KEYNOTES: Rosemary returns from Arizona, Mexico vacation
Rosemary Rimkus
Just returned from 10-day vacation in Tucson, Arizona and Rocky Point, Mexico, with Julie and Camille, daughter and daughter-in-law, my thoughtful and accommodating hostesses. Their spring weather means 60s at sunrise and in the 90s by noon, but, as any Arizonian explains, “it’s dry heat,” and it was. Enjoyed several mornings at the Tucson Racquet and Swim club, where Julie did laps in the 75-degree pool, and I managed to safely water-walk. My rollator provides the necessary mobility in most handicapped-accessibly areas. In between reading and crossword-puzzling, my hostesses provided delicious, healthy meals. They also hosted a five-day stay on the Sea of Cortez in Rocky Point, Mexico, at a lovely villa on the ocean. It was a five-hour trip southward for the drivers, me and their dog “Bodhi,” but worth every hour of viewing the mountains change from red to black, and continuous stretches of the tall
Gemma Grant continues her series on Irish Castles
Described as ‘a historical gem’ in the heart of Connemara, 16th century Aughnanure Castle is one of over 200 tower houses in County Galway, constructed mainly by the wealthy Gaelic and Anglo-Normans. The name itself, from the Irish, Achadh na n-Iubhar means the field of yew trees.
The six-storey Aughnanure tower house on the shores of Lough Corrib, was hearth and home to the ferocious O’Flaherty clan who ruled west Connacht for some 300 years. Their dwelling is considered to be a particularly well preserved example of an Irish tower house and “the finest fortified dwelling upon any part of the shores of Lough Corrib.”
Gemma Grant continues her series on the castles of Ireland
Described as ‘stunning, luxurious and steeped in a long and bloody history’, Ballyseede castle reaches back to the original owners, the Fitzgerald family, the earls of Desmond and builders of numerous castles.
Actively involved in the Desmond Rebellion, that sought to halt the encroachment of further English advancement over Ireland, the Fitzgerald lords were to the forefront of the uprising.
During the second wave of rebellion, the Rebel Earl, Gerard Fitzgerald, 15th Earl of Desmond, was decapitated in 1583 by the soldier, Daniel O’Kelly. O’Kelly was rewarded by Elizabeth l for his services “in consideration of his having slain the traitor Desmond.”