Hello all,
Since launching The Green Green Gate, the main question is, why did I call it the Green Green Gate?. Well there are many reasons why I did, and those who live near where I grew up and some family members will know. For those of you who do not know I shall now explain as well as I can. It was not just a object or place to me.
I grew up in a place called Mountcoal in the country side in a town land near Listowel in County Kerry Ireland. Our house is on a cross roads between the local school, church, sports club , pub and a shop which has since closed. It was and is a busy house and area. Most of the those who pass call in to say hello, which we all love and we are always happy to see neighbours and family.
My memory as a child and teenager was The Green Green Gate was a half way meeting point between my house and the local sports field. We didn’t have phones to keep in touch back then so my friend and cousins would arrange to meet there in the evening or weekends and continue on our many adventures and expeditions up through the fields, bog (peat land), to the sports field or down into the glen in my Dads field through the forest and on to the stream on the land which we used to call the “Glosha”.
I remember it as a very old gate with stone pillars. The gate is long gone but the pillars are still there, albeit in ruins.
The Green Green Gate simply marked the start of many adventures and fun times for me, my cousins and friends. We would leave the house in the evening and weekends and not return until we were hungry. It was an amazing way to grow up and live with out a care. Our parents didn’t have to worry as they always knew in what vicinity we were as they could nearly alway hear us, even if we were half a mile away.
It was our Gateway to Fun. The fields, the forest, the stream, the trees and the wide open space were our computers and phones of todays children. How lucky were we.
The trees had little huts built in them by my brother and cousins, my mom used to say my brother had nails and screws everywhere except where they were supposed to be and he turned out pretty handy in the end. You can find him any where now from a big wind mill to the highest cranes. We had swings from the highest of these trees and to this day I’m not sure how we are all alive. My cousins used to climb the highest most precarious branches to get the best vantage for the longest and most thrilling swing. They definitely achieved it. Some were over the stream and were simply terrifying at first but after the first swing you were hooked. I remember one in particular was on the biggest, highest tree of all and hung over a small cliff and over the stream, probably 20 feet high. It took the boys ages to get the right branch and then the courage to do it, but my word it was impressive.
We got up to a lot of mischief in that glen. We swam and played in the stream against our parents advise and were all lucky we didn’t catch anything life threatening. We were never sick and we all had healthy appetites due to all the activity.
Further down the Stream and through an old stone bridge that was covered by the main road we used to go into what we called “The Tunnels”. It was like something out of the Goonies movie. We had to go through the bridge and crawl through two tunnels under the road to the other side where the stream joined another to form a beautiful place we call “Paradise” , as in April and May it was alway covered in bluebells and had a lovely little waterfall. Yes, it was that picturesque. The Goonies I tell you, but bluebells instead of gold. I spoke with my brother about this while I was writing it and we had so much content we had to keep a lot of it out. He remembered some things I didn’t and vise versa. It was fun to re-visit the memories.
I watched a few years ago with my sister and my cousin a movie called “The bridge to Terabithia” which was adapted from a childrens book. It struck such a cord with us and as the lights were low we did not notice we were all in tears due to the likeness of our childhood to the childern in the movie. It really was a lovely story, a must see.
I am sure we learned so much about ourselves and our cousins in that time. We learned to work as a team, help each other and to trust each other and as a result even as adults we all have this unbelievable bond.
I am very glad I grew up where I did and with who I did.
The Green Green Gate was the start of it all. It is a part of everything I do, even if I don’t know it. Team Work, Loyalty, Stamina, Trust, love of the outdoors and above all Fun.
I am hoping that this blog is my meeting point with you all and I can keep on going with my adventures and expeditions through my cyber Green Green Gate.
My inner child is waiting for you at “The Green Green Gate”.
Kind regards
Sarah
P.S. I have no pictures for this one. Please use your imagination or watch The Bridge to Terabithia. XXX