Hogan plus Vowles

Yesterday morning Tina called into the kitchen and pointed down the back garden or rather "bog extension" and there were 4 ponies having a grand old rootle. They looked pretty wild little fellows so I wondered if they belonged to tinkers [gypsies or travellers] so phoned around neighbours. Ponies can really mess up a garden and other neighbours do have some good lawns. Tinkers can be a problem too. Anyway this fellow turned up with a couple of boys and a horse box and they sorted it. The man had a beard that made mine look nothing, he looked like a lost prophet on crack. Today after Mass I was walking the dog and bumped into John Finnegan and our friendly Kerryman Richard pictured herein. They said "You had de ponies?" "Yes" says I " sorted by this weird fellow with a beard." "Was dis fella really dirty and bedraggled?" says Richard. "Yes" says I. "Ah" says Richard "dat'll be Scruffy Murphy!" A gem of ...

Today is Tina's birthday and we've had a lovely day. This is a recent picture of her taken on Ballybunion Beach when Gerard, Claire, and Talan visited us here in Kerry. She would love to see any of our lovely family visit us here. She loves you all very much. 

Welcome to Listowel, Co. Kerry, Ireland

We are back in circulation on the internet now that we've started on the next part of our lives. We now live in the Kingdom of Kerry in Ireland - yes we've moved lock, stock, and barrel! This all started back in May when I was contacted to do some consultancy work in the ferry port of Rosslare - a big ferry had clattered into the linkspan and they needed expert advise etc. Tina came with me and we spent a few days there in County Wicklow. Tina has always loved Ireland so she just had to come over with me. This experience awoke old memories and thoughts of living in Ireland [we lived here many years ago]...... Cutting a long story short we talked and examined this from all angles and here we are way in the West of Ireland. Make no mistake Ireland has changed radically - it was once one of poorest nations of Europe - now it's called the Celtic Tiger and it's one of the most affluent countries in the western world. Affluence brings many good things but it also brings many...