Burrishoole Abbey, found off the main road just outside Newport about 7-8 miles away, is a Dominican priory founded in the 15th C. and fortified and garrisoned sometime during the 16 C. Its many graves include a priest hung by the British in 1798 for insurrection and IRA captain killed in 1923 during the Irish Civil War. It's also been a favored picnic spot for T. and I for some time now. As you can see from the photos it's a beautiful, well-kept spot that not many people know about. Yesterday, T. and I had the place to ourselves, apart from the maintenance crew and a pair of swans.
Irish epitaph.
The white specks just past the prow of the boat are the mama swan and a pair of cygnets.
R.I.P., George Russell. This performance of Russell's "Stratusphunk" features Bill Evans on piano and Art Farmer on trumpet:
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8 comments:
Swans make for elegant company.
What a great spot; lucky you to get it all to yourselves! Heh, heh! I would've made right for that graveyard, trying to find the oldest stone.
Wow, again beautiful pictures and wonderful history unfolding. As Roy said, the graveyard calls.. reading the memorial on that stone was something. They honored him in the way they felt they should.. by they I mean his fellow soldiers.. How awesome.
I am sure there are other stories to be told their.
I live close to a Civil War battlefield and to a cemetery and love looking at the gravestones.. some are so weathered you can't read them.
All I could think of when I saw the photos was: sun!!! Yay!! And of course it looks like another amazing Irish place for a picnic. So glad it was dry. At Ballintubber Pi and I stayed in the pub across the street in the pub while S took photos in the lashing rain.
And the video is great--I had never heard of George Russell before--this piece is amazing. Thanks P!
Scrump: There's something really fascinating about swans. I still like taking a ride on the Swan Boats in Boston Garden.
Roy: With all the cemeteries in Ireland, you wouldn't know which way to turn! You'd just wander around, camera in hand, with a smile on your face!
Annette: Have you been to Pea Ridge? Shelby Foote wrote a wonderful account of that Missouri battle in the first volume of his history of the Civil War.
Robin: George Russell was an important jazz theorist as well as composer. He developed a jazz scale that deeply influenced Miles, Trane, Monk, Ornette, and Mingus, among others. I'm always happy to turn someone on to him.
I have to admit that I'm so envious! What a gorgeous place! Love the swans! And the history!! I'm so happy you're having a great trip!
What a spot for a picnic!
WoW!
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