In the Heart of Irish Horse Country
October/04/2008 Ireland Journal
In making our plans to attend the Irish PPA meeting in Kilkenny, where we would have a reunion with "The Irish Six," who visited the U.S. last April, we realized that on the way from County Tipperary we could easily visit Padraic Deasy's studio in Newbridge, County Kildare. The county is a center for thoroughbred horse breeding, and at Padraic's suggestion, we stopped to visit The Irish National Stud and Japanese Gardens located on 1,000 acres just outside of Kildare Town.
The Stud, as it is known, was established in 1900 by a wealthy Scotsman of a famous brewery family Colonel William Hall-Walker. It was signed over to the British Crown in 1915 and upon independence became the Irish National Stud, and it is where some of Ireland's best horses are conceived and cared for. You don't see many horses, however, as they are too valuable to risk being easily accessible to the public.
In addition to an interesting museum . . .
We toured the pristine box stalls, which are cleaner that some people's homes.
And after a short walk, we came upon one of the famous residents in a secluded paddock.
The adjoining Japanese Gardens we devised by Col. Hall-Walker and laid out by Japanese craftsman Tassa Eida and his son Minoru between the years 1906-1910. Planned to symbolize "The Life of Man," the gardens are now regarded as the finest Japanese Gardens in Europe.
The gardens were, in fact, so beautiful that I made far too many pictures that will require a serious editing job. One of my favorites is this photograph of Jim in one of the garden's rock structures.
Several ponds and tributaries are filled with ducks and swans. As colorful as these surroundings are, my favorite swan photo is the monochromatic image below.
The Stud, as it is known, was established in 1900 by a wealthy Scotsman of a famous brewery family Colonel William Hall-Walker. It was signed over to the British Crown in 1915 and upon independence became the Irish National Stud, and it is where some of Ireland's best horses are conceived and cared for. You don't see many horses, however, as they are too valuable to risk being easily accessible to the public.
In addition to an interesting museum . . .
We toured the pristine box stalls, which are cleaner that some people's homes.
And after a short walk, we came upon one of the famous residents in a secluded paddock.
The adjoining Japanese Gardens we devised by Col. Hall-Walker and laid out by Japanese craftsman Tassa Eida and his son Minoru between the years 1906-1910. Planned to symbolize "The Life of Man," the gardens are now regarded as the finest Japanese Gardens in Europe.
The gardens were, in fact, so beautiful that I made far too many pictures that will require a serious editing job. One of my favorites is this photograph of Jim in one of the garden's rock structures.
Several ponds and tributaries are filled with ducks and swans. As colorful as these surroundings are, my favorite swan photo is the monochromatic image below.