In the latest issue of Carlow leading newspaper - The Nationalist - there was an article about the Carlow Castle issue. One of the biggest tourist attractions of the town has been left without proper tourist facilities (car park, easy access to the site), covered with litter and in darkness during the night. I have described Carlow Castle in one of me first posts on my Polish blog 2 years ago. I mentioned the large number of the broken bottles that were covering the yard (or interior of the building). It seems that Carlow Council noticed that 2 years after me. Also, they have noticed that there has not been lights in the Castle during the nights for the last 8 months. Indeed it is very hard to notice that because of the surrounding estates that were built up recently. This is the worst thing that Carlow Council could do to the castle. It is surrounded by a ugly modern estates that almost completely wiped out the castle from the town’s landscape. The castle is almost invisible to the newcomer - somebody who doesn’t know the town. The modern estates are placed too close to the castle that the surrounding around the ancient building are not attractive to the tourists at all. It seems that the Carlow chancellors have forgotten about the simple fact - the monument is not only the castle but its vicinity as well, and now - thanks to the Carlow Council - there is nor historical surrounding nor facilities for tourists around the castle.
I remember, it was only 2 years ago, while I was walking down the Graigcullen town’s park or walking down the Castle Street I could watch the beautiful shape of the castle but not any more. The parts that remained visible don’t help the overall ugly look of that part of Carlow town’s landscape.
Dear chancellors - it is a pity, but it is to late to cry. You did nothing when the land around the castle was sold out to the developers, you didn’t prevent the destroying of the town’s landscape and cutting off the castle from the living organism of the town. In my opinion The Carlow Council’s policy in that part of the town was as much devastating to the castle as the ideas of the mad doctor Middleton (who nearly completely destroyed almost untouched structure). The light won’t help much. The castle will remain abandoned by tourists.
It is obvious that Ireland needs more and more development and it is changing rapidly. I am just afraid that there is not too many people in charge who care about the Irish heritage. I wish you all not to wake up one day when you are not able to get back part of your soul that is being sold these days.
carlow carlow town car park castle street darkness developers easy access ireland Irish culture landscape nationalist newcomer shape tourist facilities vicinity
There was not so many entries on Ireland on my blog recently. It is due to my 2 weeks visit to Poland, and due to the fact that after my coming back to Ireland I got (yet again) chest infection. Unfortunately, these days I couldn’t afford not to go to work, however I found some useful job to do avoiding to much physical effort - I was dealing with aerial photography marking on the photos shadowmarks (or cropmarks) that possibly indicated archaeological features. The pattern I got is roughly good picture of the archaeological situation - since we have been working on Anglo Norman village. The other good thing is a hot spot on the site, so while I was working on my laptop sitting in the jeep (used as a power supply) I could check my e-mails and I was listening to my favourite Polish radio. After coming back home, usually I was very tired and coughing, so I was in bed quite early. Unfortunately I am still ill.
However I found some time and energy to deal with some old photos prepared for my photoblog. Since couple of them are photos of Ireland I am posting them here as well. If you want to see bigger versions, just browse to www.kozerawski.com
General Post Office - Dublin, O’Connell Street (click to browse to www.kozerawski.com)
Irish trees, Burtonhall, Co. Carlow (click to browse to www.kozerawski.com)
Jesus on the cross, Abbey ruins cemetery, Nenagh, Co. Tipperary (click to browse to www.kozerawski.com)
aerial photography carlow dublin general post office hot spot ireland jesus nenagh old photos photoblog Photos photos of ireland trees
Browsing the latest articles on Ireland on one Onet.eu - news portal dedicated for emigrants in Ireland and UK, I have came up against one interesting note. Ireland has a biggest in Europe natural emission of radon, a radioactive gas. It comes from the uranium or granite deposits located in some places in Ireland, but mostly in Wicklow Mountains and south part of county Kildare. Outside of the houses, gas can not do much harm, since it is quickly diffused by the wind and air, but inside the houses radon is called silent killer. Stay in the rooms with high radon concentration is very dangerous and it can cause lungs’ cancer. According to the Irish building regulations all the houses built after 1998 have to be radon proof in the degree equal radon concentration in the area, however it is hard to check all of the houses.
In fact, the high radon concentration in Leinster, especially around Carlow is proven in the most tragic way. New Oak estate in Carlow (behind the Tesco and Fairgreen Shopping Centre) has been the front page story for local newspaper - The Nationalist, due to the very high rate of cancer among the people who live over there. The latest estimates rose that number up to 35 people who had suffered from cancer throughout last decades.
cancer carlow county kildare emigrants fairgreen shopping centre front page story granite ireland leinster lungs nationalist onet radioactive gas tesco uranium wicklow mountains
Since my arrival in Ireland I was buying and reading local press in search for some interesting and useful information about the local area I have been living in. Nowadays I am doing it also for gather some information for my town web services. I have noticed that the most popular topics of the articles and columns printed in local press are the ones that concern crime, braking the law, offending the law or court cases. In fact, that sort of information occupying first 5 - 10 pages of the local newspapers, leaving almost no place for other information. Rapes, burglaries, street fighting, drinking and driving, theft and offences, that is the point of excitement of the local journalist.
I am wondering what is the reason of so much attention devoted to crime and law by a local journalists and newspapers. Maybe it is to give the names of those suspected or convicted man to the public information, but it won’t change them. Such information in the press won’t prevent troublemakers thefts, rapists and drinking drivers from doing such things.
Since I have been accused by some of spreading anti Irish propaganda I would like to ask, what is that for. In my opinion the picture of local community described in the local newspapers is not very happy and can leave not good remarks in minds of foreigners. Crime is in every country and Ireland is not worse that the other states in Europe
Latest edition of Carlow People:
FBI captures on-the-run Carlow rapist (front page)
FBI captures wanted Carlow rapist in Boston (page 3)
Gardai appeal for information after another sinister involving apartament “plumber” (page 3)
“The Tullow Case runs into third week” (almost whole page 4 )
Woman accused of assaulting neighbour has case dismised (half of page 6)
Motorist jailed after driving while baned (page 6)
Driver receives six-year driving ban (page 6)
Man jailed for six months for assault (quarter of page 7 )
Man fined E300 for hitting young woman in the face (page 8 )
Exctasy tablets found on accused (page 8 )
Woman who got car keys from Garda later arrested for driving over the limit (page 8 )
Motorist put off road for three years (page 8 )
Woman fined E250 for theft at Potato Market (page 8 )
Man was banging on door for shop (page 11)
Court briefs (page 12)
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breaking the law bulglaries carlow case court crime drinking fighting ireland Irish culture journalist newspapers offences offending the law press rapes theft
Not so long ago I was dealing with the issue of litter, pollution and contamination of water, and whole Irish environment. I was trying to answer the question about reasons of the fact, that some Irish people are throwing litter everywhere, and don’t care at all about the environment. I think it is an effect of consuming style of life… people spending life in a idle hedonism, thinking probably, we have money, we don’t care.. there is always somebody who will have to clean after us…
Here is some photos of strictly Carlow town centre on Monday morning…. would you like to see that kind of photos in a leaflets and booklets about Ireland?
carlow carlow town contamination of water hedonism ireland irish environment irish people litter pollution Photos
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