the roads from Galway to Kilkee are narrow so you have to be careful but they are very beautiful areas to visit so I highly recommend driving these roads. The people are extremely friendly, expecting a lot of tourists from the US, some which they understand are looking for their ancestors. Go into the pubs and talk to people. They are very interested in striking up a conversation and they have a lot of interesting things to say. Galway is very close to Connemara were the people still speak Irish (Irish Gaelic) and the song that came to mind was one of the Clancy Brothers about the hills of Conmemara where people made moonshine and had to keep away from the taxman.
Doolin to Kilkee
Doonagore CastleDoonagore Castle. Don’t expect to be visiting this castle. Signs say it’s private property so I’m not sure if it’s available to visitLooking down on Liscannor from Moher cafeSpanish point
This cave was more than €17 (senior price) and it is something to do but I have been to many caves that are 10 times more interesting since this is just one stalactite as the main attraction. We go down this man-made shaft which took two years to build. One of the kids got an adult size heart hat which kept falling off.Hard hats were necessary since some of the pathway was very lowThis is it. I think it’s worth five euro but not more than that. The estimate is this has been growing for about 500,000 yearsYou can see the two different colors on the stalactite. The dark part on the left is not growing anymore possibly because the water started dripping off to the right and starting a new stalactite. There is a stalagmite below but underneath is slippery clay so it keeps breaking off and falling to the side and so probably will never join the stalactiteIt’s about 6 km to the ocean from here. The light is artificial. Small straw like stalactites forming but they keep falling offHere you can see some ancient coral petrified on the side of the cave. This is millions of years oldThe kids were having fun and asking very good questions
Galway to Doolin
Kinvara
in this little town I stopped for coffee at the wild beans coffee shop
This is a cute little town to visit for a cup of coffee and to look at the port and relax Explanation of the town and some of the history Look how the name Connelly it’s spelled. There are many Connellys in this area and many of them have different spellings for the name. On the photo below you can see another version of the name spelling even on the same building.The local church (Saint Joseph’s) was closed so I did not go in I stopped to see this ancient Abbey which is in complete ruinsBalyvaughan St. John’s Baptist ChurchYou will notice that this heart symbol is the same as the one in the statue above. I’m not sure what the significance or deep meaning is but it obviously has some story to tell. This is what the hills look like around here. It is many miles of layered limestone Hills at limestone rubble everywhere. BurrenYou might think I got a little carried away with the photos of this amazing geologic site but I study geology and I find it fascinating. There is almost an endless supply here of limestone rock for fences around Ireland. And as you travel around Ireland you will see most of the fences are made of stone.The drive was not exactly like a corkscrew but it was a very twisty road up the hill You can probably get more information from this QR codeLooking down along the corkscrew road McGann’s pub in DoolinLocal musicians in the pub playing traditional music
Galway
This harp is from the 15th century and it’s called the Brian Boru harp but he was in the 12th century so obviously had nothing to do with him. But it is the symbol of Ireland and also of GuinnessThe explanation of the people who controlled this area before the Normans invadedThe effort to increase the Irish language A view from the museum in Galway
Of course everybody has a story including hamburgers but if you look carefully at the sign it includes birds and snakes which I did not know were customers of this burger shop
I needed to stop for some gelato, cherry chocolate with mango sherbet on topMy two favorite whiskeys were a specific bourbon and then also Jamison Irish whiskey. But the fellow eye was talking to at the pub recommended this one and it is extremely smooth and a little sweet, definitely my new favorite. This was recommended to taste which I did not and it is said to be fairly expensive. I will try it at some time
The road from Dungloe to Culdaff going up north to where I stayed this evening has some interesting attractions and it’s worth taking this path rather than the faster road.
Going over the mountain pass this is the benefit. You can actually climb up part of this mountain and probably see some fascinating and beautiful views. Dunlewey area was stunning views of the Lake which feeds down into the river and then the oceanI went to the Glebe house and garden but the house was not open so I walked around the garden and down to the lake since it was such a beautiful day.Grianan of AileachGrianan of AileachSomeone who had an opinion posted this on the monument signThese two photos are looking down on the valley and the lake from the Grianan of AileachWalking around CuldaffThese are just some photos of the estuary going down to the beach in CuldaffExercise equipment for adults Exercise equipment for kids A portable sauna in the beach parking lot This is one of the pamphlets I saw looking through the windshield of the truck This was a first. This is a little cabinet on the beach where people can put and take books. I’m sure it’s a free service since there’s no monitoring. This is where I stayed. It’s not that expensive and it’s very comfortable.
how do I remember scintillating Sligo? There is a song sung by the Clancy Brothers back in the 60s called “the Irish Rover”. They mentioned “the best Sligo rags. So when I saw the village on the map of course I had to stay here a night or two. It’s a cute little town where you will definitely want to visit especially if you come north of Galway.
This was on the wall in the restaurant “hooked” which had really nice food and very pleasant people working there. I highly recommend recommended it. At the hotel, Riverside Hotel, which is very pleasant by the way, right on the river. Make sure you get a Riverview room, the Reception person recommended the fish and chips at this restaurant. The fish was really excellent, not soggy and you get too decent pieces and you can order an option to “chips” such as the salad which was recommended and was very tasty.This was from my room which was of course a RiverviewThis is kind of a very interesting old post officeThe Sligo City Hall The city Plaza Below you can see one of the ancient burial sites. The entrance was closed so I took a photo from the distance. This is one of the ancient burial sites It’s a little difficult driving and taking photos at the same time but I was able to snap this one horse buggy going by deep in the countryside Looking out at the farms and some residential areaI didn’t know at the time this was the place of Yeats. He is buried in Sligo and you will see the photos belowThis is the Knocknarea mound and on top is the burial site of queen Maeve. This mound on top of this hill is almost 6000 years old.It’s a rough pathway up the hillAn explanation of the trail in the area Beautiful views from the top of the hillThis actually reminds me of Champasak in Lao which is in the Pakse areaThis is the view of the path while walking downYou can see the city of Sligo in the distance Here is the mound and on top of that you can see the top of Queen Maeve’s tombThen I went down to Strandhill beachOn my way to Donnegal I saw a sign for “Yeats grave” so I decided to stop by.A memorial to Yeats There are some very old graves here which have been neglected and fallen into disrepairThe grave of William Butler Yeats And then there is a memorial to the great disaster shipwreck the three ships of the Spanish Armada and thousands of sailors deadThe memorial to the shipwreck
there is a tale of the “black Irish” having black hair and therefore descended from the Spanish Armada sailors who landed or worship wrecked off of Ireland. Of course the Spanish did try a mass attack of Ireland in an effort to defeat the British. But it seems the term “black Irish“ was really a derogative term against the Irish. There were probably very very few survivors of the shipwreck who were able to stay hidden in Ireland. The English and the Irish rounded them up and the English executed most of them. So the term “black Irish“ does not refer to descendants of the Spanish Armada and in fact there are probably no descendants of the Spanish in Ireland.
Tullamore, Ireland is an interesting place to visit for a couple days and especially to go out to the Belvedere estate where you can visit even with the kids. There are a number of activities there for the whole family so it looks like an enjoyable place to spend an afternoon if the weather is good. A lot of it is outside and the beautiful gardens and views are very nice. And of course you can visit the Tullamore Dew whiskey brewery in town which is very famous. It’s a very good whiskey.
Of course the Minnesota Vikings are extremely famous here. Actually I have no idea why they had these T-shirts in the shop but I let my Minnesota friends know they are famous. Cathedral of Christ Inside the cathedral A really beautiful wall painting Of course you need to have state of the Art Bose speakers. I don’t notice these in Italian churches but maybe they just have better acoustics? The front of the cathedral the Belvedere house and Gardens. What really cut my eye was that I used to live on an island called BelvedereThe beautiful lake by the estate There must be good trout fishing here
Evidently the earl, the father, was not a very nice guy and the son was nicer but through conflict they lost control of the estateYou might think I flew up here to take the photo. I didn’t,. I took a photo of a photoThe beautiful lake A nice fall walk around the area These thick brambles are hiding an old structure This is the full version of this tree. I like the red color I guess this is where ice was stored, way out detached from the main building He’s been directing visitors for a long time This is a depiction of an ancient Irish warrior Bookmaking is legal in Ireland and in EnglandAn interesting house in town
Saint Patrick’s Cathedral is the cathedral to visit in Dublin. You need several days anyway to explore the city but here you will see why you need to visit this cathedral.
A typical Celtic crossWhen you want to make a correction even though it’s not authorized a sharpie is the way to do it A very nice garbage can Going back more than 1000 years is always interestingBeautiful stained glass windows telling a story Going back 1500 years at a well that may have been used by Saint PatrickThis is the stone over the well which the church is built on top of The history of Saint Patrick There are many memorial plaques in the cathedral which is typical of churches on the island Jonathan Swift was very important writer and religious figure in Ireland and he served the cathedral as well as the general publicSome of Jonathan‘s thingsThis is the death mask of Jonathan Swift who you know as the author of Gulliver‘s travelsSome interesting things about swift Honoring swift in Latin So now you see how prominent he was as a “deacon“ in this cathedralThis seems to be a very aggressive Irish thingA view of the cathedral on the inside Patent approved by Queen Anne George the fourth of William the fourth memorial The following are memorials to the people who died in the Burmese warThe old entranceway door with an interesting twist
THE PHRASE TO
‘chance your arm’ is often used when describing someone taking a risk.
Yet many people do not know the role this medieval door played in its origin.
In 1492 two feuding families, the Butlers of Ormonde and the Fitzgeralds of Kildare, were engaged in battle. Sensing an impending defeat, the Butlers fled the battlefield and took sanctuary in the Cathedral’s Chapter House.
The Fitzgeralds followed in pursuit, but instead of fighting proposed a truce. Calling to the Burlers through the Chapter House door, Gerald Fitzgerald, head of the family; guaranteed them safe passage from Dublin. However, the Burlers refused this offer, believing it to be a trap.
To prove his sincerity, Gerald Fitzgerald ordered a hole be cut in the door. He thrust his arm through it, offering it in peace. Convinced, the Butlers shook his hand. Today, the story lives on in the famous expression, “to chance your arm”.
if you are going off to Kells you will pass through a number of small towns which are very interesting and very beautiful with local shops which are very old and a lot of old signage. Many of the churches are not open unless they have services which is understandable nowadays. You can find the Irish sense of humor outside in many places so keep your eyes peeled. The town of Kells itself is where the book of Kells (the old Bible from the ninth century) was transferred when they Vikings pillaged the islands off Scotland. And then this very old Bible was moved to the library in Trinity College to protect it from the invading saxons and Normans which are now considered the English.
A youth café signage Saint Joseph’sThe churches accounts for 2024 I went around the corner but I did not see heavenWhich butt?It’s all legitimate The store named after my childhood nicknameThis makes sense. Italian cuisine next to an “oriental restaurant”I heard the auctioneering on the sidewalk and decided to come in to watch the cat auction, reminding me of my young days helping my dad at his auctions The auction board representing the cow currently in the ring The cross in Kells. I was told it is probably 1200 years oldThese carvings are the story of Jesus and ChristianityThe low clouds rolling in reminded me of the fog rolling into the city (San Francisco) I walked up here for the view but also to go to see an ancient relic but the grass was wet and slippery and when I got up on the hill it was clear I would have to walk a long distance more and decided it was a great place to slip and fall so I went back to the car The rain keeps Ireland green
Around and in Inniskeen you see some typical and historical building and things, giving you a cross-section view of rural Ireland. Be prepared to eat before you arrive since there isn’t really anything open to provide food that I could find. But you can always sit by the river, listen to the sound of the rushing water and just enjoy a beautiful walk around town.
Atypical telephone booth still standingI stopped in Naul Village to get something to eat. The Caesar salad was not bad and had bacon pieces in it which gave it some flavor and the bread was very good and filling, a thick and nutritious brown breadHe must’ve been very good on the pipes since he is now permanently sitting here in NaulThis is the very nice guest house B and B, Gleneven guest house in Inniskeen The rushing river from the bridge Taking a walk on the Patel along the river From the golf course, a pitch and putt, the older church and ruins of the very old churchNo dogs here, just golf ballsI didn’t check to see if this was the long holeI tried pumping water but it did not workThe poem grinder You turned the handle until the light turns red next to the poets name and a poem comes out the top speakerA local poet’s verseThe old church tower from the ninth century and a newer churchHey neglected cemetery but it did not feel bleak. I got the feeling the residence were used to be left to their own entertainment. The ruins of the old church A very iconic Irish design on an old headstoneA preserved graveyard area with a harp in a traditional Irish crestA typical small town pub except that the entrance was posted “members only bar“ so I didn’t go in since I’m not a member.Informative direction signsThe Patrick kavanaugh museum for a famous local poet
