Gougane Barra

On our last day in Ireland, little sweetheart, we said goodbye to our friends in Kilcrohane, already planning a return for next year, and made our way back down the coast toward Cork City. 

We stopped off at a special place that surprised and delighted you - Gougane Barra. You hadn't understood where we were going when Kris mentioned. You told me you thought he had said something about "going to the bank"  (ha!), so when we arrived at the beautiful spot you were excited. 

Situated on a lake and next to a national forest, the spot was named by St Finbarr, who built a little monastery on the island in the 6th century. There was a beautiful church there and a second rather small chapel or "oratory", as well as the churchyard and the incredibly intriguing "hermitage" - a series of stone tunnels where monks would cloister in for prayer and meditation. More modern conveniences lay nearby - including a lovely little hotel that you were so taken with we went inside to inquire, getting literature and talking about coming back for a stay. Trails through the woods, including a portion of the Irish Pilgrim Path that runs another 35k to Drimoleague began there, where the source of the River Lee flows. 

We only had an hour or two to spare that day, so we didn't get to stay nearly long enough to explore all we would have liked but you absolutely loved it, little sweetheart, and wanted very much to come back next time together and stay a day and night or two at the hotel en route to Kilcrohane, perhaps come fall. 

Inside the little oratory, I lit a candle and took this picture of you. 

Love you forever.