A Light from the Shadows

All that is gold does not glitter,

Not all those who wander are lost;

The old that is strong does not wither,

Deep roots are not reached by the frost.

From the ashes, a fire shall be woken,

A light from the shadows shall spring;

Renewed shall be blade that was broken,

The crownless again shall be king.

~J.R.R. Tolkien, The Riddle of Strider 

We have wandered for three weeks. It was a glorious and mad adventure. Even this late in the summer/early in the fall wildflowers lined the lanes. Blackberries were ripening almost everywhere providing food for the birds (and us).

Brambles/blackberries - only eat the berries that were ready to fall off or you will get a mouthful of tartness.

Mallow petals caught the light rain along the River Suir in Cahir

Birds sang to us each day - even those drizzly and windy days we knew we would experience and did.

A cheeky little robin sang from a rock wall on Inisheer (or, in the Irish, Inis Oírr), the smallest of the Aran Islands.

Musicians blessed us.

Omna Singers at the opening of the Shorelines Arts Festival. This is a community chorus.

Poets stunned and enlightened us.

Spirits surrounded us and people embraced us.

Wonderful and magical things happened (as they do in this ancient place).

One member of a pair of Mute Swans near Cahir Castle, County Tipperary.

What is it about this country that so heals the heart and soul? It is all of these things and more that fed us, comforted us, and gave us welcome and shelter.

Killilagh Churchyard - waiting for sunrise.

Our stories will be shared over the next few weeks - here and in our homes and in our regular breakfast haunt. One thing we can say - Ireland is a rich dish served with warmth and a slice of brown bread.

One of the few photos taken before the meal was half-consumed.