A day out....

I got to do something that I love yesterday.... take some friends on a day trip to see some ancient ruins... it turned out to be a great day to take some pictures (anyone surprised?). We went to see several things (a castle... stone circles... and a quaint village...) but the real treat was a ruined old friary. The Friary was founded in 1351 by the Norman nobleman Sir Raymond de Burgo and is "the most extensive and best preserved of all the Franciscan friaries in Ireland". The maze of rooms, corridors, and stairs is a perfect playground for kids of all age. We have in the past played 'sardines' and 'hide and go seek' here... but this was the first time that we have taken kids. They loved to run the ancient halls and play here!

As I stood there looking at the massive structure I couldn't help but wonder what it looked like in its' hay day. The last two hundred years have taken their toll on the great building (loosing the roof… 2nd and 3rd floors… windows… and inner decorations), but thankfully it is now a protected structure and is being well taken care of... and thankfully it is still open to the public free of charge!








The Friary's seventy-foot tower





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