Tralee

I am going to start this post in St John’s Church, go to the river Lee, then cycle the green way between Tralee and Fenit and back again so we can spend time in the rose garden of Tralee.

Let us look most careful at this newest of reconciliation stained glass windows by Britain’s most eminent and respected artists, Tom Denny from an ancient Irish family lineage.

Let us look carefully. The middle has the father with his arms around his returning son who has wasted what was given to him. A story of reconciliation found in Luke 15:11-32 Here are the father’s words to his eldest son who is resentful.

‘ Son you have always been with me and all that I have is yours. We must make merry because your brother… was lost , and is found.’

Let us ask about the book being read on the right. It is Jesus reading from Isaiah: ” He has sent me to heal the broken hearted, preach deliverance to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised.”

The person on the right is not baptising Jesus as he is usually portrayed instead he is wearing his coat of camel hair and is the voice crying in the wilderness. John’s voice crying: ” Repent, repent!”

It is a window with so much more detail. See what you can see.

The word Tralee in Irish comes from Trá Li which means strand or beach of the River Lee flowing out towards Tralee Bay. At the mouth of this river Lee is the village of Blennereville with one of the area’s most famous landmarks , the Blennerville Windmill. Here are three photographs.

The canal above the level of the river mouth.

The five floors of the windmill built in the 1800s: ground, intermediate, grinding stone, and cap floor. It lost favour when steam came along but in 1990 it was restored and grinds wheat again.

The wetlands with their red waving tops of vegetation. An Irish reed.

The windmill showing the vast expanse of water that makes this area a water bird’s paradise.

Let us cycle along the Greenway. There are quite a few here in Ireland, the longest being Royal Canal Greenway 130km from Maynooth to Clondra. Others we could have done but didn’t: Waterford Greenway 46km from Waterford City to Dungarvan. Limerick Greenway 4Okm from Rathkeale to Abbeyfeale.

What we did cycle in fine rain was the Tralee to Fenit Greenway. This is what I enjoyed:

The ‘ billy goat gruff’. They are wild and like to roam occasionally interacting with the locals.

A few thoughts about goats:

Bleat it and weep. No kidding around. You herd it here first.

‘ Every man can tell how many goats and sheep he possesses, but not how many friends.’

Marcus Tullius Cicero.

There were long stemmed dandelions and Ragwort that hit the green and tightened the grey. This was once a railway track and takes an hour to ride then a light lunch and an hour back.

Fenit where children play on the sands and a few adults swim with lifeguards on duty. Quiet, family orientated and a place to be.

But we haven’t yet gone into the rose garden. The Rose of Tralee garden.

At this exact time of year a woman is chosen from amongst many for her personality, role model qualities and suitability to act as an ambassador for Ireland, there are no swimwear appearances. Laois Rose Katelyn Cummins was named winner for 2025. Who was the original Rose of Tralee and the reason for this garden.

Here is a story: William Pembroke Mulchinock a wealthy, educated, Protestant poet from a prominent family fell in love with Mary O’connor a catholic milk maid.

His love was expressed in poetry but things didn’t turn out well. He was implicated in the a political murder and this forced him to flee to India. There he worked as a correspondent. He having promised to return to her came back on the day of her funeral, she had tragically died young. Heartbroken, William immortalised her in a sentimental ballard ‘ The Rose of Tralee’ and now years later we have the famous Rose of Tralee International Festival.

Let us look at the rose garden it is the day before the festival and it hasn’t rained properly, yet.

The perfume in the warmth of the sun was delightful as was the statue of the fine couple.

Many of the roses seemed quite unique in their colours and shapes. A beautiful place to walk to from our campsite.

If you press on Rose of tralee you may listen to this song.

Take care,

Sandy 🙂