The weather in Ireland for the last week have been really warm. The temperatures hit 30 degrees, which in Ireland means that the tarmacadam on the roads melts and in some places the council starts spreading stone chippings on it to make it safer to drive.

So with all this heat, where better to head off to then some water. Roving through County Carlow, I came across a fantastic spot, a local attraction for swimmers and some amazing ruins. The place is called Millford Bridge (Cloghristick townland).

View of weir at Millford Bridge, Co. Carlow

Millford bridge has been an industrial complex since the early nineteenth century. The Millford Flour Mills were built in the 1790's and by the 1830's the mills had an annual turnover of c.£190,000. An engineer from Manchester, William Fairbairn, built two mill wheels of 18 and 22feet wide respectively. Griffiths Valuation (an accurate record of buildings, owners/ leasors, description of buildings and value of buildings in Ireland) records 'Flourmills, kilns, malthouses, offices and land' in the vicinity of Millford Bridge. At its height, the flour mills could produce nearly 50,000 sacks of flour per annum.

In November 1862, the flour mills accidentally caught fire and were completely destroyed, with the roof and lofts collapsing.

By the 1890's a company Messrs Gordan and Company seeing the potential for the use of the buildings at Millford Bridge for the generation of electricity entered in negotiations with Carlow Town Commission about supplying an electricity supply to Carlow Town from Millford. By July 1891 Millford was generating and supplying an electricity supply to Carlow Town making it the first town in Britain and Ireland to be lit throughout using electricity.

View of Millford building used for the generation of electricity

For anyone interested in field walls and boundaries, take the few minutes to walk to the entrance of the mill and look to the right and see a very fine example of what is termed the 'Carlow fence'. The fence is made of granite and consist of granite uprights with elongated capstone. This type of fence is unique to County Carlow.

The 'Carlow fence' at Millford Bridge

Not a bad bit of history for one small area !

If any of you have roved past any fascinating industrial buildings please let us know where they are, so we can all rove around to see them sometime.

Love hurts

I love those unusual little pieces of information that you lock away in your head for those special occasions. I remember, many years ago, reading about an 'ogham' stone near Ardmore in County Waterford bearing the inscription amadu, translating as 'the loved one'. I always thought it would be a perfect inscription on the inside of a ring to mark a special occasion (engagement, wedding, eternity).

If you ever rove/ wander through the streets of Dublin, you will naturally walk along the quays of the River Liffey, as its separates the city into the north and south side. One of the landmark features of the Liffey is the pedestrian bridge, know as the ha'penny bridge (one of my recent photos from late May 2013).

Ha'penny bridge over the River Liffey with Liberty Hall to rear in distance.

The ha'penny bridge, a pedestrian bridge, was built in 1816 and was an alternative to the ferries that provided passage across the Liffey. There were turnstiles at either end of the bridge to collect the toll the pedestrians had to pay to cross the river. The bridge is made of cast iron and was cast in Shropshire, England.

The bridge in recent years was conserved and painted from its old silver/grey colour back to the original white colour. If you want to see the old colour and see the bridge and quays in former days, click the link and view the video of Phil Lynott's 'Old Town' (Thin Lizzy). Click for music video

In recent years, loving couples have taken to locking inscribed padlocks onto the railings and arches of the bridge. It's a sign of enduring love, once locked, the keys are thrown into the Liffey. This 'tradition' is causing the city authorities some concerns as the padlocks are both rusting the cast iron and is some cases, being of toughened steel, are risking damage to the softer cast iron. Hence, the authorities, are regularly removing the 'love locks'. Click for radio report

So it's true, love hurts, the unique nearly 200 year old bridge. Is it time for a new tradition... and if you want one that is steeped in history in a unique Irish context, why not inscribe 'amadu' (the loved one) onto a nice finger ring, but make sure you don't throw it in the Liffey.

If any any of you have roved past these collections of 'love locks' around the world, please let us know you thoughts on them. And if you're roving along the ha'penny bridge, let us know what you think about the 'heart breaking' city authorities.

St. Columba and Durrow community gathered

Quite possibly the sunniest day that I've seen this year was Sunday 9th June 2013 and 'a roving' I had to go. I had planned to go to see the only surviving pattern day procession in Ireland and one of the oldest and longest surviving pattern day processions in the country, namely St. Columcille's feast day at Durrow, Co. Offaly (near Tullamore).

Durrow village is located c.1km from the ecclesiastical monastery that was established by Saint Columba (St. Columcille) in A.D. 553. St. Coluncille ran the monastery until 563, when he was exiled to Scotland, having copied a book in a scriptorium. The book he copied was the seventh century illuminated manuscript gospel book, know as the Book of Durrow. This manuscript is held in Trinity College Dublin and is the oldest illuminated insular gospel book in Ireland, and was written at least 100 years before the famous Book of Kells. The Book of Durrow was housed in the monastery of Durrow in 916. The monastery was regarded by contemporary historians as one of the finest universities in Ireland at the time.

                           Drummers, children having made their communion

The pattern day is the date of the death of St. Columcille on 9th June A.D. 597. In Durrow for hundreds of years the day has been celebrated by the community processing to the holy well and the church. This year was no different.

The morning started with the children making their first holy communion. Afterwards a mass was celebrated and following this the community processed along the main road to the holy well at the monastery.

The community members involved in organising the event led the procession carrying a banner of St. Columcille, followed by the band (drums and bag pipes), the children who made their communion and followed by the community. The procession snaked through the demesne landscape to the shady quiet area of the holy well, where after a decette of the rosary, some of the people fill a bottle of water from the holy well.

  The snaking procession towards the holy well

Taking the holy water home

In Irish tradition, the water from the holy well is considered to be able to ward off illness, and it is still a common practise among farmers that they give livestock the water in order to heal sick animals. It is regularly considered as a means of getting rid of warts, amongst other uses and healing associations.

After the visit to the well, many of the people travel the short distance to the late medieval church, within which stands the mid 9th century high cross (taken in for protection and conservation). The church choir sand several church hymns and then on to the community sporting games.

This is a rather rushed account of the day, but what I was struck by were two things. Firstly the calm of the area around the holy well and the deafening silence between prayers, as the people's voices rose in the air. Secondly, how within 40minutes, I was invited to a families house for a cup of tea and a ham sandwich, having been offered a bottle of holy water if I wanted one to take home.

The event is all about community and a nicer communal spirit I've rarely seen.

If I have a date set in my calendar it is to attend the same procession on the 1500 anniversary of the founding of the monastery of Durrow in Co. Offaly in 2053.... well its possible, so I better start drinking that holy water.

If any of you want to see a few photos, take a look at the rural rover facebook page in the 'Durrow pattern day' folder, you might even 'like' it :)

Has anyone else ever roved down to such a pilgrimage/ procession, if so where and when ?