Jean Reinhardt's Blog, page 4

Thursday Doors – More from Cootehill

Nice wee gate lodge being renovated.

More from the County Cavan town of Cootehill on this week’s Thursday Doors. I’m sorry I’ve been absent most of this month, I’ve had a very busy September. The plus side of all the traveling I’ve done has been a nice collection of interesting Thursday Doors that I will share with you over the coming months.

The White Horse Hotel on the main street.

Opposite the hotel stands the town’s courthouse, which was built in 1833. In front of the building a peace garden has been installed with memorials to soldiers who died in both world wars and subsequent conflicts.

At the top of the main street, not far from the courthouse stands a detached Italianate two-storey bank, built in 1858 and designed by William Murray. It’s now privately owned and is being tastefully renovated, retaining much of its historic features.

I’ll finish off with a photo of a Church of Ireland building which dates from 1818. It looks down the main street of the town and is in very good condition. That blue sky should tell you what a beautiful day it was on my visit to Cootehill. Dan has some great links to interesting posts from around the world over on his blog this week. On next week’s Thursday Doors I’ll be posting the last of my photographs from Cootehill.

Thursday Doors – Colourful Cootehill

Cootehill might have an interesting history but if it’s colourful Thursday Doors you’re looking for then you won’t be disappointed. I think the blue in this first image really compliments the pale red brick. Just up the street I found another door a similar colour but not quite so fresh.

However, the most popular colour seems to be red. It’s a good job I love red doors because in Cootehill I couldn’t escape from them. Here’s a small selection of what could be seen on the main street alone.

The first red door featured hasn’t been that colour for very long. It’s a former bank, built about 1890 and used to be dark blue with matching railings. The first floor was purpose built as the bank manager’s residence. Further up the street there’s another fresh looking red door.

The Belmont Arms in the above photograph was built originally as a private residence about 1800. It became a hotel in later years and more recently was in use as a pub. Nowadays, it seems to be permanently closed but still retains some of its charm in spite of the peeling paintwork.

Although I like colourful doors, it was a black one that stole the show for me on this street.

This door belongs to a Victorian house that was built around 1870 as a bank manager’s residence (no living above the office in this case). It was designed by architect, William Murray and is now in use as a private home.

Along with interesting doors, Cootehill has many lovely archways. Here are just two that caught my eye.

I’ll finish off with another red door set in an unusual facade. Many of the buildings on the main street date from 1800-1820 and the roof on this next one certainly looks that old.

No link to Dan’s blog this week as he’s on a short break. Thanks for stopping by and viewing this week’s colourful Thursday Doors, there’ll be more from Cootehill next week.

Thursday Doors – Cootehill

This week’s Thursday Doors comes from Cootehill in County Cavan. I have featured this historic market town before but it was a few years ago and highlighted only a small sample of what the town has to offer. The main street is wide and colourful, retaining many of the period features on its mostly well preserved buildings. Even the library, which is a recent addition, blends in well with the streetscape. I like the pillars and wood around the entrance and the beautiful clock suspended over the doorway.

In the early 1700s the Coote family, who had intermarried with the Hill family, created Cootehill as a linen-producing town. By the end of the eighteenth century it had become the major centre for the linen trade in Ireland. The history of the French weavers, spinners and flax growers in counties Cavan and Mayo is fascinating, so I’ll leave a link at the end of this post for anyone interested. * 

A large van was parked right in front of this pub so I had to stand very close to get take these photos.

Yes, that’s Elvis in the window of The West End Bar. Having spent far too long looking at the interesting collection on display I finally got round to taking a shot of the door. Some road works were taking place in the street, which explains the dust you can see on the shiny black paint.

Some buildings in the main street really stand out both in size and colour, like in the next image.

Others make a statement just by having an unusual design. The blue saloon type outer door and surround was painted a vibrant red last time I was in Cootehill.

The Irish phrase Tir na n-Og means Land of Youth, a reference to a mythical Celtic otherworld where nobody grows old and dies. I like the sign in the window – “We’re open when we’re here. We’re closed when we ain’t.”

I will have more from Cootehill over the coming weeks but in the meantime, Dan has a great selection of Thursday Doors over on his blog.

Linen Trade History French Connection *

Thursday Doors – Bonamargy Friary

I’ve been wanting to feature Bonamargy Friary, in Ballycastle, County Antrim on Thursday Doors for a long time. The name comes from the Irish ‘Bun na Mairge’ meaning ‘the foot of the Margy’ which is a nearby river. I finally got to visit it on my last trip up north and it was well worth the wait. These are the ruins of an old Franciscan Friary dating from early in the 16th century but there was an earlier foundation laid there in 1485 by Rory MacQuillan. In 1500, a church was erected and in the following years residential extensions were added. Those that remain were built with stone but there may have been wooden structures, too. The friary was in use up until the mid 17th century. There are steps each side of the entrance wall but thankfully the gate was open so I didn’t have to climb them.

A short walk through some lovely old woodland brings you to a small gatehouse which was built about 1620.

Some very old headstones can be seen on the walk from the gate house to the main building of the friary. On many of them the words are badly eroded but I think this one, which has the name Rose on it, is dated 1740.

The next one is dated 1800 and is engraved with the names of Archibald and his son, William.

Some are very grand indeed, like the next one.

Between 1536 and 1541 King Henry VIII ordered all monasteries to be dissolved and many of the properties were sold off to fund his military campaigns. He had the power to do this because the Act of Supremacy was passed by Parliament in 1534, making him Supreme Head of the Church of England. However, Bonamargy Friary continued to function and was in the possession of the MacDonnells of Antrim until the Scottish branch of the clan attacked it in 1584, when it was set on fire and abandoned. In 1620 (the year the gate house was built) Randall MacDonnell repaired much of the ruins and added a private chapel for his family. Today, graves and headstones line the walls inside the old friary church.

The Black Nun, Julia McQuillan, known as a prophet and recluse, lived in the friary in the late 1600’s, when it was no longer in use. Her wish was to be buried near the entrance to the church. This was seen as a token of her humility, as worshippers would have to walk on her grave upon entering. The small round cross with a hole in the centre apparently marks her burial spot.

I was delighted to see some archways that were not closed off to the public.

Which meant it was safe to have a look inside.

You can see from the next photo that work is being carried out on part of the ruins.

Many of the entrances were gated and locked for public safety reasons.

A look through one of the grills shows some more work in progress. It’s lovely to see old ruins such as these being preserved for future generations and open to the public to explore at no charge.

Dan has lots of interesting international Thursday Doors over on his blog this week and if you like what you’ve seen of Bonamargy Friary, I’ve included a link to more of its history and photographs.*

History of Bonamargy Friary *

Thursday Doors – The Station Master’s House

This week’s Thursday Doors features two lovely old properties, one of which is The Station Master’s House. This has been beautifully restored and is available to rent as a holiday let. Let’s see how it looks from the rear.

The Belturbet railway station opened in 1885 and served as a junction for the Great Northern Railway Company of Ireland and the Cavan Leitrim line. Unfortunately, it closed in 1959, was sold at public auction and gradually fell into decline. Thankfully, the station complex was fully restored in 1995 and refitted again in 2014. The Station Master’s House is a grade one building of cut stone and forms part of the Heritage Railway Restoration project of the Belturbet Community. I’ll leave a link at the end of this post for more information and photographs, including historical images.

Another tastefully restored building on the complex is the Goods Store, which now serves as a facility for conferences and meetings.

The crane that serviced the goods yard is also preserved and still in its original position.

Examples of farm machinery from a bygone era are permanently on display around the station buildings as part of an interesting outdoor exhibition.

I like the way the old wheel has been flanked by colourful flower beds in this next one.

I hope you found this week’s post interesting and if you would like to see some photos of what the station looked like before restoration work began in 1995 the link below will take you there. Dan has some lovely photos over on his blog this week, with links to lots of interesting Thursday Doors around the world.

History and Old Images of Belturbet Station

Thursday Doors – A Mixed Bag

This week’s Thursday Doors post is a bit of a mixed bag. July has been lovely with dry, sunny weather. Less travel restrictions have resulted in friends and families reuniting and a semblance of normality returning almost everywhere. Not too many international tourists about but plenty of the country’s own residents taking ‘staycations’ instead of holidaying abroad. One of our trips was to Blackrock in County Louth, which is where I took this shot of the sundial sculpture. I know I’ve featured it before on the blog but it’s in such a great setting, I couldn’t resist another capture.

One of the many lakes in County Cavan is Lough Ramor in Virginia. This bench is perfectly situated for taking in the beautiful view, except for the fact that the seat is missing.

Close to the ‘seatless’ bench there was a tree that had tied itself in knots, as if stating that it wasn’t going to provide any straight planks of wood to replace that seat.

On another walk in a different woods I came across this lovely mushroom specimen. I’m sure it’s a Dryad’s Saddle, which is edible. So I took a small piece to bring home and sample but after only a short time frying in butter it was very rubbery in texture. I’ll have to get there earlier next year and harvest some at the right time.

Living in county Cavan, I don’t have to travel too far to enjoy a summer in the countryside. The water level in the Erne river that runs through Belturbet is very low at the moment and on most days is so still it looks like a mirror, as you can see from this image of the old railway bridge.

I was recently told of an interesting feature in one of old stone walls that once surrounded the military barracks in Belturbet. I usually walk on the other side of this wall because it runs along the marina and that’s why I’ve been missing it.

I think it came from an older barracks that was built in the 17th century, on the other side of the river. It refers to William of Orange or King Billy, as some would say. Another engraved stone is one of many road and way markers that are dotted around the countryside.

I think this one may have something to do with the river, as it’s a bit different from the usual old road marker. I know this is a pretty mixed bag of photos for this week’s blog but it was fun collecting them. No links to other blogs this week as our host is taking a short break at the moment. But in keeping with the title of this post, here’s a door I’ve never featured before.

This is the door to our local Men’s Shed. If you’ve never heard of it before it’s a community based project that was started in Australia in the 1980s where men meet up to learn, share skills and often make long-lasting friendships. The movement has spread to many countries and in Ireland we have the most sheds per capita with over 450 of them being visited by at least 10,000 men every week. Most sheds engage in woodwork, gardening, carpentry and community work. But some also focus on music, fishing and other special interests. In Belturbet they are involved in the restoration of an old railway carriage.

Thanks for joining me for this week’s mixed bag of Thursday Doors from various parts of the country.

Thursday Doors – Outdoors

The weather has been so hot here in Ireland lately that I’ve spent most of my time outdoors in the shade, so this week’s Thursday Doors post is all about nature. July has been extremely warm and dry, which isn’t a typical Irish summer. Temperatures have been ranging from 28 C (82.4 F) to 31 C (87.8 F) depending on which part of the country you’re in. I tried to conserve water as much as possible by using basins of dishwater to quench my vegetables’ thirst but some of the salad greens still bolted with all that sunshine. The runner beans and herbs loved it, though.

The grass was beginning to suffer so I watered it after a particularly hot day and who should come bounding out of his home in the red brick labyrinth only Bowie the frog. He does have his own dipping pool but seemed to enjoy soaking up the moisture from the warm grass while I was hosing the garden. Look at that big smile on his face.

Some of our family rented a holiday home for a week and brought a kayak with them so we spent most of the time cooling down in one of the hundreds of lakes in County Cavan. A few of them have beaches too, which made the youngest grandchild very happy. It was the first time I’ve been swimming in a lake for many years and it was wonderful. I’ll have to do that more often.

The holiday home at River Run was very spacious and bright with lovely views over the river and countryside.

There was a nice bit of space between the houses and the children had lots of room to run around outside during the cooler parts of the day.

The sunsets were gorgeous. You can see a small marina in the distance to the right of the next image. That was where we moored our boat, when we had one, and enjoyed the beautiful landscape surrounding this part of the River Erne, just outside Belturbet, County Cavan.

This week, the rain has returned and nobody is complaining. A little bit of respite from the hot sun is a nice change but I don’t think it will stay grey and wet for too long, as August is expected to be a mixed weather month. Hopefully we’ll have a few sunny days to enjoy before the season ends. I’ll keep you posted on that. Thanks for stopping by for this week’s Thursday Doors from the great outdoors.

Thursday Doors – Ballycastle – The Diamond

Once again Thursday Doors hails from the seaside town of Ballycastle in County Antrim and by now I hope you’re thinking it’s a gem of a place but the diamond referred to in the title is not a precious stone. It’s really the heart of the town and where many annual markets have been held over the centuries. The largest and most famous being The Ould Lammas Fair.

Every year, for two days late in August, Ballycastle is taken over by between 250,000 and 350,000 visitors, who come to an event that has its origins in the 16th century – The Ould (Auld) Lammas Fair. Because of the pandemic, last year it was cancelled for the first time ever and it looks like its been cancelled this year, too. It has a fascinating history attached to it that reaches way back into ancient Ireland.

‘The name of Lammas originated from the ‘Feast of Lughnasadh’ or Lugh. In Irish legend, Lugh was a Sun God who had a mortal foster-mother named Tailtiu. She was a queen or princess of the Firbolgs – Men of Bags. These early inhabitants of Ireland are said to have come from Greece or Spain where they were put into servitude and forced to carry soil from the fertile plains to the higher ground. To do this, they devised leather bags which they later used to build boats and escape from their enslavement.‘ I’ll leave a link at the end of this post if you’d like to read more.*

Holy Trinity, Church of Ireland, is situated in the Diamond and is a Grade A listed building. The Church was completed in 1756 and built by Colonel Hugh Boyd in the Greco-Roman style.

I really like these rounded pillars at the main entrance.

In front of the church stands a sandstone built memorial in the form of a Gothic style pinnacle. It’s about 6 metres high, resting on a circular base of granite. Two plaques are displayed on it, one recording the name of Doctor George Matthew O’Connor, who died in 1887 and the other is the O’Connor coat of arms. He was the Medical Officer for the Workhouse and Dispensary Doctor for forty years and obviously a well loved member of the community.

Here’s a view of the Diamond and monument from the main street.

The pink pub, Boyd Arms, was established in 1761 during the reign of King George III. A three-storey former hotel, it is named after the Boyd family on whose land Ballycastle lies and who constructed the pub and other buildings in this part of town. The Boyd Arms Hotel was built for the coach-drivers and servants of the gentry who stayed at the Antrim Arms Hotel across the street.

The gentry’s hotel isn’t so eye-catching nowadays and so I never even took a closer photograph of it than what you see on the right of the above image. I think it may be a listed building and hopefully one day it will be restored to it’s former glory. Ironic that the former servants hotel is now the more well kept building.

I’ll finish of with another lovely restaurant, The Cellar. I haven’t tried the food here yet so it’s on my list for another trip.

Not much has changed structurally at The Diamond over the decades, as you can see from the old colourized photograph below.

Courtesy: https://www.antrimhistory.net/wp-content/uploads/The-diamond-Ballycastle.jpg

Thanks for coming along on another virtual tour this week. Dan has a great selection of links to interesting places over on his blog, if you’d like to do a bit more exploring. I’m sure that some time in the future I’ll be featuring more from Ballycastle in another Thursday Doors post, as I haven’t even featured half of what the town has to offer so far, The Diamond being only a tiny part of its interesting features.

The Ould Lammas Fair *

Thursday Doors – Ballycastle – The Shops

You can’t walk through the main street of Ballycastle without noticing the the souvenirs, arts and crafts on display in many of the shop windows, so this week’s Thursday Doors features a sample of what can be found. This first one reminded me of a poem I wrote many years ago about Ireland being ‘a rock of greys and greens and rainbows.‘

I had a big struggle resisting the urge to lose myself among all those lovely old and new items on display in the above shop but I didn’t have time to browse so onwards to the next one. It had a very apt name, as I would have found it difficult to leave this one too, had I stepped inside.

The work of many local artists and craftspeople can be seen on display in the windows of some of the shops, including the hardware store. This even houses a gallery with a lovely selection of paintings, another place that I would be happy to spend a lot of time. You might go in there for a teapot and come out with a work of art.

Even the empty shops had a certain charm about them and worth photographing. The next one had just one small pane of glass covered by a tiny net curtain. It can’t have been for privacy as the other pains and window were easy to see through.

I liked the blue trim on this building and wondered was if it had been a shop in the past. Or maybe it still is but was closed for lunch. Besides shops, there are some lovely old pubs on the main street. The following two are opposite each other and serve food as well as drink. Not easy to choose between them as they both have a good reputation, so I’m glad I didn’t have to – this time.

The thatched feature really adds a bit of character, doesn’t it?

If you would like to read up on the history of the town this link has lots of interesting information with some lovely old photographs included. Thanks a mil for joining me on my walk around the shops of Ballycastle this week and for a lot more Thursday Doors carry on over to Dan’s blog.

Thursday Doors – Ballycastle – The Town

Continuing our Thursday Doors tour of Ballycastle, County Antrim, we leave the harbour area and head up to the main part of town. On the way there’s a nice red post box but that’s not the only thing that caught my eye. I can see two local characters having a chat on one of the side streets.

My daughter told me she often sees these two hens scratching around the bottom of this hedge. Apparently, they live in a garden on the opposite side of the street.

At least we know why these two chickens crossed the road – obviously better pickings on that side of the street.

The steps lead up to the Masonic Hall, a late nineteenth century building. It’s on an elevated site close to the town centre and is a Grade B2 listed building in the Neo Classical style.

The next building has a hint of a ship about it with those porthole windows at the top.

I love all those dormer windows that can be seen around this part of town. They really give a lot of character to the place, as does the mix of colourful facades.

I hope you enjoyed our virtual tour this week. There is a lot more to come over the next couple of weeks from the town of Ballycastle but in the meantime, Dan has a great selection of Thursday Doors waiting for you over on his blog.