My Portugal and Ireland Trip.

[Declan]

I have returned from a nice trip to explore a bit in a new country with the aim of seeing if I wish to buy a dwelling there. This year it is Portugal. Last year it was Spain. I hopefully will do this anually going forward. I would put the place in my children's ownership of course for many reasons.
There are very few places in Europe that I would consider. Maybe Italy and Serbia as well.
Uruguay or Chile in South America, maybe Argentina.
Costa Rica and maybe an island. Maybe a dozen possibilities.
But this thread is focused on this trip and I will be posting some photos etc etc in due course

 

[Declan]

First thing to discuss was the status to CuChulainn in the GPO. Maybe my memory is fading but I thought he was facing the people inside, not out the window.

This is arguably the most important Gaelic statue in the country and barly anyone takes notice. The people inside cant see it and the only people outside was a large crowd of Roma and assorted dregs of society.


So turn him around.

 

[Declan]

This is a picture of a quad that we had for a decent 3 hour trek into the hills. It was 300cc and automatic, a simple machine indeed. We went over paved and terrain. I got it up to 73kph which is 45 mph.

They would be handly on a farm for counting and herding, but of course are deadly on a slope.

It is a surprise that people don't get killed on them as tourists.

Only skilled people like me and @valamhic should be allowed to operate them.

 

[valamhic]

View attachment 4707


View attachment 4708



First thing to discuss was the status to CuChulainn in the GPO. Maybe my memory is fading but I thought he was facing the people inside, not out the window.

This is arguably the most important Gaelic statue in the country and barly anyone takes notice. The people inside cant see it and the only people outside was a large crowd of Roma and assorted dregs of society.


So turn him around.

It was always facing out to be seen from the street. I am 64 now and never saw it otherwise. The day will come when there will be a statue of me next to it. The man who saved Ireland

 

[valamhic]

View attachment 4715

This is a picture of a quad that we had for a decent 3 hour trek into the hills. It was 300cc and automatic, a simple machine indeed. We went over paved and terrain. I got it up to 73kph which is 45 mph.

They would be handly on a farm for counting and herding, but of course are deadly on a slope.

It is a surprise that people don't get killed on them as tourists.

Only skilled people like me and @valamhic should be allowed to operate them.

Some of my neighbours have them but with bigger wheels for the muck. I still go by tractor and on foot. I have a special well at the far end of the farm, the water is super good. I cannot get up these with the tractor with the wet.

Drinking water from the scheme which is awful.

 

[AUL LAD]

CH]





the only people outside was a large crowd of Roma and assorted dregs of society.

when i drive past i stop for a brief moment and i warn my clients beforehand that they will get a very brief look and to have their eyes focused and cameras set at max range and i explain before they see it that this statue represents Ireland and her heroic struggle for over a thousand years and the raven sucking the blood of the wounded warrior represents England and when you explain before they see it -------now they can see it even if they can only see half of it .
if it was faced the other way nobody would ever see it, yours eternally the dregs of society .

 

[valamhic]

when i drive past i stop for a brief moment and i warn my clients beforehand that they will get a very brief look and to have their eyes focused and cameras set at max range and i explain before they see it that this statue represents Ireland and her heroic struggle for over a thousand years and the raven sucking the blood of the wounded warrior represents England and when you explain before they see it -------now they can see it even if they can only see half of it .
if it was faced the other way nobody would ever see it, yours eternally the dregs of society .

The bird is a crow, it was proof that cuchullin was dead and safe to approach. It happened in Ardee where there is also a statue also. Ardee means the hill of Ferdia. There was no British involvement. Cooley is a peninsula east of Dundalk. In old fables up to the time of Laurel and Hardy there was no problem with men being close friends. It was the British brough in the Homo thing which destroyed such concepts. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Táin_Bó_Cúailnge

 

[Declan]

Bottom line, it is a disgrace that it is not more visible. While I was there there was nobody else viewing it at all. Although as I walked in, a tour guide has just finished showing it to maybe 5 people. They would have missed it otherwise.

 

[SeekTheFairLand]

View attachment 4715

This is a picture of a quad that we had for a decent 3 hour trek into the hills. It was 300cc and automatic, a simple machine indeed. We went over paved and terrain. I got it up to 73kph which is 45 mph.

They would be handly on a farm for counting and herding, but of course are deadly on a slope.

It is a surprise that people don't get killed on them as tourists.

Only skilled people like me and @valamhic should be allowed to operate them.

as long as you stay in front of Val whilst driving it so dont you have to smell the year's worth of ingrained cow, pig and Cavan man dung streaming off him.