At this time of year, the turloughs (seasonal lakes) in Galway are either dry or at low levels. As the water recedes, summer meadows appear, and one of the most beautiful aspects is the swathes of purple loosestrife that are in flower right now. Near Gort, the land that will be under 2 metres of water in winter is a colourful mix of tall purple flowers swaying in the breeze, interspersed with cream-coloured clumps of meadowsweet flowers and various grasses. It is a simply wonderful sight (and the scent of the meadowsweat is fantastic).
There are a bunch of old fenceposts marking an old boundary around the turlough. These posts are underwater in winter.
A bee feeding on a purple loosestrife flower. There were a huge number of bees and butterflies feeding on the flowers on the mornings that I visited.
A wider view of the bank of the turlough – the waterline is jiust out of shot on the left of the picture. The rocks are large limestone boulders smoothed by water action.