T i p p e r a r y
Bay Lough – Knockmealdown Mountains
30th of June 2017
A Love Letter
Dear Bay Lough in the Knockmealdown Mountains, dear wonderful place,
I’ve been visiting you quite a few times by now and have stopped counting. I know there will be several more times I will sit next to you in the future.
You are layed in the Knockmealdown Mountains range on the Tipperary side, just between two mountain peaks, filling and connecting the landscape that surrounds you. When it comes to the month of May, you reflect the purple shapes of the Rhododendron forest. I remember quite vividly the day I walked up to you from home, which took me around three hours and led me through little enchanted places next to water streams and purple blossoms. I didn’t feel far from being in a fairytale, I might as well have been in one.
Sometimes we just drive up to the car park and walk down to you for a bit of peace and nature. You are a great place for a break from the daily routines, but offer some good walks as well.
The day I walked all the way up from Cahir was a real summer’s day in May, it was actually so sunny and hot that i burned my skin, and when I arrived next to you, I went for a little swim, which was as rewarding as a swim can get. I tell a lot of people about you and have showed some the way up to you.
Bay Lough, Thanks for being such a wonderful place, may you always stay that way.
Your admirer Ruth.
9th of June 2019
Learning and educating myself while slowly settling in Ireland, I have learned that Rhododendron are not native to Ireland and are invading Ireland’s ecosystems. Superfolk have written an article about this issue and call Rhododendron a “A Terrible Beauty“. If you want to learn more about this situation, head over to their Stories : https://www.superfolk.com/stories, Thanks for educating us Superfolk!
x Ruth
Suport irish Wildlife:
Ground Work is a voluntary environmental organisation, dedicated to the preservation of some of Ireland’s most precious habitats.
http://www.groundwork.ie
Irish Wild Life Trust aims to conserve wildlife and the habitats they depend on throughout Ireland while encouraging a greater understanding and appreciation of the natural world and the need to protect it.
https://iwt.ie/donate/