tyres as the ground here is heavy and wet. Herbs and flowers are planted round the bases of the trees.

More veg beds beside the small polytunnel.

Looking over the fence we can see the house through the Birch  tree. The cottage garden bed is at the other side of the fence.

Hope you enjoyed the tour!