an arty sign

on the wall of the Family Resource Center in Ballinrobe.

linking to signs signs

the morning star

The "Morning Star" sculpture
Resembling a sail-boat on the crest of a wave, it is located at the roundabout along the N15, to the north side of the town. 

HEART Project, Morning Star, 2008
H.E.A.R.T. stands for Heritage, Environment, Art and Rural Tourism. It is a cross-border initiative managed jointly by Strabane District Council and Donegal County Council.
The sculpture is of a ‘landmark’ scale, 6.5 meters in height, it is made up of a number of forms, such as the flowing ‘water line’ which makes reference to the Assaroe Falls and River Erne. The Boat form which makes reference to the Mall Port, is elevated above the waterline and is positioned to look out towards the Atlantic ocean. The sculpture is located on the Allingham roundabout near Ballyshannon, Co. Donegal.

The artwork celebrates the area’s rich industrial/social history and culture. The Mall Quay, Ballyshannon’s port with reference to its shipping heritage, was the first port in Ireland to import coal. It also was a port of departure for immigrants fleeing the famine. The ancient title of the River Erne ‘Morning Star’, its listing in the Annals of the four masters, the first settlers in Ireland on Inis Saimer, the demise of the Abbey Assaroe with particular reference to the name Port na Morrav, the solemn funeral procession being broken by the sound of the abbey bell, the loss of the Falls of Assaroe, rhythmic flowing movement, were other influences which shaped the work.

Info courtesy of dccpa (donegal county council public art)

dog spa

passing through Ballyshannon on the bus.  

happy days

hope your days are happy days too.

the bird with the orange beak

this wee bird is on a mission for something to eat.  He kept putting his beak in the sand then continued to march forward.  I never seen this bird before so I have no idea what it is.  I'm sure that somebody will know.

linking to saturday's critters

skywatch friday

photo taken this past Wednesday around 4pm.  The best day of the week weather wise!

linking to skywatch friday

a temporary fix

until a new gate can be made.

and the sign said

Wedding Fayre at the An Grianan Hotel this Sunday.
sign seen on the greencastle road (R241)

linking up with signs signs

take it away

this skip was put there for a house that is being worked on and it's full.  If it's not picked up when it's full,  people will toss their trash in it until it overflows.  Most come at night to drop off their trash and bigger items such as mattresses or broken furniture,  The bottom line is they don't want to pay for trash removal but don't mind when someone else foots the bill.   In some remote areas this is a big problem with people creating dumping sites.  The other day it was mentioned that they are going to have drones fly over these areas to try and catch the people who are doing it.

getting ready

for the noontime rush.  The place was rather dead when we were here in the late morning. 
Courtyard Shopping Centre, Letterkenny

heading home

from the pier.

morning snow

this was Thursday morning and it was snowing, after it stopped the clouds cleared out and the sun appeared.  Hopefully it will be here for the weekend too.

skywatch friday

It's hard to believe it rained almost all day yesterday and then around 5pm we get a sky like this.  I'll take it anytime!

linking to skywatch friday

marrey bikes

watson lane
ballinrobe, co. mayo, 2015

happy valentine's day

spread the love around and make the world a better place.  It definitely needs a lot of love.

big trees

and their shadows, taken last Friday.

monday mural

a painted portrait on top of the jewelry shop in Clifden.  It's kind of mural-ish.

linking to monday mural

questions

a planned holiday or packed up and ready to head home?  Whatever the answer may be, I hope they are enjoying themselves.

murphy's dog

keeping watch
taken in Ballinrobe, main street, 2015

linking to Saturday Critters

skywatch

this was Tuesday around 3pm.  In the morning we had some sleet and snow.  A strange day!

 linking to skywatch friday

Walsh's Shop

Bridget’s drapery and newspaper shop is probably the last original trading interior in Ballinrobe.   This preserved frontage has windows on either side of the entrance with access to the rear through the shop.  It is a three story building with two bays on each of the two upper floors.

Internally, there are two counters, one on either side with shelving on the back walls.   One will find no video games, DVDs or modern technology here, which makes it all the more interesting as it is a centre of social interaction, with updates on the latest events in town being exchanged here e.g. death notices, marriages, farming updates and the weather; a very valuable resource for the local community.   As a consequence, a loyal and large customer base shop here on a daily basis, where there is always time to say hello.

Items for sale in Bridget’s Shop

On the left side, where discussions often take place on the best type of product for ones requirements, is the drapery section with items including, gloves, thermal vests, wrap around aprons, wool jumpers both ladies and children’s’, sweatshirts, patterns for knitting, knitting and crochet needles, thread, buttons, baby wear and gifts and scarves.   At the centre of the shop one will find post cards and greeting cards.  

On your right side will be envelopes, writing paper, biros and pens, children’s  and adult books, games, jigsaws, note books, receipt books, newspapers, magazines, board games, calendars, diaries, pritt glue stick, sellotape, paper clips, cigarettes, tobacco, matches, sweets and chocolate.   There are probably as many more items available also.

Info courtesy of the Historical Ballinrobe Website

Update: End of an Era
Very sad to learn of the final closing of Walsh's Shop, Abbey St. Ballinrobe. Bridget Brown, ran the popular Walsh’s Newsagents on Abbey Street for over 30 years. It was always a pleasure to drop into Walsh's and chat to Bridget. Bridget's shop will be missed by so many of her loyal customers and friends. We wish her good health on her retirement.

 

Bridget in her shop

photo courtesy of the Ballinrobe Historical website

sweeper

tidying up the school area.  In the background you have the Ballinrobe's water towers.

around town

frost on the lawn at the health centre

 a shortcut through an alley brought me past this old building with the sun highlighting the blue doors

 tree stump on St. Columb's Church of Ireland property

 the shoots of bulbs are beginning to grow.  I have no idea what kind they are.

the church's front door

 the loud mouth of the neighborhood, he's always squawking and is very loud

 down by the Foyle on the way home

the book people

bringing books to your door.  Never heard of this service but I did check out the website to see what they do.  They sell all kinds of books including school books.  You can read their about us page here.

sheep

heading to the market.

old weathed door

seen on a derelict building
Killybegs, 2015

river cong

located in county Mayo, it is about 1 mile long and is popular with fishermen having an excellent run of spring salmon.

Theme Day - Tired

Fergus, a friend's dog. after a  hard day of exploring and playing.

To see more interpretations of this theme please go to CityDailyPhoto