It’s hard not to write about the terrible weather and all the damage it caused. I wasn’t at home when the storm hit and for that I’m thankful, because if I was I’d have been scared stiff.

Sean called me that night with the news that several trees were down, my greenhouse was minus its roof and a street of old houses in the yard had been demolished by a fallen beech tree.

In the daylight of the next morning he had a better look around and counted 16 trees down. In my 28 years living on the farm we’ve haven’t lost that many trees in total, not to mind all together in a single storm. The beech, ash and pine trees at the back of the sheds take the brunt of the prevailing westerly winds, withstanding them for well over 150 years. But this time several succumbed.

Over time we’ve lost lots of old pine trees that were part of the shelter belt facing west. We’ve replaced them with beeches and alders, but these young trees haven’t yet appeared on the skyline. So now instead of seeing an unbroken line of beech and ash from our kitchen window, the view is like the gap-toothed smile of a seven-year-old.

The only consolation is that we’ll have enough firewood to last a generation. But wouldn’t you know it, as soon as Sean started to tackle the fallen trees in the farmyard, our chainsaw gave up.

At least the huge beech tree in the orchard is still standing. It’s perched precariously on a ditch and I worry about it every time we have a storm. After unsuccessfully trying to grow cyclamen in all parts of the garden, they are thriving under the shelter of its cathedral-like canopy and branches that sweep to the ground.

The day after the storm I made my way down the M8 and N72 to Glencairn, Co Waterford, where I had been invited for an overnight stay at St Mary’s Abbey. This is the only female Cistercian monastery in the country and my invitation had come from the abbess, Sr Marie and Sr Lily, who manage the monastery farm. I was looking forward to the peace and quiet I knew I’d find there. I wasn’t disappointed.

Mind you, the nuns were appalled at how unusually noisy the place was and kept apologising for their generator which was keeping the lights on after the electricity was knocked out by the storm.

It didn’t bother me and I enjoyed the good food, company and accommodation. I joined the community for vespers, compline and lauds and felt every tension leave my body as I listened to the sweetest choir I’ve ever heard. Parts of the abbey and guesthouse are about to undergo a major redevelopment, so you need to act fast and book now if you want to stay there. As part of the fundraising campaign, the community is hosting a tea and coffee morning at the abbey this Saturday from 10am to 12pm. You can get further details by calling 058-56168. Enjoy the day. CL