Gadaí Dubh

A big day and we're just back. Power cut this morning so no tea and no shower and my hair looked a fright and we were going out! After a bit of a false start we were on the way , first stop Bantry to print off some posters and buy some olives, then it was on to Ballyvourney and the marvellous bookshop that is Gadái Dubh ( named after the robber who stole some tools from St Gobnait and she promptly turned him into stone). C had ordered some books and we were given coffee and a browse. It is wonderfully quirky with a wide selection of books and a lot of taxidermy!

A very healthy and delicious lunch of summer salads at The Mills and then a trip to St Gobnait's holy well - rude not too. I had to do a rather spectacular and inexpert reverse on a small packhorse bridge to let an even older and less expert old lady come forward. A large drink of the holy water was taken.

Then on to Macroom to deliver some more books and as we were in the area, a trip to Tobar Dearg, the Red Well. Gerry was tidying up and stopped for a chat, full of information. We were all enchanted and I gave him a spare copy of the book I just happened to have in the car.

The townland looked like it had a few more interesting things to be seen, including a cross slab - surely something to do with the well.  The slab took a bit of finding but luckily someone was doing something loud with his tractor in the yard. It was Jeremiah who was delightful and took me off across the very muddy farmyard to see the slab which was incredible! A wonderful stone decorated with a cross but just look at the two dinky basins, obviously made when a saint knelt down to pray. Jeremiah then told me about a multitude of other thrilling things to see in the area including a neatly marked cilleen (children's burial ground) plus friendly horse and some standing stones. 

What a day! And I'm in the paper : Cork Echo The kitchen table is looking very tidy having quickly moved a vast array of books, old paper, cups, pens, dead flowers, straw hats - and the cat