The entry that follows has been written over the last two weeks, as you can see. It was started when we were on Beara at the beginning of the month, continued on our return and only finished today.
I am now, as I mention at the end, already very engaged in preparing my exhibition, so I am not going to take time to tidy this it up before posting it - or it will never be posted.

As I write we are a little over midway through our week on Beara, although I won't be able to post this until after our return.

As planned, we are all together: that is Sue, Naoise, Ashley, Dylan, Jude, Alice, Fergal, Hannah, Ousmane and myself, for a night or two, though Hannah and Ousmane have now returned to London and Alice and Fergal will leave tomorrow, Thursday.

We have had two epic walks and, nightly, equally epic dinners: Sue's daube on Saturday - arrival night - my lemon chicken with garlic potatoes on Sunday; Ousmane and Hannah's crab claws followed by hake with salsa on Monday; Alice and Fergal's local lamb and roasted vegetables last night and, as I write, Naoise and Ashley's Mexican chilli dish with sweet potatoes is under preparation......and more to come.

Our first walk was up through the old copper mines that put Allihies on the map in the nineteenth century. And the beginning of this walk is at the door of the Copperminevillas Holiday Homes in which we are staying.

And on this walk you climb hard for the first mile or so passing various remnants of the old mines, the most striking of which is one of the many - and the most intact - of the Engine Houses that powered the mines that extended all round Allihies and employed, at their peak, over 1,500 miners.

It can be seen from the village below...........

.....................and from many other angles.

One then crosses the mountain - and the peninsula..........

Tussocks caught in the sunlight.

...............before descending into Urhan and heading left (west) to return to Allihies, passing: Gortahige; Cod's Head; Reentrusk (or Reentrisk) and Eagle Hill; Tronogia and Coomeen (or Cummeen) - all of which places have much meaning and resonance for Sue and I as we have, incrementally, familiarised ourselves with this territory over the passed twenty years or so. - Because, at Reentrisk, we passed Annie Goulding's B&B in the old schoolhouse where Sue and I have stayed many, many times. It is immediately beneath Eagle Hill, which I like to climb before breakfast when we stay there.
And, behind Eagle Hill, is another of our favourite walks. - From the schoolhouse one turns right for Gortahige before turning left for Cleanaugh, climbs up the old potato patch, crossing or skirting the very edge of Cod's Head, before descending through Eshkavaude and returning to Annie's schoolhouse.

This walk can obviously be done the other way round, which is what we did on the Tuesday morning when we still had the full family compliment.

On Cods Head.

Alice and Fergal's dog, Mr Bones, was not allowed to chase the sheep on Cods head but he was allowed to dress-up as one.

Descending the ancient potato patch above Cleanaugh

And we met some of the local inhabitants.

And at Coomeen, on the first walk, we passed the home and studio of Cormac Boydell, the ceramicist, before returning to Allihies - something in the region of a ten mile walk - we think.
Cormac and his wife, the artist Rachel Parry, have become considerable friends over the years: Cormac and I having met when we both used to exhibit at Showcase back in the early 1980's.

And indeed, the whole plan and idea of this holiday (Sue's) was that we would familiarise our family - young and old(er) - with an area, and some of its inhabitants, that we have been telling them about for years and years and years.
And, despite some pretty iffy weather, that purpose is being well fulfilled and everybody seems to have fallen in love with the area for themselves.

Gate piers don't come much more simple than this!

And now we are home.

Our final major excursion was to Innacullin (Garnish Island) just offshore from Glengarriff.

Built in the early twentieth century by the English architect Harold Peto for Belfast born Annan Bryce, it is a truly beautiful, Italianate garden built into a wild, rocky island.

And, it has to be said, it is now excellently maintained, and with a very soft touch, by the OPW - who may not always be relied upon to act thus.

And it also provided us with a moment that allowed me to expose the full extent of my genius......

............... I spotted this exotic bush and Jude asked me what it was. I told him, on account of its appearance, that it was, unquestionably, a 'bottle brush tree'.
That was fine and provoked mild, respectful, mirth from the assembled company.
Shortly thereafter I opened the OPW guide - and what did I find?............

..................that it is, indeed, the Bottle Brush tree!!

I am pretty much dashing through the last days of our 'week on Beara' because our own garden needs, and must get some attention after our week away and I must get 'stuck-in' to preparing for my exhibition which opens in less than a month

And, consequently, it may be that it will be, even more, sparse here for a while.