Small county, big love.

Liara_Tsoni · Posted: Tue Nov 18, 2014 1:11 pm Post subject: Small county, big love.

10 great reasons to visit Leitrim
Small county, big love.
by Pól Ó Conghaile

1. It inspires literary giants…

WB Yeats isn’t the only author associated with Leitrim. John McGahern was born and raised here, and Booker Prize winner DBC Pierre famously made it his home.

“A landscape from a dream, unmanicured, informal, raffish and intimate in its beauty,” is how Pierre described the county. “If Kew Gardens were the grand salon of a mansion, this would be its teenager’s bedroom.”

If you catch one piece of literary landscape during your visit, make it Glencar Waterfall - the 50-foot falls immortalised in Yeats's The Stolen Child (“Where the wandering water gushes / From the hills above Glen-Car / In pools among the rushes / That scarce could bathe a star”).

Dunking into a little pool just outside Manorhamilton, they're pure magic.

2. It’s an Adventure Eden...

No, really. Leitrim has a souvenir-sized coastline, but that’s enough to give it a stake in the Wild Atlantic Way, a couple of very surfable waves, and what may be Ireland's most ambitiously-named adventure company: Leitrim Surf (www.leitrimsurf.ie).

“Leitrim has the best of both worlds," says Lee Guckian, its founder.

"Not only do we have an amazing variety of lakes, rivers and canals, with everything from grade 3/4 white water to gentle calm, flat water, but we also have the Atlantic and plenty of swell."

While you're at it, take a Canadian canoe down the gorgeously off-radar River Bonet with Adventure Gently (www.adventuregentlyireland.com), escape the rat race with a ‘wilderness therapy’ course at Lough Allen Adventure Centre (www.loughallenadventure.com) or do a little of everything (including an electric bike trip) with Big Day Out in Leitrim.

http://www.independent.ie/life/travel/ireland/10-great-reasons-to-visit-leitrim-30739767.html
http://www.scienceclarified.com/He-In/Horticulture.html
http://www.hortweek.com/park-wildflower-projects-win-grow-wild-flagship-prize/parks-and-gardens/article/1322262

tagwex · Posted: Tue Nov 18, 2014 2:19 pm Post subject:

Another reason would be to find and meet Katherine Lynch, hilarious woman.
That coastline is less than 2 miles long, not much to brag about but then again small is beautiful. The one disadvantage of that coastline is that it is awfully close to Geranimojess who undoubtedly will throw in his twopennyworth shortly.
Welcome to the forum Liara.

medieval knievel · Posted: Wed Nov 19, 2014 4:22 pm Post subject:

the most (the only?) interesting facts about offaly:

1. the world's first fatal road traffic accident happened in offaly - in birr:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Ward_%28scientist%29

2. the world's first air disaster happened in offaly - in tullamore:
https://www.offalyhistory.com/reading-resources/history/tullamore-history/the-tullamore-balloon-fire-first-air-disaster-in-history

tagwex · Posted: Wed Nov 19, 2014 4:44 pm Post subject:

"The King's county". When did it become the Faithful county?

kindredspirit · Posted: Wed Nov 19, 2014 5:07 pm Post subject:

Must be offaly dangerous in that county. Smile

tagwex · Posted: Wed Nov 19, 2014 5:43 pm Post subject:

You are getting as bad as Good Guy with those puns.

Greengage · Posted: Wed Nov 19, 2014 6:36 pm Post subject:

Balycumber the driest place in Ireland

tagwex · Posted: Wed Nov 19, 2014 7:23 pm Post subject:

Explain that one Greengage.
Isn't that where a singer came from that entered a TV competition to represent Ireland in the Eurovision song contest came from? Cannot remember his name. Simon maybe....

Greengage · Posted: Thu Nov 20, 2014 12:16 pm Post subject:

True story, the local doctor used to submit weather records to the met ofice in England back in the day, unfortunatly he was fond of the tipple and b used to let his dog out before taking the readings, the dog always thirsty had a drink from the gaughe used for collecting rain water, when your man took the readings the was always very litle rain water left, now if you go to the mmet office in England look up the weather records for Co Offaly you willl see that Ballycumber was the driest place in Ireland.,
Rhode holds world record for longest rock the boat
we gave birth to An American president.
Has Irelands only extinct volcano obn croghan hill
worlds famous whiskey
Longest lived man (Fpound in bog)
Our bogs power the Island
were going to supply Dubllin with water
All us from the belly of the Island are a proud people, remember the lad from Tipp who called our hurlers a flock of sheep we put the Yellow bellies, the Banner, abnd the tipp men to the sword when we brought home the Liam Mcarthy and that was after the protest with the banner men. Limerick people will never forget us after being 7 points down with 4 mins to go and we won by 7 and thats not even mentioning the five in a row kerry left behind.i could go on and on nuff said............

tagwex · Posted: Thu Nov 20, 2014 3:01 pm Post subject:

I knew there had to be a story to that driest place in Ireland.
All that Offaly stuff from a proud Kildare man!!!

Greengage · Posted: Thu Nov 20, 2014 8:23 pm Post subject:

yea can take the man out of the bog but not the bog out of the man. Laughing

Good guy · Posted: Fri Nov 21, 2014 12:12 am Post subject:

Don't forget the Organic Centre at Rossinver. It's well worth a visit - nice food, too.
I've always had a soft spot for Leitrim, growing up as I did at the intersection of the boundaries of Fermanagh, Cavan and Leitrim. I always look forward to my first glimpse of the Dartry mountains when driving South on the N15. The Shannon Pot is one of my favourite places.

tagwex · Posted: Fri Nov 21, 2014 1:30 am Post subject:

Found out the name of that singer today - Simon Casey. Anyone remember him?