Park Hotel Kiltimagh

... for us and we had a snack of tea and cookies.

In the town of Moville, we parked the car to walk around a bit, and ended up in the Clock Tower for lunch. The place was beautiful inside, full of intricately carved wood and beautiful ceilings. We had soup and sandwiches and John asked the bartender for permission to take some pictures and was given leave to do so.

We drove into Greencastle and right onto the ferry that would take us to Northern ...

... Villanova students didnt get to climb all the way to the top because it takes about 2 and a half hours to get up and we just didnt have the time. However we did climb up for about 30 minutes and were rewarded with a fantastic view of the surrounding county. It really was a great hike because it got the blood pumping (havent been doing too much exercise since I got here..) and you climbed alongside a very picturesque little stream all the ...

... turlough (which is a shallow limestone lake that fills in the fall and dries up in the spring/summer) that the house overlooks and expansive lawns and gardens.

There was also a museum that showed us how the people who lived on their land would have lived and how they survived. Definately nowhere close to how the Fitzgerald lived... these are just some of the pictures that I took of the grounds....

... in Baile tobair Bhrighde, Roscommon, instead of Baile tobair Phadraig, Mayo. A town that is miles and miles away! Soooo the king promised to build a much grander one for the Abbey and thats how it came to be... pretty neat huh?

This Abbey is also very important because it is the Abbey that never gave in. Since it was built in 1216 it has held mass every single day! Even through invasion and coersion, burnings and death threats ...

... mistress of the house threw the menu down to the staff from a balcony above so that she did not have to step foot into the kitchen....wow...now i know how im going to remodel the kitchen,,,,all for now please read and tell your friends about this great travel blog so we can get some advertisers to sponsor for clothes for our poor shoeless father.....love you all....Sister Carolyn.

Nothing from Sister Leigh tonight - he's in bed in his really dirty clothes.

... 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!

... and post some photos on here too. How technical!!!! (Sean, you could be called on once or twice to help me!) I am turning slowly back in to a crusty backpacker again....I found a nosestud last night and I can still get it back in (with a little persuasion and eyewatering)!! Dad is delighted that he once again has a daughter that looks like a prize bull, at least it is a pretty diamond and not a ring this time. Well, I am off to triple ...

... more of that desolate beauty that we saw on the Inish Oirr. It's hard to describe mile after mile (or kilometer after kilometer) of rocky mountains and still describe it as beautiful. The roads got very small and windy - not for the faint of heart who are not used to driving on the Left. Luckily, our two drivers, Erik and Gary, are fearless. However, the passengers had a few scares. The Burren is ...

... of the hills on our right to the waterline on our left. There was next to no greenery in sight, no way for the barren and windswept terrain to be used to grow crops or for grazing livestock. That people were desperate enough to even try to farm here was real proof to me of the reality of the struggles and desperation to survive on the land during the potato famine.

We stopped for the night in Westport, the ...