Ballinrobe Priory, County Mayo

January 20, 2018

“Come to me in the deepest night
and rouse me from my slumber,
from the shackles of my dreams
where pain and pleasure lurk.

Come wake me into daylight
to face what I have forgotten,
all the things I run from
each time I close my eyes.”

— Claire Loader

If Ballinrobe Priory had a star sign, it would certainly be Gemini – the Abbey of the Two Faces. Desolate in her winter garb, the earth damp with long forgotten grief, she comes alive then in summer, flowers blooming in alcoves, life within the stone.

Winter or summer, you choose. - you can find its location here. Come explore with me…

you can find this and other handmade photo art blocks at my etsy shop here.

Portumna Workhouse, County Galway

December 21, 2017

“We passed through the gates in pairs
although I’d never felt more alone,
a coldness creeping in,
seeping into bone.

And in the walls I looked,
the shadows
searching for his face,
but in my heart I knew, I felt,
no God within this place.”

— Claire Loader

A coldness lingers at the reception hall of the workhouse at Portumna, no matter how big of a fire is blazing in her hearth, as if the walls cannot relax, cannot allow themselves to forget what they have seen. One of 163 workhouses built in Ireland in the mid-1800s, Portumna workhouse is now home to a group of dedicated staff and volunteers working hard to preserve the memory of a period in Irish history that both fascinates and haunts.

Read my short story about the architect who designed all 163 workhouses built in Ireland here. To find its location and the many other places I’ve visited click here. Come explore with me…

Tyrone House, County Galway

November 17, 2017

“Just as the muddy waters ebbed quietly at the shore, so too have you now receded. Like a thousand tiny specks of sand, so too were you lost to the bay.”

— Claire Loader

There is a determination about Tyrone House – standing forlorn yet unbroken, like an old war horse too stubborn to finally let its legs rest. Instead, it faces out to the bay, windows now strung with ivy, the tatters of a once great house, beaming defiance at the sea.

Click here to hunt out this beauty yourself. Come explore with me…