Nature’s eternal cycle in rural Ireland

A SONG by the Clare minstrel, PJ Murrihy, about an old threshing mill brought back memories of days growing up in rural Ireland when the whine of a threshing machine echoed around the countryside. In those times, grain was harvested much later than now.

Last week, we had some lovely days, just like what we expect around now. It was a joy to be out observing the changing season. Autumn heralds striking changes in our plants and trees. Lush green leaves of summer slowly, but ever so perceptibly, turn into various shades of gold, yellow, red, orange and brown, before eventually falling off the trees.

This is a good time for visiting forests and parks, with the oak and yew woods, some hundreds of years of old, in Killarney National Park, being a personal favourite. A lot of deer, both red and sika, are also visible in Killarney these days. In a few weeks, the deer mating (rutting) season will begin, but more about that anon.