On a recent trip to Ireland, our plan one day was to visit the Vale of Avoca and The Meeting of the Waters, made famous by Thomas Moore’s song of the same name, where the Avonmore and Avonbeg Rivers meet and become the Avoca River. We packed a picnic lunch but it was a showery cool day so our lunch ended up being our supper in the conservatory back at the cottage. It was still early in the season and the restaurant and B&B at The Meeting of the Waters were undergoing some renovations including all new beds. However we did walk down to the Thomas Moore Memorial Park where the rivers meet. On a warm sunny day it would be a lovely spot for a picnic at one of the tables provided. There are storyboards telling you about the park and the area and a memorial to Thomas Moore with a verse from the song. It is a peaceful spot to watch the water and the birds. Nature is free to observe and enjoy!
Down the river you can see the Avoca Miners Cross which has been in place since 1952. According to the storyboard it was situated to give the copper miners a glimpse of hope ‘on their return from the shafts after a long day.’ We had not noticed the cross as we drove to the Meeting of the Waters, but after reading about it the cross was very easy to find as we drove by on our way back through the Vale.
