Blogs from Sligo, County Sligo, Ireland, Europe
August 13th 2011
SOUTHERN IRELAND The pace of the tour since we have been in Ireland has slowed down a bit. The weather is still a mixture of rain and overcast conditions. In Scotland the temperature ranged between 9-15 degrees, its definitely warmer here, despite the unsettled weather it would be high teens/low twenties (no wonder they are the emerald isles). We left Derry at 10.15am, before leaving we had a bit of a walk to the shopping centre to pick up a few things. Everything was quiet but there was a strong police presence around town. On the way out of town we also saw police on almost every corner. DONEGAL We travelled from Northern to Southern Ireland as we headed to Donegal – there were yellow and green Donegal flags everywhere - supporting their All Ireland Football ... read more
June 29th 2011
Dublin to Sligo We left Dublin, driving towards Boyle Abbey – a monastery founded in the 12th century by the local ruling family ‘The MacDermotts’. Although currently in ruins, it is being restored using interesting engineering techniques such as stone numbering to ensure each particular stone that comprises the Abbey is returned to its original position. The lush green Irish countryside rolled on and on, and we came across Tobernalt Holy Well where legend has it that Saint Patrick used this sacred area to bring the Christian God to a pagan people. We drove along the coastline near Mullaghmore Castle and stopped at Sligo for the evening. As we were planning to cross the border into Northern Ireland, we made sure we had pounds handy rather than Euro’s which is the currency of Southern Ireland. ... read more
June 13th 2011
Early morning today. 5:00am wake up for a 7:35am flight from Dublin to Sligo in NW Republic of Ireland. The plane was delayed by an hour. Aer Arann was lovely, only 3 passengers on a Damier? Turbo prop, not unlike a Dash 7. The airport reminded me of somewhere out in the bush, but both Avid and Hertz are represented. We reserved with Hertz. The lady was lovely, the car a Jetta with manual transmission. This driving on the left is bad enough but a left handed stick shift as well. Andrea is a great navigator, however I was keeping too close to the shoulder and hit a curb, very hard. FLAT TIRE! Pulled off into a driveway and sent Andrea up the road to borrow a phone. She came back with a lovely retired policeman ... read more
September 28th 2010
My mum moved to County Sligo in Ireland a few years ago when she remarried. A place she had always told me was of outstanding beauty...she wasn't wrong! After promising for over twelve months we would go and visit I finally got round to booking the flights for my daughter, son and myself. We flew from Manchester in rather a smaller plane which I was used to and in no time at all we landed on Irish turf. There was no huge airport, just a couple of buildings, a small landing strip and a cafe! Mum met us on the runway!! We had a light lunch on the beach which was just around the corner from the airport, then climbed in mums car to make the journey to mum & Johns. They were renting a cottage ... read more
June 19th 2010
The Lake Isle of Innisfree We weren't up so spritely this morning funnily enough but another big breakfast had us fired up soon enough. First stop on the Lough Gill drive was Dooney Rock quickly followed by the fabled Lake Isle of Innisfree. The closest point to it is up a small lane so no coach parties get here but it looked like not many others were heading that way either. The Millennium Sculpture is falling down and the paths are starting to get overgrown. However we persevered and managed to take a longer walk through the heather to get an impressive view of the whole Lough (although noon it was the wrong time of year for the purple glow). Looking over to Parke's Castle and the Sleeping Giant on a warm sunny day was great. ... read more
June 17th 2010
Off to Yeat's Country After many months of hints that pampering after her exam finished on the 15th June would be desirable, Angela got her wish as I booked a few days away. After ensuring she had nothing planned for 6 weeks (except a few post exam Coronas at Cutters), I got Lisa & Paul to agree to take in the childer and got booking. With the 16th as a night out to celebrate the end of exams for Angela, Shannon and Leanne with a Mexican feast; and the 20th as Angela's 100km cycle race around the Peninsula; it left the 17th-19th as the perfect time for the funbus tour. Some googlering and a few phonecalls resulted in booking two nights at the Radisson in Ballincar (Sligo) with tickets to see Tommy Tiernan and a seaweed ... read more
June 20th 2009
Saturday, June 20th, From Gaul to Gaelic Oh how I hate travel days. They are full of tension and stress. You have to wake up early, be at such and such place on time or miss your train/airplane. Don't forget to triple check your room to see if you forgot to pack something or you might never see it again. On Saturday we left France and headed for Ireland after another planes, trains and automobile marathon. We were up at 4:30am, and after sad goodbyes with Pierre and Christine we were on the road by 5:30am to Lyon, catch the TGV in Lyon directly to Charles De Gaulle airport, then Air France puddle jumper to Dublin, then rental car # 2 from Dublin to Sligo. Love Travel, Hate Airports Let me just take a brief travel ... read more
Sligo and back via the north west coast
Published: June 16th 2009Europe » Ireland » County Sligo » Sligo
June 7th 2009
Sunday 7th June Sligo and back via the northwest coast. The tour plan for today was to trek around the northwest coast and then south to Westport before returning inland to Sligo. The weather continues to favour us and although a little overcast and cool it remains dry which makes travel and sightseeing so much more enjoyable. The fully equipped kitchen in the apartment we are staying in meant we can prepare a full breakfast for ourselves which also continues to prove an advantage as it keeps us going for the day.Gretchens cold has developed into a full blown job so that will make her miserable for the next week!! Being a Sunday we didn’t expect the road out of town to be busy and we weren’t wrong,in fact it was deserted. The area we first ... read more
June 6th 2009
Saturday 6th June Belfast to Sligo via the coast road Well it wasn’t a bad nights sleep in the backpackers in Belfast,at least for one of us.Gretchen has succumbed to a cold which she reckoned she got from the London tube.So her nights sleep was disturbed.She also reckons that bunks aren’t a bad way to go with sleeping arrangements if you are married to someone who snores!!All you have to do to get the snorer to turn over is give them a kick in the bum from the bottom bunk!!She says it works a treat....not that I would know anything about that. We were like the Little Pigs and were up before the Wolf(aka other backpackers!!)and down to the communal showers.We thought it best to go and shower together(separate shower cubicles!!)as the lock on the door ... read more
April 24th 2009
An early morning start in the bus into the green countryside, first stop at the legendary Hill of Tara, seat of the High Kings of Ireland. Once a thriving community, now just mounds and standing stones. Lunch stop at Carrick-on-Shannon, at the head of the Shannon River. Past Lough Key to Sligo, our overnight stop. We had an afternoon excursion out to Parkes Castle on Lough Gill , once a Plantation Estate of the early 17th Century. On the way home we had a stop at a Holy Well. ... read more
