On a recent trip to stay with my mother I found myself in a very quiet Blackrock, a seaside town in County Louth that I have featured before on Thursday Doors. Gone are the days when you could find roughly six hotels and forty boarding houses there but it still attracts lots of day trippers and tourists and is a great base from which to travel around the east and north coast area. The first image is of the sundial in the centre of the main street. On a sunny day it’s a lovely place to sit and take in the sea view.
Most of the shops are closed during another strict lockdown and sadly the tea rooms where I held my first book launch of the Irish Family Saga is gone altogether. The craft shop next door might be locked up (or should I say down?) but the online store is still open.
This next business has also found a way to keep operating, I’ve eaten there a few times and the coffee is delicious so it’s nice to see they are still serving it as a takeaway. Next time I visit, I hope the restaurant will be fully open.
The Clermont underwent some big changes the year before the pandemic. They serve a vast array of ethnic food, so there is something for every palate. Unfortunately, I didn’t get a chance to sample the cuisine before the lockdowns began so as soon as I can, I’ll be paying them a visit. It must be so difficult for all of these businesses to keep going, we should really try to support them as much as we can when they are finally allowed to reopen. This building has been here since the mid 1800s, when it was known as the Clermont Hotel.
It’s the same story with The Brake Tavern, closed due to another lockdown. This was originally known as The Blackrock Hotel and built around 1845 to accommodate the many tourists who came to the village from the midland towns of Ireland and from as far away as Scotland, even in those days. At one time, in the early 1900s, it was owned by my great grandparents. It also serves delicious food and I hope to pay them another visit once they can reopen.
See if you can spot the fake in the next photo. I’ve featured this one before, so some of you might remember it.
It was quite a blustery day when I took these shots and the sea was fully in. I’ll leave you with a short video I took, to make this virtual tour more realistic for you.
Thanks so much for stopping by. I have a few more images from a quiet Blackrock for next week’s post but in the meantime Dan has links to some great Thursday Doors over on his blog.
Lovely buildings. Like you, I hope they can make it through another series of lock downs. We have been supporting the restaurants we like with takeout orders throughout the pandemic, and I’ve been visiting the bars once a week since they were allowed to partially reopen – I know, sacrifice on my part. I hope you enjoyed your visit. Thanks for sharing the doors, Jean.
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I’m sure they appreciate your ‘sacrifice’ Dan, lol. I’ll try and do the same when pubs reopen here.
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The bartenders appreciate it. They live on tips over here
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This is beautiful; thank you for sharing. It’s always good to see travelers and writers supporting small businesses as that has a potential to go long way.
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You are right about support. In Ireland, small to medium businesses are the backbone of the economy but this past year they have been hit very hard.
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Those places look so colourful and inviting and I love the charity shop and craft shop frontages. I hope they survive lockdown ok. Blackrock looks a lovely place despite the weather.
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The same man owns both premises and hopefully they’ll be open again for the summer. He does a lot of charitable work here and internationally.
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Wow, forty boarding houses:) Love all your views – all cheerful looking buildings- , and would like to browse in the Crafty rock (couldn’t make out the last word).Blackrock looks great to visit! Jesh
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The Crafty Rock also holds craft classes and has collectable items for sale. You would also love the thrift store next to it, Jesh.
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Our weather looks much the same today – blustery. Good day to be inside having tea and biscuits. Hopefully soon!
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This is typical spring weather for us, Jan. Blustery and wet one day, calm and sunny the next.
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Such attractive colors and I’m happy to see that some shops have been able to adapt. In the US, places that already had drive-through or takeout probably had the least trouble adapting. We try to support places as well, although nothing in-person or in-restaurant until my husband has gotten his second shot. But Arizona isn’t nearly as locked down as Europe!
janet
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It’s good to be cautious, Janet. Hopefully it won’t be too long before things get better.
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Pingback: Thursday Doors – A Quiet Blackrock — Jean Reinhardt | homethoughtsfromabroad626
Patti is here at my house this week. It’s the first time we could be together since we got home from Ireland. We send our greetings and best wishes.
I really enjoy your Thursday Doors,
Warm hugs,
Judy Davenport
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I’m so happy for you both, enjoy your time together and say hi to Patti from me xx.
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Thanks for showing this Jean i recall growing up in rural Ireland there was a saying it was a bad day at Blackrock why i do not know probably the eternal rain or the coal dust in the air.
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There is an old movie with that title, set in America. Also, a book of the same name set in Blackrock, Dublin. I’m sure the saying means something bad happening on a fateful day. My Blackrock has seen it’s fair share of bad days, as many coastal towns have, tragic drownings sadly.
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Lovely buildings and thanks for the video too.
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I’ll have to do a video on a sunny day when the tide is out, Manja. Looks completely different.
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Wow, that video, you can really sit and take in the sea. Nice post.
Pat
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Sitting on that wall looking at the sea is soooo good, eating an ice cream in summer or drinking a hot chocolate in winter.
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I can only imagine 🙂
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Wow, that video, you can really sit and take in the sea. Nice post.
Pat
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So considerate to showcase so many places evoking warm memories to you.
I hope they will make it through the Pandemic, Jean.
Many thanks for the sound of breaking waves and the flight of gulls 🙂
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Those seagulls can get pretty noisy but on that day the sea was louder, Patricia. Thanks for your lovely comment.
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I will always remember the “Mine! Mine!” line the seagulls had in the movie ‘Finding Nemo’ – when they were fighting over food.
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What a charming seaside town!
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It is indeed, Jennie.
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My eldest daughter called to tell me about one of the restaurants in her city that fully reopened after exactly 1 year of only serving take out. She was still doing a take out order, but they were so busy it took her an hour to get her order and they had totally shut down the online order option. Quite a show of support from her community. I can only hope the same for the rest of the businesses out there. Such hard times! I decided with my own daycare to only have half capacity myself after all this. It’s just been too much. Look forward to more next week!
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It’s good to hear that you are still in business. It must be difficult to keep going with all the changes that have taken place. I’m so glad I didn’t open another nail salon when we moved, although I was tempted.
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Thank you, I appreciate your kind thoughts. Lots to consider for many in moving forward. Not an easy process.
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