Galway - Burren, Cliffs, and Connemara

The Burren, the Cliffs of Moher & Connemara

(An Bhoireann, Aillte an Mhothair agus Conamara)

Poor or spotty wifi access make it tough to keep up these postings. Tomorrow we're moving south (Kenmare?) and hopefully we'll find better connections there. 

Yesterday, rather than attempting to drive the narrow rural roads of Co. Galway and Co. Clare we opted to take a bus tour to see the area of the Burren and the Cliffs of Moher. An all-day trip (10-6) it was well worth the E20 each and our Healy Lines driver was great with history and details throughout the drive.

Today we're taking the Healy bus tour of Connemara, the coastal area north of Galway. The west of Ireland was rugged and isolated enough that it managed to hold onto bits of Irish culture and language throughout the British occupation. Galway sits among several small Gaeltecht areas.We'll see more of this as we head south to Co. Kerry and the Dingle peninsula.

Here is a photo of Kylemore Abbey, which began as a hunting lodge and was improved into this castle-like structure which sits immediately above and between two lovely small lakes. By all accounts the new British landlord was a good guy who, in addition to providing employment with the renovation work, introduced fresh water and light (via a water pump at the lakeside and glass windows for all tenants cottages) for the local folks. After the death of the owner the Abbey was bought by an order of Benedictine nuns formerly based in Ypres, Belgium but chased out by WWI shelling. Fifteen nuns remain in residence today, ranging in age from 63 to 78. Old, but tough since each year they make a pilgrimage up the steep mountainside behind the Abbey to a statue of Mother Mary high overhead.

Galway's a great town, as relaxed and friendly as Dublin is frenetic and crazy. Advice: skip Dublin and fly directly into Galway (or Cork) and acclimatize in this friendly city.

Mike