Posts Tagged With: Carlingford

Fitzpatrick’s Restaurant and Pub, Louth. Much, much more than a pub.

Posted on February 12, 2018 by singersong

I am an inveterate collector. Books, ephemera, bottles, memorabilia, photos, advertising material; pretty much anything old. So imagine my surprise and joy at walking into a place where every square inch of wall and roof is covered with such. Cabinets and shelves displaying every conceivable item. No it’s not the Dublin Museum but it could be. It’s Fitzpatrick’s Pub and Restaurant on the Cooley Peninsula, between Dundalk and Carlingford in County Louth.

You know you are in for something different even before you enter the front door.

The collection starts before you even enter the front door.

This deservedly popular place was packed with diners this cold Sunday February evening but I almost forgot about food as I waited for a table. The roof is covered with objects of every description hanging in chaotic order. There is kitchenalia, enamel ware, copper ware, basket ware, road signs pointing to all parts of Ireland, ropes and saddlery, and many items I didn’t even recognise.

In one room (and there are many in the sprawling restaurant) was a table set for tea – defying gravity as it hung upside down adding a quirky element.

The walls were covered with shelves, hanging objects and cabinets containing bottles, jars, whiskey crocks, plates, books, old tools, signs, and more signs, advertising such things as tobacco, cakes or chocolates.

There were pub mirrors aplenty. For well known brands such as Jamieson’s and Powers but also more local varieties such as DWD, Dunville, Mitchell’s and Corbett’s (both of Belfast), Persse’s from Galway, Hand-in-Hand from Newry, Prerston Bros (Drogheda) and Smiths of Dundalk. Many are works of art.

There were a lot of individual display cabinets devoted to one particular theme. Tyrconnell Whiskey or OXO or whiskey samples from all over Ireland, and one large one full of Guinness ware.

There was too much to see. Many smaller items were hard to inspect. One cabinet I noticed had items such as Identity cards and ration books.

An incredibly eclectic collection and what a fantastic way to display what I am guessing is a lifetime passion. As I said I nearly forgot about the food but hey this is not a restaurant review. It consistently wins enough accolades for its food from others,

As I wasn’t the only one taking photos I did not feel I was disturbing the diners too much. I just had to capture some memories. But it was night and I wanted to see it in daylight and meet the owners and get more of their story because I am sure it is a fascinating one. But it when I returned the next day there was no activity. Monday is the one day of the week it closes. It will have to wait for my next visit to Carlingford.

I am inspired. My own collection focuses around the Western Australian Goldfields and I would just love to do something like this with it, but I’m not so sure about the running a restaurant thing.

Anyway I urge you to pay the place a visit, even if you are not hungry. The perfect place to sample the local Cooley whiskey. It used to be called Greenore but I think Fitzpatricks serve Kilbeggan also made by them.

Categories: My Journey, Real Ireland | Tags: Carlingford, Dundalk, Fitzpatrick's Pub, Fitzpatrick's Restaurant, Ireland, Ireland food, Louth, restaurant, travel | Leave a comment

One Day. Six Counties. A Winter Tour through East Ireland

Posted on February 11, 2018 by singersong

It’s a long drive from West Clare, my base in Ireland, to Carlingford in County Louth. In fact it is across the country from one coast to the other. So when you get there you want to maximise the time. Early in February a small festival known as Feile na Tana is organised by renowned fiddler Zoe Conway and she manages to attract some of the finest traditional musicians in the country. I posted on this festival on my blog a couple of years ago (here) and nothing much has really changed. Centered on instrument workshops the focus of the festival is on reaching out to the young and to try and restore and invigorate a once strong musical heritage on the edge of Ulster. The other thing I love about coming to Louth, the smallest county in Ireland, is that it and the neighbouring counties of Armagh and Down has unrivaled beauty and such unique landscapes, geology, ancient archaeology and recent history. I relished the chance to explore this while playing music at the same time.

I was blessed on a number of accounts this time. The weather was relatively fine (let me translate: ‘it didn’t rain’) and I found a marvelous place to stay through AirBnB. Eve, another expatriate drawn to leave her life in the US behind and put down roots in Ireland, was the perfect host. With views toward the Mountains of Mourne and in the shadow of Slieve Foy, I could come and go, I could practice the fiddle or settle down by the fire. And then she was instrumental in convincing me to stay an extra couple of days to experience the coming snow. Thanks Eve. I was well rewarded for that decision.

And that’s what I want to talk about in this blog.

Looking from Louth across to the Mountains of Mourne

Slieve Foy near Carlingford

Carlingford nestled at the foot of the Cooley Hills

Coming from the Land of the Midday Sun (I’ve just renewed my Poetic Licence!) I have little experience with snow. Except that I love it and the spectacular images that may result if the light is right. This lack of experience however led to some interesting learnings about coping with ice and snow on the road

In West Clare when it rains or hails you certainly know about it. The sound of the rain on the slate can be deafening. Here if it snows at night you sleep through the silence. The flakes drift to the ground steadily and quietly building up anywhere where gravity is only mildly resisted. This is what happened on the Monday night. After an unusually undisturbed night snuggled up with the thoughtfully provided electric blanket (surprisingly unusual in an Irish BnB), I looked out the window in the morning, with no great expectation, but was dazzled by brilliant blue sky and a sparkling carpet of fresh white powder. And remember I was at sea level.

I had a loose plan. I would take the ferry across the Carlingford Lough to County Down and explore the Mountains of Mourne, which I could see from the window of my second story bedroom.

Looking across the Lough from Greenore towards the Mountains of Mourne

View across the Carlingford Lough to the town of Warrenpoint

Another view across the Carlingford Lough to the town of Warrenpoint

However the best laid plans. The ferry was closed for ‘adverse’ weather conditions. Hardly surprising really with a strong wind now making life difficult and whipping up the waters of the Lough. In Ireland you always have to have a Plan B, so I drove north towards Slieve Gullion. Lucky really as in retrospect driving through County Down would have been treacherous.

My vague plan was to revisit some spots on the Ring of Gullion but really I was dictated by which roads were passable. I had earlier spent a couple of days exploring this stunning area of South Armagh . A blog on this is on the way. I was curious to see what this ancient world looked like under a white blanket. My route took me through Carlingford to Omeath and up to Flagstaff Hill. Mistake. There were stunning views on the way up. But.

The Cooley Hills between Carlingford and Omeagh

Rock and Ice

View across the Newry River to County Down on the way up to Flagstaff Hill. The tower house on the River is the Narrows Keep and the site of the most deadly attack in the Troubles, by the Provisional IRA in 1979, which killed 16 British paratroopers.

My car struggled to deal with the icy hill and only after some hair raising moments did I make it to a relatively ice-less part of the road to pause. Up ahead the road continued to climb with even more ice and snow. What did they say about discretion and valour? So I did an 11 point turn and gingerly pointed the car back down the hill.

Flagstaff Hill is actually in County Armagh. But are they miles or kilometres?

Having got this far though I decided to walk to the top of the hill. So glad I did. I actually didn’t realise that this was Flagstaff Hill which I will talk about in another blog but the snow certainly added another dimension. Flagstaff Hill is actually in Northern Ireland. There are no border signs so you don’t actually know. In fact the only way you know you have passed into another countyr is that the road signs and Google Maps switch to miles. Honestly I can’t conceive of an hard border here.

The fine white powder transformed the green rolling hills of the elevated Cooley range into an Alpine wonderland. The biting wind and an outside temperature of 1 degree though did nothing to dampen spirits. I actually didn’t want to leave but I was worried about how the car would handle the trip back down the mountain.

View down Carlingford Lough from Flagstaff Hill

View across to the Mountains of Mourne from Flagstaff Hill in Armagh

Flagstaff Hill

It was nerve wracking I have to say. Slipping and sliding with shuddering and totally ineffectual brakes I edged back down the hill to Omeath and then on to Slieve Gullion by a more circuitous and less treacherous route.

Naively I had expected to be able to drive to the Summit but luckily the road was closed because I might have been tempted to give it a go.

Thwarted again, I made my way west to a castle I had visited a couple of days earlier (Castle Roche). Only a light dusting of patchy snow remained at this lower level but this is one of the most imposing ruins in Ireland and the patches of snow added to the mystical quality of the fortification. I will have more to say about it in my upcoming blog on the Ring of Gullion.

Castle Roche

Fields surrounding the Castle

Suddenly the blue skies weren’t blue anymore and snow showers would sweep across the fields. Not enough to settle and they were only intermittent but they reminded me how quickly the weather could change.

A dark sky looms over a bucolic winter scene

Moments later snow sweeps in

By now it was approaching 2 pm and as I had to be back in Clare I reluctantly headed south.

But my adventure was not over. Driving down the M1 towards Dublin the snow continued to blanket the cuttings along the motorway. Skirting Dublin on the M50 and then south west on the M7, I could see plenty of snow in the distance and I just couldn’t bring myself to speed past it.

Snowy hills around Kilteel in Co Kildare

A rural scene in County Kildare

So so I left the Motorway at Rathcoole in County Dublin and headed east, I had never been here and had no idea where I was going. I love that. The only thing on my mind was to get closer to those white hills. My confused route took me through the west of Dublin to Kildare and then crossing into the edge of Wicklow. If anything the snow was heavier here than further north and there were unrivaled picture postcard views of snowy villages and of winter landscapes revealed around every corner. The ranges in the distance I later discovered were the Wicklow Hills.

Kilteel, Co Kildare

A snow covered barn in Kilteel, Co Kildare

The charming village of Rathmore, Co Kildare

Great weather for sheep. Co Wicklow.

Abandoned farm buildings, Co Wicklow

Co Wicklow

Something was drawing me on but common sense intervened. As the bright blue sky turned orange with the disappearing sun, and darkness descended, I headed back to the Motorway. Continuing to Limerick, as if to tease me in the fading light, drifts of snow reflecting in my headlights, continued to tantalise .

A marvelous day and indeed a rare day and I think I took full advantage. I manged to experience and observe snow-draped winter terrains under largely blue skies across Six Counties – Louth, Down, Armagh, Dublin Kildare and Wicklow.

Special.

Categories: My Journey, Real Ireland, Wild Ireland | Tags: Armagh, Carlingford, Cooley Hills, Down, Dublin, Feile na Tana, Flagstaff Hill, ice, Ireland, KIldare, Louth, Mountains of Mourne, music, Northern Ireland, panorama, photograph, photography, Ring of Gullion, Slieve Gullion, snow, travel, Wicklow, Wicklow Hills | Leave a comment

Feile Na Tana, Carlingford Co Louth.

Posted on February 11, 2015 by singersong

Carlingford is the prettiest of towns in the very north of the Republic of Ireland. It is situated on a beautiful Lough and across the water is Northern Ireland in the shape of the Mountains of Mourne. It has ruined castles and abbeys and medieval gates and quaint contorted narrow streets and beautiful done up pubs and a backdrop of the Cooley Mountains dotted with the patchy remains of a recent snowfall. The perfect location for a Festival?

The Feile Na Tana is a new weekend winter school and was held in Carlingford on the first weekend of February. It is the brainchild of renowned fiddler Zoe Conway and her partner guitarist John McIntyre. She managed to assemble an extraordinary array of top class musicians for a programme of workshops and concerts. Zoe herself, Seamus Begley, Noel Hill, Mary Bergin, Gerry O’Connor and many others gave one day workshops to packed classes. There were a number of concerts where the talents of these musicians were on display to an enthusiastic audience of grateful locals.

The opening night had Zoe and John with some local young talent. I was blown away by the two youngsters who kicked off the night (sorry can’t remember their names) particularly the bright yellow bodhran doing a remarkable impersonation of John Joe Kelly. There was also a group of young musicians from Dublin, Caiseach, who put in a great set and Zoe and John did not disappoint.

Workshops the next day were split into two sessions – a great idea. I can only speak for the Fiddle but the tune choice from Zoe Conway was excellent and there was plenty of good advice to improve tone and feel. Well worth the trip alone.

The main concert was played to a packed house and was kicked off with a work entitled “Re imagining Songs and Music of Oriel”. It was performed by a huge ensemble of students from four local schools and included some of their own compositions. This was a wonderful experience for the kids and well received by the audience, filled no doubt with many proud parents. A great initiative and something that will hopefully stay with these kids and fan the musical fire within them. There was also a smaller group of young musicians from Wicklow and some wonderful songs from renowned local singer and author Padraigín Ní Uallacháin. And then the main act of the night, a brilliant performance from Seamus Begley and Donogh Hennessy joined later by the incomparable Noel Hill.

The tutor’s concert on the Sunday afternoon however was the highlight for me. An extraordinary line up of talent playing together and individually left the crowd wanting more.

I met some great new people especially at the Session on Sunday at Omeath, about ten kilometres away, including Rose, Clayton and Stuart from Boston, Kenji and Satoko from Japan and local musicians Gearoid, Ciaran and Andrew among others.

Thanks Zoe and John. See you next year.