Lone Tree

Wild, wild weather - gales, sleet, hail, sunshine, rainbows. I leapt out to stand on this little headland and take a photo on my way back from getting the photos - I was nearly airborne and within a minutes was being bombarded with hail!

Lovely meal last night at the Fish Kitchen in Bantry. Fortunately they did  a vegetarian option and it was excellent - a red Thai curry. Followed by a most extravagant Eton Mess.

Today I've been sorting out the next blog entry.- a rather odd but interesting miscellany of wells. Time for another expedition as I've caught up with myself now.

And the final installation of the Táin. We had left the Men of Ulster incapacitated by labour pains and Cúculainn sorting out Queen Medb's enormous army, not a bother on him! Well now Ferdia was summoned to take him on. They were foster brothers, they had been taught by the same female sorceress and they didn't want to fight each other but there was no option - fate beckoned. Each had an advantage - Cúculainn had a fearsome weapon - the gae bolga - which he would only use if he really had to for it was a spear that once it entered a body broke up into 30 barbs which inflicted every area. Fortunately Ferdia had special armour made out of hornskin. They encountered each other and the battle went on for 5 days, each taking turns to select weapons, each carried off broken and bloody after each day - very Achilles and Hector. On the fifth day the Gae Bolga was brought into use and as Ferdia went to protect his lower parts and Cúculainn aimed for the  higher, and the deed was done. That suffices now says a rather phlegmatic Ferdia.As Cúculainn was led off victorious his wounds were grievous and all magical herbs and ointments were required. Have you been paying attention to the number of days?? 5 - the pangs of the Ulstermen have worn off and they are up and raging! To cut a very long story short, the Ulster Men prevailed, Medb took to her heels,  and the Brown Bull meets the White Bull and thy rampage all over irleand, the Brown bull winning and scattering his rivals parts in every Province.  After all that his 'heart broke like a nut in his breast. Last bit of story here!