Well it’s been a bit of an exciting day and you’d think I’d be wrecked but of course I’m wide awake.
Continue reading “Selfies and summer festivals”
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Category: sligo
In the shadow of a giant
Quite a few weeks ago I was up at some daft hour due to insomnia and decided to go off walking. It was a beautiful morning, the sun was beginning to rise and I drove to the Isle of Innisfree.
From there I walked from Innisfree to Slish Wood and back again. This is part of the Sligo Way Walk which runs from Lough Talt just outside Tubbercurry and finishes in Dromahair, Co. Leitrim. The whole walk is 80km and I don’t think I’d ever consider attempting it but I like the fact that you can break it up into sections.
At Innisfree you follow the signs with the little yellow walking men/women. I had to cross a couple of styles and walk through some farm land at the start, I had a welcoming committee!
Just a short way into the walk there are the boardwalks and I always wondered why they were there and why people couldn’t just walk on the land. After stepping off the wood I quickly realised why they are there as my foot went sinking into the marsh! I lost my shoe for a while and ended up knee deep in mud! I did get my shoe back after some tugging!
The scenery up there is just stunning. The purple rhododendrons and the blue of Lough Gill with the Sleeping Giant providing a backdrop. It’s so easy to see why the poet WB Yeats was so inspired by this beautiful landscape. The photo above was featured by Discover Ireland on Twitter 🙂
The dew was sparkling in the morning sun and when the camera caught the light and the water droplets I was treated to a display of rainbows. It was just so peaceful and breathtaking.
On the way back to Innisfree I wandered through the forest and thought I’d be clever and take a short cut. Big mistake when I came up against a barbed wire fence but I was more or less back so I paddled through Lough Gill – it got rid of most of the mud anyway – although I was squelching when I reached dry land. I took a moment to look at the lake and dry off a bit and I saw what I thought was a lump of wood until I saw it jump into the water. It was an otter! The first one I’ve seen one in the wild, it moved too quickly for me to get a photo of it.
If you get a chance and are looking for a beautiful walk, I’d really recommend this one. Just stick to the path though.
Sunny Sunday in Sligo
Yesterday was a brilliant day, I love taking photos at festivals and to be asked by Cairde Arts Festival to take photos at Park Fest was a dream come true.
The sun shone, there were smiles all round, great food, fantastic entertainment and wonderful music. Visually it was a sight to be hold; the vibrant colours set against the backdrop of Sligo Cathedral.
I was only meant to be there for a couple of hours but time flies when you are having fun and I was almost there for the whole event. I got to cuddle a puppy – one of the highlights of the day for me.
My arms are now a lovely shade of lobster and I was beginning to shrivel up with dehydration when my new guardian angel rescued me. I call her that because when I put up the post about how nervous I was about the exhibition opening she sent me an email and is now going with me. So I won’t have to walk into The Model on my own and I know she’ll be there. Panic over – thank you C x
Park Fest reminded me so much of the Fleadh Cheoil with the fantastic atmosphere, not so much of the diddley iddley music and no yapping dogs but happy people and something for all the family to enjoy. Better still having it all in one location is brilliant. The festival continues all week so do check it out. https://cairdefestival.com/
Things to do in Sligo, July 2018
A little redirect. I’m now posting most of the Sligo events over on Sligo Hub. So if you are looking for something to do in Sligo for the month of July or are just looking for Sligo suggestions in general head to the hub 🙂
A Dawn Paddle in South Sligo
Today I was up and about with the dawn chorus at 4am. I love exploring and when I heard that Wild Wet Adventures were doing a dawn kayak at Temple House Lake in South Sligo I booked my place.
The rain was gently falling when I arrived but this is Ireland so you expect rain at some stage. The best thing is that the weather can change in a few minutes and put a whole new perspective on things.
It was an amazing morning, just us and the swans on the lake, the sheep watching us from their neighbouring fields, fish jumping and the sounds of bird song and the gentle lapping of the water. If ever you want some time to just relax this is the perfect way to do it.
Heading into the blue, alone in my thoughts, just enjoying the moment. What a fantastic way to spend a Saturday morning – or in fact any morning.
Under Temple House bridge which I have driven over hundreds of times but seeing it from a completely new angle. John from Wild Wet Adventures told us some of the history of the place and pointed out places of interest along the way.
When we arrived back at base I was surprised to see a gorgeous breakfast laid out for us including croissants, fruit, biscuits and tea and coffee.
Thanks so much to Celine for such a lovely, unexpected touch.
Wild Wet Adventures have a Summer Solstice kayak planned for Thursday, June 21st. You’ll be finished in time for work and I can’t think of a nicer way to spend a morning.
Sligo Hub is open for business
We are delighted to announce that Sligo Hub is open for business. Since it launched quietly on March 12th it has had 7000 visitors.
We also have over 5000 likes on Facebook, 1200 on Twitter and over 700 on Instagram – which is our newest platform. For less than the cost of half a cup of coffee each week you could advertise your business for a year.
Sligo Hub is growing in popularity all the time and we have lots of ideas to progress the site. To find out more click here.
