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A perfect ending ....
How saddened we all were to learn of the death of Pope Francis on Monday last, only a few hours after he had appeared in public to bless and greet people on Easter Sunday.
Our thoughts turned to when the late pontiff visited Ireland in 2018, and local man, Billy Birnie had the privilege of meeting him.
Billy was introduced to the Pope by the Papal Nuncio to Ireland Archbishop Jude Thaddeus Okolo. This was a very proud moment for Billy who works endlessly in St Mary's Parish.
Spoiled with the weather before Easter, we were!
Birdie and Co went for lots of walks to keep warm, taking in the developing landscapes around Lucan ....
Not quite sure about this one! The former 'swimming pool' now has seating in it, and some type of water feature ....
Then, there's this one at the entrance to Lucan Demesne - we're wondering is it the finish line for some big upcoming race?
Imagine our surprise when we found a building site in Esker Cemetery! Apparently, these are the foundations for the Columbarium Wall we've been hearing about.
Some of us got out in the countryside over the holiday, and found some scenes that reminded us of Lucan many years ago ....
The sheep with their little lambs were a familiar sight in Lucan - remember them at Lucan Golf Club, and some other fields in the area - all gone now.
And this is what Laraghcon used to look like!
There are delightful fields of Rapeseed stretching for miles, and we were surprised to see still a few to the south of Lucan, towards Peamount.
Super Garden! Birdie is getting ready for Bloom in the Park 2025, and is taking in RTE's Super Garden, which began on Tuesday last, with a very clever and pretty creation by a handsome young Mexican. Looking forward to the next few shows!
Aontas on the telly again! The choir featured on RTE's Holy Thursday Trocaire Mass, and once again did themselves proud ....
Watch out for their Cake Sale in St. Mary's on Sunday 4th May.
Graffiti for Palestine! We're hearing lots of complaints re: graffiti about Palestine, being daubed on walls and road crossings in the area. Is there really a need for such carry-on?
This is not a protest - rather some skewed idea of how to help these poor people.
At the end of the day, the tax-payers of Ireland will have to pay for this to be removed ....
St. Mary's Camera Soiree
The Soiree did not meet last Friday, it being Good Friday, but Joe submitted a photograph taken last week of a beautiful rainbow over St. Edmundsbury.
Staying with St. Edmundsbury the wild garlic is in full bloom and Donal submitted a number of photos taken there including what I would describe as a classic with the pathway leading our eyes right to the back of the photograph. According to an article on the Society of Old Lucan St. Edmundsbury house itself was built by Edmund Perry, First Earl of Limerick and Speaker of the Irish Parliament from 1771-85.
Also, from St. Edmundsbury were photographs by Brendan of an old derelict water pump.
Brendan also submitted a photograph of a cross-shaped stained-glass window which can be found in the chapel on Lambay island which was built in 1833 and was modified with Doric columns by Edwin Lutyens in the 1910s.
Lambay Island is the largest island off the east coast of Ireland and supports one of the largest seabird colonies in Ireland, with more than 50,000 common guillemots, 5,000 kittiwakes, 3,500 razorbills and 2,500 pairs of herring gulls. Entirely off-grid and unattached to the mainland by so much as a cable or pipe, Lambay is largely run on green energy generated by solar panels and a wind turbine that are rigged up to a complex battery system. The island is a designated Natura 2000 site, part of a network of protected areas covering Europe's most valuable and threatened species and habitats.
Until next week stay safe!
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