Sunday, June 30, 2013

A TRIP TO TIPP

I was doing final research on the Ireland-set part of my novel-in-progress (NIP) this weekend in lovely Tipperary. Seriously, that county is beyond gorgeous: lush and green.

And the walled town of Fethard may well be the friendliest place in Ireland. We were bowled over by the welcome we got in Jolly's Café (great brownies) and in the shops. Even in the church, where I was given the potted history of Saint Rita. The same woman gave my daughter a miraculous medal (on the traditional blue string) and she gave me a scapular (brown string!) for the car.

Juno & me, perched outside the fab Kyle Lane
Kyle Lane purchase - Go on the Tea plate - €10
We stayed in Clonmel so I had to go to Kyle Lane, a great shop I follow on Facebook that sells upcycled furniture and plates. On the way there I came across this cutesie shop:

Forget Me Not, Clonmel
Of course I managed to get to the famous Fethard Car Boot sale and to Clonmel's charity shops. I am trying to be more discerning when I buy, so while I saw lots of sweet things, I want to only buy what I love or what has meaning for me. And, I also operate a one-in, one-out policy, so some items have to go after this weekend's purchases.

The novel (my NIP) is mostly set in Massachusetts so I was pleased to find this tin tray at the boot sale for €2:


I am also a fan of American Fiesta Ware - I have a turquoise pitcher that I bought in Macy's in New York that I love, so it was good to find this matching Fiesta mug for €1 at the boot sale.


All in all it was a productive research trip and a nice bric-a-brac trip too. I am still thinking about two oil paintings I passed on at the Fethard boot sale but, until I get that Georgian mansion I dream about, there just aren't enough walls :)

5 comments:

  1. Oooh, all sounds lovely as usual, what a great eye for gorgeousness you have!! Kyle Lane is on my need-to-see list too :)

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  2. Gorgeous photo's, GREAT finds and buys! and I LOVE Fethard, we found the people there to be wonderfully friendly.. We were told about a Síle Ní Gig on the wall of an old ruin, if you could hit it with a stone you'd surely conceive, I wouldn't leave till I hit it with a stone ;-)

    I'm off now to have a look at Kyle Lane
    x

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  3. Kar, we visited the Sheela and she's in the book :)

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  4. p.s. I bought your Mammy card in the shop with the bike outside.
    I reckon you were in Fethard to visit McCarthy's - the piece about it in *McCarthy's Bar* is the funniest :)

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