Haemopis sanguisuga or Horse Leech can grow up to 10 cm long. Although this specimen is much smaller. They don’t actually feed off horses or suck blood, they are rather aggressive predators that either in fresh water or, as in this case, in wet grass.
Horse leeches have five pairs of eyes and three sets of teeth. They prey on invertebrates and small amphibians and fish. After photographing, I carefully put it back into the water. They are relatively common in Europe.
Another one of those movies that Apple’s built in software for Photos creates for you. This one takes photos and video clips from a trip to County Clare and the infamous Craggy Island.
A treasure trove of old school books lovingly scanned and transcribed. The handwriting is superb and the insights fascinating.
One of several entries about Fairy Forts written circa 1937
“There are two fairy forts situated in my district. One is about a quarter of a mile from my house in a village known as Cloonarrow while the other is about three hundred yards east of my house. The fairy fort situated about a quarter of a mile is of circular shape and is surrounded by trees. Fairies are supposed to abide in it and are said to appear after twelve o’clock a.m. In front of this fort a house was situated but now the owner of the house and of the land in which the fort is situated is dead and the house has collapsed. There is no entrance hole to it. The other fort situated a very short distance from my house is a circular little hill surrounded by trees. Neither is there an entrance hole to this fort. It is said that a woman dressed in white appeared to a man at this fort and accompanied him to a place known as the “Crooked Bush” where she disappeared. Nobody ever dreams of tilling the land in which the forts are, neither do they cut the trees as it is said that anybody who touches those trees is sure to be unlucky.”
Using freely available online resources and my local knowledge I’m pretty sure this is the location of the Fairy Fort 300 yards East of the author’s home:
Fairy Forts are typically, but not exclusively circular archaeological sites. Often tumuli or hill forts, there are over 30,000 of them in Ireland.
The MV Plassey started its life as HMS Juliet, a naval trawler in the Royal Navy built at the beginning of WWII. during the war she took part in Operation Torch in 1942 and in the Mediterranean theatre. After the war she was converted into a merchant ship and sold to the British merchant service as the Peterjon. Later, in 1951 she was acquired by the Limerick Steamship Company and her name changed yet again to the MV Plassey (sometimes written as Plassy).
She operated around the coast of Ireland until 1960 when she was caught in a severe storm and ran aground on Finnis Rock, Inisheer, Aran Islands whilst carrying whiskey, stained glass and yarn. Luckily, the entire crew was saved. Two weeks later, a second storm washed her off the rock and drove her up the beach.
The Plassey is probably most famous for appearing in the opening credits of the TV comedy Father Ted.
The Cliffs of Moher in County Clare attrac up to 1.5 million tourists a year.
Rising to a height of 214 meters they stretch for 14 kilometres. They are made up of sandstone and shale formin distinctive layers as can be seen in the photo.
Ce bon vieillard me paraît s’être fait un sort bien préférable à celui des six rois avec qui nous avons eu l’honneur de souper.Toute la petite société entra dans ce louable dessein ; chacun se mit à exercer ses talents. La petite terre rapporta beaucoup.car, quand l’homme fut mis dans le jardin d’Éden, il y fut mis ut operaretur eum, pour qu’il travaillât, ce qui prouve que l’homme n’est pas né pour le repos.Cela est bien dit, répondit Candide, mais il faut cultiver notre jardin.
These photos were taken in July 2019 in Cloughjordan Ecovillage, Co. Tipperary, Ireland
RED Gardens Project, (Research Education and Development) consists of 6 family scale gardens each one 100m2 (1000sqf) and following a different methodology, or approach to growing vegetables. There is also a larger Black Plot, of about 1000m2 (1/4 acre) which is exploring issues and possibilities of an intermediate scale growing space.
Bruce Darrell manages all of the gardens and related research projects, as well as scripting, filming, illustrating, and editing the videos on this youtube channel:
Inisheer Island (Inis Oirr), Aran Islands, Co. GalwayMore about the wreck of The Plassey: https://www.doolin2aranferries.com/blog/plassey-famous-shipwreck-inis-oirr/The islands supports arctic, Mediterranean and alpine plants side-by-side, due to the unusual environment. Like the Burren, the Aran islands are renowned for their remarkable assemblage of plants and animals. The grikes (crevices) provide moist shelter, thus supporting a wide range of plants including dwarf shrubs.
“My hours of leisure I spent in reading the best authors, ancient and modern, being always provided with a good number of books; and when I was ashore, in observing the manners and dispositions of the people, ”
― Jonathan Swift
The story of Brian Boru, his life, his triumph and tragic death at Clontarf in 1014 has captured the imagination of generations of Irish people.
The 2014 national programme of events will centre on four key locations with links to Brian’s life; Killaloe in Co. Clare, Brian’s birthplace and seat of Brian Boru’s High Kingship , Cashel in Co.Tipperary where Brian was crowned High King of Ireland, Clontarf in Dublin where Brian died, and Armagh, where Brian Boru is buried.
My grandfather cut more turf in a day
Than any other man on Toner’s bog.
Once I carried him milk in a bottle
Corked sloppily with paper. He straightened up
To drink it, then fell to right away
Nicking and slicing neatly, heaving sods
Over his shoulder, going down and down
For the good turf. Digging.
The cold smell of potato mould, the squelch and slap
Of soggy peat, the curt cuts of an edge
Through living roots awaken in my head.
But I’ve no spade to follow men like them.
Between my finger and my thumb
The squat pen rests.
I’ll dig with it.
