The Lough Cork

Last night I was looking through some archived photos and came across some wonderful videos of our trips to Ireland in 2004 and 2005.  This one I found very touching to me as you can see and hear the dusk sound of one the fascinating places near my home - The Lough:

I love the sounds of the birds, the music from the Nativity scene, the children's  screaming and the cars and motorbike from the near by road. Also the fact that I took the video at dusk  makes it all more so surreal. 

I have so many fond memories as a child visiting the Lough. It is only about 15 minutes walk away from Lynwood, my childhood home. We often went to  feed the birds, play at the swings and  walk around the Lough. As a teenager I sometimes went to The Lough just to sit to think and watch life go by. My Mum talks about spending days at the Lough with her brother and sister even though she is a "Norrie" :-) and lived at the other side of the City. They would travel across the River Lee to spend the day at The Lough. Nan, my grandmother, used to tell me stories when she was a child when it was so cold The Lough used to freeze over and she could skate on it.

Here is a photograph I found on the Cork City Council website of The Lough during one of the severe winters earlier in the 20th century and a wonderful poem:



Oh! fair is The Lake of Cork City
Where the wildlife all safely can rest,
And in winter though frozen its pretty,
When my kind boy glides over its breast,
And the regions around it are pleasant
Within sight of the free flowing Lee,
Just to stroll round its oval shaped mile,
And my Lough is forever with me.

On St.Stephen's Day 2004, there must have been a blue moon, as we were all being lazy after our Christmas day celebration the day before. It was about 2pm and I was still in my bathrobe lounging on the couch with a box of Cadbury's Rose not to far away and watching some old movie on the TV. Larry was dressed but I am not 100% if he actually had a shower yet. Gwen arrived in and was very chipper and wanted to know "Who wanted to go for a walk to The Lough?" I groaned  and closed my eyes which gave her my answer. All of a sudden by eyes opened wide again when I heard, my then boyfriend Larry, declare that he would go. I nearly fell of the couch as Larry is not know to walk anywhere, for a split second I was tempted to get dressed and go with them to witness it  but decided it was to cold outside!! Here are some pictures they took: