Trim

The original intent for today was a visit to Slieve na Cailleach Beara (Loughcreww Cairns) and a couple of Brighid wells below Hill od Uisneach and near Mullingar ... but this was a wet drizzly day determined to settle in all day ... and it did.

So the girls devoted the day to exploring Trim.

 

Trim Castle was of huge interest

 

 

 

 

Especially the Mel Gibson and Braveheart connection

 

While the women were browsing the tea rooms, coffee shops and gift shops of Trim, and there are some very good ones there, I went off Holy Well hunting. The local brochure mentions two, St. Peter's and St. Patrick's.

St, Peter's ended up being a flop, as its in a field with gates telling everyone to keep out and a bit of barbed wire about. It is sadly uncared for and overgrown.

 

There is a water access facility by the ruined St. Peter's church which remind me of the practice of Tully Well in Kildare attempting to replace the Wayside Well and the Brighid's Shrine fountain well at Faughart attempting to get attention away from the beautiful hidden ancient Brighid's well.

 

St. Peter's had a few interesting stone carvings, though I found it tricky to photograph these due to heavy rain showers flooding my lens.

 

The search for St. Patrick's Well did not go very well. I was reminded how risky it is asking directions in Ireland.

First I was sent to the St. Patrick's Catholic Church as was told the well is beside the church. The priest there said it was not there but behind the Church Of Ireland church on the other side of town.

I went to that church and the minister there told me there was No St. Patrick's Well in Trim ... but someone coming into the church overheard and told me there is one and was 5 to 10 mins walk away.

I followed his directions and 15 minutes later no well but a quite dense residential area. I saw some men working on the curb and went to ask them ... silly decision !!!

One told me it was just another 2 minutes walk and in a field just beside the road. I got to that field, and it was a new construction site. I went to the next field, just in case, and that was just a grazing field with bulls in it.

 

I have come across this a few times in Ireland where local brochures mention sites that either have no public access or just do not exist any more. It is boggling.

Meanwhile, I enjoyed watching these swans on ther River Boyne

 

and this mural in Trim town

 

I met up with the girls again, now relaxing back at Highfield House, very contented.

I must include a pic of our group dining area here, very, very nice.

 

It was time to decide where to eat this evening.

As we poured over the reviews about dining in Trim, every site had wonderful reviews about an Indian restaurant there. Very surprising, really, but as I began to ask questions with the Highfield owners, staff and other guests we discovered that Khan's Spices Indian Restaurant is a huge local hit ... so off we went.

 

Khan's is a cozy tucked away restaurant, almost looking like a hidden night club.

Inside it is very cozy, comfortable and well decorated. The owner was very welcoming, dressed in Donegal tweeds and generally looked very local. We learned that he was also a huge supporter of only using local produce, fish and meat.

We all agreed that what was served was exceptional food.

 

A lot of care in this restaurant.

The evening was enjoyed by all, and the relaxing day in Trim, though wet, was enjoyed by all. That night's sleep was also relaxing for all and certainly no disturbance from what was eaten.