The featured photo on top shows purple haybales, a colourful summer view.

On the map below, you’ll find County Clare, North of Cork and Limerick, Cork being close to the South coast. My photos shown here are all of East Clare. County Clare borders the Atlantic Ocean in the West of Ireland.

The Hidden Gems of East Clare

farmland – narrow backroads – thorns – hedges – windbreaks – stones – villages

Country road

There are a lot of these around in Ireland. They are classed as MAIN roads. Speed limit 80 km/h if you dare.

Blue Barn

Haybarn in the depths of Clare, with plenty of thorny hedges and/or lime stone walls around the fields.

Thorny Road

Here come the thorns. “Road” to someone’s home. Beware of the potholes!

Crisp autumn afternoon in the country.

Autumn in Clare – very colourful

Rainy day in February – According to the Irish, spring starts on 1st of February.

When the light comes back.

Another one of the back roads, with cut hedges. The thorny bushes are called briars.

They are actually blackberries.

Pink haybales – summer time

The hay is made mainly in June. The farmers are working

nearly day and night when the weather is fine.

Misty May morning with cows just outside the village.

Another MAIN road – Country side does slow you down.

In case of opposite traffic one of the two has to reverse back to e.g. a farm gate.

There is a farm house a few meter up this road on the right hand side.

There are definitely people living along these roads! And dogs! Beware!!! They are waiting for prey…

The animals live here, too. This is a feeding wheel, mostly for cows.

This is summer time on a hazy day.

There is a church in every village but some of them have reduced service these days.

These photos show some of the hidden beauties of East Clare. I’ll continue with some more idyllic sites as they would be advertised in holiday brochures and the likes in another post. All photos ©ArtHenning.

Enjoy the thorns,

Bridget

Visit my website: http://www.arthenning.com

or my Pinterest board: https://www.pinterest.ie/arthenning/the-other-side-of-clare-in-photos/

For more Ireland photos, have a look at my Pinterest board at: pinterest.ie/arthenning/ireland which are mostly not my own photos: