The Ballybunion thread

kerrygirl

SandhillRoad

fair is fair KERRYGIRL you have got to write something.

kerrygirl wrote:

What's happening in our little town?

SandhillRoad

Snowscorpion,the store where you bought your 'wellies'.

DJBozo

Hey guys, i'm looking for a house/apartment for between 2-4 people from may to september in BallyB. If anyone knows of anyone with a property available to rent or one that they have themselves will they let me know.

Cheers Guys.

snow scorpion

SandhillRoad wrote:

Snowscorpion,the store where you bought your 'wellies'.

I was browsing through Irish real estate ads not too long ago. That store is for sale. There are nine bedrooms up on the second floor. :eek:

SandhillRoad

***********************************************

Happy Saint Patrick's Day .


Beannachtai na Feile Padraig


**********************************************

Cherry Tree

Guím na beannachtaí chéanna ar gach éinne ar Shnáth Bhaile on Bhuinneánaigh

snow scorpion

Cherry Tree wrote:

... Bhaile on Bhuinneánaigh

I hear that pronounced on Radio Kerry regularly. That's a lot of letters for "ballaboona."

SandhillRoad

May the Irish hills caress you.
May her lakes and rivers bless you.
May the luck of the Irish enfold you.
May the blessings of Saint Patrick behold you.





May your neighbors respect you,
Trouble neglect you,
The angels protect you,
And Heaven accept you.





May the road rise to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face.
And rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the hollow of His hand.



Walls for the wind,
And a roof for the rain,
And drinks beside the fire -
Laughter to cheer you
And those you love near you,
And all that your heart may desire!





Always remember to forget
The things that made you sad.
But never forget to remember
The things that made you glad.
Always remember to forget
The friends that proved untrue.
But never forget to remember
Those that have stuck by you.
Always remember to forget
The troubles that passed away.
But never forget to remember
The blessings that come each day.




May God be with you and bless you,
May you see your children's children,
May you be poor in misfortune, rich in blessings.
May you know nothing but happiness
From this day forward.



May you always have work for your hands to do.
May your pockets hold always a coin or two.
May the sun shine bright on your windowpane.
May the rainbow be certain to follow each rain.
May the hand of a friend always be near you.
And may God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you.



May you live as long as you want,
And never want as long as you live.

May you live to be a hundred years,
With one extra year to repent!

May there be a generation of children
On the children of your children.

May God grant you many years to live,
For sure He must be knowing
The earth has angels all too few
And heaven is overflowing.


Our thanks to JM for this.



[/COLOR]

SandhillRoad

Snowscorpion, another view towards Doon

kerrygirl

SandhillRoad

Kerrygirl:
can we at least have ONE word from you( even if it is only one a week).

snow scorpion

Ballybunion gets a mention in the Washington Times

Bronze bandit

It was during lunch yesterday with Tim Doyle, economic-affairs officer with the Irish Embassy in Washington, that we learned that a bronze sculpture of former President Bill Clinton in Ballybunion, Ireland -- unveiled with much fanfare in 1998 -- had been vandalized.

The Munster Express newspaper, serving southeast Ireland since 1859, reported several months ago that a bronze golf ball was removed from the base of the statue, which stands more than 7 feet tall and depicts Mr. Clinton taking a golf swing.

The likeness of Mr. Clinton is a popular tourist attraction, marking the former president's first-ever visit to Ballybunion, where he played a round of golf at its world-famous oceanside course.

This isn't the first time we've reported on Mr. Clinton's journeys to Ballybunion, where this columnist's ancestors (a dozen brothers in all) ran a beachside bathhouse that's still in operation today.

Washinton Times article by John McCaslin

SandhillRoad

SNOWSCORPION wrote:


Ballybunion gets a mention in the Washington Times

Quote:
Bronze bandit

It was during lunch yesterday with Tim Doyle, economic-affairs officer with the Irish Embassy in Washington, that we learned that a bronze sculpture of former President Bill Clinton in Ballybunion, Ireland -- unveiled with much fanfare in 1998 -- had been vandalized.

The Munster Express newspaper, serving southeast Ireland since 1859, reported several months ago that a bronze golf ball was removed from the base of the statue, which stands more than 7 feet tall and depicts Mr. Clinton taking a golf swing.
___________________________________ They forgot to mention that all of this happened in front of the Garda Station.

snow scorpion

They forgot to mention that all of this happened in front of the Garda Station.

RiderOnTheStorm

hi. I moved to Ballybunion 2 years ago, and it is the best move we ever made. I love this town. We have been coming here for holidays for years (and our parents before us!)....... anyway, I just wanted to say 'hi' and I hope to have some good input into future threads on this grand little town!

Paddy Camus

http://underawheelbarrow.blogspot.com/

Paddy Camus

Ballabunion will be heaving. Last time i was there was back in '78 and the cars were parked back to back as far as Ballyconry cross. I was there with Mary and we had a great day out now. Tis a long auld journey now mind you from Whest Kerry but mary loves Sheamus Begley and the Sharron Shannon so we'll set off for that early.

Good luck now. I have cows to milk.

Paddy Camus

http://underawheelbarrow.blogspot.com/

snow scorpion

Not one. but two new members in the thread!



Welcome, rider.

Welcome, Paddy


I hope both of you will stop by regularly. Tell your family and friends you're the newest members of the coolest thread on all of the wideworld intrawebbys.

RiderOnTheStorm

glad to be here, Snow Scorpion. I reckon I will be here regularly, and for a long time too! Cant believe I have been in Ballyb for 2 years already! Time flys! I can now see why you guys prefer the winter here! We wanted to live in town when we arrived, but are looking for a site 1 or 2 miles outside town now..... if you hear of anything, let me know! lol

also..... I see lots of surfers around, but never any wind-surfers. I wonder why? I would love to get into it, and think the beachs here are perfect for it. Any idea why? are they all up in Beal with the sailors?

snow scorpion

RiderOnTheStorm wrote:

glad to be here, Snow Scorpion. I reckon I will be here regularly, and for a long time too!

Excellent! That's the kind of talk I like to hear!

RiderOnTheStorm wrote:

also..... I see lots of surfers around, but never any wind-surfers. I wonder why?

Surfers? In Ballybunion? Jeez, the place has changed since I was there last.

RiderOnTheStorm

yes, Snow, there are always surfers here. (hope you dont mind me calling you Snow, as snowscorpion is a bit long when you have to repeat it a few times in a post, and my typing aint great! .... also, i dont like using SS) Even in the depths of winter, we often see a lone surfer braving the elements. Ok, maybe not in December / January ..... but I saw a few in Feb when I wouldnt have put a dog out in such conditions...... mind you, the waves were excelent!

In summer there are shoals of them in the water! Sitting on their boards like seals, facing out to the sea, waiting for a good wave. They are always on the Ladies Beach, along by the cliffs. The cliffs funnel the waves (i reckon) and make the waves better! The cliffs also make strong rip-tides for us regular swimmers! The lifeguards are always standing in the surf at that point keeping an eye on us all.

I am reading the previous postings in this thread (it will take a while) but it seems you have been away for a while Snow. If you want any info / photos about the town, then let me know and I will be glad to help. On that point, I have a few pics of Ballyb, but this thread fails to load them. Do I have 'qualify' before I can post a pic / attachment?

RiderOnTheStorm

News about town:

Bill Clintons Brass Ball Found!
The brass golf ball stolen from the Bill Clinton golfing statue (yes, the one outside the Garda station!) was found .... last year! The ball was found in a bag of mussels in Ballylongford (a town about 10 miles from Ballyb), a short while before the Ballylongford annual Mussel Festival. It seemed to be all a publicity stunt. The ball was to be handed back to Ballyb comitee during the festival, but my memory of events is strangely dim .... nothing to do with manditory drinking during festival, i promise! At this time (march 28th) the ball has not been replaced on the statue, although it is 'back in custody'

New Hotel!
Plans for a new hotel were finally approved (summer last year?) The hotel will be on the (empty) site of an old hotel. I think it used to be the Atlantic hotel in years gone by? its before my time........ Anyway, the site just across the road from the current Golf Hotel. The plans are very impressive! There will be a boadrwalk going down from the hotel to the beach! This new hotel will be a great boon to the town.

New Buildings:
As well as many small housing estates going up (20 here, 30 there, 15 over yonder) there are some very nice guest houses and residential places being built all over town (and within a mile or two of town too!) They would build anywhere in this town! You can take a walk up from the beach, go up a small lane that prob was part of some farm in years gone by, and turn a corner (expecting a dead end, or else open fields) only to find 3 fab 5 bed houses with no garden or plot, and no view! There is no shortage of money to build amazing houses here! Pity they will only be occupied during the summer.

New Sports Complex:
Building has begun on a new sports complex. It is on the site of the old playground on Kit Ahern road (that is the proper name for New Road.... the ring road that leads to Sandhill....) Plans are to have a swimming pool there! This has been needed for a long time (imho) as a previous poster said, when weather is bad here, there is little to do!

New Theatre:
the new Tintean Theatre opened its doors in the summer of 2005. It is a purpose built theatre (I have been backstage and up in control room, and it is ab fab!) They have hosted boxing matches, plays (of course!), pantos, music events ..... and last weekend we all got to see the very funny Pat Short do his thing! This great little venue can seat 500 ..... and you can order your interval drinks in advance! Im not obsessed about drink, am I? lol

...more news later, when I can think of some. Feel free to ask questions!

RiderOnTheStorm

Attached is a pic of the beach in Jan 2006, looking across end of Gents beach twoards the cliffs and Ladies beach....... and yes! that is frost in the shadows to the right!

snow scorpion

RiderOnTheStorm wrote:

yes, Snow, there are always surfers here. (hope you dont mind me calling you Snow, as snowscorpion is a bit long when you have to repeat it a few times in a post, and my typing aint great!

I am reading the previous postings in this thread (it will take a while) but it seems you have been away for a while Snow. If you want any info / photos about the town, then let me know and I will be glad to help. On that point, I have a few pics of Ballyb, but this thread fails to load them. Do I have 'qualify' before I can post a pic / attachment?

Snow is fine with me.

Posting pics will make you very popular in this thread. My personal favorites are views you would get walking around the town, the streets and sidewalks and shops and so forth.

And since you're kind enough to offer, if you get the chance, I'd love to see what Ahafona looks like these days.

It's been so long since I posted a picture here I think I've forgotten how to do it. But I don't think you have to qualify before posting ... Let me go figure out how to do it. When I first got here I couldn't figure out how to post pictures either. And neither could Sandhill.

Let me refresh my memory, Storm, and I'll get back to you on how to post the pics.

snow scorpion

Rider,

to post pics: see the instructions on page 5, post #97 of this thread.

RiderOnTheStorm

the ladies beach on August bankholiday weekend, 2005:

RiderOnTheStorm

ok, that last one was a bit big! I will try and make this one a bit smaller....

this is Main street, looking (west?) to the sea. I am in the middle of town. JD's is on the right, and the 3 lanterns chipper is there too! (it used to have the best cod in ireland, but cod is scarce now.....). The Golf hotel in not visable at this angle, but it is on the left just before that yellow building (that yellow shop is JJ O'Carrols). Note the Indian restaurant in left foreground! There is another Indian directly opposite (not in pic) but they only do take away. Wierd...... 2 Indian places and only 1 Chineese takeaway .... its usually the other way around!

RiderOnTheStorm

ok, that was a bit small..... lets see if there is something inbetween....

this is main street again (same day, I just turned around and walked a few yards!) looking east twoards the Garda station (and much further, Ahafona). that blue building is the Garda station, and the yellow/cream building is Scanlons shop (Church road runs left between Scanlons and Garda station)

Its a grand clear January day, eh? Not quite tumbleweed empty, but nicely quiet!

RiderOnTheStorm

ok, another one !! (I am on a roll now that Snow showed me how to post pics!)

this is view from (near) the castle looking back to the town. I am not sure what the name of the road is (I am only a new resident in BallyB.... 2 years this Easter!) but the Golf hotel would be to the left and the Golf club would be waaaaaay to the right.

My son took this shot. I think its great (but I am biased) It looks like there is only 1 pub in town, and all other places are closed. It looks so inviting, as it looks warm and active and the rest of street is dark and cold. I wonder if there is any music playing inside???

PS this pub is McMunns....