Oops I’m a Moan!

I just noticed, out of all my blog categories this one ‘On a Positive Note!’ is the most neglected with a paltry 2 posts. So before anyone gets the impression that a man with my undoubted positive mental attitude and zest for life and happiness is nothing but a cynical old moany fart, I should talk about something positive.

erm…thinking, thinking…

Ok, heres one. I’d like to talk about living in Leitrim and how great it is to be able to do that!

I’m still not 100% sure how it happened but in August 2003 my partner and I shrugged off city life in kippy Dublin for the quiet life in Leitrim – long regarded as the worst hole in Ireland and the county with the lowest population, bleakest outlook and worst weather on the island. I had lived in the same working class suburb of Dublin all my life apart from the first few weeks in southern England where I was born. My partner had lived in a similar suburb for most of her life but her family had boating connections with Leitrim and she’d lived here briefly as a child.

Two city kids moving to the middle of nowhere then and a potentially nasty shock to the system or so our friends and families thought. The first 2 days of moving and living in Leitrim happened to be the best 2 days weather wize that particular summer and it just so happened that the house we were moving to was right on a lake so after struggling with 2 house loads of junk and when we had a minute to relax, we went and sat on the banks of our garden/lake and agreed that the transition would be a piece of cake. And so it was!

Leitrim in general is one of the most attractive counties in Ireland split by the majestic Shannon and dotted with lakes, hills and mountains. Very scenic. And the people are great too, much more civilized and friendly than the Dubliners! It continues to amaze me how much of a secret Leitrim seems to be and I dread the secret being revealed and the rest of the country piling in on top of us and ruining it!

Carrick-on-Shannon is a deserved centre of attention and one of the fastest growing towns in Ireland. Its got a good buzz about it. If its good pubs, restaurants, shopping and things to do you’re after then you’ll find everything you need here. And with only 1 set of traffic lights (usually faulty!)  and decent roads now, its light years better than spending half your life on the M50 any day!

So I’m chuffed I moved here and I’m here for life I think. You just can’t beat the quality of life and I certainly won’t be going back to Dublin or any other built up place unless I’m dragged.

The West is the Best as Jim Morrison used to say…!

Leon.