Blue Way of County Tipperary III

We have walked 11 kilometres and deserve a break. Today’s walk is only 1 km long. The season is Autumn.

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The Poulakerry Tower House is often called a castle, which is fine. There is no need to be over-specific when we speak about a 600 years old building that still stands and is lived in. You can also call it a keep.

The tower house was built by the Butler Fitzwilliams family to guard the crossing over the river, demand tolls, and who knows what else as they had a reputation of ‘robber barons’. During the Cromwellian invasion, the house was taken and its defenders killed. Majority of castles and keeps suffered from sieges and were left in ruins. Excellent location saved the Poulakerry tower house: it was repaired and used as a garrison. Over the centuries the house changed hands and was restored in the 1970s to become a family home.

The river makes an S-bend at the tower house. Peaceful fields lay on the north bank and the steep wooded slopes of the Comeragh Mountains rise on the south.

Robins here are fearless. You can stand pretty close with your camera and admire their Christmas Card cuteness.

Landscape House is another landmark. Built in the 1790-s as a part of the Mount Congreve Estate it was extended over the years. Somehow this property is associated with Captain Charles Cunningham Boycott, a British land agent, whose name became immortalized after he issued eviction orders to his tenants in Co Mayo. Nowadays evictions are not a novelty anymore, and no new words have been created… The Captain leased a farm in Tipperary, it is all I know. If I learn more about the ‘association’, I will update this post.

A legendary horse trainer and rider Phonsie (Alphonsus Septimus) O’Brian and his wife bought the house in the 1970’s after the sale of their Thomastown Castle property. You might also know their daughter’s company name – Lily O’Brien’s. Both the House and the chocolate & desserts company were sold in 2018.

This is the most beautiful stretch of the river.

The lower slopes of the Comeraghs adorned with yellow and red foliage.

Majestic Slievenamon stands on the opposite side of the river.

A couple of swans are glowing in the afternoon sun.

Not only the swans – myriads of mayflies are glowing like little lanterns (early September).

Another robin enjoying the warmth of sunlight.

The sun rolled behind the hill. Two egrets call it a day and depart for the trees.

Pied ( or Water) wagtail is a resident at the Poulaberry and Kilsheelan Bridge parts of the river.

We stop before the Garden and the bridge – more about these landmarks in my next blog post when we will walk to Gurteen de la Poer Castle you see under the bridge arch.

Thank you for reading and walking with me ❤

  Have a wonderful weekend!

121 comments

  6. What an incredible, enchanting world you have brought to me today ~ incredible photography, such crispness and all framed so perfectly, Inese, thank you! While I was immediately drawn to your second photo of the Poulakerry tower house, diving a bit into the history and feeling of the past – it was your photo of the runner and mayflies that left me most impressed. A bit of the modern world happily melding with the rich history around. A perfect scene to savor on this Saturday. Wishing you well, and hope this year has not been too difficult. Cheers ~

    1. Oh Randall, so wonderful to hear from you! Thank you for walking along. This short stretch of the river always catches the last rays of the sun when the fog is already on its way down from the mountains. This creates a special glowing atmosphere that enhances and deepens colors and makes tiny things look like golden dust in the air. I was lucky to be in the right place at the right time a couple of years ago 🙂

      1. It is interesting how great photographers are always “lucky” to be in the right place at the right time, you have a great knack for it 🙂

  7. Your photographs are so beautiful, especially the ones with the birds. I enjoyed this walk a lot. Thank you very much!

    1. Thank you so much, Herman! Hope you are feeling better and can walk around. Do you have any Robins in your garden to entertain Jimi? Bet he would love it.

      1. I’m feeling much better and can start walking around, but very carefully.
        There are a lot of sparrows in our garden, and yes, they are entertaining Jimi a lot…

        1. Oh Herman, I am so sorry… It is crazy how long this takes to heal. Be very careful, you have to get back on your feet until the winter comes. What a year! No words.

  8. Wow! You always take us for a walk through these tours and everytime I feel like I am in the photographs experiencing the environment. I love the history you bring forth which sets to my mind an imagination that wanders in that time period. Fall above all is my favourite season with Gaia with her multicolored paints streaks the trees a myriad of colors. I also love the wood burning which was once an old and idle fireplace of spring and summer. Love the smell of wood burning in the crisp cold air. It invigorates me and jossles me out of summer laziness. The may flies remind me of faery in flight. The egret photograph caught my curiosity as there is white squiggly lines in front of them. It almost looks like the breath of their song. Love the hay fields cut and the bales of hay rolled up. So many good memories for me in your photographs. I hope you are well and are having and excellent day. Be well my friend ❤

    1. Thank you, Joseph! There is so much history around – I only share a tiny slice at a time. They actually found a number of neolithic pits in Kilsheelan village, just minutes walk from the river.
      Fall is my favorite season too. I grew up in the houses with no central heating – still remember the smell and the sounds.
      About the egrets. This was the only sharp picture of the flying egrets I got. I considered removing the white track, but then decided to stick to the facts. In this instance, one bird defecated in flight. This is how it looks in a photo.
      I am delighted that my pictures brought back good memories. We will stay in Kilsheelan village a little longer before our 8 km walk to Clonmel. More history and bird pictures to come 🙂 Be well you too, my friend, and enjoy the weekend ❤

  9. Your photos of the landscapes are so dreamlike that you transport me to the world of fairy tales. You also remind me, once again, of how beautiful our planet is and what is at stake if we don’t preserve and conserve what still remains. Thanks for sharing, Inese. Hope that all is well in your world ❤

    1. Thank you, Rosaliene. Some of the pictures were taken when it was raining. The dreamlike quality comes with a price haha.
      Hope the hurricane season is over. Enjoy your weekend!

  11. Beautiful photos as always but I have to say those are some very rotund robins 😁 Ours here in the US are taller (longer?) and leaner, not quite as cute.

    1. Thank you so much, Lelia! Our Robins are very different indeed. It would be fun to meet a rotund American robin. I think the pictures were taken in November which explains the shape. In summer our Robins are tiny.

  12. How beautiful. I love the way the autumn colors make everything more vibrant. And not that I’m a fan of mayflies, but what natural glitter! And the swan’s all aglow. What a gorgeous photo. Thank you, Inese, for the post – a wonderful treat. ❤

    1. Thank you so much, Diana! Most of the pictures look grayish because of the drizzle or even rain, but I like a bit of atmosphere. The evening with the mayflies was a rare gift of sun and vibrant colours. Thank you again for walking with me ❤

  13. Oh my goodness, what a delight it was to savor the past and present of the river and its surroundings, Inese. I enjoyed your words gently bringing us forward, and the history filled with hundreds of years of strife and evolution. You do such a great job of embracing the whole picture, which goes back so very far. Then when you describe the robins as “fearless,” it occured to me there was a lot of fear and fearlessness in this land. Lovely to see the robin so peaceful and beautiful, in contrast. I enjoyed all the photos, the magnificent river, the tower house and other structures. But the two I liked the most were the swans (heavenly) and the lit-up mayflies (magical). Thanks so much for this eloquent story today.

    1. Thank you so much for your kind comment, Jet! The Robins feel so safe there – some can sit and sing right in front of your face. Robins are generally brave bird. They would follow you and make the warning calls for the rest of the forest inhabitants to hear.
      I was very lucky to take the pictures of mayflies. Guess they were lucky too as the only day of their life came out so lovely. Thank you again for walking with me. ❤

  14. I am in Florida. Born in Ferrybank Waterford I enjoyed looking back at My Ireland. Thank you. Great photos.God bless

  17. What a beautiful walk. Although the history behind these centuries-old buildings are often tumultuous, it is amazing that they have survived for hundreds of years, and are well taken care of today. The surrounding nature is amazing, and who can resist those round robins? 🙂 Wishing you continued health and happiness my friend.

    1. Thank you so much, Takami! ❤ This is what our Robins look like in late autumn and winter 🙂 No wonder they are depicted on most of Christmas Cards. Who can resist, I agree with you 🙂
      Wishing you all the best things. Have a lovely Sunday.

  19. What an amazing way to start the day! While sipping on my morning coffee I am transported into a beautiful world that is magically weaved through your genius. xoxo

    1. Thank you so much, Derrick! If not for Cromwell, these tower houses would still be lining every road and riverbank. They are all very same, and probably fun to live in.

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