Thursday, 23 May 2019

Walking in the footsteps of Sean MacDiarmada 2019


Walking in the Footsteps and Seeing with their Eyes

Follow the route taken by Sean Mac Diarmada from Corracloona NS to the Mac Diarmada House.

View through window of Mac Diarmda Cottage 2016

 Views of a Revolutionary, Window of Sean MacDiarmada's Cottage

Join in this wonderful walk. Hear the history of the school and see the sights that Mac Diarmada and his siblings would have enjoyed on the route to and from school. The profusion of colours and wildlife in this magical spot in Spring & Summer is a feast for the senses. The purples and pinks of the Herb Robert, Rhododendron, Ragged Robin and Speedwell


pink rhodedendron in bloom
Rhododendron




Fields of Bog Cotton and White Thorn line your route





White Thorm


Stunning views over Lough MacNean across to Fermanagh and, if the evening is clear, the Donegal Mountains, all the while Big, Middle and Little Thur mountains keep a watchful eye on walkers' progress. Hear about Thur's archaeological monuments which catch the sunrise at the spring and autumn equinoxes

Views over Lough MacNean

Meet at Kiltyclogher Heritage Centre  for tour. Walk is approx 2.8 Km and slow paced. Please wear walking shoes. History and wildlife guides will accompany you.



Mac Diarmada cottage will be open for tours after some walks

For more information and to book;
Phone Paul on; 085 856 0962
E mail Leitrim Landscapes Guided Walks
Web: www.leitrimwalks.com





Monday, 20 May 2019

Tawnylust Lodge and The North Leitrim Adventures


Thanks to Denise Sallee, California for this wonderful blog on her adventures in North Leitrim


SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2019


Tawnylust Lodge & the North Leitrim Adventures


Several years ago,  I was fortunate to find myself living for a year in the wild and woolly hills of North Leitrim, Ireland.  This month I returned there, taking my daughter and her husband.  We stayed at Nuala McNulty's self-catering apartment Tawnylust Lodge - the exact spot where I lived for the first four months of my year-long residency.  I could not have chosen a better spot to nest and to fall in love with the best-kept secret in all of Ireland!

No matter which direction you look from Tawnylust Lodge the view is spectacular ~ 

The apartment has a patio and a large picture window - the perfect vista for daydreaming.
You are surrounded by green pasture land, and stunning hills.  The sky provides an endless and changing panorama.  Truly, a feast for the eyes and solace for the busy mind.

There is so much to explore in this area and Tawnylust Lodge is the perfect home base!


Fowley's Falls near Rossinver is a lovely walk through the woods.  The nearby Organic Centre is the perfect stop for tea or lunch and a look around. Pick up some healthy food and fix a meal in your self-catering apartment at Tawnylust Lodge. 

Everywhere - under the trees, behind an ancient rock, - nature reminds us all of what is truly important in life and allows us the chance to reconnect and nourish our heart and our soul. 



The nearby town of Manorhamilton, with its impressive castle, great pubs and a cafe is well worth a look. Just outside the town is a wonderful forest area, Milltown Woods, with a picnic area and easily accessible walks along the Bonet River.


Sligo, located not far from Manorhamilton, is a bustling and fun town.  The Garavogue River is the heart of this town which reaches toward the Atlantic Ocean.  It was also a favorite haunt of W.B. Yeats who gained much of his inspiration in and around this area.

Surf's up!  Just outside of Sligo is Strandhill which offers an open vista of the Atlantic and the surrounding hills.  And, yes, you can surf from here. For a more relaxing time, soak yourself in a warm seaweed bath while you listen to the waves and unwind at VOYA Seaweed Baths.  I've soaked there three times and brought a few visiting friends. It is a wonderful healing experience.

One of my very favorite spots near Sligo is Carrowmore ~ "home to the largest and oldest collection of stone circles and dolmens known from neolithic Ireland."  The perfect blend of our very earliest history and our mythology. 


At the end of a day's adventures Tawnylust Lodge is the ideal home to return to!
Photograph copyright Nuala McNulty



NOTE:  Unless otherwise noted, all images are by Denise Sallee, All Rights Reserved, 2019.