Friday 30 September It’s our last full day at the cottage so, naturally, the mist lifts. We seize the chance to take a look at the rugged scenery of the Ring of Beara and the spectacular Healy Pass. It’s a bit of a whirlwind tour, but it’s wonderful to finally see the breathtaking views that are such a feature of this lovely county. The fuchsia hedges that Fennie remembered from a trip to County Cork, and which are so characteristic of the area, line many lanes. Ma wants to visit the wool shop in Bantry to see if she can find some emerald green wool to mix in with the blue she bought in Dingle last year. Inside the shop, where wool tumbles out of every cupboard and shelf like a wool avalanche, she tells the owner what she’s looking for. ‘I have some baby blue,’ says the owner. ‘I’m looking for emerald,’ says Ma. ...
Christine Stovell, author and freelance writer, on living and writing in West Wales