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surroundings
 Inchigeelagh
village, is situated in
the parish of Iveleary (Uibh
Laoghoire -- The Homeland
of the O'Learys), it has
a population resident in
the village of about 150
souls, but serves an area
in which about 1500 live.
It has 3 shops and 4 licensed
premises, two of them hotels,
a post office, a National
School and a Garda Station.
There are two churches,
one ruined but still treasured.
Although just out of the Gaeltacht, the
Irish language is widely
understood. |
 Although
we are located further north
than St.Johns, Newfoundland,
Ireland has a very mild
climate. This is a result
of the Gulf Stream, a warm
Atlantic current washing
our shores with water fresh
from the Caribbean. Snow
and frosts are rare, but
not totally unknown. Humidity
is usually high and the
air clear, almost sparkling.
Of course, it sometimes
rains, but we get not to
notice. We have some of
the lowest atmospheric pollution
in the world. |
 We
are situated in the Upper
Lee Valley, often called An Gleann hAlainn na
Laoi (The Beautiful
Lea Valley). The river only
starts about 12 miles west
of here in the mountains
around Gougan Barra, but
by the time it reaches us
it has widened at times
into the chain of lakes
known as Loch Allua, up
to a quarter of a mile wide
and marvellous fishing country.
There are many miles of
very quiet country roads
in the area, ideal for cycling
or walking and enjoying
the countryside at a respectable
unhurried pace. |
 Traces
of an ancient civilisation
exist all around us in
the form of standing stones,
wedge tombs, stone circles
and fulachta fhia.
These latter are communal
cooking sites where meat
was cooked in ponds heated
by throwing in rocks heated
on a fire. Our standard
of cuisine has improved
just a little over the
centuaries. From
a later era are the castles
of medieval rulers. Inchigeelagh
has a fine, partly restored
example at Carraignacurra which was controlled by
the O'Leary clan for whom
this parish, Iveleary,
is named. |
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