066-915 0530 || 
Friday, March 23.
Have finally completed the Dingle poem;
I often think of Dingle as a place where time stands still.
The harbour and the fishing boats, the tower on Burnham hill,
The lighthouse on the headland, walks along the shore,
The dolphin diving in the bay and places to explore.
The Holy Stone on Goat Street, the churchyard of St James,
Brightly painted houses and the bookshop down the lane,
The Races, the Regatta, the Mall on market day,
A glass of stout with Foxy John, the wrenboys on their way.
The Conor Pass and Ventry strand, the road around Slea Head,
The Blaskets, stately, calm, aloof and Coumeenole ahead,
The winding path to Dunquin pier, the waves on Clogher beach
And Sybil with her sisters and Mount Brandon out of reach.
Softly spoken Gaelic, tales of ships that sailed from Spain,
The ancient church of Gallarus and fuchsia in the rain,
A school of glistening black canoes stranded at Dooneen
and Brendan’s voyage from Brandon Creek for Paradise unseen.
Monday, March 26.
Letter from Gerrit van Geldern to say he’ll be happy to make a TV documentary on the World Currach Championships. Met Dermot Kinlen SC who has recently returned from the Philippineswhere he was an observer at the trial of Fr Niall O’Brien and others who are charged with murder. Dermot believes the charges will soon be dropped.
Tuesday, March 27.
Met Brian de Staic, the recently established jeweller who has a shopnext to chemist Jack Walsh on Green Street. He may be able to make the medals for the currach championships. A very contagious ‘flu in circulation these days and even some doctors are knocked out with it.
Thursday, March 29.
News today of a devastating tornado in the Carolinas, USA with a reported 60 people dead so far. Letter from SFADCO with a cheque for £200 for the survey and to say that the model of the Brendan Boat, which will be presented to the Pope in October, will be ready by May.
Friday, March 30.
Spoke to Kathleen Browne re Rome trip. She says that Slattery’s Travel in Tralee will match any quotation we have and will fly us out from Cork, not Dublin. Home for lunch today just as a TV inspector was leaving. He looked disappointed to learn that we had a license!
Helped the archaeological survey team open two trenches at the Ferriters Cove site ahead of the UCC excavation team’s arrival. We were joined by an American named Edward Lowe. He says he’s a writer and confided to me, during a break, that he once worked for William Colby, the former head of the C.I.A.
Sunday, April 1.
The Fools Day and also Mothers Day. The kids presented their mother with a gift-wrapped box which, on being opened, was found to be empty! ‘Fool! Fool! - the first of April’ they sang. But then they produced cards and presents for her.
Monday, April 2.
Went over the archaeological survey accounts with CFCD boss Gearóid Brosnan and survey directorJudy Cuppage. Was stunned to find that we needanother £11,000 to finish the job! The Brendan Festival committee had invited the Guinness Group to send their aerobatic demonstration plane to Dingle for the festival, piloted by Arthur Wignall but he was killed at an air show in Sligo yesterday. Went rowing with Hutch, Diony and Paudo after tea in strong southerly winds. A hard pull for about 5 miles and came in soaking wet but enjoyed
every minute of it!
Tuesday, April 3.
Called to Brian de Staic who has fixed my watchwhich had been stopped for the most of two yearsand nobody could fix it but all it needed was a battery! Letter from David Rowlands - author of the Tralee and Dingle Light Railway - to say he will send a model of one of the T&D engines as well as some models of cattle trucks for our exhibition on the old narrow gauge railway.
Friday, April 6.
Professor Peter Woodman and his team are excavating at Ferriters Cove. Today they found some bones and a tooth but haven’t determined their origins yet.Called to jeweller Brian de Staic and he showed me a solid silver medal as a sample for the World Currach Championships - it looks really good and I took it away to show the committee members.
Saturday, April 7.
A beautiful April day - clear skies and a fresh easterly breeze. Spent the afternoon setting 12 drills of Golden Wonders.
Monday, April 9.
Another great day with long sunny periods and a cool north-easterly breeze. Called to see Peter Woodman at the excavation in Ferriters Cove and as we were talking one of the girls on the team uncovered a small stone axehead. This is the first implement to be found so far and a boost tothe team’s morale. The team have also been finding more bones which appear to be of deer and some teeth which they believe is from pigs.
