Jean Reinhardt's Blog, page 20

Thursday Doors

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I was sent some lovely Thursday Doors this week.

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They were taken by Carol and Darren on a visit to Tallinn, Estonia. Thanks guys for the great photographs, I love those decorative arches. For a nice selection of international doors, check out Norm’s blog.

Thursday Doors – Irish Bears

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You might be wondering what on earth an Irish bear is and I don’t blame you – they’ve been extinct for a long time – and what have they got to do with Thursday Doors? The furry animal in the photograph is a replica of a bear cub and the skeleton is that of a mother bear surrounded by some smaller bones, possibly that of her cubs. These were found in the Marble Arch Caves, which are part of a Global Geopark. What makes Geoparks different from designations such as World Heritage Sites is that Geoparks have a commitment to benefit the local economy, through the attraction of visitors to the area and the subsequent creation of jobs and businesses.

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These doors lead to the Marble Arch Caves visitor center and from there we can take a tour of one of Europe’s finest showcaves.

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Let’s have a closer look at those two men suspended over the cafeteria. One of them is definitely dressed for some cave exploring but the other one looks a bit out of place.

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The first one is wearing modern day apparel and equipment but the second one is Frenchman, Edouard Alfred Martel, who was considered in his day to be the world’s leading expert on caves. Modern technology has certainly made it a bit safer and a lot more comfortable to be a cave explorer.

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By now, you must be eagerly anticipating that tour of the caves. We started off in a boat on one of the underground rivers that flow through the caves but I was afraid to take a photo in case I dropped my phone into the water. As soon as I reached solid ground again, I whipped my phone from my bag. Unfortunately, my camera could not do justice to the beauty and awesomeness of my surroundings.

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But to make up for that, I’ve posted this video from Fermanagh Lakelands.

 

You can find out more about the history of these amazing caves at Marble Arch Caves and Geopark.

I feel so privileged to have such an area of natural beauty right on my doorstep. If you get a chance to visit, don’t pass it up – it’s well worth the trip. For a variety of Thursday Door posts from around the globe, head on over to Norm’s Blog and see what’s on offer.

 

Thursday Doors

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My Thursday Doors this week features this lovely little stone cottage that is about 200 years old. The setting is idyllic and the views are amazing.

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Sitting among the buttercups and daisies on the grass in front of the cottage is an old plough, giving you that feeling of stepping back in time.

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There isn’t a red door in sight but I think the black and white colour scheme really suits this particular cottage.

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One of the gable ends has been left free of paint, exposing the stonework. It has the tiniest sash window I’ve everseen.

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Would you like to have a look inside?

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Come on in, the door is unlocked and we have the owners’ permission.

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As I stood outside taking in the beautiful scenery I had the strangest feeling of being watched.

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I’m so glad I was able to show you the inside of a typical old Irish cottage. Although this one hasn’t been lived in for a long time, it’s being kept in pretty good condition. There are a lot more Thursday Doors to see over on Norm’s blog, just click the blue link at the bottom of his post.

Thursday Doors

 

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There was a time when it was against the law to drink Potcheen (Poitin) in Ireland but now you can. The only person who could legally taste it, without swallowing it, was the guy who made it at the distillery in Bunratty in county Clare. Only those leaving the country could purchase it in duty free and drink it once they had left. Now it can be legally consumed here, like it says on the bottle.

 

If you’ve enjoyed these red Thursday Doors this week, have a look at some more of various shapes and colours over on Norm’s blog.

Thursday Doors

I spotted this lovely gate lodge on a recent trip into the countryside and was jealous of whoever lived there.

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Of course, I had to stop the car and take a shot for Thursday Doors but I wasn’t sure if anyone was home. There were no cars to be seen and for good reason.

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Upon closer inspection, it was obvious nobody lived there.

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Those windows and door might be fake but the house (and cobwebs) are real. It’s a little gem in a truly beautiful setting.

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Thanks for stopping by, I hope you liked this little glimpse into the Cavan countryside. If you’d like to view some more Thursday Doors, check out Norm’s blog, where you’ll find a link to an international selection of unusual doors.

Thursday Doors

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Well, I’m still in Killeshandra for this week’s Thursday Doors. The name Killeshandra is the phonetic pronunciation of ‘Cill na Seanratha’ the Gaelic words meaning Church of the Old Fort. Rath is the Irish for a fort and I featured the Rath Church , with it’s Jacobean pillars in a blogpost a couple of weeks ago. It’s amazing how such a small town can have so much history in it – I think the population is just a little over a thousand people. The ornate gates above lead to two lovely old buildings, the first one being a freestanding, Gothic Revival Church of Ireland structure, built in 1842.

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It was designed by William Farrell (d.1851), a noted Dublin architect. This church replaced The Church of the Rath, which was recorded in 1837 as being in a very ancient, dilapidated state.

Next to it, in the same courtyard, stands the Arthur Martin Memorial Hall, a detached Jacobean Revival style double-height memorial hall. Built 1898, its Jacobean style was influenced by the Arts-and-Crafts movement of the late nineteenth century, most likely in reference to the former Church of Ireland church of 1688 in Killeshandra, with which the Martin family were associated.

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The gated entrance is lovely, as are the doors.

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It has a red side door and tall arched windows.

This building is of particular social interest due to its history as a parish hall. I’ll revisit the town again at some point and take some shots of the rectory, gate lodge and old school house, for a future post.

Thanks for joining me in Killeshandra, county Cavan. Why not check out the amazing Thursday Doors Norm has to offer on his blog this week?

Thursday Doors

Just outside the town of Killeshandra, where I found last week’s Thursday Doors, I came across this old Presbyterian church with a lovely red door. It turned out to be a lot older than it looks. Very appropriate, I think, considering this is my 100th Thursday Doors post.

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It was in a beautiful setting, very typical of the Cavan countryside, with rolling hills and a lake in the background.

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According to National Inventory of Architectural Heritage, this church was built in 1742, having four-bay side elevations. Pitched slate roof with stone barge copings to gables, front gable surmounted by ball finial with inscription ‘1712’ and plaque beneath inscribed ‘GLORY TO GOD’. *

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Unfortunately, the door was locked but if we had been able to get inside, we would have found a carved timber pulpit, lectern and pews and a carved stone baptismal font, c.1650. *

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I hope you enjoyed this peek into the lush green countryside of County Cavan in this week’s post, thanks for stopping by. If you would like to travel further afield, click the blue frog link at the bottom of  Norm’s Thursday Doors post.

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Thursday Doors – Jacobean

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Thursday Doors is travelling way back in time this week, through these lovely Jacobean pillars. I’m in Killeshandra, County Cavan, just a few miles from our home. The sun is shining, the birds are singing and my camera is clicking, of course.

Now that I’ve covered every angle of those lovely old pillars, let’s get on with the tour.

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No entry, unfortunately.

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You can see the Hamilton coat of arms between the door and the window.

There are a couple of family mausoleums here, too.

The setting is peaceful and serene, even though it’s located in the town.

There are many old headstones and grave markers, the earliest dated 1696.

Would you like to have a peek inside?

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Here’s what I saw through the window.

Now for a bit of history.

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Long before a town came into existence during the seventeenth century, a rath or ringfort occupied the site where the old church still stands. It is from this that the town takes its name Cill na Seanratha, meaning the Church of the old Rath or ringfort. The earliest church is recorded as being built here by Augustinian monks from the nearby Drumlane abbey, circa 1350 and was used by local people living around and about the area. Originally the church was likely a plain stone structure with small windows and surrounding graveyard, much like other early Irish churches in this region.

The old graveyard continued to be used by local families of all denominations until quite recently and is presently cared for by members of the local community. The earliest grave markers date from 1696 and the graveyard is popular with overseas visitors searching for their Killeshandra ancestors.*

Here’s one last look at the old church before we go.

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Well, I really enjoyed capturing those images for this week’s Thursday Doors and I’m delighted you came along on the tour. Lots more doors await you over on Norm’s blog. Just click the blue ‘frog’ at the end of his post.

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Thursday Doors – Cavan

In between tiling the bathroom and hand washing clothes (no electrical supply for the washing machine, yet) I managed to get into Cavan town and snap a few Thursday Doors.

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Actually, Mr. R. had an appointment with his dentist, in this lovely old building with the red door, so I walked around town while he was in there. Close by the dental practice is another property with a red door.

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There are some many well preserved old buildings in this town, I’ll be taking shots of doors for the next year and still not run out of new finds. Right next to this one stands an old church or presbytery that I think has been converted to a family home.

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However, the main attraction in this week’s post has to be this building:

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It’s the old Town Hall, which was home to Cavan’s Urban District Council from around 1908 to 2014 and is now a contemporary arts center. *

It’s lovely from every aspect but look at that door, it certainly screams art.

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As for the windows . . .

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. . . somebody likes blue.

‘This sandstone hall was built from 1907 to 1910 and was erected by William Ballinagh and Sons. The cost was £2,688.  The Architect was William Scott and the site was donated by Lord Farnham.  It was officially opened on 19th January 1910. The Town Hall housed offices of Cavan Town Council and was also used over the years as a Dancehall, Theatre, Cinema, Meeting Venue and Bingo Hall’ ** 

I hope you enjoyed these lovely old buildings this week. Thanks for stopping by and for more Thursday Doors, why not hop on over to Norm’s blog to see an international selection.

 

 

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The Latest Book

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At last, the seventh book in the series is finally ready to be unleashed on the public. I had some help designing the cover and finding props to use as a setting – thank you Rob and Megan. These were the images we came up with:

I decided to go with the least cluttered one. I used a lock of my late father’s hair, as it is very relevant to the story line and I’ve also dedicated the book to him. The digital version is now up on Amazon as a pre-order and the print one will be available along with the ebook by early June. To those who have been waiting patiently for this one, please accept my apologies for such a long gap between books.