Amazingly mild weather for this time of year;

as high as 13 Celsius yesterday in places.

However the forecast is for colder weather

and rain to come!

Christmas Morning - Portlaw!

Your only hope of seeing Santa is to stay awake all night on Christmas Eve,

but then if he knows you're awake, he may not visit your house!

Adults have the best chance, so if you want to get some sneaky photos of him,

be prepared for a long await in the semi-darkness, which I was.

The sun wasn't long up, when I saw him leaving his sleigh and those poor tired reindeer, 

but I wasn't quick enough with my camera. I waited a whole hour and still no sign of him. Someone said he was seen leaving the Beechwood area, and that he heard he was gone into Ann Nolan's for a drink of some kind! I had enough of the waiting and headed home to bed. I noticed he left his hat in the sleigh; possibly due to the very mild weather!

If you got any presents, then you must have been good throughout the past year, 

so remain as well-behaved during 2017 for more surprises next Christmas!

Christmas Eve - PORTLAW

Hand-knitted crib figures, depicting the birth of Christ,

in the library window;

all hand-made locally.

DO make a trip to see this library display,

and a further two windows to delight young and old!

. . . and now most people are awaiting 7.30pm Mass on Christmas Eve and two Christmas Day Masses @ 9.00 am and 11.00 am, all in St. Patrick's Church,

also 9.30 am Christmas Day Service in Holy Trinity Church.

. . . and we're not forgetting a certain gentleman supposed to be coming this way tonight

in a sleigh, pulled by reindeer,

with presents for all good children in the area!

Christmas Greetings - 2016

Recent Curraghmore Scenes

Some images from avenue north-west to Whitestown:

Nine images hereunder taken on December 1st, 2016:

November images from avenue south (King John's Bridge to Salaheen):

A foggy and frosty morning!

Built especially for King John's visit to Curraghmore, but he didn't come this far!

Prince John, son of King Henry II of England, visited Ireland in 1185, to look after his father’s affairs here, which obviously meant ensuring the submission of certain ‘disloyal’ native nobles.   The Norman de la Poers had only arrived here fifteen years previously approx.

In April 1185, he arrived back once more, this time as King John. Landing at Crooke, a short few miles from Waterford, he set out to reduce the native chieftains and nobles to submission, especially the de Lacys. The de Lacys fled to France.

King John and his army then marched all the way to Dublin and Meath, and even on to Carrickfergus, most others submitting to him.

He returned to England in August 1210, from which date the Lord Justice, John de Grey, looked after his affairs.

Legend has it that he was expected at Curraghmore during that lengthy visit, hardly to subdue the de la Poers, who built this bridge in 1205 especially for his arrival.  He never came!  This is considered to be the oldest bridge in Ireland!

Getting an overall view of the bridge is impossible,
due to adjacent trees, bushes, and river-bank foliage.

Viewed from Portlaw to Clonea-Power road.

Mayfield House

The now-defunct Malcomson mansion . . . 

In yesterday's foggy and extremely cold conditions,

the old mansion still had a somewhat majestic appearance,
at least from this viewpoint.

(Most pictures on this site will enlarge with a single left click)

On a recent dull day . . .

Recent Woodland Scenes

Woodland Scenes - Tower Hill area, October 27th 2016:

                                                                                                                                                        Spanish Chestnut Leaves

Within days, the leaves were falling rapidly.

November Sky

A Portlaw November Evening

Photographed on November 9th from the Polo Field entrance gate,
looking towards Cruachán on left and the Comeraghs on the right.

The more-or-less monochrome colours were as taken i.e not modified.

SPOOKY PORTLAW CHARACTERS

Thanks to

PORTLAW TASK FORCE

for organising a great

Pre-Hallowe'en Entertainment

around the town on Sunday October 30th, 2016.

                                                   

Some strange characters were seen at the edge of town!

Maura Corcoran and family members were keeping a watchful eye on goings-on!

Families galore were out for the evening.

Local personalities were all over the place.

                                               
                                              

Ghosts and goblins were all over the fountain!

These local ladies were hungry for excitement, and then . . .

. . . charging down the Curraghmore road, in a cloud of smoke,
came this weird horse-drawn chariot,
stopping in the middle of the large crowd!

Meanwhile, this witch was dancing around the fountain.

The 'chariot', with those weird characters on board, eventually moved off,
like the Pied Piper of Hamelin,
luring most people away through various parts of the town

The King family resting from all the walking.

Some faces, familiar from last year!

Halloween itself in Portlaw . . .

                                                                                                                                                     Cobwebs enveloping things outside the library . . .

. . . and plenty of activity in Brown Street and near the fountain . . .

. . . but strange things at the library door!

Mary Coe and other householders in Brown Street, all very generous with the Trick or Treat people!

Another witch at the Heritage Centre.

There was Shirley coming towards me at the fountain, with chocolates I thought,
but it was a Pizza for herself!

This little boy we saw already,
but here he is with his Romanian mother.

Headstones were appearing in various places,
but I didn't notice flowers beside any of them!

A peep over a local garden wall showed this grim scene!

Charming, quiet local boys, I thought . . .

. . . but in a split second they had turned into monsters.

Turning around at the fountain, worse was to come,
the face was familiar, I thought . . .
and I rushed off home!

Next day, after a sleepless night thinking about the face,
I made my way to the 'Lady Field' . . . 

. . . and there was Her Ladyship, looking majestic as ever in the morning light!

A closer look, and I was momentarily stunned on now seeing the same face as I saw the previous night, even if Her Ladyship had a more relaxed look this time!
Talk of 'moving statues' . . . !!!