Heritage on Sunday Morning

Driving back from Waterford this morning I decided we'd stop off at Jerpoint Abbey. For the past three years or so, ever since I moved to Carlow, I've been going past Jerpoint in buses and cars, but I'd never actually been inside. This morning I was in no hurry - as I said to Keith, as long as we were back in Carlow for Monday morning it didn't really matter :) Jerpoint is a lovely little spot, even if it is directly facing a main road. In common with so many Irish heritage sites it is now managed by Duchas (their site seems to be dead, but the Heritage Ireland one seems to hold most of the information), which is the Irish equivalent of the National Trust. While I may not like what they've done with some sites in the past, as I was very involved with the entire heritage / tourism industry in a previous life, I must admit that they've certainly come along way. Admission to the site costs a couple of euro, but it's money well spent. The monastery dates back to the 12th century and is quite well preserved in parts. What I really enjoyed, however, was chatting for a few minutes with the curator. She was so passionate about her job that it was truly refreshing. I spend an inordinate amount of time working and playing with technology that I found it incredibly invigorating to take a step back and explore part of our national heritage. As a nation we have some incredible treasures on our very doorstep, yet all too often we forget about them, as we're too wrapped up in our day to day lives.