Christmas Eve 2009 in Gougane Barra

These are photos from a cold and spectacular Christmas Eve in Gougane Barra and surrounds;Lough Allua

An Faill DubhGallaun in Currahy

Currahy

lighting up our school...

Scoil Fionnbarra lighting up evening.

We had a great evening recently in Scoil Fhionnbarra with a lighting up ceremony, cake sale and brilliant carol singing by the pupils from the school. This fundraising event was organised by the new 'Coiste na Tuismitheoirí'(parents association), Coillte supplied a 7 m Christmas Tree and we sponsored the lights which were switched on as as part of the evenings entertainment.

Where do we belong?

I was very dissapointed with this most recent well presented publication from Failte Ireland which is badly represented...

CORK’S COASTAL
FOOD TRAILS

A nice piece of work which represents the following;

'THE INTERNATIONAL SLOW FOOD MOVEMENT BEGAN IN IRELAND WHEN THE FIRST CONVIVIUM SET UP IN THE REGION TEN YEARS AGO AND HAS SINCE SPREAD TO CORK CITY, EAST CORK, AND THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY. WEST CORK CERTAINLY LED THE WAY, BUT NOW THE WHOLE OF CORK COUNTY IS RICH WITH ARTISAN AND SPECIALIST PRODUCE.'

This brochure goes off in a well presented way through Cork City, East Cork as far Youghal and from Kinsale to Bantry.

Nicely Done!

What about Beara?

Why have they missed out on our 'Cork's Coastal Food Trail'??
What has the Artisan and specalist food producers of Ardgroom, Eyeries, Allihies, Castletownbere, Adrigole, Glengarriff done to be excluded from this??

and the following is Failte Ireland's Last Line!!


THE WEST CORK AREA IS SPECTACULARLY BEAUTIFUL...IRELAND’S
FOOD REVOLUTION IN FACT BEGAN IN WEST CORK

The Pastry Bit...

Sweet Pastry

225g slightly softened butter
2 Egg Yolks - free range are best
450g Plain flour
Zest of one Orange - wash and dry the orange before zesting it to remove any sprays
150g Icing sugar -sieved if you have time
3 Tablespoons Milk or water - you may need a little more liquid..we use milk.

For the pastry;

Cream the butter and icing sugar together in a food mixer, or with a hand held mixer,until white and creamy.

Add the egg yolks and the orange zest.

Add in the flour, do not over mix, until the pastry comes together, which is very quickly, stop the mixer and bring together gently into a ball.

Leave to chill in the fridge covered with cling film for at least 1 hour.- it lasts for at least 1 week in the fridge but is usually used up in a day or two.

Preheat the oven to 150C/300F/gas mark 2.

Roll out the pastry on a well floured surface, do not overfill with the baked mincepie filling as it will spill out and be sticky and look messy. Individual mince pies take about 25 mins to cook you can brush the top with a little egg yolk and milk mixed, before they go in the oven, if you want them to be golden in colour. Dust them with sieved icing sugar before serving, enjoy. Imagine it's nearly Christmas...

The best oven-baked mincemeat

This is an old seasonally suitable recipe from my parents restaurant 'Mr Eamonn's in Lahinch, it is a different take on Mince Pies for Christmas, it's a baked mince pie recipe and is really yummy.

Ingredients Bake at 110c or gas 1/2

1lb Raisins
1lb Sultanas
8oz Butter
2lbs Dark Brown Sugar
1lb cooking apples, peeled cored and grated
4 tsp. Mixed spice
1 tsp. Ground cinnamon
1 tsp. Grated nutmeg
1 orange and 1 lemon- zest and juice
6 tbsp of Brandy

Method

Mix all ingredients together, except the brandy and turn into a large ovenproof dish-big enough to allow for expansion, bake for 3 hours stirring occasionally. Allow to cool and then splash in the brandy. This mix makes 6lbs of Mincemeat and will last forever...

We did it again, John!

Launch of 'lovely Flows the Lee'

with John Spillane.

We had a great night at the launch of lovely flows the lee at the fabulous CIT School of Music on Union Quay on the 2nd of December. Authors Tony McGettigan and Frank Twomey gave the introductions and John Spillane did the offical launch with his own composition ' Swimming in the Holy Waters of the River Lee'. He then followed with some more of his classics such as 'Dont need no church made out of stone' and 'Passage West'. Lovely flows the Lee is and account of the river Lee from it small beginnings in the mountains over Gougane Barra to the end of it's 90km journey at Roches Point. John finished up the night with a medley from his present album; 'More Irish songs we learned at school'.

Lovely flows the Lee is available at 026 47069 and at http://www.gouganebarrahotelshop.com/

price € 25.00

Lovely Flows the Lee......

This is a really good book by Francis Twomey and Tony McGettigan which follows the River Lee from it tiny beginnings above Gougane Barra to the Estuary in Cork. The route of this river is well documented in the book along with a great selection of photographs from source to finish.
Excerpts from 'Lovely Flows the Lee'
"On the way to Gougane Barra, the rugged hills
and overhanging trees bear in closer and ever
closer upon the road, until it seems that they will
swallow it up. Then a corner is turned and
suddenly the lake and its garden setting reveal
themselves in the arms of the cliff fringed
mountains. A serenity and joyful uplifting of the
spirit is felt immediately. The experience is like
rummaging through old, treasured souvenirs and
suddenly discovering a splendid jewel".

"The intriguing ruins of a chapel and group of
cells, that one explores today, are those of the
pilgrimage centre built in the late 17th century by
an extraordinary man, Father Denis O Mahony, a
Carmelite priest, who lived as a devout,
contemplative recluse at this spot for 28 years. He
is buried in a low, arched recess or alcove, made of
rough stone, a short distance from the entrance to
the island. The recess is built into the side of the
hill on which the local graveyard is situated. Its
opening looks out upon his beloved place of
seclusion. The Latin inscription on the grave is
dated 1700. The cells were restored in the early
20th century."
Tony McGettigan