The Black Rock stands prominently at the Strand in Spanish Point, like a compass arrow pointing west. There are shades of deep violet, light ultramarine, and even emerald green. What is not noticeable is the star that is carved into the rock, and my mother’s birth year under it—1934. 

The star marks a safe spot to dive into the ocean. I was told that the ‘Star O’Neill,’ as my uncle was referred to, had carved this shape into the rock. He would have been too young at that time, though, to have been the one who did it. Still, it’s a lovely story that’s been told to me by my neighbours, and it’s one I’ll treasure because it speaks to how highly he was thought of in Spanish Point. 

This Black Rock has witnessed many life-changing events over the centuries—from where it sits just down the shore from The Armada Hotel—and it will witness many more for centuries to come.

‘Sleeping at Last’ ~ Saturn