The Most Southerly Thatched building in Ireland

Only a few hundred yards from the North Harbour on Cape Clear Island off the southwest coast of Ireland lies this unique thatched barn. Yet few visitors ever see it. I've been to the island many times birdwatching. It was only this year when I went to visit the O'Driscoll castle that I noticed this barn. It is the only thatched building left on the island and therefore is the most southerly thatched barn or building in Ireland. Curious to find out how the thatch was fixed, I looked in and discovered that rope had been used. The rope was coiled around the roofing timbers and over each bundle of thatch. Covered in old fish netting this unique structure probably won't last much longer.

Canoeing the R.Flesk, Co.Kerry

Well, another Sunday and after yet another wet week I got the canoe out again.
The lower R. Flesk is around grade II but there's plenty of water to be had. It's about a 65 miles journey from our house.

Left the canoe at the start, drove to Killarny and parked the car at the bridge before it enters the lake and ran the six miles back to the canoe. Got changed into canoeing gear and paddled off. Two and a half hours later and I was at the bridge and ready to go home. No capsizes but one slight problem when the thwart I was kneeling against broke and nearly caused an upset. Didn't see another paddler on the river.

I've been busy!

I've been a bit busy lately. The weather has been unseasonally poor, rain, rain, more rain and mist. Oh, and I had a week's guiding work which was with a group of seven on Sherkin, Heir & Cape Clear islands off the southwest coast here in Cork Co. I've been making and designing a couple of web-sites which will cater for two of my many interests. One devoted to drystone walls of the South West or Ireland and another for hedgelaying. I've done the walls one which you can view here . My hedgelaying one will follow soon.