‘Tis an Ill Sun!

We would usually say that “It’s an ill wind that blows nobody any good”, a saying dating back to the 16th century at least and meaning that the wind which might be bad for one person may well be good for another – a nautical saying in its origins. The saying has been changed by some […]

The Bay Garden – A talk by Frances McDonald

A report from Maeve Bell on a very enjoyable evening in Belfast! There was a packed room at Malone House Belfast on Wednesday 7th December to hear Frances MacDonald, so much so that there had to be a short delay while extra chairs were fetched and installed. Frances delighted the audience with her account of […]

Pay Me in Tulips!

Tulips are the new currency it would seem! So, Frances McDonald explained to us this morning when we visited her in her garden, The Bay, just north of Ferns in Co. Wexford. Over the past weeks I had seen mention of Frances and Iain’s Tulip Extravaganza at the garden but only yesterday spotted that Frances […]

The Bay Garden – Always a Delight

Domesticity of scale adds to the winning charm of The Bay Garden in Ferns, Co. Wexford, the garden of Iain and Frances McDonald.  Although a reasonably large garden by today’s norms it is experienced in a series of relatively small stages so that the visitor takes in the garden at a gradual and comfortable pace […]