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Ireland

May - June 2023
A 20-day adventure by JoAnne Read more
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  • 20days
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  • 12videos
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  • TravelerIreland
    Day 7

    Donegal to Westport

    May 19, 2023 in Ireland ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

    On our way to Westport we made a few very interesting stops. The video was our first stop in the County Sligo where we stopped on the coast to watch the waves. People actually surf there 😲
    Next stop was in Carrowmore to see the megalithic tombs (standing stones). These are not as high as the ones in Scotland and England. I found out from one of our traveling buddies that these standing stones contain the cremated remains of people, while the ones in Scotland/England have bodies. As a result these tombs are much smaller.
    The tomb in the picture contains no more than twelve people. It is surrounded by a circular wall of stones that is about 6 meters high. The passage into the tomb faces east. When the sun rises on October 31 and May 31 it makes the inside of the tomb glow like fire. No one knows the reason for having the tomb built this way.
    Next stop was the Irish National Museum of Country Life. It was a really cool place. Much of the display items are made from straw so there were not a lot of artifacts available to to the museum. People who knew how to make these items were commissioned to make the items. I found the saddle and bridle particularly interesting.
    After that we stopped at School Island to see a castlelette and the cliffs.
    Big day!!    Read more

  • TravelerIreland
    Day 8

    The Famine and Abbey

    May 20, 2023 in Ireland ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    Doolough Valley was our first stop of the day. This was the area where many people died during the famine. The reason they died here was in trying to cross the mountains to get to places with food and work. There were three reasons why the famine occurred. First, nature causing a failure in potato crops. Second, the high dependence on potatoes for food. Third, the British Empire had a conservative government that believed in the free market and was willing to let the famine to run its course. In their opinion there were too many people. The population went from 8 million to 4 million. Sounded pretty horrific.
    Just up the road were the falls on Erriff River. Pretty little place.
    We finished the day at Kylemore Abbey. This Abbey is occupied by the St. Benedictine Nuns. It used to be a boarding school run by the nuns, which had a very good reputation. Because of an economic downturn the school had to be closed. No one could afford it. The mind themed it into a very successful tourist attraction and are now expanding by building a new residence for the nuns with a retreat centre. Nuns are so resourceful. We were kind of castled out and just wanted to walk around outside so we choose not to go in.    Read more

  • TravelerIreland
    1
    Day 9

    Westport to Galway

    May 21, 2023 in Ireland ⋅ ☁️ 10 °C

    This was pretty much a driving day from Westport back to Dublin. The last two nights we've stayed at a really nice hotel that offered breakfast. The first picture shows the place setting. It felt pretty posh.
    After breakfast we left Westport. Our only touristy stop was Ballintubby Abbey. It was destroyed and rebuilt. It has a lot of interesting nooks and crannies, however, I didn't take a lot of pictures on my phone. When we got back to Dublin we were scoping out a way to get to our final destination and found Gerard's Cafe. It is actually across the street from where we are staying. We may have to check it out tomorrow.😀    Read more

  • TravelerIreland
    Day 10

    Dublin Again!

    May 22, 2023 in Ireland ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

    Today was a big walking and getting our bearings day. We are back in Dublin to regroup before our next. Got to experience a launderette. There are no laundromats around our hotel. We had to drop off our clothes and post someone to wash and fold them. I feel a little weird about having a stranger clearing my undies but now we're good for the rest of the trip.
    While waiting for our laundry we walked along the River Liffey, back towards the EPIC Museum. Another task we had to do today was try to figure out the best way to get to our AirB&B on Saturday. So we wandered around the bus and train stations for a while.
    After eating lunch and retrieving our laundry we walked over to the Trinity College area to see a few more sites. The locations are in the photos. We found the statue of Molly Malone who may or may not be a real person. No one knows for sure. People rub her breasts for good luck. After posting the picture I realized I cut off her head😜
    For supper we went to Celtic Nights for dinner and a show. It was a great way to spend the last evening in Dublin.    Read more

  • TravelerIreland
    1
    11
    Day 10

    Oscar Wilde

    May 22, 2023 in Ireland ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    Another stop was to see the Oscar Wilde statue at Merrion Square. It's pretty cool because he is looking at his childhood home.

  • TravelerIreland
    Day 11

    Trip to Galway

    May 23, 2023 in Ireland ⋅ ☁️ 9 °C

    Today was the first day of our second Rabbies tour. This tour is going to southwest Ireland. Saw the ruins of a monastery today. I believe it was the first one in Ireland. It was a very peaceful place. I have taken lots of pictures of purple flowers growing out of the stones. I always find this interesting.
    Just outside the monastery are the ruins of the Tower O'Rourke. Our guide said the O'Rourke's were a very powerful family in this area. He also gave a couple of reasons that the O' may have been dropped.
    We then stopped in Galway for shopping and exploring. Took some pictures of the river(s) that flow through this city.
    The first two photos are of the breakfast room in the hotel we stayed at the past two nights in Dublin (Beresford Hotel).    Read more

  • TravelerIreland
    Day 12

    The Way to Killarney

    May 24, 2023 in Ireland ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

    We drove from Galway to Killarney today via the way of ruins of various types. First stop was Dunguaire Castle. It was very nice. People can have their wedding receptions there. That would be cool!
    Then we went to Corcomroe Abbey.
    Next stop the Hazel Mountain Chocolate Factory. There is no mountain by that name but centuries ago the whole area was filled with Hazel trees. Hence the name. Very good chocolate.
    Next stop was to see some standing stones. These stones are about 5000 years old. This area was better preserved than the ones we saw on the northern tour.
    The grand finale for the day was the Cliffs of Moher. Pretty spectacular!    Read more

  • TravelerIreland
    Day 13

    Dingle Peninsula

    May 25, 2023 in Ireland ⋅ ☀️ 14 °C

    Dingle Peninsula was the tour today. Lots of cliffs, beaches waves and even surfers. Our tour guide is a surfer and keeps threatening to ditch us and go surfing. The weather was unusually warm for Ireland today. I left my sun screen back in the room, so now my face is a little burned. I'm looking at it in terms of maxing out on vitamin D.
    We stopped at a farm where you could see and hold baby lambs. I didn't hold any of them but they were pretty cute.
    Then we stopped in the town of Dingle for the afternoon to enjoy the port and do some retail therapy.
    Nice day!    Read more

  • TravelerIreland
    Day 13

    Supper in Killarney

    May 25, 2023 in Ireland ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    When in Killarney Ireland where does one eat? At a Japanese restaurant! It was very good. Gerard had some surf and turf sushi. And I had a waygu beef steak. It was very yummy!!

  • TravelerIreland
    2
    Day 14

    The Ring of Kerry

    May 26, 2023 in Ireland ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    The Ring of Kerry is not a place but rather a drive. We had another day full of beaches and cliffs and ended up in the national park just outside of Killarney.
    Our first stop was to see a demonstration of border collies working. It was pretty cool to see. The way the dogs moved reminded me so much of Rebel.
    Next stop was to see a round fort built in the iron age. The one we saw was rebuilt so you could go inside and get a feel for how the place worked. It's hard to see in the pictures but there are steps along the walls so you can walk up to the top. The top of the wall was about 2 meters across and could easily be walked along.
    The next stop was to see two skelligs (rocky islands). No actual phone pictures of these they were too far out, but got some pictures of the area. You can go on a tour out to visit Skellig Michael; we watched a video. There is a monastery built on this Skellig it's only 602 stairs to get to the top, no handrails, and a couple of spots with shear drops into the ocean. It's actually all pretty crazy how people go out there. Some people go and camp overnight, but the conditions have to be just right. If the conditions are not favourable you get trapped on the Skellig.
    Next stop was Derrynane House. We just walked around the gardens. There are only so many old castles and old furniture one can look until you're tired of it.
    Last stop was the national park. Queen Victoria used to visit this park which eventually made going to this area a tourist destination. We stopped at Ladies View. Named by Queen Victoria because she thought it would be a lively view for her ladies in waiting to see.
    Last we went to Torc Waterfalls. It reminded me of a mini version of Johnston Canyon.    Read more

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