01.01.15 A Roman New Year, hunting for wells, catching up with friends

Mitchelstown Cave, Mitchelstown, Co. Tipperary, Ireland. (http://www.technogypsie.com/reviews/?p=20563) Thursday, January 1, 2015: Cork to Tullamore along the M8. Chronicles Expedition to Cork – Winter 2014: Chronicles of Sir Thomas Leaf, Lady Etain, and Cian – the Prince of Endurance. Photography (c) 2014, 2015: Thomas Baurley, Eadaoin Bineid, Leaf McGowan, Technogypsie Productions. www.technogypsie.com/photography/. To follow the stories and tales visit http://www.technogypsie.com/reviews/ and http://www.technogypsie.com/chronicles/. To follow this chronicle, visit: http://www.technogypsie.com/chronicles/?p=12409

Thursday, 01 January 2015
Cork, Co. Cork, Ireland to Tullamore, Co. Offaly, Ireland
http://www.technogypsie.com/chronicles/?p=12409

(previous 12.31.14 http://www.technogypsie.com/chronicles/?p=12733)

It was around 7 am that the young Prince Cian woke restless and ready to play with his toys …. “Cars!” the young Sire of Endurance exclaimed! As is often his first word for the morning these days. As the duo brought the Prince of Endurance down to the foyer to play with his “Cars” they were soon thrusted into a tremendous amount of hustle and bustle getting ready for their road trip. The last several days they spent recovering from jet lag and a cold, both of which was thankfully finally slowly passing out of their systems. A load of laundry, breakfast, shower, packing up of gear, cleaning out the car, and stashing of the sundries … by 9:45 am they were out the door. Driving up the N40 to Mahon Point through the howling winds and raining sleet, into the car park, and up the elevator to Starbucks (http://www.technogypsie.com/reviews/?p=20571). The adventurers were to meet up with their age-old friend Lady Dierdra to catch up on old and new times over the nice aroma of chai tea. The wee prince snuck a sip of chai while the adventurers weren’t looking and got quite wired, running amiss all over Starbucks.

By 11 it was time to hit the road, they grabbed some cash from the Bank of Ireland and hit the roadway beginning a sidecar quest exploring the Irish countryside looking for holy wells and investigating ancient legends on their way up to Tullamore to visit friends. Unfortunately with this route there were not many ruins or sacred sites viewable from the roadside of the M8.

Sir Thomas Leaf, Lady Etain, and Prince Cian travelled North, Northwest up the M8 in Lady Etain’s parent’s car taking some of the side route alternatives such as the R616 through Ballindenish, The Glen, Fermoy, Kilworth Camp, Mitchelstown, and on to Mitchelstown Cave in order to escape the tolls. Remarkably the Mitchelstown Cave (http://www.technogypsie.com/reviews/?p=20563) was open for business on the holiday. Due to budget constraints, and the fact the young Prince Cian was passed out sleeping in the carriage so to speak, the delvers decided to skip splunkering at this time. An omnipresence of folklore was felt outside the caves … but no sightings of the piper nor were shepherd specters had. No fairy ewe sightings either. Since these were the caves where the musical piper became lost and the shepherd seeking the fairy ewe to his death were finally laid to rest.

Glengarra Woods, Glengarra, Co. Tipperary, Ireland. (http://www.technogypsie.com/reviews/?p=20567) Thursday, January 1, 2015: Cork to Tullamore along the M8. Chronicles Expedition to Cork – Winter 2014: Chronicles of Sir Thomas Leaf, Lady Etain, and Cian – the Prince of Endurance. Photography (c) 2014, 2015: Thomas Baurley, Eadaoin Bineid, Leaf McGowan, Technogypsie Productions. www.technogypsie.com/photography/. To follow the stories and tales visit http://www.technogypsie.com/reviews/ and http://www.technogypsie.com/chronicles/. To follow this chronicle, visit: http://www.technogypsie.com/chronicles/?p=12409

Following the countryside roads back towards the M8 from the caves, weaving their way north towards Tullamore, they stumbled upon the Glengarra Forest or Woods. A quick pit stop here to see if there were any myths and legends associated with this intriguing altered forest. Glengarra Woods (http://www.technogypsie.com/reviews/?p=20567) had a call of lure to Sir Thomas Leaf as he knew somewhere by the Shanbally Demesne there would be a holy well. No time nor direction the adventurers put this quest off for another expedition. They needed to continue northward.

Shrine to the Virgin Mary off the M-8 near Thurles, Co. Tipperary, Ireland. Thursday, January 1, 2015: Cork to Tullamore along the M8. Chronicles Expedition to Cork – Winter 2014: Chronicles of Sir Thomas Leaf, Lady Etain, and Cian – the Prince of Endurance. Photography (c) 2014, 2015: Thomas Baurley, Eadaoin Bineid, Leaf McGowan, Technogypsie Productions. www.technogypsie.com/photography/. To follow the stories and tales visit http://www.technogypsie.com/reviews/ and http://www.technogypsie.com/chronicles/. To follow this chronicle, visit: http://www.technogypsie.com/chronicles/?p=12409

Shrines to the Virgin Mary are quite abundant across the Irish countryside. These alcoves, statues, and prayer stops serve a place for pilgrims and parishioners to stop and pray to her for their blessings and requests. During Sir Thomas Leaf’s delving around Ireland he first thought they were holy wells, but alas, no … just shrines. This shrine, along the R660 south of Thurles is just one of many that can be found around Ireland.

Unknown church/abbey and grave yard ruins off the M-8 near Thurles, Co. Tipperary, Ireland. Thursday, January 1, 2015: Cork to Tullamore along the M8. Chronicles Expedition to Cork – Winter 2014: Chronicles of Sir Thomas Leaf, Lady Etain, and Cian – the Prince of Endurance. Photography (c) 2014, 2015: Thomas Baurley, Eadaoin Bineid, Leaf McGowan, Technogypsie Productions. www.technogypsie.com/photography/. To follow the stories and tales visit http://www.technogypsie.com/reviews/ and http://www.technogypsie.com/chronicles/. To follow this chronicle, visit: http://www.technogypsie.com/chronicles/?p=12409[/caption]>

After taking a gander of the shrine, the explorers continued north and were distracted by the ruins of a church surrounded by a modern and historic grave yard just south of Thurles off the R660. It was too cold outside for Lady Etain, so Sir Thomas Leaf bundled up the Prince of Endurance and the two boys trekked through the graveyard to explore the ruins of the abbey or church. Not much information was available about this setting. Sir Thomas Leaf noticed an “air” of the ancestors, a remarkable feeling of their knowledge and history as well as the being they were still resident.

As they approached the village of Thurles they found another Virgin Mary Shrine next to the Joe Clohessy Auto Service Station.

Shrine of the Virgin Mary / Mary Alcove near Thurles, Co. Tipperary, Ireland. Thursday, January 1, 2015: Cork to Tullamore along the M8. Chronicles Expedition to Cork – Winter 2014: Chronicles of Sir Thomas Leaf, Lady Etain, and Cian – the Prince of Endurance. Photography (c) 2014, 2015: Thomas Baurley, Eadaoin Bineid, Leaf McGowan, Technogypsie Productions. www.technogypsie.com/photography/. To follow the stories and tales visit http://www.technogypsie.com/reviews/ and http://www.technogypsie.com/chronicles/. To follow this chronicle, visit: http://www.technogypsie.com/chronicles/?p=12409

Continuing north they spied to the left of the road some ruins with an odd shape given vegetation grew up over its crumbling towers. Sir Thomas Leaf pulled into the driveway, which looked private and had cameras, so didn’t drive any further. Some snapshots from the road was all that occurred. The Entrance pillar to the drive said “Daire Mor” which may or may not be the infamous abandoned “Daire Mor Monastery” (http://www.technogypsie.com/reviews/?p=20581) just to the north of Thurles along the R660.
Even with Grumpiness and child restlessness they made it through their journey. A pit stop for food and restrooms was needed and one of the more available locations was in Port Laoise for a late lunch – Sir Thomas Leaf having a Red Thai Curry and garlic fries, Lady Etain a casserole dish with massed potatoes and veggies…. and the Ancient One sharing some of each. Although the Thai red curry was spicy hot, the Prince of Endurance kept going back for more even with the spurts of whines and cries in between giggles and yummy faces. Prince Cian had a chance to ride Oscar the Grouch’s trash-can kiddie ride for 50 cents. Then back on the road towards Tullamore, the adventurers passed the 7 blessed wells of Killeigh, wanting to stop, but as the skies grew dark and rainy weather sopped the delvers’ journey down, not to mention they were running late, and figured it could be visited tomorrow morning.
Pulling into Tullamore to the estate of Sir Smiley Niall and Lady Terri, they nestled in with good company and warm tea mutating to an evening of delicious pasta and Kroberg Ciders catching up and talking about the dynamics of hosting festivals while raising kid lets and wobblers.

Ruins of the Daire Mor monastery (http://www.technogypsie.com/reviews/?p=20581) near Thurles, Co. Tipperary, Ireland. Thursday, January 1, 2015: Cork to Tullamore along the M8. Chronicles Expedition to Cork – Winter 2014: Chronicles of Sir Thomas Leaf, Lady Etain, and Cian – the Prince of Endurance. Photography (c) 2014, 2015: Thomas Baurley, Eadaoin Bineid, Leaf McGowan, Technogypsie Productions. www.technogypsie.com/photography/. To follow the stories and tales visit http://www.technogypsie.com/reviews/ and http://www.technogypsie.com/chronicles/. To follow this chronicle, visit: http://www.technogypsie.com/chronicles/?p=12409