the Blaket Islands, ducks on The Feale and some local images

Cycling home with the newspaper through Childers' Park,  Listowel in July 2018

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A Date for the Diary

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West Kerry Islands

Last week I posted this photo from Seán Mac an tSíthigh of An Fear Marbh. I told you that this island is also called The Sleeping Giant. Well, this prompted Denis Quille to write to tell us that the same island is also called An tEaspag (the bishop). It's proper name is Inis Tuaisceart  ( The North Island)

Denis says;

The old people at the tip of the Dingle Peninsula knew Inis Tuaisceart (The Sleeping Giant) as "An tEaspag" (The Bishop), it is also easy to see why. 

On a family boat trip on 30 June we went into the island (some of my family with my brother Bryan's living in Listowel) and I'm attaching a few of the numerous photos taken by my daughter Neassa and nephew Micheál for you. We also landed on other outlaying islands but could not land on An Tiarach due to the spring tide swell. The landing/climb on to Inis Tuaisceart is dangerous and we had a very calm day, it not advisable for all ages should any of your followers be contemplating a visit. There is no ferry.

This is the Great Foze Rock (An Fós = Rage) taken on 30 June. This is the most westerly landfall in Europe and is situated quite a distance from An Tiaracht. 

The families had a swim here but in hindsight was probably foolish as there was a very strong drift in the direction of the rocks.

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Ducks on The Feale during the summer drought of 2018

There are several families of ducks in the river. I photographed these by the Big Bridge.

Peter McGrath collects some stale bread from a local shop and he makes his regular trips to feed the ducks.

These were further downstream

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Look who I met on my Sunday morning walk

Fred Chute is a man who loves Nature. On this lovely Sunday morning July 22 2018 he was enjoying a stroll by The Feale with his dog.

An Fear Marbh, Ring of Kerry Cycle,Listowel Courthouse and The Barber in Church St.

An Fear Marbh

Photo: Seán Mac an tSíthigh on Twitter

I have always called this island An Fear Marbh, meaning dead man.  From a distance it resembles a corpse as it is traditionally laid out (os cionn cláir). However I am told that local people,  being aware of  the sensitivities of tourists around the subject of death, usually refer to this place as The Sleeping Giant. Whatever you call it it is supremely beautiful on a June evening in summer 2018.

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Ring of Kerry Charity Cycle

Rhona Tarrant who posted this was just one of the many hardy souls who took part in this great event again this year.

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Listowel Courthouse is getting  a lick of paint this week

It will look lovely when it is finished.

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The Barber at 53 Church Street

This building looks absolutely lovely now. Joe and Aoife have done a really stylish makeover of this roomy premises. The no-nonsense business like exterior with its "it does what it says on the tin" title is softened by the upstairs fun bubbles. Aoife and Joe are lovely. They deserve to do very well

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A Word about Croatia and the World Cup 2018

(From Twitter)

When he was 6, his grandfather was shot dead. His family became refugees, in a warzone. He grew up to the sound of grenades exploding. Coaches said he was too weak and too shy to play football. On Sunday Luka Modric will lead Croatia to its first ever #WorldCup final.

AND

Croatia is the only team in the World Cup 2018 which is managed by a woman. AND she earns less than half of what the Irish manager earns.

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Shadows Lengthen as the Sun Declines