the davenports: day 6 – wexford & vale of avoca

We started the day with a little caching for Will. For some reason my mom is really intrigued with the whole concept of geocaching and was feeling like they were holding him back from finding caches while on our trip. So after we left the lovely company of our Connecticut Yankee proprietress at Kilbora, we headed into Ferns to find a cache or two. Ok, Will and my folks went to go find a cache or two… I may have wandered off to take pictures of the ruins that we’d stopped at. What can I say? I like a good ruin.

Ok… or a good Gothic style church either…

The ruins were of St Mary’s Abbey and I’m not actually sure what the name of the church was.

Then we were off to visit some distant Ronan relatives. After having a chat, we all headed over to the church (this is what we do – visit churches and graveyards). Again like in Rossmore, this is not the original church that my grandmother would have gone to Mass in but rather a more recent building. It’s still a neat church with amazing views.

Not the most flattering picture of me but this is what it looks like when you deny a pregnant woman food. Even if you don’t know that’s what you’re doing.

We thought the wind turbines were really cool. Apparently the ridgelines should have been full of them but the funding just isn’t there to finish the project.

After getting lunch, we got back on the road. We stopped for Will to get another cache in a ruined church. It wasn’t the easiest place to get into so we stayed in the car but he came back for the camera and snapped a few pictures.

Next we headed for Avoca. Home of Avoca Handweavers.

We actually got to the handweavers as they were closing up shop so we just got a quick walk through as I’m pretty sure they locked the doors behind us. So we just went into the shop to do some shopping.

Cute little stream; the fuchsia that you find all over Ireland. I was surprised to find it still in bloom so late in the year.

Filming location of Ballykissangel.

And close to Vale of Avoca – our intended tourist stop for the day. The Vale of Avoca is alternately known as the Meeting of the Waters as it is where the Avonmore and Avonbeg join together. It is a spot celebrated in song by Irish poet, Thomas Moore.

There is not in the wide world a valley so sweet,
As the vale in whose bosom the bright waters meet;
Oh, the last rays of feeling and life must depart,
Ere the bloom of that valley shall fade from my heart.