English By The Fireside

27/05/2025

It’s red strawberries of the year…a personal record, May 27. They usually ripen by June in Wimbledon week
The cats demonstrating how warm it is outside despite this morning’s rain

21/11/2023

So…is everyone ready to get FUNKY for tomorrow night’s Mid Week Funk Fest in Miltown? Promises to be a BLAST…
8-11 in the Community Hall.
Still a few tickets left on the door, but get there early to be sure of entry

29/10/2022

What a city we live in, full of mythology, history and creativity.

Be sure to visit this Incredible spectacle - the legendary giant Con Mór at Fisheries Field in Galway City by Macnas.

Con Mór, is thought to have been part of the legendary Tuatha Dé Danann tribe, who lived on an ancient Island of Giants, off the coast of Connaught. Photograph by EmJcamera….

CON MÓR, The Giant
Macnas HQ, Fisheries Field, Galway
Saturday 29 & Sunday 30 October 2022
12 noon - 8pm

29/10/2022

Halloween isn't Halloween unless there's some amazing Macnas madness to be had in Galway!

While the Macnas Halloween Parade is on pause for this year, they have uncovered a very exciting surprise for the people of Galway. This Saturday and Sunday, Macnas are back with something big (very big!) and a little different!

Head down to Macnas HQ at Fisheries Field, beside University of Galway to see Con Mór, The Giant situated on the banks of the River Corrib. There will also be performances by the Macnas team taking place across the weekend so pop over to our website to discover what wonderful surprises they’ve got in store.

Fantastic photo by 📸 Follow for more beautiful photos of Galway and the West, and use our hashtag to get your photos featured!

29/10/2022

29/10/2022

24/08/2019

We have company!!! 😍😍😍

29/10/2018

The Macnas Parade, in nearby Galway, marks the end of our Summer. It’s the last big event which we usually attend before leaving Ireland for the winter months. It coincides with Halloween, or All Hallows’ Eve, which in catholic countries is the night where the veils are lifted between the two worlds, and the spirits of our ancestors are able to visit us. Hence the rather ‘spooky’ appearance of these giant puppets.
If you want to see more images from past years, google Macnas Parade, Galway.

24/07/2018

Lafrowda Day is a very special annual festival in my home town of St Just in Cornwall, in the very South West of England. Each year there is a different theme, and schools and organisations create giant lanterns and moving puppets from tissue and willow sticks. There is a procession through the small town (village) which the entire town watches. People come 'back home' for this event each year, and this year, I was lucky enough to coincide a visit to my family with Lafrowda Festival. Please click on the link below to see some of the puppets and imagine the carnival atmosphere 🤣😁😊🎉🎶🎻
http://www.facebook.com/100007945472980/posts/2112035302404632/

06/05/2018

Ireland has been basking in Spring sunshine for two weeks. What better way to spend a sunny Sunday lunch-time than listening to music outside one of our local pubs?

02/05/2018

The Plassey shipwreck is famous in this locality. It sunk in March 1960 on the closest of the Aran Island, Inis Oirr, during a horrendous storm. Anyone familiar with the BBC series of Fr Ted will recognise it as the opening shot of the programme.

The first three photos are from Doolin Ferries website, but the next black and white photos were taken by one of our guests from China, who spent the afternoon on the island. I love these photos as it shows the wreck as a ghost like ship.