Blog Of Good Cheer

No Particular Place to Go

Heading to Westmeath last Saturday morning we had no destination in mind.

Mullingar was mentioned but we weren’t planning on stopping there. But thinking of the home of Joe Dolan got us singing Good Looking Woman (Have I made you sigh?) and we decided to engineer a brief stop at the Wines Direct shop and pick up a few bottles in their sale. Paddy Keogh and his team never fail to have a few tempting reds and whites on offer and after selecting more than we intended (always the way) we headed on to Lough Owel.

I thought Lough Owel was part of the Children of Lir legend and when I saw the sculpture I was convinced I must be right. A quick check later and I discovered it was nearby Lough Derravaragh where they spent 300 years as swans.

The light on the lake kept changing as I tried to take some photographs. I think my favourite is the lake with the pier and the ladder up to the heavens.

Where to next?

Weirs of Multyfarnham beckoned. Although we did make a brief stop beside Lough Derravaragh we were beginning to feel a bit hungry and since the best light of the day had gone we decided to eat.

We kept it simple, I had the burger and P had the fish and chips. We’ve had lunch in Weirs before and I have to agree with their own website’s description…a charming old world, family run pub that serves some of the best food and drink in Ireland.

While waiting on the food to arrive I had a chance to take a photograph of the front bar while it was empty. I can see how you could get very comfortable on those high stools while indulging in your favourite tipple.

I’m going to leave you with Joe Dolan…Oh me, oh my!

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Prime Property Going for a Song

At the back of our house there’s an empty, newly built property looking for new residents.

I know this is not the best economic climate for a house exchange but I’m hopeful we’ll soon have new neighbours.

The most unusual feature of this property is its construction. It’s entirely made of wood. Although a few wooden framed houses have cropped up in Ireland over the last decade they’re not the norm and they’re hard to come by unless you build one yourself.

Why consider a wooden frame home you didn’t design yourself? Well perhaps the most important reason is thermal insulation which is a great advantage in these colder winter months. Keeping the fuel bills down can make a difference to your cash flow.

If you’ve been keeping an eye on weather patterns you’d realise that certain areas of Dublin have suffered flood damage in recent years. Thankfully this area hasn’t had any trouble so far and since the house is in an elevated position I don’t think there’s anything to worry about.

The house is located half an hour from Dublin city centre by public transport but I expect the new owners will have no trouble flying about the city. To be fair everything they’re likely to need is close at hand so trips to the hustle and bustle may easily be avoided.

There’s a second highly unusual feature of this property. It’s completely open plan.

The interior walls have been left undefined. Essentially once you enter you see the inside of the four exterior walls all the way up to the roof.

You might think that sounds a bit unfinished. But the flexibility allows the new owners to feather their nest any way they choose. I like this idea.

There have been a few interested parties looking around but I suspect no decision will be made until spring.

I think some viewers were a bit surprised by the external decor, the builders obviously have an ironic sense of humour, but once they see the quality of the build I’m sure they’ll be singing its praises.

Here’s a photo so you can see for yourself.