Castle Palooza

So its been longer than just a while since I've blogged. Its work. I promise. Its not you. Its me. Im not used to working and as lame in length as my working days are compared to Annas, they knacker me big time. Anyhow, Im working through the pain. Time for an update.


The first weekend of August was a long-weekend and true to Si and I's lack of planning skills, come friday we still had not decided what to do. There was much discussion via email between Si, Andrea and Barby (when we all should have been working) as to what festivals were on, where we could road trip and what the weather was going to be like (the latter is easy to discuss - if you say 'raining' you have a 99% chance of being right).

Friends at work were all suggesting ideas for my weekend. People always have suggestions when you are foreign and need to get a bit of 'craic up yer'. Aisling was planning on heading up to Offaly to attend the Castle Palooza festival-
which was pricy but sounded just like the kinda irish craig simon and I liked to get up to. So, tickets were booked and plans were made. After a little research, we got the dig on stuff. The festival was held on the grounds of Charlesville Castle, and the Black Seeds from back home were booked in to play. YEaaahhhhh. Sounded GOOD!


Of course we had to buy tents, pretty gumboots, airbed pumps and the whole sha bang, which was entertaining (oh, how i love to spend money), and on Saturday morning (ish-afternoon-ish) we made the four hour trek through look-alike NZ country (only minus the McDonalds - much to my hungover disappointment) to Offaly. Which sounds digusting. I never did figure out if its connected in any way to Offal.


The journey there was exhausting, long, hot (sans rain - surprisingly) and once we arrived and parked in a dodgy and very muddy paddock, we waited in a queue of drinkers for the shuttle to take us through to the castle. Finally, through all the admin, we entered the property, past the towering gates and drove through the ten minutes of ancient oak forest. It was plently enough to take my breath away, but then I always do love foreign woods. They are so different everywhere you go, particularly when you are used to NZ forest which is dense and nearly impossible to even see through, let alone walk through.


The woods here were Robin Hood, vines the size of your arm and trunks the size of your car. The giant Oak at the gates lent out branches as long and thick as its trunk and looked like something that had grown out of Alice in Wonderland. It is reputedly the oldest Oak tree in the World at 700 years old. The castle and its grounds are supposed to be some of the most haunted in the world. The Oak was the Sacred Tree of the Druids and the castle boasts its own Druid's Initiation Circle and was a sacred ritual site.

The surroundings certainly fit the claims. If anywhere were to be haunted, it would be the Charleville Castle. Luckily, crowds make anything palatable and I dont remember being too afraid at any given time (though I might have had liquid courage in my favour).

The festival was much like any other, two days and two nights of booooooooooozy boogying and camp cooking. We had a great time and the castle forever made me draw my breath. For sure the coolest thing ever was the massive haunting castle looming over the crowds and stages. It was also cool that they lit the enormous oversized fireplaces inside the castle in the evenings and people were free to toast marshmallows and drink the night away if they werent in the mood for music.

Sadly, the Black Seeds didnt make it due to one of the guys' wife going into premature labour. Typical.


Anyhow, It was definately GAS CRAIC. I'd go again, perhaps next time with a bigger group of people- which would of
course mean planning.
Whos keen??

Nom Nom