It is hard to credit. Donegal persists even yet to bask in an oasis of high pressure while the rest of Ireland, and indeed England too is cloaked with rain. A truly dissident month.
Now we are rightly in our stride. We build these 18 inch deep walls at a rate of roughly 4 square feet per man/woman per day.
Our lower room has reached window height (3.5 ‘) to the south of the building (see above – left wall) and on the opposite northern wall Kieran works at tying the lower room into the fireplace gable.
He chisels out a stone from the gable wall and also the surrounding lime mortar
, which has set as solidly as cement.
A ‘bond’ stone is then inserted to about half its depth, serving to tie /strengthen those two rooms.
Just as ‘through’ stones need to be placed at regular intervals of one every square yard of wall, so does an adjoining wall need to be tied. Note provision for such (see below) up higher on the wall
Could the season possibly be more stunning…?
Bedecked with wild flowers such as the ‘Ragged-robin’ – much loved by butterflies and the long-tongued bees but sadly not as common as it used to be – much like the fast disappearing Irish cottage.
”Ancient Ireland sweeping
In again with all its unbaptized beauty:
The calm evening,
The whitethorn blossoms,
The smell from ditches that were not Christian.”
Kavanagh
limewindow 
That last picture of the gloves on the south window sill is so evocative, a beautiful job well done, the artisan standing back to admire the result, perfect sky and life enhancing Sun singing.
We have the lower room up to scaffold height – the weather broke towards the end of last week. Stormy and mild. Strangely dry still, considering the deluges elsewhere. No complaints!
Louise, it’s looking fantastic, the boys have done some beautiful work and thank god for the weather.
Handsome work by the lads Rónán – it is almost a shame to think it shall be rendered over – we must leave a couple of walls bare stone, perhaps inside.
It would indeed be a shame for such crafty work to be hidden by render, if only for the edification of those who come after.
The render serves to weather-proof on the outside & insulate on the inside, so perhaps only small areas of the interior might be left unrendered for ‘show’ – like the fireplace and boles.