The Irish Republic

We’re now in County Mayo at Kinsallagh, overlooking Clew Bay and Achill Island, with the Atlantic pounding on the other side, at a very cosy B&B. Behind us is Croagh Padraig - the hill on which St Patrick is said to have fasted forty days and nights, and where he banished the snakes and toads of Ireland (with the exception of one type). The weather is getting cooler - and the long johns have made an appearance!
First night in Ireland was in Country Wexford in the SE of Ireland. Stayed at our first Irish B&B (the Haven Lodge at Wellington Bridge) - great hospitality in a beautiful rural area. Like much of Ireland, Wexford is dotted with new subdivisions covered with identical two storey houses - one we saw more than doubles the size of a very small and old village, which is not uncommon and seems a pity. We also saw loads of new “mansion houses” - very large buildings on an acre or more and all looking the same - two stories, expansive windows, front door area encased in stone, remaining walls rendered and painted yellow, cream, white, grey etc. These houses have vast front lawns and or sealed areas, virtually no gardening as we know it, large baronial gates and high stone walls. They are modern versions of the castles built years ago by the Irish and British lords.
That aside - Ireland is beautiful. We’ve driven around desolate coastal routes, supported by “Karen”, Dave’s trusty GPS, who has a predilection for windy hedgerows, narrow roads (once with grass in the centre), remote villages and all signs in Gaelic. Farmed areas are a wonderful green, often with water lying in puddles(!!) and “fenced” with stone walls. The countryside is sprinkled with the remains of grand houses, churches, friaries, castles and towers stretching back to the eleventh century.
Highlights so far in Ireland include the picture postcard village of Inistioge, with its 18th century ten arch bridge, the St Patrick’s Day parade in Kilkenny (a mini John Martin’s parade) with the same excited kids, the ancient narrow streets and buildings of towns like Kilkenny, Limerick, Tipperary and Galway. We saw the huge rock of Cashel with the ruins of a castle/abbey atop and which has been a centre of religious and political power for 900 years. About 30 km south of Cashel is the town of Cahir and Cahir Castle - one of the largest in Ireland and complete with massive walls, turrets, towers, dungeons, murder slits and medieval longdrops. We loved it. The Earl of Essex attacked in 1559 - there’s a great model of the attack at the castle. We also visited W B Yeats tower - unfortunately neither himself nor his wife George were home so tea and scones were off.
The drive from Galway through Connemara to Achill House (our B&B) was the best yet. Scenery changed from green farmlands to tussock peatland, huge smooth hills (Bens), huge loughs (lakes), mountain streams with rapids - with wild (?) black faced sheep (Jacobs we think) wandering the road oblivious to traffic. The coastal lands on the drive were more rocky - lots of small old cottages and some of the ubiquitous mansions dotting the landscape. “Karen” took us through a very back route for the last leg of our journey from Delphi to Drummin - a serpentine one way track through the Sheeffy Hills - absolutely magnificent country and through a very steep mountain pass. As it turns out, Paddy, our host, sometime in his early working life was one of the gang that hand built the road - now that would have been hard work!
Time to finish - we had planned to climb the 765 metre holy mountain of Croagh Patrick today -due to poor weather and complete indolence, this is not going to happen!!

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