Sunday Thoughts

It’s been a couple of weeks since I’ve written a Sunday Thoughts post. Not many people read these, but that’s not really why I write them. They help me clear my head and reflect on the week. Sometimes something I write resonates with people, and that’s always nice too.

This week has felt like a bit of a whirlwind. I’ve found it hard to focus at times, and it’s definitely been one of those weeks where I’ve felt like I was spinning a lot of plates and hoping none of them dropped. Somehow though, here we are on Sunday, everything that needed to be done got done, and things have gone well.

Monday afternoon was the Sligo PPN Expo and I really enjoyed it. I spoke to so many people for the PPN podcast that I was starting to lose my voice. I’m always in awe of volunteers and the people who do so much for their communities. I honestly don’t know what Ireland would be like without them. In one of the recent podcast episodes I spoke to Blaithin from Havin’ a Laugh. The charity helped me hugely when I was struggling with my mental health, and I speak a little about that here. You can also hear more about how the charity supports people in Sligo who are attending counselling for mental health issues.

My car had its NCT on Friday, so a lot of the week was spent thinking about that. It was the first time this car had gone through the test with me, as the last one was done before I bought it from the garage. It’s a Japanese import, so I was hoping that nothing expensive needed to be done. I was perfectly calm right up until I got into the test centre. Then someone sat directly beside me, despite there being loads of empty seats, and I suddenly felt really claustrophobic. I went outside feeling a bit jittery, but thankfully Laurence started texting me which kept me distracted. The car passed with flying colours in the end, which was a huge relief.

I caught up with a couple of friends during the week and it got me thinking about friendships and relationships. This is getting a bit deep for a Sunday morning, but bear with me. I’ve known these friends for years, and it made me think about the people who drift out of your life over time. It’s a bit like a train journey. People get on at different stages, some stay for the whole trip, but a lot get off after a few stops. Some of those losses are a real shame too – people who once meant a lot somehow dissolve into the ether for one reason or another. I suppose the people who truly care about me are still here though, and they’re the important ones.

On a much happier note, I went for a picnic yesterday. Sligo Food Trail recently launched Sligo Picnics and I was delighted to be asked to try a couple of them out. The first was from The Diamond Coast Hotel in Enniscrone, and I’ll write more about it in a dedicated post. It’s such a lovely idea. I sat on the beach watching the world go by with my picnic beside me. It’s fantastic value too — €18 for two people (and the pic above doesn’t show all of it). Thanks so much to Visit Sligo for asking me to be involved, it’s very much appreciated. Watch this space for the full blog post.

I was up bright and early yesterday morning and headed to Rosserk Friary, just outside Ballina in County Mayo. I spotted it in the distance when I visited Shore Pony Farm and wanted to go back properly to explore it. The friary dates back to the 1440s and although it’s now a ruin, it’s incredibly well preserved. You can even climb the narrow stone stairs — just beware of the birds flying towards you. It sits along the banks of the River Moy and it’s such a peaceful place to spend a while. The area is full of swifts at the moment and it was lovely watching them swooping overhead.

My next stop was Tobar Mhuire (Mary’s Well), which is very close to Rosserk Friary – it’s down the same road and you’ll see the car park there before you get to the friary. There’s a short walk along a grassy path to reach it, and it’s absolutely beautiful. It was just me and the birds there — the perfect place to stop and enjoy a bit of peace and quiet. There’s a hawthorn tree growing out through the roof of the little building, and May is the perfect time to visit when it’s covered in white blossoms. You can read more about the well here: https://www.sacredlandscapes.ie/tobar-mhuire.html

I think places like that are important. We spend so much time rushing from one thing to the next that we forget how nice it is to simply stop somewhere quiet for a while. No noise, no notifications, no pressure to be productive, just birdsong, fresh air and peace. I left feeling much calmer than when I arrived (apart from having to reverse halfway down the lane to avoid a car hurtling towards me!)

So overall, although this week felt chaotic at times, there were a lot of lovely moments mixed in too. Good conversations, time with friends, beautiful places, a passed NCT and a beach picnic. When I write it all down like this, it actually sounds far more balanced than it felt in the middle of the week.

Anyway, if you’ve made it this far into my Sunday ramblings, thank you as always for reading. I hope you’ve had a lovely week, and that the week ahead is a kind one to you.