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| Vienna Woods Hotel, Glanmire, Co. Cork; ours 1985 - 1988 |
We lived by the woods with
Once with paths of cobblestone, where
Lords and Ladies strolled.
Summer leisure house, 1756
Lord Barrymore
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| Path through the woods (now covered and inaccessible with debris by current owners) |
Our children sat on milk stools
By the fire.
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| These were found in muck where a stable once stood. |
We wandered, heads to the sky,
Through the Rock of Cashel
Once called Rock of Patrick.
Nearly 900 years ago.
Watched as tides ebbed and flowed,
Of the Glashaboy River and beneath
Spire of St. Mary's.
Our children made memories
Forever
Shaping their lives.
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| Town of Glanmire |
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| Our children by a shelter in the woods (Now bulldozed by current owner) |
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| Our youngest by a tree, two hundred years old (This and others were removed by current owners) |
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| Road leading to Vienna Woods Hotel |
Weddings and love were celebrated
In banquet rooms elegant.
Now it was our hotel, our responsibility.
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| A small wedding room in the hotel--now completely re-modeled. |
Blarney supplied stone steps and
A stone to kiss,
A tree before a grand house
Where an elite lives.
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| Home of Sir Charles St. John Colthurst, Baronet |
Where are
we now?
Will we go back?
When?
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| Now, in 2018, thirty years after we lived there. Fitzgerald Vienna Woods Hotel |
Oh Susan, how wonderful. What a terrific experience to raise your family in this beautiful environment and how important to surround them with many people and occasions as they grew up. I'm sure that's helped shape them into wonderful adults. Very lovely indeed.
ReplyDeleteThey each have a world view of places and people. How they have grown up with that has been part of who they are.
DeleteSurrendering to a new imagination--so difficult.
ReplyDeleteIt is, it was.
DeleteWe will go back and see how all has adapted.
Oh wow!
ReplyDeleteI know, right!
DeleteI am glad I have settled in different places, not just gone there as a tourist. Looking back, I think I have lived in and experienced four different Americas. That, plus Stockholm and London must really have shaped who I am. Thanks so much for opening my eyes to this, it seems like something I should write about. A new blog post, perhaps.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely, Inger. You shared photos of your youth when you came to America way back then. I would love to see and hear of that part of your life.
DeleteYou shared nice remembrances of the past. It is a shame that so much of what you showed us is gone. Beautiful pictures.
ReplyDeleteMy daughter & family were there in June. All the places they remembered in the woods are gone. The woods are gone. Much of it was bulldozed to make room for vacation chateaus.
DeleteWow, what a great place to raise kids. Like Emma though, it is a shame that care has not been taken.
ReplyDeleteSo very much has been removed and changed.
DeleteThe feeling of history isn't there. It is now a very vacation-resort type of place.
Dear Susan, as Patti said--that must have been a great place to raise children. For me, one of the wonders of aging is that I have many years on which I can look back with nostalgia and joy, sorrow and remembrance. So many people to thank for who i am today; so many memories to warm my heart as time goes fleeting into a future that is beckoning. We are blessed. Peace.
ReplyDeleteOur grown children have strong memories of that time. Each have gone back on their own.
DeleteWe hope that we will all go back together. that would be amazing.
You always speak so lovingly of your time in Ireland. Nothing stays the same, but those beautiful memories will always be with you.
ReplyDeleteYou should go back, Susan, because you have left part of your heart there. Go, have another adventure.
We are going back April 2019. our last visit was in 1998. It has been too long.
DeleteSometimes some things have to change, for safety or other good reasons. Sometimes people change things for the wrong reasons, and that makes me sad.
ReplyDeleteI agree. The transformation changed its purpose.
DeleteSo wonderful to have had the chance to live in Ireland for awhile!
ReplyDeleteLiving in another country is an experience. Ireland being an English speaking country made the transition much easier.
DeleteI like the last photo with the glow of the lamps. Shame about the path through the woods being destroyed, and trees removed.
ReplyDeletethe last photo shows how the hotel has been made to be a bigger draw for tourists. It is beautiful.
DeleteThe elimination of the woods is saddening.
Ah ... the memories ... memories.
ReplyDeleteGod bless you all.
And you as well.
DeleteWow, they sure must have experienced a lot growing up. Always hard when things are changed by another's view, but the memories are there.
ReplyDeleteWe had a different view for what the hotel could be. We were there when Ireland had some real money problems and high unemployment.
DeleteOh my gosh, Susan. You lived history. What a special remembrance.
ReplyDeleteSo many memories.
DeleteAND...What a beautiful place.
ReplyDeleteIt was, it is.
DeleteWhat a wonderful experience to share as a family. Memories are priceless.
ReplyDeleteIt was. No where else could a family have a spontaneous picnic by a castle keep and then climb up stairs to the top.
DeleteIt's great that you have the memories and the pictures to remember this.
ReplyDeleteThe hard copy photos make that possible.
DeleteWhat an amazing place to have spent some years. We always expect to find things the same when we go back to such places and we're generally disappointed. The small, quiet, rural village where I spent my childhood has vanished beneath a tidal wave of new housing.
ReplyDeleteSad, so sad. My hometown and memories from decades ago have been changed. We went to visit my brother last summer and toured the town. The people who lived there are gone and so are most of their homes. Sad for me.
DeleteIts neat you've kept the human memories alive to share with us and I hope the new owners plant some trees. People forget trees are the lungs of our earth, I can't say that enough.
ReplyDeletebefore we moved there, a large tree had to be cut down as it was threatening the hotel. I counted as many rings as I could, had to stop at 223 years. Could not read the most rings.
DeleteLots of changes. It must have been a wonderful place to live when you were there.
ReplyDeleteIreland is a place of incredible beauty and history. From our house we could see out to Cork harbor.
DeleteHaving and operating a hotel took a tremendous amount of work.