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Previous: In her desperate bid to be Cathal's mother, Leona becomes increasingly distressed by his seeming unwillingness to respond to her, resulting in a shocking outburst of physical aggression which results in Cathal's arm being broken. When Cathal reaches the school age, Leona's mental health further deteriorates, and she withdraws from life, crippled with fear... Continue Reading →
More than ten years ago I began to formulate the concept of what would eventually become Sins of the Son. The idea was to follow the downward spiral of a person from regular member of society to cold-blooded murderer, and the subsequent psychological deterioration that would drive someone to commit such an act. The story... Continue Reading →
Day 30: The Plassey Shipwreck I visited the Plassey Shipwreck on my third and final full day on Inisheer. To get to the wreck I chose to hire a bike from the only bike hire shop on the island, run by a very friendly local. The cargo vessel Plassey was shipwrecked off Inis Oírr in the... Continue Reading →
Day 28: The Lighthouse Inisheer Lighthouse was completed in 1857 after it was argued that the Inishmore lighthouse was too high and it did not cover the entrances to the North or South Sounds of the Islands. The lighthouse originally had a fixed optic lamp which was supplied by the Chance Brothers of Birmingham. In... Continue Reading →
Day 26: O'Brien's Castle The Castle oversees Inisheer from one of the highest points of the island, with views of the beach, pier, and ruins below. This castle is thought to have been built in 14th century making it one of the oldest ruins on the Aran Islands. It would pre-date the other ruins in... Continue Reading →
Day 25: Teampall Chaomhán St Cavan's Church (also "St Kevin's Church", Irish: Teampall Chaomhán) is a ruined church, built in the 10th century, at the location of the saint's grave. The entrance is now below ground level, as the church was nearly buried by drifting sands; it has now been excavated and is kept clear of sand by... Continue Reading →
Day 24: Inisheer I had originally planned to stay in my previous destination, Kinvara, for nine days. However, I'm glad I didn't, because as lovely as Kinvara is, it is a small village, and six days was plenty to experience all the village had to offer. Whilst still in Galway, I canceled the last three... Continue Reading →
Day 23: Dunguaire Castle Dunguaire Castle (Irish: Dún Guaire) is a 16th-century tower house on the southeastern shore of Galway Bay in County Galway, near Kinvara. The name derives from the Dun of King Guaire, the legendary king of Connacht. The castle's 75-foot (23 m) tower and its defensive wall have been restored, and the grounds are open to tourists during... Continue Reading →
Day 22: Kinvara Bay Before gas and electricity came to Kinvara, turf was the main fuel used for cooking and heating. The majestic Galway Hookers sailed between Connemara and Kinvara laden with this fuel as the Kinvara area had no bogs ( a type of wetland). Kinvara in turn filled the hookers with grain and... Continue Reading →
Day 21: The Fairy Woods Located in Cloonasee – the meadow of the fairies – the Burren Nature Sanctuary is located just outside the village of Kinvara in County Galway, along the Wild Atlantic Way. The sanctuary has many features along it's interactive walk, however my favourite area was the fairy woods. I was lucky... Continue Reading →
Kate Kelsen 