Dun Maeve Westport

... was a mass grave of famine victims, unmarked, but in front of the grave of Father Gallagher. There were two other graves that had fulfilled a prophesy. Around 1630, Brian Carrabine prophesied that “carts on iron wheels, emitting smoke and fire would carry coffins to Achill on both its first and last journey”. In 1894, the railroad was extended to Achill Sound, and that same year, a boat overturned in Clew Bay, drowning thirty-two people. Their remains ...

... up. All along the way we'd see Irish parents practically dunking their children in the stream and blessing them, much to the dismay of most of the kids but it kept us entertained for sure. Just being up on the mountain looking out over Ireland with sheep grazing all around felt right. I connected a little with the homeland when I was up there which was very cool. However we had things to do and see so we had to climb down, but I want to go ...

2nd on our list was Turlough Park,

This was a place where we got to see how landlords lived in the 19th century while taxing their people into poverty. This one was a bit different than most English landlords because this house belonged to the Fitzgerald family who were Irish. They were removed by the english from their home in wexford Ireland where they held 70,000 acres of great land and moved to ...

... took the man in and kept him safe until it was his time to ascend the thrown. To repay the clergy for their kindness he vowed to build them a brand new church, but when he returned years later and asked the priests how they liked their new church he found that it had never been built. this is because the stone masons didnt have things like map quest or a tom tom, so instead of building the church where Ballintubbers Abbey is they built ...

... them....taught us all a lesson that day...castle tomorrow night. saw our first peat bog today very strange...lots of fat livestock, sheep and cows....not me and kt....saw a church where an appariton appeared 100 years ago, mary, joseph and sheep, church deemed it true, now evrone comes there to pray. we prayed someone was reading this blog and for the suitcases to arrive. saw a 200 year old farm house, hasn't changed at all everything the same as is was back then ...

... The water was delightfully misty and mysterious. We did get a wonderful view of the castle from the water too. The water was rough so we did not stay out long. Everyone enjoyed the stories of the lake and the castle, the spirits served by Jack and the accordion music supplied by Martin.We had dinner in the bar and then enjoyed piano and singing in the drawing room in the evening.
The next day dawned fairly clear so we ...

My bag has been packed. And re-packed. And unpacked. And squished.
I've informed the hotel of my late arrival.
I've got (some) foreign cash.
My electrical batteries are charged.
My print outs are in a waterproof folder in a waterproof bag.


Agh!

... br>
Today was a huge change from yesterday's wanderings through the streets of Amsterdam. The Irish landscape was amazing during our drive. There were little plots of land divided up with stone walls or hedgerows, livestock grazing in the fields, and ruins of old churches. Here and there we even found some pockets of new construction -- Irish subdivisions. This must have been a result of Ireland's economic boom (well, until recently).

We ...

... the early morning fairy back to the main island. The wind was brisk and the sea was a deep blue. I waited to board and dozed during the ride over as the ferry dipped and crested over the waves. The wind howled in my ears as I made my way deeper into the Connemara. After turning off the main road a moderate climb of several kilometers loomed ahead. Then the wild grassy expanses began to unfold. Once past Cashel a gentle tail wind joined me and before me waited peacefully ...

(Originally published at http://www.troysgonewalkabout.com)
< br>Another grey and rainy morning beckoned, but it hardly dampened our mood as we drove by the dramatic cliffs and beach-side town of Kilkee, and kept on going north until a little later in the morning we stopped at the incredibly popular Cliffs of Moher. Along the lookouts there we were buffeted around in the wind almost as much as we were buffeted ...