Márta ’24

Márta (March) 24, a blog of few words and a selection of pictures and videos. A celebration of the cycle of life, the cycle of our year. March, see’s a pod of Harbour Seals take up residence in the Owenabue Estuary. This is a first for me, but it is a river teeming with wildlife, otters, kingfishers and cormorants, to mention just a few species I see regularly on my daily walks with my companion, Robin Redbreast. March also brings a significant change as, #58 O’Dwyer’s Villas, Thomondgate has new family ownership, a lifetime ahead of it, while our memories of love, blessings, mayhem and sometimes madness in a family home will live long in the stories of the clan, that called it ‘Home’. Trying hard lately to recreate my childhood recipes. Hence, the pictures of Packet and Tripe above. The recipe for the most amazing packet and tripe is available to anyone, just drop me a comment below and I’ll send you both the ‘Benson’ recipe (there are as many variations in the cooking, as there are families in Limerick) and a YouTube video tutorial for this pre or post-Rugby match favourite. The daffodils are nearing the end of their spectacular display of sunshine for February and March. The Spring Equinox, March 20th. will see the Sun headed higher in the Northern Hemisphere and to hopefully warmer, brighter and comforting months of the year. Another feature of my daily walking mediation is a lovely seat at Drake’s Pool on the Owenabue River, dedicated to my friend Kevin who passed away, too early, on 24-Feb-2005. His life touched so many people and those he touched dedicated this special spot to Kevin, a truly well deserved tribute. The years move scarily fast, twenty years, next February. I stop here and occasionally ask a favour, when I have a weight on my mind or just to say, Hi Kev, and let him know all is well. It is just so perfect that both our grandsons are buddies in Play School (Kevin and Charlie)

We spring forward on the 31st. March to the stretching days, early morning sunrises and late evening sunsets. The journeys to the Wild Atlantic coastline, to friends, familiar faces, to Fitzy’s, cold sea swims and the warmth of a special community. Folks, summer is on it’s way, Here Comes The Sun 🙂

Finally, I’ll close out this blog with a really cool Video I came across this week. Us humans are capable of such incredible creativity, movement and sheer magic. Enjoy. I’ll reach out again at the end of Q2 with April (Aibreán), May (Bealtaine) and June’s (Meitheamh) blogs. Feel free to follow this blog if you want to get notified of new publications earlier. And comments are always welcome.

Ireland is not very conducive to getting out in the fresh air and moving, but your life, health and overall wellbeing, critically depends on it. just do it.