Bards From The Woods

or Toberdarragh ... means the same really. Derreen Woods is famous for its carpets of Bluebell flowers during early May, Bealtaine time. Hidden in this forest, well more to the edge of it, I found a covered over holy well. On ancient maps this is listed as Tobar Derragh well. Tobar, meaning well. Derragh meaning sacred wood, some say sacred oaks. In this case, I am sure it is refering to trees surrounding a sacred place. There is no path to this well. When we first went there we did lose direction and walked in circles. We decided to mark our way As I said, this well was hidden. I found it by putting my foot in it. There is a horizontal hawthorn tree rooted around a huge stone here After removing the branches over the well, and took out the weed, we had this There was a big white stone to take out. First, Andy had a go, and I decided ti film him doing this :-) Then I had a go Well, that's me just posing after Andy and

This fourth forest I visited today was very unique as it is apparently a forest in transition, First, the delightful photo of the wild goats there at Carrownaskeagh, on the Ladies Brea is by Val Robus. This first appeared in her Magnumlady Blog , Val is now a proprietor of the wonderful Sligo Hub resource that has become a stunning web site of all things wonderful around Co. Sligo  . Please click and visit their web site, and keep subscribed to there. Val also lives not far from Carrownaskeagh too Carrownaskeagh its not like the Public Forest we go to with car parks, walking trails and picnic benches. It is a long section of formerly conifer plantation forest that has largely been clear felled now. It is on the Ladies Brae scenic drive that travels from the N59 near Aughris, that many people go to for the beaches, and then take this scenic drive through the Ox Mountains where there is a forked road choice to go in the direction of Tobercurry or Ballymote. Much of the la

My third Co. Sligo forest visit today was at Glenwood, not to be confused with the beautiful The Glen. Hmm, this looked promising, lets give it a go Another sign ... and this is the trail and its keeps going like this ... For awhile the native woodland features are good. Ash, Beech, Sycamore, Rowan, Willow, Hazel and Alder are all here, and Holly too. There are good patches of wild flowers here too ... I did not see bluebells here though a guide book says there are here. After about 1 km, the forest changes to become this. Yes, its a conifer plantation, and it looks like this goes on for many kms. Well, after another 500 metres its all young christmas tree type plantation. That's Doomore mountain behind, or Dún Mõr, which has a large cairn on the top, and small ones too, but not seen in this pic. I did not climb to see. Apparently if I had continued this path it winds up this rock to the cairns. 3 hours walk there and back, not suitabl