Old Parish...its Rugged coastline

It wasn't the best of days, or indeed the worse of days as we headed off to visit the Old parish rugged shore line in the company of local historian Nicholas Graves. It was our intention to visit Mine head lighthouse on our journey but we did not have time...for another day perhaps.
ask dusk fell we had reached Baile Mhac Airt Lochtarach...can you compare that colorful title with the anglicised version...'Ballymacart'...there is of course no response to that question.
The extract from the map which I borrowed, is taken from a local historical publication 'Fir Mór Án sean Pobál' by Eibhlin Ban Ui Curraoin. It shows our journey and the wonderfully titled townlands that we passed through as we explored a rugged coastline steeped in history....magnificent colourful scenery, crashing waves...just waiting to be captured on canvas. This accompanied by the great story telling of Nioclás ó Gríofán, Radhárc na Farraige ...as he pointed out to me the historical significance of the areas we explored .All pictures (c) Eddie Cantwell, click on the images to get a large sharper image.The Archives are found on the right of the screen Diane Bearder chats to Nioclás as she prepares to visit An Cuan.
And so the visit to An Cuan begins. Very noticeable is the red sandstone which is very abundant, as you browse the photos you will notice the wonderful array of colour which is displayed in the vegetation and craggy rock which surround the area.

An Cuan, a wonderful little cove in a hidden wilderness ...



The tide was on the way out when we arrived at An Cuan.

Enlarge this image to appreciate the structure and colour...


This young lady, captured as she rushed from the cave when the tail-end of a crashing wave made its way towards her...she did not however escape! More to follow and I will add to this in a day or two...so please come back.
Click on the image to see the spectacular display of colour on the rocks.
'Cad é sin?' said Nioclás, holding aloft a strange species of fish - life which was washed ashore.

A last look at An Cuan, as we made our way back...
We took a different route back...
Lots of furs bushes on this old path-way ...My father told me that as a youngster he worked on a farm in Ballylemmon. one of his jobs was the cutting of these Furs for the horses...his arms were always ripped and bleeding from the task...the bushes were then fed into a crusher and fed to the horses......speaking of horses...this chap decided to join us...
The explorers are getting a little jittery as the animal charges forward...eager to make friends...
Time for the camera - man to lead the horse away...
Feeling a little safer now!
An unusual curved bridge on the roadway...
Sean-Reilig, Baile Mhic Aleidigh... Sean-Phobail.....old graveyard and church ruin at Old Parish

Next...(Below)...on to Glen Anna...

This is a common sight here ...as we made our way to 'Glenn Anna' another beautiful secluded spot we came on this rubbish , three bags dumped...mostly filled with crushed beer cans.Obviously people will not pay to have their rubbish recycled so they just dump it in any secluded spot that they find...
As a back drop to this rubbish dumping we see the ruins of an old dwelling house which is facing the sea...



Finally, this house was once the home of the Coast guards...it is all that remains of a number of coast guard houses which stood in the area.