14 October 2007

Ted's Ireland

Leading the pack on the Nostalgic News front today is undoubtedly the wistful tale of the long awaited demise of the Bellacorick power station. One of the last peat-burning power stations in the land, it's been closed since 2005, and its cooling tower was today destroyed for - yes, you guessed it - health and safety reasons. The skyline of the Barony of Erris is the poorer for it.

I'm sure you'll be glad to know, however, that Bellacorick's most remarkable landmark is still intact, only a few hundred yards from the fallen tower.

If you're ever in that magically desolate part of the world, avoiding protestors at Pollatomish and Rossport, you could do a lot worse than make your way to Bellacorick and stop by the bridge over the inappropriately named Owenmore river - inappropriate because 'Owenmore' derives from the Irish for 'big river', which it's anything but.

Anyway, park your car, bike, or donkey or whatever, and pick up a stone, and go run it along the bridge. Or just hit stones at random. It won't take long before you realise why it's known as 'The Bellacorick Musical Bridge'.

How this architectural xylophone never made its way onto 'Father Ted', I will never know.

No comments: