Our columnist Frank Brandon on his recent anniversary getaway to the Glasshouse Hotel in Sligo, a busy weekend between family visits and sporting events, Nuala Farrell-Griffin’s upcoming talk on finding out ‘Who built your Country House?’, and last calls to hand in money for the St Stephen’s Day charity walk in Creggs!
Glasshouse getaway
Thursday, August 29th marked forty-four years since Carol and myself said ‘I do’ in Kilbegnet Church.
By way of a little celebration, the pair of us headed off to Sligo town, where we had an overnight stay booked in the lovely Glasshouse Hotel. We arrived into the north-western town (although I think it’s now a city) early in the afternoon, and after going through the formalities of checking in and stuff, we headed out to explore the local shops.
The Glasshouse, which is literally smack bang in the middle of the town, couldn’t be in a better location for doing the bit of shopping. However, after a relatively short trip around the busy shopping areas, we decided to wrap up and head for a quiet afternoon (or early evening) pint in a super pub called The Swagman.
Now being a man of very thorough habits, I had done some research into the licensed premises’ close to the hotel. Two of them had stood out: the aforementioned Swagman in Wine Street, and Thomas Connolly, a bar directly across the river from the Glasshouse, which has stood as a pub since 1780.
Anyway, The Swagman ended up being closest to our location, so after our shopping trip – and just after 5.30 pm – we wandered into the surprisingly busy establishment.
I suppose I shouldn’t have been too surprised at how busy it was; all the reviews I had read about it were more than complimentary. And I have to say our short visit certainly reinforced the view that if you ever find yourself in Sligo, a visit to The Swagman is not to be missed!
However, as good as the place was (and the Guinness was top class), what really made our visit was a meeting we had with staff member Josh, who was the spitting image of our nephew Matthew! If I didn’t know that Matthew was in Sydney, I would surely have asked him when he started work in The Swagman!
We had dinner booked in the Glasshouse for half past six, and so we only had time for the one drink (and a couple of photos with Josh) before we headed back to our hotel room to get ready for our meal. And I can only say that the food, the staff, the service, and the location of the dining room overlooking the fast-flowing Garavogue river (I hope that’s right as I am going on the geography I learned more than 50 years ago) was simply superb; we couldn’t have asked for anything better.
After dinner (and the compulsory old age rest), we didn’t have the energy to go over to Thomas Connolly, and so our visit to that old establishment must wait until some future date. But we did spend some decent time in the hotel bar, where the Guinness fortunately lived up to the very high standard that had been set.
Sadly, we were only there for the one night, but the breakfast the following morning was similarly excellent. Hopefully we will get back again, and this time we will make it our business to pay a visit to Thomas Connolly.
Anyway, It was a thoroughly enjoyable stay in Sligo, and all I can say is we couldn’t have had a better forty-fourth wedding anniversary. I used to think 44 years was a long time, but the truth is it seems like yesterday! I must be getting old.
Busy weekend of playtime and play-offs
On Friday morning, leaving the Glasshouse behind, we went on a little detour round by Castlebar to pick up our daughter Lisa’s two dogs, who were coming to visit us for the weekend. Lisa and our two grandchildren, Riley and Hayley, were also coming to us, but there wasn’t room for everything in her car and so we were given the job of transporting Panda and Rocco (her doggies) back home.
Anyway, we all arrived safely back to Creggs, where, as luck would have it, the weather was absolutely fantastic. We had some great craic with the kids out in the garden – and none of us adults needed any tablets to go to sleep on Friday night!
Saturday morning arrived, and as I was part of my brother Duff’s four-man team for the rugby club’s annual golf outing, I was out of bed at about 7.45 am, ready to burn up Roscommon Golf Club, where our tee time was 8.50 am.
Duff had shown his captain’s qualities by recruiting Richard and Steven Smyth to join our foursome, and as we lined up our opening tee shots you could see the confidence coursing through our veins. I was thinking ahead to my acceptance speech at the presentation ceremony later that evening.
Sadly, despite some great scoring by the Smyth father and son duo, Duff and I were slightly short of our best (not sure what our best is), and after only nine holes I tore up my acceptance speech and headed home. Duff and the other two lads carried on and completed the eighteen holes, but I don’t think they were required to go back to the clubhouse for the prize-giving.
As undisputed captain for a number of years now, I think Duff’s position could be under threat for next year, but I suppose, for now, like Ten Hag, he will get the dreaded vote of confidence.
Anyway, we had great fun, the course was immaculate, and we gave it our best shot (a lot of them in my case) and thoroughly enjoyed the morning’s activity.
As it happened, that was not my only sporting event in Roscommon that day, because later on that evening I was back in the superb Roscommon Gaels development in Lisnamult, where our local Creggs football team were going head-to-head with our neighbours Fuerty in an Intermediate football championship game.
Now we were well aware going in that Fuerty are among the favourites to win out the competition. And in the finish, they were value for their hard-earned win – although the seven-point winning margin certainly flattered them. It was only in the last ten minutes or so that they pulled away from a slightly unfortunate Creggs team.
Fortune certainly hasn’t favoured us since either, as we now have to try and beat a very formidable St Brigid’s team in a provisional quarter-final fixture. And if we do win that one, either Strokestown or Elphin will be next up. You could hardly imagine a worse draw.
At the same time, Saturday evening’s game was enjoyable, with some good football on display from both sides. But in the end, the warm favourites prevailed, and they will now fancy their chances of going all the way. As for us, we have to lick our wounds and get ready for a tilt at the Kiltoom men in a match that is fixed for two weeks’ time.
After the game there was a farewell ‘do’ in Mikeen’s for one of our players, John Keegan, who is headed down to Sydney, where he will meet up with a lot of Creggs locals, including his cousin Noel Gately, my two nieces Niamh and Aoife, and my aforementioned nephew Matthew. Keego is one of the good guys, and we all wish him well on his trip down under.
Who built your country house?
Onto local matters and local history: Larry Kilcommins tells me that on next Thursday, September 12th, there will be a talk by Nuala Farrell-Griffin at 8.30 pm in the Heritage Centre in Creggs, titled ‘Who built your country house?’.
Explaining how to go about researching the history of your country house online, this free presentation is based on the resources Nuala used to write her eagerly-awaited forthcoming book about Kilbegnet House, which has now been restored to its original magnificence. There may be more local history secrets to be discovered, so get to the Heritage Centre and learn how to uncover the history of the old country house you may live in, and its previous occupants.
8.30 pm on Thursday, September 12th – don’t forget!
And finally…
I have been asked by Mikeen O’Roarke to remind anyone that still has money for the St Stephen’s Day Walk to get it in to him in the next few days.
It’s time to distribute the funds to the various recipients, so please get anything you have in to Mikeen as soon as possible this week.
We won’t feel it until it’s time to go up, down, and round the mountain again!
