On a recent visit to an old estate in County Laois, I was excited to find something very rare in Ireland: an old bathing house. Mr Winterly and I took advantage of a recent dry Sunday to visit Heywood Gardens in County Laois. The bathing house is set into the hillside down by the lake but the small and elegant landscaped garden was designed by the famous Sir Edwin Lutyens, and is one of only a handful he completed in Ireland. He also created the War Memorial Gardens in Dublin. In England, he was known for his garden collaborations with the legendary plants person, Gertrude Jekyll.
Duckett's Grove - A Spectacular Ruin
I’ve visited a lot of ruins in Ireland. They seem to attract me but they also inspire ideas for my novels. I wrote about a few of these old houses before in ‘Scrapbook’ such as Moore Hall, Dunluce Castle, and also some of the more ghostly ones like Loftus Hall and Leap Castle, but if I were asked to pick a favourite ruin to walk around, I would have to choose Duckett’s Grove in County Carlow.
Mystery room discovered at 800-year-old castle
Exciting news broke in August this year about 800-year-old Johnstown Castle in Co Wexford where a hidden room, previously unknown to historians and caretakers, was stumbled upon by a joiner conducting conservation work.
The revelation of the secret room occurred during repairs to windows inside the castle. Contractors knocked through a section of the wall, revealing a concealed space that had remained untouched for decades. Johnstown Castle, which dates back to Norman times, was owned by various aristocratic families before entering public ownership in the late 20th century.
Author Research - Two City Photographs that Freeze Time
In the vast archives of the National Library in Dublin lie photographic treasures that transport us to bygone eras, offering a glimpse into our social history. I found these two captivating images, that not only freeze moments in time, but also tell compelling stories of Ireland's past. It’s one of my favourite areas of research for my late-Victorian dual timeline mystery novels and I could spend hours searching through this period. As they say, a picture tells a thousand words.
Uncovering some of the secrets of ‘The Whispering River’ - a new dual timeline mystery novel
Greetings mystery lovers! Today, I’ll bring you into the world of The Whispering River, my new dual timeline novel that takes the reader on a journey through the late Victorian era and also into the present. This book, with the stunning backdrop of Ireland's Wicklow mountains, tells the tale of two steadfast women from different eras, both determined to build a better future for themselves.
A dramatic setting for a castle - Dunluce is worth a visit
Moore Hall in Mayo - Mysterious and enchanting
George Moore made a fortune in the Spanish wine trade and decided in the 1790s to build himself an impressive house on the edge of Lough Carra in County Mayo in Ireland. The locals were superstitious about his choice of location because Muckloon Hill was alleged to have been cursed by a druid in the year 400.
Four haunted houses for Halloween
Halloween is a time for family and friends to gather around a crackling fire and share ghost stories. Apparently in Victorian times, spooky tales were more associated with Christmas but nowadays we savour them at the end of October. There is a limitless supply of ghost stories in Ireland where huge ruined castles loom on the landscape and the ruins of big houses lie abandoned at the end of long winding avenues. They have always fascinated me so, to celebrate the spooky season, I’ve found four tales of haunted houses.
A fine place for an inspiring stroll - Woodstock House and Gardens
We recently had visitors staying from England and, because they like walking, old houses and gardens, we decided to take them somewhere special. Woodstock Gardens in Inistioge, County Kilkenny are now being restored by Kilkenny County Council and are a wonderful place for a walk. I’d been before years ago but could only remember the famous Monkey Puzzle avenue, which would’ve been an impressive feature in Victorian times.
Wandering in old graveyards - St Canice's Cathedral, Kilkenny
This is the beautiful and peaceful graveyard of Saint Canice’s Cathedral in Kilkenny. Graves here are decorated by nature with wildflowers like poppies, roses and valerian. Some of the headstones are hard to read because they’re so weathered but tombs inside the Cathedral building date from mediaeval times.