Monday, February 12, 2024

Galway, Ireland, along the Wild Atlantic Way



 


After departing Limerick, Ireland,  the "Highlights of Ireland and Scotland" bus tour my husband and I went on in October 2023, continued traveling along the west coast of Ireland on The Wild Atlantic Way.  The Wild Atlantic Way is a road that was officially opened in 2014. The 1,600-mile (2,500 km) driving route passes through nine counties and three provinces, stretching from Kinsale, County Cork, in Munster, on the Celtic Sea coast. to County Donegal's Inishowen Peninsula in Ulster.  We were on our way north to Galway, where we would make a stop for lunch and sightseeing.



Galway is a harbor city on Ireland’s west coast, where the River Corrib meets the Atlantic Ocean. Our tour bus stopped in the Latin Quarter of Galway, known for its cafes, pubs, shops, and art galleries.




We walked around the winding streets, enjoying the views. Galway is known for its vibrant music scene, especially traditional Irish music. It also has the largest Gaeltacht (Irish-speaking community) in Ireland.



Galway is also known for the ancient fishing village of Claddagh which became the birthplace of the Claddagh symbol of a crowned heart being held by two hands. Claddagh is known worldwide thanks to the popularity of the Claddagh ring. The ring is said to originate from the village over 400 years ago! Traditionally the Claddagh ring was handed down from generation to generation as a wedding ring. Today it is a token of friendship and love. The Claddagh ring has become a symbol of Irish heritage and is much loved for its unique design that is representative of  love loyalty and friendship




We stopped to have a light lunch at The Kings Head Pub. 

The Kings Head is a true piece of living history, as the building itself dates back over 800 years to the 13th Century. We both chose a bowl of fish chowder and had a Murphy's stout.




More scenes from our walk around Galway.





We returned to our bus and continued on our way along the Wild Atlantic Way towards Sligo, Ireland, where we would be having dinner at a hotel and staying the night.

The town of Sligo, in the north of Ireland, straddles the Garavogue River where it meets Sligo Bay. It’s known for its literary heritage and rugged countryside. Ruined medieval Sligo Abbey has carved tombs and a 15th-century altar. Sligo County Museum displays memorabilia of local poet W.B. Yeats, paintings, and Stone Age artifacts.  



I enjoyed watching all the beautiful rugged scenery that passed by our bus window.




One of the touching sights we passed was the ruins of abandoned "famine houses." Between 1845-52 Ireland suffered a period of starvation, disease, and emigration that became known as the Great Famine. The potato crop, upon which a third of Ireland's population was dependent for food, was infected by a disease destroying the crop while other crops were shipped to England in disregard to the plight of the starving. Part of my heritage is Irish that immigrated from this area in Ireland and they arrived during the famine years, as did many other refugees from Ireland. Between 1845 and 1855, at least 2.1 million people left Ireland.--it was one of the greatest exodus from a single island in history.



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Monday, February 5, 2024

A Medieval Banquet in Limerick, Ireland





We were traveling on the Highlights of Ireland and Scotland bus tour in October and left the charming town of Adare--see prior post-- and drove north to Limerick, Ireland, where we would be staying for the night. Limerick is the third largest city in the Republic of Ireland, after Dublin and Cork, and is located next to the Shannon River.  It was founded by Scandinavian settlers in 812, during the Viking Age.

We arrived just in time to settle into our hotel room and then leave for an optional outing to attend a banquet and show at a Medieval-era castle now called Knappogue  Castle.




Our tour bus drove through the beautiful pastoral countryside as the sun was beginning to set.




We arrived at Knappogue Castle and were greeted by some of the actors and actresses who were performing that evening.




Please click on the photos above to read the interesting history of the castle built in 1467 by Sean MacNamara.



We were offered a glass of mead when we entered the castle, as musicians performed, and a few members of our tour were chosen to be the King and Queen and were given crowns and cloaks to wear.

There were quite a few fun "My Lords and Ladies" dialogues and skits from the performers during the evening.




 There were a few harpists playing during the evening. 

 The harp has been a national symbol of Ireland for over 1,000 years, playing a central role in Irish myths, folklore, and literature.




We enjoyed watching the entertainment -- acting, singing, and dancing-- as we dined. 




A short video above of some of the singing and dancing during the show




The food was very good. We had a smoked salmon appetizer, root vegetable soup, roast chicken and vegetables, along with unlimited bread and wine, and dessert.





The next morning we were on our way for a stop at the scenic Cliffs of Moher, then on to Galway and Sligo.

There was a heavy fog hanging over the outskirts of Limerick, as you can see from this photo I took from the bus window, but we were hopeful the weather would cooperate later in the morning...more about that in my next Ireland post.

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