The ruined church at Fenagh near where McGahern lived, and which provides the graveyard scene (and the novel's title) in 'Rising Sun' where Johnny Murphy is buried. It was built on the site of a 6th century monastery and which prior to that had been a Druid site.
A barbeque made by McGahern's uncle, Patrick McManus (The Shah in 'Rising Sun'), to be used on an internal fireplace after McGahern commented that he loved to barbeque but the weather was so often unfavourable. The BBQ gets a mention in 'Rising Sun' when the Ruttledges use it to cook dinner for the Murphys' son and his family when they are on a visit from Dublin. The BBQ is now in the Glenview Folk Museum in Fenagh.
The Barracks in Cootehall, Co. Roscommon, where McGahern's father lived and worked in the Gardai. It is in disuse and Cootehall is virtually a suburb of Carrick now.
Patrick McManus's business in Ballinamore. His local nickname is 'patmac'. McGahern called him the Shah because during a time of petrol rationing he carried on like some oil baron presiding over a huge business. The business is still run by McManus's offsider, John Fox (Frank Dolan in the book), now about 80. He was serving petrol the day I met him in late August.
Laura Lake, near Fenagh, where McGahern lived. Presumably it provides much of the inspiration for the magnificent nature descriptions in 'Rising Sun'.
A lane around Laura Lake. McGahern writes about these lanes extensively, of course. They are everywhere in this part of Leitrim. Around Aughwillan and Lisacarn where McGahern lived as a small child there are even more dramatic examples where the trees join up overhead to create a sense of a tunnel. When McGahern was a child they would have still been grass underfoot. In high summer with the perfumes of many flowers and wild herbs they would have been truly intoxicating.
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