And on the 7th day we rested....

Rest Day in Portumna

Morning has produced another immaculate day, another blue sky.

We sleep a little later before heading to breakfast. It is a very casual friendly affair with an American couple already there, a couple who I will keep in touch with after our meeting.  We stay talking before we decide where and what we will do on this day off. A few places of interest on the agenda.

The Famine Union Workhouse is what we are very interested in visiting and a young man to guide us, he knows his history and fills in some gaps in our own family history. The centre knew the walkers were in town – news travels very fast in a small town. The Famine Workhouse is the first that I have visited or even seen. The sad history of this stone double storied buildings, rows of window ventilation openings, straw mattresses lined up against the walls in the inmates quarters, the inmates who were half starved and half clothed. Part of the Workhouse establishment was St Vincent’s Hospital and towards the e

nd of 1884, the Mercy Sisters began to visit Portumna Workhouse on a daily basis to perform hospital duties. In March 1886, they set up and moved into St. Vincent’s Hospital in the workhouse to continue their work. This place has made me think of my ancestor buried in the Drumshanbo famine grave, what was his life like in a workhouse?

Our next stop is the Portumna Castle situated on the shore of Lough Derg. It is a semi fortified house, leading through a series of three imposing gateways, estate grounds containing a walled garden, gate lodges, gateposts and so much more. The many gardens in flower with masses of different coloured roses and a variety of bushes and plants in the kitchen garden.

We walk up the main road to the Famine Cemetery but there are no marked graves from that era just a sign on the front gate so a little disappointing.

As we head back to the house for a rest and rethink and chill for the remainder of the day we stop off at St Brigid’s grey stoned Catholic Church situated across the road and light some candles for the boys. We must repack our bags

as the main bags will be transported to our next rest day at Tipperary. It is starting to rain lightly as we head off to O Meara’s Pub for a night meal. A new overnight resident in the B & B is the Swedish Consulate and her husband.