(A) Our plan this morning was to drive through the soft rain to a farmers market in Borris, which is just up the road from Ballymurphy. We got to Borris and found that the market amounted to five stands. One featured fish, one vegetables, one soups, one breads and scones, and one jams and marmalades. It wasn’t the grandest in terms of variety… but what it lacked in selection, it made up for in affability. A loaf of bread, a couple scones, and a good conversation later, we headed up the road to a lovely little coffee shop. It featured the best-looking pastries I’ve seen in quite a while. While we were there we met a couple from Michigan, and they suggested that we visit a woollen mill in Graiguenamanagh. Who could argue with that?
I didn’t take many pictures in Borris because it was raining. But I did have one taken of me, standing next to a big ol’ tree…
This tree is adjacent to the grounds of the Borris House, which is a big ol’ house. It has a prominent place in Irish history, and nowadays it serves as a wedding venue for people who I can only assume have more money than I have. We wanted to visit the house (or at least see the outside of it), but it was hosting a wedding and wasn’t allowing any visitors. Harumpf.
On the advice from that couple from Michigan, we headed for Graiguenamanagh and the woollen mill there, which has been in operation since 1778. We found it, and boy, was I glad! For one thing, I had to use the bathroom (I mean washroom… no, I mean toilet… eh, whatever). So did Mia, and I know she won’t mind me posting here that because of our need, we got a VIP tour of the… um… bowels of the mill, which is where the employee facilities are located. We got to see some tools of the trade that date back to the 19th century, and which are still in use today. I’m talking about machines that are made of iron and wood and would take up half of a medium-sized living room. It was really cool.
Another reason I’m glad we visited the place is that one of the employees spoke with us for about an hour. He answered all of our wool-related questions, and then conversed with us about shifting trends over the decades in the sheep market, customer demands relating to sustainability and “naturalness”, and the undeservedly bad rap that the younger generations get. (We agreed that because of their interest in social and environmental matters, the future is in good hands.)
Sometimes you stumble upon situations that are as enjoyable as they are meaningful and unexpected. Our experience at the Cushendale Woollen Mill was one of those experiences.
After all that it seemed like a good time for food. We went to Bagenalstown and the Railway House. When I tell you that I had the best cottage pie in the world, I know you won’t believe me. But you should. You should also notice the collection of cutting implements displayed over the bar. On top of all that, they had some amazing desserts. And, of course, the Guinness was top-notch.
You see that picture on the right? Look on the left side of the image and you’ll see a painting of Luke Kelly. He was the lead singer of the Dubliners for many years, and he hasn’t been forgotten in the Railway House. You should click here and listen to him sing. It’s a joy.
The picture below (on the left) was taken in the Bagenalstown Public Library. The fact that there’s a loft and a painting of a choir leads me to believe that the library occupies an old church. That wasn’t obvious from the outside, so either it’s not the case or I’m not very observant. Or both. Next to that image is one of a public toilet that none of us was brave enough to use.
I’ve written too much already. I suppose I’m in a pensive mood. A good day in Ireland will do that to a person.
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