My OperaA southern Ireland Sojourn!
Tuesday, July 27, 2010 8:34:16 PM
Thursday July 14 I flew from Southampton to Dublin, enroute to the small village of Bonmahon on the south east coast of Ireland. Primarily I went to visit my dear friends Mary and Noel Shiels whom I had not seen for a couple of years. I first met Mary in Peru in 2006. We discovered we shared a passion for anything yarn/fibre related as well as adventurous travel and despite living at opposite ends of the globe a firm friendship has developed over the intervening years. Although 10 years my senior Mary is superfit and quite the cat to follow. I hope I am as fit when I reach her age.
Not only is she fitter but Mary's yarn profile (a weaver, lace maker, crocheter, knitter, spinner, dyer and anything else to do with yarn) makes mine pale into insignificance by camparision. Even when it comes to our'stash' Mary has years on me; a loft full of goodies!! No matter about such things for our love of all things yard related is equal. No prises for guessing what our 'chats' were all about. Poor Noel, he was so patient. Even most of our outings (for which was Noel was the driver) had a yarn focus. Who cared about the woeful weather most of everything we wanted to see was indoors anyway.
Woeful weather or not sleeping is always a wonderful snuggly experience in Ireland. Flanette sheets, a pure wool blanket topped with the duvet (doona to my Ozz pals). It was such luxury to snuggle in bed each night. I do so love sleeping under a duvet. It sure beats lying hot and sweety on top of the bed sheets ... ummm .... maybe I should rephrase that last statement!! I was thinking of Brisbane in February and just surviving the steamy nights. The Irish, poor dears, thought they are/were having a warm summer ..... ummm ... whilst I was there the temperatures were the same, or lower, than the Brisbane temps in its current winter. One night we even turned the heating back on. Enough of the weather .... I had a good mix of warm and warmer clothing so it really didn't bother me in the slightest.
Getting to Bonmahon is quite the journey as, after landing in Dublin it is about a 45 minute bus ride from the airport to Heuston RWS. Here I caught the train down to Waterford city (yes the crystal town, or rather it was) in Waterford County. Three hours later it was gigantic hugs and warm kisses on Waterford station as Mary & Noel were there to greet me. The constant chatter in the car drowned out all other sound as we drove 40 minutes through the picturesque countryside Mary & Noel's home in Bonmahon. It was a delightful warm, balmy evening. Such a pity I did not take more notice as it was the only warm, balmy evening for the duration of my stay. It is so pretty driving down the hill into Bonmahon
Now Bonmahon is a rather hilly wee village right on the mouth of the Mahon river. Bon means 'mouth of river' in Irish hence the name Bonmahon. Mary & Noel's home sits high on a hill with sweeping views down the headland & over the mouth of the river as it empties into the Atlantic ocean. The freezing Atlantic ocean I might add ...and .... which Mary swims in all year round. Granted, she does wear a wet suit but she has only started doing this, a concession to her advancing years. I could not get in such cold water even with a wet suit. The best I could manage was to get my feet wet and they went numb after about 5 minutes. It took me the walk home (back up the hill) to get any feeling back in my feet and ankles. I cannot believe she does this and neither can her neighbours who are 30 years her junior. Each to their own. Noel just rolls his eyes and shrugs!
Friday was a wretchedly miserable cold & wet day. We awoke about 9am (Mary & Noel are late to bed and late risers) to gloomy grey and it remained gloomy grey for the entire day. The beach & coast line were lost in the sea fog and we could hear, but barely see, the cows in the fields across the road. A great day to sit indoors with endless cuppas and discuss our 'projects' past and current. What a delicious way to spend a day, snug and warm inside, cacooned in the Marys workroom with her books & stash and playing with yarn. Wonderfully tactile and satisfying. It's on such days that one feels there is such a thing as fibre heaven!!
Saturday dawned bright, clear and sunny ... most pleasant indeed!! Note though I have not said warm. Still a great day indeed as Mary was hosting the meeting of the Handweavers Guild of Cork. Members came from Cork, Clonmel (a small village north of Bonmahon) Kil, Kilmedaden, Rosslare, Yaughal, Dungarvon and other surrounding towns in County Cork and County waterford. The house was filled with like minded souls who talked fibre 'anything' all day. It was a noisy, colourful, fun and an exciting day. I had met many of the members on a previous visit to Cork so it was great to be able to catch up with folk and with what they had been up to over the last couple of years. Some members had just returned from exhibiting (and successfully selling) their work in Belgium. One member, Julie, will be in Brisbane later in the year. I am planning on taking her to some of our meetigs and to the Emporium. Fibres/yarns spin their web so strongly connecting like minded folk around the globe. What fun it will be to show Julie what we do in Queensland.
Late in the afternoon (gotta love those twilight hours of the NH summer) we all donned coats and headed down to the beach. An excursion supposedly for inspiration but really, just an excuse to stretch our legs and contuinue nattering. We did however build a beach sculpture whilst there. One member kindly offered to register this with the Victoria nad Albert Worldwide Beach Project. As the name suggests this is a worldwide project and you can find out more about it on the Victoria and Albert Museum website: http://www.vam.ac.uk/
Check out World Beach Project which can be found at http://www.vam.ac.uk/collections/textiles/lawty/world_beach/index.html
Many places in Australia have registered on the site. It is fun, so do check it out. This is our pic which went up on the site. Don't you just love our heart. It is meant to represent the love of yarn uniting fibre folk all over the world. Who knows who the man & child are. They were not part of our group but just decided to join in the fun.
This is me being ever so brave and getting my feet wet in the Atlantic Ocean and below is Mary busy with her camera.
The water is incredibly clear. Maybe its just so cold that nothing can live in it.
Sunday was recovery day after Saturday's excitement. As the clear weather was still with us it was time to lace-up the walking shoes and do some exploring along the headland and beach in the bracing fresh air. Just what the doctor ordered after yesterdays indulgences. We even managed to visit one of Mary's neighbours, Margaret, who lives in a beautifully cared for thatched cottage with her dog who loves to bask in the sun on the garden table.
Mary knocking at Margaret's door, the dog enjoying the sunshine and Margaret's delightful cottage & garden.
By now I had had my quota of Irish sunshine and, weather wise, Monday was a replica of the previous Friday ... in a word, miserable! We, being intrepid explorers, were not daunted. The week lay ahead of us with Cork, Waterford and their surrounds just waiting to be explored. Such a busy week with so many sights, where does one start. Maybe just a few of the highlights will suffice.
In Kilkenny it was the Craft Council Centre, the Rothe House and the eight centuries old Kilkenny Castle. The original Anglo-Norman stone castle was built for William Marshall, the 4th Earl of Penbroke in 1146. I have included two photos of the Castle, one in the gloomy morn when we first arrived and the other late in the afternoon when the sun briefly poked through the clouds. Note the difference. I found that people's moods reflected the weather. Rain brought out the gloom in folks whilst, when the sun shinned, everyone smiled and was happy. I am sure I was not imagining it.
The Design Centre supposedly houses the best handmade craft collection in Waterford County. It certainly lived up to its reputation. The craftsmenship, variety and quality of items on display was exceptionally high indeed however, as there was little yarn it was easy for me to be disciplined and leave the wallet secure in the handbag. Entry to the Centre itself is through a rather formal building (see photo below) fortunately the formality is lost & softened by the prettiness of the many buildings and the surrounding gardens. A brief respite in the gloomy weather made it conducive for exploring the gardens.
I found there to be great similarity between the high streets of Irish towns, so many Murphys as shop owners. The first pic is of the high street of Kilkenny
I just had to take the second pic because of the name - Whites. It seemed so un-Irish to me and a name I had not seen on a building before. Also note the butcher shop below the Victualler. I imagine that once the whole building was the business of the Victualluer. It really iss a rather quaint building.
The natural beauty of the scenic drive to Dungarvon deverves a mention. On one trip Noel managed a photo stop. Unfortunately it was a tad hazy that day so the photos are not that clear. Dungarvon, a pretty harbour town, is situated on the mouth of the Colligan River and separated from the open ocean by a shallow eastward facing bay. A meandering navigation channel, (which is not navigable at low tide) leads into Dungarvon Harbour. The Irish version of Dungarvon means Garbhan's Fort referring to St. Garbhan who founded a church there in the 17th Century.
Another outing in Cork County found us in east Cork at the 400 acre estate of Ballymaloe House belonging to the Allen family. Ths house is an Irish country house, hotel, restaurant and cookery school. Actually it is the home of the Ballymaloe Cookery School where classes are taught by Darina Allen and her daughter-in-law Rachael. Darina is famous in Ireland as is Rachael, a celebrity chef with her own TV show. Classes at Ballymaloe can be either day or residential. The accommodation (see photo below) is in either the beautiful old building in the photograph below or in self catering cottages scattered around the estate.
I rather fancy taking a class there and spending a few nights in such delightful surrounds. Ummm sometime maybe!!! If you have some spare time go explore their website:http://www.cookingisfun.ie/
All we managed on our excursion was to lunch in the restaurant and browse the colourful kitchen shop. The nic-knacs and gadgetry on display were worth more time than we managed. Fancy a weekend away then why not book in at: www.ballymaloe.ie
The Cork Lace Makers Guild were having an exhibition of their work in Fota House so naturally that was an attraction not to be missed. Fota House
was originally an 18th Century Hunting Lodge forming the centrepiece of the 300 hectare estate of Fota Island belonging to the Smith Barry family of Norman descent. Fota Island is on the northern shore of Cork harbour and, as well as the Regency style house, there are the magnificent gardens and a world renowned arboretum to explore.
In Irish of Fota is 'Fod te' and means 'warm soil'. This helps to explain (so the literature says) the existence of the finest collectiobn of rare & tender shrubs and trees growing outdoors in Europe. Having experienced a winter in Cork I fail to understand how these trees & shrubs could be described as 'tender'. Anything plant that can survive outside through a Cork winter in anything but 'tender' ... hardy, robust definitely, definitely not tender.
A lavish, no-expense-spared refurbishment of the house was carried out by the Smith Barrys in the 1820's when money was abundant. As time passed, so did the money. Sadly, after a major auction of all the household furnishings the last of the Smith Barry family left their home in 1975.
Poor Noel,
he sat so patiently waiting for Mary and I as we got lost in time marvelling at the lace exhibition and exploring the building. That is not a glum face, it is Noel relaxing. He said he rather enjoyed his time 'people watching'.
What I especially loved about the house was the detail of the plaster work and the beautifully painted ceilings. Oh, I almost forgot the kitchens, the fascinating old kitchens! Cooking for the family and all their guests would have been no mean feat. You can visit the house at:http://www.iol.ie/~discover/fota.htm
Plus I have put together a wee album of Fota House for your perusal should you have nothing better to do. I recommend having a look at the kitchens.
In County Wexford we made a bee line for the Ross Tapestry. It is an extraordinary exhibition of 15 large embroidered panels and tells the story of the Normans in Ireland and the founding of the town New Ross. From the initiation of a Celtic King to Hiberno-Norman commerce. Basically the cultural heritage of New Ross has been immortalised in millions of embroidery stitches by 150 embroiderers who have given their time voluntarily. It is still a work in progress.
Unfortunately no pics were allowed but you can visit the site through: www.rostapestry.com
Whilst in New Ross we also went aboard the Heritage ship the Dunbrody
The ship is a replic of the 19 Centurary ship of the same name.
Originally the Dunbrody was a three-masted barque built in Quebec in 1845 by Thomas Hamilton Oliver for the Graves family, merchants from New Ross in Wexford. She operated primarily as a cargo vessel, carrying timber and guano to Ireland. However during the potato famine she was fitted with bunks and, between April to September from 1845 to 1851, she carried passengers on the outward leg to North America. These passengers were people with harrowing stories and desperate to escape the potato famine in Ireland. Being desperately poor they could barely afford the fare and were known as steerage passengers. Conditions for these passages were exceptionally tough.
An area of 6 foot square was allocated to up to 4 passengers (who might not be related) and their children. Have a look at the photo of this space and try to imagine living (pitching and rolling on the high sea) in such crowded confinment for 6 to 8 weeks. Often 50% died on passage (they were known as "coffin ships"). However, the mortality rate on the Dunbrody was exceptionally low, no doubt due to her captains, John Baldwin and his successor John W. Williams, with passengers writing home often praising their dedication. On one passage with 313 passengers, almost twice her normal complement, only 6 died.
It is a totally fascinating story and you can check out the website: http://www.dunbrody.com/ for further info.
Actually this story of emigration from New Ross is very similiar to the emigration stories from Cobh (pronounced 'cove') back in County Cork. Cobh is on the River Lee, one of Ireland's largest river so it is no wonder that it was a major emigration port following the great famine. I found the stories at Cobh amazing especially the one about Annie Moore and her siblings. She was only 15 years old when, in charge of her two brothers, she left for America to meet up with their parents. A huge ask of a 15 year old girl. I love this statue of the three of them by the Cobh harbour.
Annie was the first Irish emigrant to disembark at Ellis Island. Sadly, more 'coffin' and 'prisoner' ships left from Cobh than from New Ross. Interestingly Cobh was the last port of call of the Titanic.
Cobh is an extremely hilly town and I just love the way the tiny houses are built to accommodate the hilly,
narrow streets. This pic was taken looking into folks backyards or rather back gardens as they say over here.
So much to see and do. We were constantly out and about yet time defeated us. My time with Mary and Noel drew to a close far too quickly. Before I knew it, it was time to return to Southampton and hopefully warmer temperatures.
Hugs and kisses all round with promises to see each other again sooner rather than later. Hopefully I can show Mary & Noel Australian hospitality!
Not only is she fitter but Mary's yarn profile (a weaver, lace maker, crocheter, knitter, spinner, dyer and anything else to do with yarn) makes mine pale into insignificance by camparision. Even when it comes to our'stash' Mary has years on me; a loft full of goodies!! No matter about such things for our love of all things yard related is equal. No prises for guessing what our 'chats' were all about. Poor Noel, he was so patient. Even most of our outings (for which was Noel was the driver) had a yarn focus. Who cared about the woeful weather most of everything we wanted to see was indoors anyway.
Woeful weather or not sleeping is always a wonderful snuggly experience in Ireland. Flanette sheets, a pure wool blanket topped with the duvet (doona to my Ozz pals). It was such luxury to snuggle in bed each night. I do so love sleeping under a duvet. It sure beats lying hot and sweety on top of the bed sheets ... ummm .... maybe I should rephrase that last statement!! I was thinking of Brisbane in February and just surviving the steamy nights. The Irish, poor dears, thought they are/were having a warm summer ..... ummm ... whilst I was there the temperatures were the same, or lower, than the Brisbane temps in its current winter. One night we even turned the heating back on. Enough of the weather .... I had a good mix of warm and warmer clothing so it really didn't bother me in the slightest.
Getting to Bonmahon is quite the journey as, after landing in Dublin it is about a 45 minute bus ride from the airport to Heuston RWS. Here I caught the train down to Waterford city (yes the crystal town, or rather it was) in Waterford County. Three hours later it was gigantic hugs and warm kisses on Waterford station as Mary & Noel were there to greet me. The constant chatter in the car drowned out all other sound as we drove 40 minutes through the picturesque countryside Mary & Noel's home in Bonmahon. It was a delightful warm, balmy evening. Such a pity I did not take more notice as it was the only warm, balmy evening for the duration of my stay. It is so pretty driving down the hill into Bonmahon
Now Bonmahon is a rather hilly wee village right on the mouth of the Mahon river. Bon means 'mouth of river' in Irish hence the name Bonmahon. Mary & Noel's home sits high on a hill with sweeping views down the headland & over the mouth of the river as it empties into the Atlantic ocean. The freezing Atlantic ocean I might add ...and .... which Mary swims in all year round. Granted, she does wear a wet suit but she has only started doing this, a concession to her advancing years. I could not get in such cold water even with a wet suit. The best I could manage was to get my feet wet and they went numb after about 5 minutes. It took me the walk home (back up the hill) to get any feeling back in my feet and ankles. I cannot believe she does this and neither can her neighbours who are 30 years her junior. Each to their own. Noel just rolls his eyes and shrugs!
Friday was a wretchedly miserable cold & wet day. We awoke about 9am (Mary & Noel are late to bed and late risers) to gloomy grey and it remained gloomy grey for the entire day. The beach & coast line were lost in the sea fog and we could hear, but barely see, the cows in the fields across the road. A great day to sit indoors with endless cuppas and discuss our 'projects' past and current. What a delicious way to spend a day, snug and warm inside, cacooned in the Marys workroom with her books & stash and playing with yarn. Wonderfully tactile and satisfying. It's on such days that one feels there is such a thing as fibre heaven!!
Saturday dawned bright, clear and sunny ... most pleasant indeed!! Note though I have not said warm. Still a great day indeed as Mary was hosting the meeting of the Handweavers Guild of Cork. Members came from Cork, Clonmel (a small village north of Bonmahon) Kil, Kilmedaden, Rosslare, Yaughal, Dungarvon and other surrounding towns in County Cork and County waterford. The house was filled with like minded souls who talked fibre 'anything' all day. It was a noisy, colourful, fun and an exciting day. I had met many of the members on a previous visit to Cork so it was great to be able to catch up with folk and with what they had been up to over the last couple of years. Some members had just returned from exhibiting (and successfully selling) their work in Belgium. One member, Julie, will be in Brisbane later in the year. I am planning on taking her to some of our meetigs and to the Emporium. Fibres/yarns spin their web so strongly connecting like minded folk around the globe. What fun it will be to show Julie what we do in Queensland.
Late in the afternoon (gotta love those twilight hours of the NH summer) we all donned coats and headed down to the beach. An excursion supposedly for inspiration but really, just an excuse to stretch our legs and contuinue nattering. We did however build a beach sculpture whilst there. One member kindly offered to register this with the Victoria nad Albert Worldwide Beach Project. As the name suggests this is a worldwide project and you can find out more about it on the Victoria and Albert Museum website: http://www.vam.ac.uk/
Check out World Beach Project which can be found at http://www.vam.ac.uk/collections/textiles/lawty/world_beach/index.html
Many places in Australia have registered on the site. It is fun, so do check it out. This is our pic which went up on the site. Don't you just love our heart. It is meant to represent the love of yarn uniting fibre folk all over the world. Who knows who the man & child are. They were not part of our group but just decided to join in the fun.
This is me being ever so brave and getting my feet wet in the Atlantic Ocean and below is Mary busy with her camera.The water is incredibly clear. Maybe its just so cold that nothing can live in it. Sunday was recovery day after Saturday's excitement. As the clear weather was still with us it was time to lace-up the walking shoes and do some exploring along the headland and beach in the bracing fresh air. Just what the doctor ordered after yesterdays indulgences. We even managed to visit one of Mary's neighbours, Margaret, who lives in a beautifully cared for thatched cottage with her dog who loves to bask in the sun on the garden table.
Mary knocking at Margaret's door, the dog enjoying the sunshine and Margaret's delightful cottage & garden. By now I had had my quota of Irish sunshine and, weather wise, Monday was a replica of the previous Friday ... in a word, miserable! We, being intrepid explorers, were not daunted. The week lay ahead of us with Cork, Waterford and their surrounds just waiting to be explored. Such a busy week with so many sights, where does one start. Maybe just a few of the highlights will suffice.
In Kilkenny it was the Craft Council Centre, the Rothe House and the eight centuries old Kilkenny Castle. The original Anglo-Norman stone castle was built for William Marshall, the 4th Earl of Penbroke in 1146. I have included two photos of the Castle, one in the gloomy morn when we first arrived and the other late in the afternoon when the sun briefly poked through the clouds. Note the difference. I found that people's moods reflected the weather. Rain brought out the gloom in folks whilst, when the sun shinned, everyone smiled and was happy. I am sure I was not imagining it.
The Design Centre supposedly houses the best handmade craft collection in Waterford County. It certainly lived up to its reputation. The craftsmenship, variety and quality of items on display was exceptionally high indeed however, as there was little yarn it was easy for me to be disciplined and leave the wallet secure in the handbag. Entry to the Centre itself is through a rather formal building (see photo below) fortunately the formality is lost & softened by the prettiness of the many buildings and the surrounding gardens. A brief respite in the gloomy weather made it conducive for exploring the gardens.
I found there to be great similarity between the high streets of Irish towns, so many Murphys as shop owners. The first pic is of the high street of Kilkenny
I just had to take the second pic because of the name - Whites. It seemed so un-Irish to me and a name I had not seen on a building before. Also note the butcher shop below the Victualler. I imagine that once the whole building was the business of the Victualluer. It really iss a rather quaint building. The natural beauty of the scenic drive to Dungarvon deverves a mention. On one trip Noel managed a photo stop. Unfortunately it was a tad hazy that day so the photos are not that clear. Dungarvon, a pretty harbour town, is situated on the mouth of the Colligan River and separated from the open ocean by a shallow eastward facing bay. A meandering navigation channel, (which is not navigable at low tide) leads into Dungarvon Harbour. The Irish version of Dungarvon means Garbhan's Fort referring to St. Garbhan who founded a church there in the 17th Century. Another outing in Cork County found us in east Cork at the 400 acre estate of Ballymaloe House belonging to the Allen family. Ths house is an Irish country house, hotel, restaurant and cookery school. Actually it is the home of the Ballymaloe Cookery School where classes are taught by Darina Allen and her daughter-in-law Rachael. Darina is famous in Ireland as is Rachael, a celebrity chef with her own TV show. Classes at Ballymaloe can be either day or residential. The accommodation (see photo below) is in either the beautiful old building in the photograph below or in self catering cottages scattered around the estate.
I rather fancy taking a class there and spending a few nights in such delightful surrounds. Ummm sometime maybe!!! If you have some spare time go explore their website:http://www.cookingisfun.ie/
All we managed on our excursion was to lunch in the restaurant and browse the colourful kitchen shop. The nic-knacs and gadgetry on display were worth more time than we managed. Fancy a weekend away then why not book in at: www.ballymaloe.ie
The Cork Lace Makers Guild were having an exhibition of their work in Fota House so naturally that was an attraction not to be missed. Fota House
was originally an 18th Century Hunting Lodge forming the centrepiece of the 300 hectare estate of Fota Island belonging to the Smith Barry family of Norman descent. Fota Island is on the northern shore of Cork harbour and, as well as the Regency style house, there are the magnificent gardens and a world renowned arboretum to explore.In Irish of Fota is 'Fod te' and means 'warm soil'. This helps to explain (so the literature says) the existence of the finest collectiobn of rare & tender shrubs and trees growing outdoors in Europe. Having experienced a winter in Cork I fail to understand how these trees & shrubs could be described as 'tender'. Anything plant that can survive outside through a Cork winter in anything but 'tender' ... hardy, robust definitely, definitely not tender.
A lavish, no-expense-spared refurbishment of the house was carried out by the Smith Barrys in the 1820's when money was abundant. As time passed, so did the money. Sadly, after a major auction of all the household furnishings the last of the Smith Barry family left their home in 1975.
Poor Noel,
he sat so patiently waiting for Mary and I as we got lost in time marvelling at the lace exhibition and exploring the building. That is not a glum face, it is Noel relaxing. He said he rather enjoyed his time 'people watching'. What I especially loved about the house was the detail of the plaster work and the beautifully painted ceilings. Oh, I almost forgot the kitchens, the fascinating old kitchens! Cooking for the family and all their guests would have been no mean feat. You can visit the house at:http://www.iol.ie/~discover/fota.htm
Plus I have put together a wee album of Fota House for your perusal should you have nothing better to do. I recommend having a look at the kitchens.
In County Wexford we made a bee line for the Ross Tapestry. It is an extraordinary exhibition of 15 large embroidered panels and tells the story of the Normans in Ireland and the founding of the town New Ross. From the initiation of a Celtic King to Hiberno-Norman commerce. Basically the cultural heritage of New Ross has been immortalised in millions of embroidery stitches by 150 embroiderers who have given their time voluntarily. It is still a work in progress.
Unfortunately no pics were allowed but you can visit the site through: www.rostapestry.com
Whilst in New Ross we also went aboard the Heritage ship the Dunbrody
The ship is a replic of the 19 Centurary ship of the same name. Originally the Dunbrody was a three-masted barque built in Quebec in 1845 by Thomas Hamilton Oliver for the Graves family, merchants from New Ross in Wexford. She operated primarily as a cargo vessel, carrying timber and guano to Ireland. However during the potato famine she was fitted with bunks and, between April to September from 1845 to 1851, she carried passengers on the outward leg to North America. These passengers were people with harrowing stories and desperate to escape the potato famine in Ireland. Being desperately poor they could barely afford the fare and were known as steerage passengers. Conditions for these passages were exceptionally tough.
An area of 6 foot square was allocated to up to 4 passengers (who might not be related) and their children. Have a look at the photo of this space and try to imagine living (pitching and rolling on the high sea) in such crowded confinment for 6 to 8 weeks. Often 50% died on passage (they were known as "coffin ships"). However, the mortality rate on the Dunbrody was exceptionally low, no doubt due to her captains, John Baldwin and his successor John W. Williams, with passengers writing home often praising their dedication. On one passage with 313 passengers, almost twice her normal complement, only 6 died.
It is a totally fascinating story and you can check out the website: http://www.dunbrody.com/ for further info.
Actually this story of emigration from New Ross is very similiar to the emigration stories from Cobh (pronounced 'cove') back in County Cork. Cobh is on the River Lee, one of Ireland's largest river so it is no wonder that it was a major emigration port following the great famine. I found the stories at Cobh amazing especially the one about Annie Moore and her siblings. She was only 15 years old when, in charge of her two brothers, she left for America to meet up with their parents. A huge ask of a 15 year old girl. I love this statue of the three of them by the Cobh harbour.
Annie was the first Irish emigrant to disembark at Ellis Island. Sadly, more 'coffin' and 'prisoner' ships left from Cobh than from New Ross. Interestingly Cobh was the last port of call of the Titanic.
Cobh is an extremely hilly town and I just love the way the tiny houses are built to accommodate the hilly,
narrow streets. This pic was taken looking into folks backyards or rather back gardens as they say over here. So much to see and do. We were constantly out and about yet time defeated us. My time with Mary and Noel drew to a close far too quickly. Before I knew it, it was time to return to Southampton and hopefully warmer temperatures.
Hugs and kisses all round with promises to see each other again sooner rather than later. Hopefully I can show Mary & Noel Australian hospitality!
