zaterdag 30 mei 2009

Different Strokes for Different Folks



The Catholic and the Protestant churches to the right and left of the 19th century lunatic asylum in Sligo. Now a major hotel.
Photos: Annie

woensdag 27 mei 2009

Literary Life


Nearby Achill Island has its own writer's group. From left to right: Anne Cattigan, Dan McDonald, Marjorie Wallace, Pirate Peti,Doutsje Nauta,Anne Shannon and Kathleen Pevler.
Click to enlarge.

zaterdag 23 mei 2009

Corraun Diary (15); After the Christmas Bash


Writing in her diary on 25 December 2004, Pirate friend and neighbour Jane records a hectic Christmas night at the George, the pub she was running with her husband Al in nearby Currane: "It's about 4am an Christmas Day. Our Christmas Eve customers have gone and after a very busy evening all is now quiet and we've finished clearing up. The bar will be closed tomorrow. The bar looks so pretty tonight. I'm very pleased with my decorations."
Photo: Jane

woensdag 20 mei 2009

Changing Colours



Nature's colours transformed with the changing season. The garden in early spring (top photo) and a month later (bottom photo).
Photos: Peti

zaterdag 16 mei 2009

Spring


Like something out of "The Secret Garden", you know that it's finally spring when bluebells and yellow daffodils dominate the floral colour scheme.
Photo: Peti

woensdag 13 mei 2009

Small World!


Here is our friend and neighbour Mrs. Masterson with Spot the dog and her daughter Annette in Ougterargh, Connemara. Annette is a regular reader of this blog. How? Through her Auntie Bridgie, who lives in America. Enterprising Auntie Bridgie discovered our blog by googling Polranny. And the first thing she saw there was a photo of Spot the dog!



Meanwhile, Annette's son Alan, who lives in Australia with his girlfriend, has also become a Polranny Pirates regular. Nowadays he's a chartered accountant, but this is him back in 1982 when he was snapped by Pirate Peti while visiting his grandparents here. We're sure he hasn't changed a bit!
Photos: Peti

zaterdag 9 mei 2009

Leaving Present


A prize addition to the Polranny Pirates' collection of artworks: this stylish rustic seat/ woodstack. Who made it? Was it Michel, Laura, Bas, Mark or maybe the leprachauns? Whoever it was, thank you! We love it!
Photo: Peti

woensdag 6 mei 2009

Polranny Guests; The Final Evening


After cleaning the house and a supper of omelette with stew, Laura, Bas, Michel and Mark relax with a Guinness and set the self timer for a final portrait in Polranny. Tomorrow they will be back in Dublin before flying home to Holland.
Photo: Mark, www.mimia.nl

zaterdag 2 mei 2009

A Few Days Later...



A few days later, Polranny guests Laura, Bas, Michel and Mark decided to explore nearby Achill Island. Mark writes: "Today we took the Land Rover and drove around Achill Island. Starting at Achill Sound we headed southward, then went along the Western shore before turning off for the beaches in the North, where we met a young and enthusiastic dog called Bruno.

Later we had lunch in the dunes on a deserted beach. Refreshed, we climbed to the top of a mountain to admire the view below and visited a lake with a dam. By around half past four we were sitting in a pub in Achill Sound, drinking two extremely-deserved Guinnesses. As if that wasn't enough, Bas and I drank more Guinness outside the house in the afternoon sun. We ate pasta with stew and guacamole, and Michel baked two loaves of - what else? - Guinness bread!"
Foto: Mark, www.mimia.nl