JULY 2014 : IRELAND : Galway to Killybegs

                                           

                                         

                                                       Galway via Sligo to Killybegs

       

Mark collected our hire car, a Fiat, in Galway and we have decided to drive north and explore.

The countryside north of Galway was all farming - sheep and cattle. Vibrant green pastures.

         

A students' view of Sligo, 150 kms north of Galway, where we decided to stop for lunch.

       

Sligo in County Mayo is set along a river. It seemed quite a depressed place with vacant shops, and secondhand clothing stores. 

        

Despite being a little disappointed with the state of the town we found a wonderful cafe for lunch, Casa Mia.

                                     

A really homey cafe with a good outlook of the river and wonderful atmosphere and food inside.

                                       

Walking from the car park we discovered that this area had special significance for the great Irish poet, W.B. Yeats.

                                        

                   

                We discovered a memorabilia and photographic display of Yeat's life and interests.

                 He spent much of his early life around this area.

        

                                        

                    A few minutes out of Sligo is Drumcliffe, where Yeats and his wife, Georgie, are buried.

    

        

       

In view of St Columba's graveyard are the two main landmarks of Sligo, which inspired some of his poetry.

                                     

               A memorial to Yeats outside the churchyard donated by the local community.

                                     

We took a coast road to Mullaghmore. It is a small port and has a surf beach. High on the hill nearby we thought there was a castle ruin but on closer inspection we discovered a grand country home. We have since learnt that it is Classiebawn Castle, formerly owned by Lord Mountbatten. In fact, he left from this beautiful place on that fateful day in 1979 when he went sailing with 2 friends on his boat, Shadow V, and died due to injuries sustained by an IRA bomb hidden on board.

        

     The winner of the Hilarious Name Competition today - not Beach, Cranny Lower.

          

Our destination today was Killybegs. We decided to stay here on the recommendation of a waitress on Inis Mor, as her aunt and uncle own a B&B here.

                                   

                                 Sea winds B&B. Surprisingly comfortable and spacious.

         

      

        The Killybegs port is a working operation and not picturesque but down a side street we found a pub with an excellent restaurant upstairs.

      

                                         Our attentive waitress, Regina.

      

 

    OK the diet's off. My undoing : expresso panacotta with butterscotch sauce.

        

                                

The view from our window. A serious fishing industry (the largest Irish port) and beautiful homes across the bay. Apparently this is quite a wealthy town with the fishing and a carpet industry.

This picture was taken at 10 pm. Amazingly long summer days.

Today was wet and a perfect day for car travel. We successfully navigated our way and didn't get lost once, which is a remarkable achievement for us! 

M&M

3/6/2014

JULY 2014 : IRELAND : Galway

        

       

            A shopping and sightseeing day in Galway City.

          

             The narrow streets, open to only pedestrians, lead down to the quay or small port.

        

          

           Lots of interesting reminders of Galway's past.

                                   

                       

    Buskers entertain the public all year round but especially in the lead up to the Galway Festival

                               

                                 

                                 Buskers of all persuasions

     

       and musical tastes.....

         

           

                 Irish always have an original turn of phrase

       

At the port there is a residential section by the pier called the Claddagh Village. These originally were all thatched cottages and homes to the fishermen and their families when the industry was viable.

        

In the more modern section of the harbour there are some expensive modern craft.

                                       

                          The Galway Hooker Festival is a highlight in the national calendar

        

           Houses on the quay called The Long Walk.

       

         

           Anoyher historical reminder along the quay.

                                      

  The port has a mixture of modern apartments and others still in keeping with traditional finishes.

          

          

             A protective mother seagull with her growing chicks.

        

Spanish Arch at the port dates back to 1584 when trade with Spain was the basis of the Galway economy.

        

       

          

           The canal with its locks is not operational anymore but it used to be used to transport goods from a lake north of Galway, Lough Corrib, near where we are staying in Menlo.

 

      The canal forms part of a river walk through the town, with adjoining parks.

 

   The fast flowing River Corrib, which feeds the water to the canal.

 In the centre of the city is Salmon Weir, where fishermen stalk the shoals of salmon swimming upstream.

       Crossing the Salmon Weir Bridge to the cathedral. The large building was built in the 1960s.

                        The cathedral is built of limestone and has local marble flooring.

                        They have weekly organ recitals during the summer months.

        Very modern stained glassed windows.

                          

       

   In Market Street is Lynch's Window. Legend has it that in the sixteenth century, the mayor of Galway hanged his son on this spot when he was found to be guilty of murdering a Spanish visitor.

      

                                       Irish music in many pubs after 9.30 every night.

Great atmosphere in this pub. The management encourages new talent and community bands to play.

My boots have been re-stitched, postcards sent, hire car organised, washing done. We are off travelling for a few days up the north-west coast, staying in the charming-sounding Killybegs, before heading south to the equally charming-sounding Dingle. We begin our Kerry Way walk on Thursday, 9th July. It's been a cloudy day with misty rain. We are so grateful that the sun shone for us over the last few days in the Aran Islands.

M&M

2/7/2014

JULY 2014 : IRELAND : Aran Islands : Inis Mor - Galway

'                                  

                                       Our final day on Inis Mor

                                        Weather : fine, sunny 25o

                           

        

                               Breakfast room

       

 

            Maura's vegetarian omelet - enough sustenance for the day

   Maura and Joe. Maura left the island at 14 and went to work in London in the Cumberland Hotel and at Buckingham Palace (not something that was worth disclosing on Irish job applications) and saw Charles and Anne grow up. They returned to Inis Mor 22 years ago and ran a restaurant and then B&B.

                     We walked from the B&B to Kilronan- about 2 hours on a sparkling day.

                           

                     Lots of bird life in the hedgerows but the robins were the most willing to pose.

       

              Reminders of Ireland's past - on the wall along the path

        

           Denser vegetation in Kilronan, whereas the rest of the island has no trees.

            

          

               Most tourists hire bikes on arrival and ride around the island.

           

      

             Lunch at The Pier House.

       

 

           We caught the 4pm ferry to Rossaveel and bus to Galway, arriving at 6pm

          

             Many places still have traditional thatched roofs around Galway.

         

            As it was so hot all the beaches along the coast were full of swimmers.

        

The warm evening had brought out many locals and tourists who were enjoying the pubs and restaurants. We had a delicious fish meal at McDonnaugh's.

                                  

                                     

                                      Message outside an adjoining pub

                                      

        

                  Some Guinness practice before returning to John and Maugie's for an early night.

M&M 

1/7/2014