Ascending

A very odd day. Himself had an eye appointment in Cork city and was expecting the works, including eye drops, so I had to be on hand as duty driver for the return. It's a four hour round trip - he was in for five minutes, no drops and 120 euro poorer. Huh. Not impressed. To placate me I suspect, he suggested we stop off at Kilcrea on the way home. This is a wonderful, remote spot just off the N22, accessed via a tiny packhorse bridge. On one side of the road are the remains of a friary, including some interesting graves. On other are the ruins of a once magnificent tower house, standing on its wooded knoll. The wind was howling and it was freezing and we were in our town clothes (ie we had actually got properly dressed) but we persevered. A man with a long white beard was metal detectoring amongst the trees but I don't think he saw us. We ventured into the great hall, dark and damp, and heard footsteps above us - coming down! It was a young man and his dog. We joked about him being a ghost and he assured us there were tales of a ghostly lady who had been killed by the lord when she was unfaithful to him. Himself decided he would not be ascending the spiral staircase but I ventured up - my sword arm free*, clutching onto the central post, trying not to skid on the well worn treads. The higher you get the finer the rooms. The lord and his unfortunate lady had their main room at the very top with posh windows and fireplaces and a garderobe. The extras show  the view from the battlements - note the friary across the fields. No spooky feelings I'm glad to report.
Want to know more - Roaringwater Journal have the info, including some rather good artist's impressions of how it once looked.

* Himself has told me this would only be possible if I was descending

Detectorists