The Capáin

Another big day, somewhere in north west Cork - Aghabulloge to be precise, but how I got there I couldn't tell you for Daphne (the sat nav) brought me a most picturesque route down teeny cow parsley strewn roads and not a village or town was encountered. The objective was St Olan's well where Noel was meeting me to conduct an interview for a Cork paper. He was coming from North Kerry and once we established where we were meeting - we were both outside a church, but a different one - he got set up.  Nerve-wracking, I hate having a camera pointed at me and he was recording and filming the whole thing. First however his sound thingy decided to pack up, never mind he had another. Then he found the batteries had gone flat, no bother he had more. Off we went. The well is on the side of a small road which today seemed unusually busy and there were toots and waves from the cars going by. Silage making was going on in the next field, the thrush was warbling away and suddenly a red helicopter appeared overhead. Then he found his card reader was full - no problem he had another. It started to drizzle a bit too. St Olan was not being helpful! However I think the objective was achieved but goodness knows what I said. Anyway Noel was very easy company and I managed to get a shot of him too - seems only fair. 

The well is a fine one - it's that little building with the tree bursting out of it  - a blessed tree of course, the original having sprouted from St Olan's staff which he rested on the ground whilst having a snooze whilst minding his cattle. Note the enormous standing stone too. And it once had a blessed frog. Anyway, having exhausted the delights of the well we then nipped across the fields to see St Olan's capáin - or cap. This wonderfully phallic Ogham stone plus topknot held a cure for headaches (you were meant to the put the stone, sadly now cemented, on your head and walk around the churchyard 3 times during which time your headache should miraculously vanish) and feminine ailments - I'll leave you to ponder on that one but I think the shape of the monument might have something to do with that. 

Anyway, Abstract Thursday's challenge is lines - and I thought the whole thing was pretty abstract but it does have some fine lines - Ogham - the earliest form of Irish writing  - those horizontal slashes. And here's a fun thing - try your name in Ogham

On my way home I had to ask Daphne to divert to Macroom for a coffee as I was gasping! I found a very nice place and asked for a small salad to take away. The most colossal bowl of assorted salads appeared which I brought home for supper. - plenty for two.