Charity Swim

Congratulations to the organizers, supporters and many swimmers today who jumped into the Shannon at Youghal Quay in aid of  TLC4CF (Tipperary Limerick Clare for Cystic Fibrosis). Frozen toes after the swim was the only suffering we had to bear.

Merry Christmas & St Carthages Church

As the winter solstice occurs, I welcome you to the first lines of my blog. To begin with I would like to wish you a Merry Christmas and the very best for the coming year.

In tune with this festive season I want to tell you about a beautifully restored church I visited in Brosna, Co. Kerry. The visit was uplifting. The unusual thing was that all the materials were spot on! In a country full of plastic windows and everything covered in concrete from head to toe, here natural materials were chosen that complimented the old. Thick solid wooden doors lead you inside. Terracotta tiles on the floor blend in with their natural patina warmed by underfloor heating. Touching the mortar on the walls, dusty particles remain on the finger tips proving that traditional lime mortar techniques were used, allowing the church walls to breath again.

Noel Lane, one of the participants in this major restoration project, showed a group of us around. This project was an example of repairing the damage that had been done to this building by previous modernisations. None of this was by coincidence. Clear, strong decisions had been made to make this space comfortable and joyful again. Great time and effort had obviously been given to selecting each and every material. However, the most revealing information of our tour was that the project was driven by the community. Well done for choosing quality which will hopefully last a long time and be enjoyed by many.

Photographs by Noel Lane