I wonder if Stanley Kubrick could believe his eyes when he first gazed down from ‘The Vee’ over the patchwork of fields that comprise the Golden Vale. On a good day it is said you can see across five counties from here.
When he framed that magical view as a backdrop to one small scene in the film Barry Lyndon did he imagine other stories based high in the Knockmealdown Mountains.
”…snow comes slanting around the edge of the purple hills, scattered flocks meander through brush and bracken…..”
Up here things come unexpectedly, ghostly mists drift silently, peat bogs retreat before summer bloom, snow comes slanting around the edge of the purple hills, scattered flocks meander through brush and bracken, streams rush noisily over rocks and shale, hawks soar and dive and sometimes even the wind falls silent.
You could do worse than take the drive from Clogheen to the heritage town of Lismore or better still drive in the other direction to arrive in time for dinner at The Old Convent – where Dermot and Christine keep a wonderful boutique hotel and serve the best food in Ireland. Mark my words.