Monday, 5 January 2015

Wicklow Mountains and Luggala





This stop in the Wicklow Mountains is on the bridge used for a scene in the film PS I Love You.  The mountains are just gorgeous!










At this stop in the Mountains, we were overlooking a lovely valley that has a large estate home.  This was land that was bought by Ernest Guinness for his daughter.   The sand was brought in to make the beach.  The home is still privately owned and many stars and famous people have apparently used it as their get-away because it is extremely well-hidden, private, and secure.  There is a helipad so they can get in and out without issue.  I couldn't recall much about it, and then, when we stayed in Dublin, there was a whole book about it in our room! 





Apparently the home was built in 1787 by a Dublin Banking family, and it was purchased by Ernest Guinness in 1937 and given to his daughter, Oonagh, as a wedding present upon her marriage to Lord Oranmore and Browne.  The marriage didn't last, but they had two children, Garech and Tara.  Tara Browne died in a car crash at the age of 21, leaving behind two sons.  Oonagh threw lavish parties and invited authors, playwrights, musicians and artists to the home, making it a cultural center for the ages.  Garech Browne, like his mother, is a patron of the arts and of traditional Irish music especially, creating the Claddagh Records label and helping to form and launch the Irish band, The Chieftains. 

Anyway, it was interesting and quite a coincidence to find the coffee table book all about the family and the history of the home!



This is our shot on the PS I Love You bridge.
I have seen the movie, but I don't fully recall the bridge kiss. 


Anyway, the bus driver was hell bent on getting us to take a proper photo on the bridge...

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