Flora, Foliage, and History

History:

We have seen many great examples of flora, fauna, and history as we have walked some of the 848 acres surrounding the Adare Manor Estate. Allyn and I both love history and are intrigued by anything to do with it. Today we saw the remains of a small cottage and a large castle, both made of stone. We were able to walk into the cottage and it was approximately 300 square feet. There were two rooms, one in the front and one in the back, with a large fireplace in the center of the cottage separating the two rooms. I assume that the front room was used for cooking and eating as the fireplace opened towards it, and the back room was the bedroom. I would love to have a conversation with the stones that remain and find out about the lives of those who lived there.

The Cottage from the front: (I loved the two round windows at the top!)


The cottage from the side: (The chimney is still standing in the middle of the structure.)


The castle on the other had was very large. We were not able to get too close because there was a field of tall grass and a river separating us from it, but it was evident there were many rooms in the sprawling structure. It also was made of stone and much was still standing.



Foliage:

There were some magnificent trees on the property. One of the most interesting, possibly a weeping willow, was very tall with huge branches that went out and then fell back to the ground, making almost a tent-like structure. It was so large that over a hundred people could gather comfortably under its branches. There were several of these trees in a row and a path you could follow under them which provided total and complete shade. This was a perfect place for moss, ivy, and other kinds of vegetation to grow.



Flora:

It has become a hobby of mine to take pictures of flowers when we go on trips and Ireland has provided me with a variety of beautiful subjects. I love to see a speck of bright color on a otherwise plain background, as well as a profusion of colors that dominate an area. Here is a sampling of my favorites.