Kitchen Cove,10.50, 7.05.16

I missed the Cove last week due to gadding about in North Cork and today, after all that lovely sunshine, it's back to grey and mizzle and so dark. However a brave patch of bluebells were lightening the gloom. I nipped down the boreen on my way to Castletownbere where I was delivering a card rack.

It's quite a journey for Castletownberehaven, to give it its full title, is on the Beara, the next peninsula up. You turn left at Glengarriff and then things turn very rugged with much bigger mountains, lots of sheep and wonderful views out to sea. Rack delivered time for a little explore - despite the dampness. I popped into Dereenataggart stone circle up in the mountains, admired the clootie tree and was inspected by the genius loci in the form of a large rather surly looking brindled cat.Then I went off in search of wells and found two beauties! The first was up high. on a plateau surrounded by bog with massive views in all directions. I spotted white quartz emerging from the bog grass and knew I was getting closer!  The well  is dedicated to St Finnian and is a double-decker. Not much water in the bottom but there was an empty holy water bottle in the shape of the BVM. The next one was even more adventurous as I turned right before the Healy Pass, down a very tiny road and miles from anywhere found an old church and graveyard. The well was tucked into the ditch - a huge ballaun stone slowly being encroached by herb robert and other foliage . Like most ballaun stones the water is meant to have been good for eyes: in the hollow of this stone...the country people bathe their eyes, when sore, in expectation of a cure...at each round they throw into the hollow a bit of rush formed into a cross.They afterwards suspend a piece of rag on a bush over the stone, in memorial of their devotions." No one had been here for sometime but there were several other interesting stones lying around.
And I found the most beautiful derelict house but I might cheat and use that tomorrow!!

And I've just discovered it's World Naked Gardening Day - it's gone a bit chilly now!