The Old Schoolhouse

Long time no see !!

Well hello there , I have been on the missing list for a while, the sun was shinning and i was working and had a few holidays, I just got back from Carrick on shannon we went on a boat trip, the weather was fab and i did a bit of fishing caught five on my first attempt!! Ok so they were only small maybe six inches long [ no laughing please] but the craic was great we had the guitars and before long we had a grand singsong goin , hope to go back down next weekend and do it all again!! found a great car boot sale and got some treasure, havent told Pam about that place yet , but i know when i do i will have some BIG compition [ she once jumped out of a moving car [mine] to get treasure before me haha this is true! Anyway i will try to be better at blogging and not go missing so much bye for now Angie xx

Im off, [me brain is melted]!!!

Whew, i now feel i can breath again, we had an awful scare with Paul [me darlin brother in law] and to be honest i just could not even think about blogging , But as he is going to be ok thank God, im back ....... well im not!!!!, im off to Madeira for a week , I want to feel the sun on me bones let the hair down and have a bit of craic , we fly out tommrow yyyyyyyyyyyeeeeeeee hhhhhhhhhhhaaaaaaaaaaaaaa Then we are back one week and im off to Poland for a weekend with the girls two of my very good friends Zinda and Martina. God love poor Poland!!!!! any way i will take lots of photos and put them up when i get back  best wishes Angie x

Craft Night With the Girls, Vino Calapso and Books About Men....

Well at last I am getting around to posting the pics of us "Girls" (I use the term loosely) on our craft night. Between us we do a variety of crafts so we decided to get together with our own favourites and gave demos, tips and ideas to each other. Finger food and a bottle of Vino Calapso and off we go!

Zinda and Teeda made jewellery. Pam made a crochet rug, Mam made cards, Catherine made a patchwork and I made sure they didn't slack at their work (or go hungry or thirsty)

A fabulous night and we are planning on doing it again soon.

 

 

Come to think of it...I did do something else that night. I showed them this great book  

...and then I showed them the inside......Scroll down

Andrew is over the worst .

First i want to thank you all for your kind words , Andrew is over the operation and although looking pale and weak [a first for him ] he seems to be alot better ,he will be comming home tommrow evening , he is just so releaved its over and cant wait to get back to normal, he has lost a lot of weight and really needs building up , that wont be a prob Mama bear is on the case!!!!!, I will be cooking up a storm, [ and more than likely driving him up the wall] he says i worry too much , easy to say when your not the mammy!!!! And to cap it all i have my mammy and eds mammy telling me what to do ,IRISH MAMMYS YE GOTTA LOVE EM . Anyway thanks again for everything , Angie xx

Say a prayer .

My number one son is in hospital, and is having an operation on his spine on monday, he is really looking forward to not having pain all the time , and i dont think he is worried [being invinceable and all that] i on the other hand am [worried that is ] anyway its my birthday today and mothers day as well and i have been truly spoiled flowers champers and wrinkle cream [from Jessica daisy] bye for now Angie xx

What a week !!!

I know I know, I have been on the missing list for a while. There just seems to be so much going on in my life, it takes me all my time to keep up! Never mind write it down. We had E'd's 50th birthday party [what a blast!]

Two pages of pictures in the newspaper, and some stories about Ed told by his dearest friends..... If his head gets any bigger he will have to leave the room to scratch his ear hahahahah! One hundred and eighty friends and family gathered and lets face it  - we had one humdinger of a hoolie!!!!!

Following the party my dear friend Sandra, Bren and a few others came back to the house where we made firm friends with Mr Harvey Wallbanger [oh dear not a good idea]

At eight thirty the next morning I gave in and went to bed !!! Pictures to follow ....bye for now Angie xxxxx

Lee is the Champion.....

Congrats to Ed, my DH who showed his stuff when he recently won the Doyle Shield for handball in Fenagh, Leitrim.

What's handball?...I hear you say. Well, it is a fast and furious Irish sport played by two players side by side whacking a ball against a wall. Fabulous game . Well done Eddie! ...not bad for a Dub eh?

What's a Dub? I hear you say. Well, a Dub is a native of Dublin of course!

Picture shows the said Ed/Dub with the trophy and two members of the Doyle family. It is proudly on display in The Viking pub in Aughawillan.

Here's some useless info for you....People from Aughawillan are known as "Willies" and immigrant/ex-pat Dubs are known as "Plastic Willies"...ah, sufferin' heart!

Aughawillan Walls

My very dear friend and talented musician/singer/songwriter, Kevin Molloy came to visit us here in The Old Schoolhouse. He was so touched by its atmosphere and history and having read the book it is featured in, Memoir by John McGahern, that he penned this beautiful song...

(John McGahern went to school here and his beloved mother was the teacher)

 

Aughawillan Walls

 

 

 

Teacher tell me once again

The wonder of your world back when

How it was for you back in

your childhood Leitrim days

 

The singing of the barrack keys

Still floating the Coothall breeze

I see your face high in the trees

Your ghostly footsteps fall

 

Down leafy lanes, in Leitrim streams

Your spirit ebbs and spreys

Your heartbeat still - your silent quill

Your whisper in the trees

 

On down the corridors of time

Your childhood echo calls

Stored here for now, forever

In these Aughawillan walls

 

I feel your rhythm in the rain

The wind still whistles your refrain

That we may face the rising sun

A new dawn's spirit crawls

From Aughawillan walls

 

Teacher teach me one more time

The wonder of your every line

Let your astral wisdom shine

Till dusk as darkness falls

on Aughawillan's walls

I wish you all a happy new year.

We are looking forward to a new year ,best wishes to all my friends and family,and thank you all so much for all your support ,it really did help ,lots of love Angie xx

A SAD DAY.

We said goodbye to my lovely Da last night. He left us gently, holding my mam's hand. Light of Heaven to ye' Willa..... In a world where there are too few - you truly were a gentle man. R.I.P.