Landscapes

A landscape can be read like a history book. If you look carefully, you will find clues that tell of human endeavour and spirituality. This has never been more true than in the case of a region of bare limestone in North Clare, Ireland known as the Burren (from the Gaelic 'bhoireann' meaning rocky/stony place). Many forms of art have been dedicated to this incredible place; songs, poems, paintings, stories and documentaries. It is a wild windswept mystical sort of place with a long and varied history. Our stoneage ancestors farmed the area over 5000 years ago and left behind spectacular megalithic (large stone) monuments.

This Wedge Tomb sits on a hill where archaeological excavations have taken place. The research has revealed a Neolithic/Bronze Age farming community lived and worked on this hillside. This is one of their tombs where they communally deposited their dead. All those thousands of years ago in would have been covered by a mound of small stones or cairn. Some megalithic tombs are aligned to astronomical events such as sunrise/sunset at certain times of the year. One of the best known is the Passage Tomb at Newgrange in County Meath where the burial chamber is flooded by the morning sun (when its not raining) on the shortest day of the year or winter solstice.

I have marvelled at these monuments on sunny days when the Skylarks are singing out over the ancient stones and have sat in the mist, wind and rain imagining those people. When you place your hand on those tombs its like you can sense the energy of the spirits within.

Greed = Anger & Confusion

These are strange times or "most peculiar mama" as John Lennon once warbled. In this country there are construction workers becoming barbers and hairdressers, newly graduated fresh faced solicitors are applying for jobs at McDonald's and over 3'000 teachers applied for one job a few months ago. The car auctions are overflowing with repossessed Audi's, Merc's, BMW's and other flash models (I wonder are there still models hiding out in some of them!). Apparently at one particular auction these flash brands are mixed in with commercial vehicles such as vans from the defunct construction industry. So that's cars from the developers/real estate moguls and vans and trucks from the lads who made em' their millions (which they lost!).

I too emerge blinded and stumbling armed with a trusty degree and M.Sc. into the bright sunlight of confusion. 'Hello' I offer meekly and politely. 'Would anyone care to look at my qualifications?' 'OK so can anyone offer a job then?' Getting mad now. 'I want a nice comfy career, job security and pension!!' Gimme Gimme. There ain't no one gonna help you now boy! Run away or change direction completely!

Alas, things have changed. Some would say for the better in the end. Community spirit will emerge. Greed will dissipate and slowly we will all get back on our feet. Yet confusion and anger still rain on the poor souls who didn't go crazy and buy the 50000000inch colour high definition watch it til your eyes fall out of your head flat screen t.v. and then bought another one to stick in their second home on the sunny coast. Why anger? well it is they who have to fork out the cash to bail out the greedy few. Very simplified but in a nutshell - true.

So, I drift on a sea of ideas, business schemes, further education schemes while watching our government fight like children over who wasted the money and who is to blame etc. I can only hope and have faith that destiny will send a fair wind and guide me in the right direction.