One of my passions as a kid was tracing the map of Ireland. My attention was always on the edge where sea and land met and I would have wild imaginings about all the inlets ~ caves, coves, sand, shingle, rocks, waves, isolation, population, horizon …..
I couldn’t but think of all those tracings, using greaseproof paper, smooth dark lead and every ounce of my concentration, as I spent a glorious while at Portally Cove this afternoon.
Portally is just south of Dunmore East here in Co. Waterford in the South-East and can be reached either by road or along the stunning Cliff Walk from Dunmore East village.
It was quite late in the afternoon and the only other person there was a man in a red jumper which blended beautifully with blackberries yet to ripen on the winding path down to the cove. We said our hellos but it was obvious to me that he wanted solitude so we didn’t get into chat.
Here’s the the beauty that was ours. I wonder now if he, too, spent hours tracing maps of Ireland or maybe maps of other spaces, places, people, dreams …..
SOCIAL BRIDGE ~ Jean Tubridy connecting with you from Ireland 