A soggy road that climbs away into the hill-mists behind famed Fanny O’Dea’s leads to Clares tiniest and least known village. You could almost count on your fingers the number of people who have heard of it. Rejoicing in the puzzling name of High street, even the oldest inhabitant does not know why it was ever called such. High street looks down on Coney island at the mouth of the river Shannon with a placid unconcern into the very hearts of all our neighboring counties on the river.

In its trimly kept kitchens the delph and other appurtenances are considered modern if not 150 years old. It cares little for the march of time. It’s cluster of four families in one group and a couple of others scattered around, eke out their living from the land and life passes comfortably if uneventfully within the circle of their own community. Few visitors or wanderers ever get to stopping there. Delia Hogan spins a quaint looking wheel. My grandmother bought it for 2/6 more than 150 years ago, she explained to us.

Her nephew Thomas Kieran Murphy, the only toddler on High street, is but three years old and is glad of the company of six year old Maureen o’Sullivan, who comes to visit relatives occasionally. Yet life could have a completely different tenor in High street. It just happens that because of its isolation few people know that it possesses excellent trout fishing, first class shooting and a spa well containing valuable medicinal water. But all of these things remain undeveloped. Bridie Lillis says that engineers and inspectors have come here but nothing has ever come of the visits. The lake called Glough a Crow has plenty of fish. Of the few visitors who passed through High street during the present century, there are probably some living today who remember with gratitude the succour they obtained there, when sorely pressed. Yes, the women folk replied to a question, the boys on the run used to come here and there was always bread for them. It was just as well then that the location of High street was known to so few. The Tans never reached the hideouts. What do they lose by being so out of touch with the day to day records of the world’s post-war events? The shooting and fishing are neglected and people go elsewhere instead of to their spa. But there are some that would give much for your simple life and peace of mind.

RAY'S PHOTO GALLERY