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"Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth,
for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire : it is time for home"
- Edith Sitwell
Gold Mining at Croghan
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MYVIEWTODAY.COM
The camera is located in Coolgreany, County Wexford, Ireland, focused on Croghan Mountain. The view is updated every 30 minutes. Click on the picture to open it in its own window.
Boolavogue
County Wexford is famous for the uprising of 1798 against English Rule in Ireland. One of the leaders of the rebellion was Fr John Murphy from Boolavogue which gave rise to the ballad of the same name. It was written by Patrick Joseph McCall in 1898 to commemorate the centenary of the uprising. The words of the ballad are reproduced below and below that is a a version of the song by Brian Horgan. Also included in the player is a version of 'Follow me Up to Carlow' by Brian Horgan. Simply click on the song you wish to hear and then use the controls below the main picture in the player to control volume, play & pause and full screen mode.
At Boolavogue as the sun was setting
O'er the bright May meadows of Shelmalier,
A rebel hand set the heather blazing
and brought the neighbours from far and near.
Then Father Murphy from old Kilcormack
Spurred up the rocks with a warning cry:
'Arm! Arm!' he cried, 'For I've come to lead you;
For Ireland's freedom we'll fight or die!'
He led us on against the coming soldiers,
And the cowardly yeomen we put to flight:
'Twas at the Harrow the boys of Wexford
Showed Bookey's regiment how men could fight.
Look out for hirelings, King George of England;
Search every kingdom where breathes a slave,
For Father Murphy of County Wexford
Sweeps o'er the land like a mighty wave.
We took Camolin and Enniscorthy
And Wexford storming drove out our foes
'Twas at Slieve Coilte our pikes were reeking
With the crimson blood of the beaten Yeos.
At Tubberneering and Ballyellis
Full many a Hessian lay in his gore,
Ah! Father Murphy had aid come over
The green flag floated from shore to shore!
At Vinegar Hill, o'er the pleasant Slaney
Our heroes vainly stood back to back,
and the Yeos at Tullow took Father Murphy
and burned his body upon a rack.
God grant you glory, brave Father Murphy
And open Heaven to all your men,
The cause that called you may call tomorrow
In another fight for the Green again.
James Liddy
Coolgreany the birthplace of the late James Liddy (1935-2008), poet and author. He called Croghan, often referred to as Croghan Kinsella, "The Blue Mountain" and published the following poem in his book "A White Thought in a White Shade" (1987).
BLUE MOUNTAIN
Blue Mountains are of themselves blue mountains
And White clouds are of themselves white clouds
And there is a blue mountain, Croghan Kinsella,
And around it there are often white clouds.
Whether all things are accurately themselves
Or modifications of each other I do not know,
But clear mornings from my bathroom window
I see white clouds on a blue mountain.
James Liddy (1935-2008)
See also the poem entitled 'Coolgreany', also from his book "A White Thought in a White Shade" (1987).
For more information on James Liddy, autobiography, his poetry, his obituary, etc, click on the link below:
James Liddy: The Doctor's House.
Also see a review of Askeaton Sequenceby James Liddy.
Croghan Mountain.
The summit of Croghan lies on the border between Counties Wexford and Wicklow and is the highest point on that border. It is sometimes referred to as Croghan Kinsella Mountain after a (historically) powerful local family. This name may be to distinguish it from Croaghanmoira. In Irish the name is Cruachán Uí Chinnsealaigh and literally translated this means little stack of the Kinsella family.
Croghan has a height of 606 metres and is an isolated peak giving a different view from the rest of the Wicklow mountains. It's summit can easily be reached by using forestry tracks and is identifiable by a group of rocks and a trig pillar. The River Bann rises from its southern slopes.
Croghan was also the site of Ireland's only gold rush when a nugget was found in river gravel on the mountain in 1795. The gold is now gone, but many poor people benefited from it at the time as the gold was retrieved by mainly local people. Three thousand ounces are known to have been found.
Croghan defines the southern limit of the Wicklow Mountains. Click on the picture below to view the Croghan google satellite map.
The Wicklow Mountains
The Wicklow Mountains (Irish: Sléibhte Chill Mhantáin; including at the northern end the Dublin Mountains) are a range of mountains in the southeast of Ireland. They run in a north-south direction from south County Dublin across County Wicklow and into County Wexford. Lugnaquilla is the highest peak in the range at 925 m (3035 ft), Mullaghcleevaun at 847 m (2,780 ft) is the second highest, while the summit of Kippure is the highest point in County Dublin, at 757 m (2,484 ft). Croghan ranks 32nd in the list of 62 peaks over 300 metres.
The whole area is much frequented, especially at weekends, by Dubliners, as the region offers multiple choices of recreation, ranging from fishing to rafting to hill walking. Also in its midst lies the monastic settlement of Glendalough, believed to have been founded by St. Kevin, and now a popular tourist attraction; as well as Powerscourt Waterfall, the highest waterfall in Ireland. Below is a picture of the upper lake at Glendalough.