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Tuesday 15 April 2014

A peek at the Irish countryside

A glimpse into my world:

I have made a slide show of some of the beautiful scenery I so often wax lyrical about. All of these beautiful scenes are within a fairly short drive – maximum about an hour or two from where I live.

Some days when the sun is shining and I open my eyes to what is around me I find I am humming a hymn I learned back in childhood. I wasn’t sure how faithful I was to the true lyrics so I looked it up. Unfortunately a composer wasn’t mentioned but I am reproducing the first verse here anyway. I looked for it to download to add to the photos but unfortunately wasn’t successful in my search. I’m not hugely into organized religions for reasons of my own, but when I see the beauty of the world around me I can’t help but believe that there is some higher power, God or what ever name you know your God by.
Please forgive the poor quality of the photography – they were just snaps I took with my camera for my own enjoyment but then I decided to share them as I keep harping on about loving the Irish countryside.

Gentle As Silence Hymn
Oh, the love of my Lord is the essence
Of all that I love here on earth.
All the beauty I see, He has given to me,
And his giving is gentle as silence.
I’ve put the photos to another piece of music I thought apt for many of the pictures. All in all the slide show takes about four minutes. I hope you enjoy.

Song: A lake for each day of the year
Lyrics and Music by Dr. Mairlis McDwyer
Sung by Jennifer McEntee
Piano performed and arranged by Karl McEntee
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19 comments:

  1. Renee Rose15 April 2014 at 23:21

    It is sooo green and beautiful!! You did a lovely job with the slide show!

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    1. Unknown15 April 2014 at 23:29

      Thanks Renee. All snaps from my phone so the quality isn't the best.

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  2. Cara Bristol15 April 2014 at 23:23

    Beautiful. Thank you for sharing.

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  3. Renee Rose15 April 2014 at 23:26

    I hit enter too soon and it stopped the video from playing-- LOL. Are those all photos you have taken? Do you live near water?

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    1. Unknown15 April 2014 at 23:29

      ROFL Renee, it rains about 300 days a year here - hard to avoid water!

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  4. Sher16 April 2014 at 02:19

    Tara, one of my fondest dreams is to go to Ireland and see all this with my own two little eyes! Thank you so much for sharing the beauty of your world with us.

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    1. Unknown16 April 2014 at 14:29

      I really hope you make it some day, Sher. What I have shown you is such a tiny glimpse of the beauty around me within about a 70 mile radius, and things that appeal more specifically to me. There is so much more.

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  5. Unknown16 April 2014 at 02:25

    Wow, it is absolutely gorgeous! Very nice post, Tara!

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    1. Unknown16 April 2014 at 14:30

      Thanks Megan. This is why I keep going on about it! Even the little primrose, one of the earliest of flowers has it's own story to tell as it forces its delicate little bud up through the hard frosty soil to promise us of the joys to come.

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  6. Unknown16 April 2014 at 08:14

    I thought it was you singing at first - I swear I heard you in it. This is really beautiful Tara. Thank you for sharing it.

    And hey, I saw some blue skies there... That waterfall, were you hiking or is that near? I can imagine how serene it is to be there.

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    1. Unknown16 April 2014 at 14:34

      Thanks Natasha,
      No unfortunately it's not me - my singing would only be good for running rats out of a hayshed :D

      Everything is within about seventy miles, but most is much nearer.
      You're right of course about the bluse skies, even as I was putting it together I was thinking, they won't believe it never stops raining here, but the obvious answer is that I go out walking in the sunshine :D

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  7. Unknown16 April 2014 at 09:04

    Beautiful and entertaining post, greatly appreciated.

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  8. Unknown16 April 2014 at 14:15

    I left a comment on your Liebster award post asking you to let me know when your slideshow went live... but then I clicked on your homepage and now see you have already posted it. I'm really glad I found it. You have some amazing countryside around you. I thought it was you singing too. That song is so fitting. I've never heard it before and it's beautiful as well as fitting. It makes me wonder if your a fisher-woman?

    The waterfalls are gorgeous. I'd love to stand near, or under the one shown closest to the end of the slideshow. Just listening to the sound of the rushing water would have such a calming effect on me.
    Thank you so much for putting this delightful little presentation together for all of us who live far, far, away. I very much enjoyed seeing life around you through your eyes ;-)

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    1. Unknown16 April 2014 at 14:39

      Thanks LA
      The music is rather haunting isn't it. The second waterfall is in county Sligo, not far from Yeate's grave - the photo before it. It is beautiful but it's developed and because of that I prefer the smaller one - it's one of Ireland's best kept secrets. Even if you go there in the height of summer it's not too crowded.I think I have the smaller one recorded in a video with the sound effects on my phone - if so I'll see if I can send it to you through FB.
      It was totally your comment about picturing me in the countryside that prompted me to pull the slideshow together, so thank you so much.

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    2. Unknown16 April 2014 at 15:22

      I'm glad to have inspired you. I think it's a wonderful way to share pieces of ourselves. I'll check on facebook later for the waterfall file. Whenever we go camping I like to go to a place where I can hear the water. I don't know why, but it has such a tranquil and calming effect on me.
      I agree that the song was a little haunting but very fitting. I'm going to look it up on youtube and download it.

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  9. Etta Stark18 April 2014 at 09:46

    Beautiful pictures, Tara. I had a holiday in Dingle Peninsula in Ireland many years ago and it was the most beautiful places I have ever been. Your patch of Ireland looks pretty amazing. (I'm based in Surrey so don't do too badly for lush countryside and plenty of rain!)

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  10. Unknown18 April 2014 at 15:20

    Thanks Etta.

    I have to agree with you, Surrey has an abundance of natural beauty - as does most of the UK in general. I was lucky enough to travel the UK for one of my jobs in my early adulthood many parts are stunningly beautiful. I remember on a weekend away, finding a remote village in Devon, no idea where it was or what it was called, but it lives in my memory as the most picturesque I have ever seen. Stratford, Oxford, the new forest, Oban in Scotland and lots of other places come to mind also. And the UK has some of the most beautiful houses too. A feast for the soul.

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