Oughterard – Leenane –Westport – Castlebar – Ballintubber – Kiltimagh


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Europe » Ireland » County Mayo » Kiltimagh
June 10th 2015
Published: June 12th 2015
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Up and sat out by the lake for an hour before breakfast, so peaceful and beautiful on the lake. Mary cooked an amazing breakfast and it just seemed to keep coming, no lunch today.



Stopped at the Aughnanure Castle just down the road from our B&B. Aughnanure Castle is one of well over 200 tower houses in County Galway built by large, wealthy, land owning families. It has been restored but was closed for some repairs so we could only see the gardens, but it was really amazing as it was our first castle. When talking to the ladies on the desk they suggested to see Parkes Castle out of Sligo.



Called into a candle making shop on the way into town. What a lovely couple, they have been making candles for 22 yers and sell to shops and resturants. They have some painted, coloured and all different shapes. Everyone in Ireland is so friendly and welcoming.



Called into Oughterard to have a wander around the shops and found a fabulous gift shop that was so cheap compared to Dublin. The owner was the quintessential Irishman, he was such a fabulous character
The Waterfront B&BThe Waterfront B&BThe Waterfront B&B

Feel the Serenity!
and I could have listened to him all day. Bought a few gifts and on our way to Wesport.



We drove through the edge of the Connemarra region. “Connemara is one of the most scenic regions in Ireland. It’s craggy mountain peaks, expansive sandy beaches and laced network of lakes exemplify the peaceful solitude and rugged beauty of The West of Ireland.



Many visitors come to Ireland to visit the beauty of this area, but are surprised to discover that they may not find it on a map. This is because Connemara is a not an administrative entity like a town or county.



Connemara is the name given to the western portion of County Galway, which lies between Lough Corrib and the Atlantic. The name Connemara name was originally Conmaicnemara, or “the tribe of Cormac by the sea”, given by the ancient Gaelic tribes. It was shortened in the 18th century, to Connemara.



Dominated by the majestic Twelve Bens mountain range, (Na Beanna Beola) dotted with lakes, and fringed by the deeply indented Atlantic coastline. It is broken into innumerable creeks, bays and little harbours, it is one of Ireland’s most popular and memorable touring areas.



Connemara’s unique landscape, varying settlement patterns, and dramatic contrasts of sea, sky, land and bog, have inspired many famous paintings and literary figures over the years.



A large part of the area, sometimes described as lar-Connachta, and stretching along the southern coastal area from Bearna as far as Carna, is Irish-speaking.



Many of the ancient Irish traditions and customs are preserved, and the rich linguistic, musical and folklore heritage attracts the attention of scholars throughout the world.”



The scenery was quite amazing and again different to anything so far. Very windy roads through the hills, lots of sheep and cows and stone walls. There are Loughs (lakes) all over and the scenery is breathtaking.



Along the way I was organizing with Pam (next door neighbour) to get in touch with her friends that live out of Castlebar. On contacting them they insisted we stay the night with them which was very generous.



Stopped at a woolen museum/gift shop/café for lunch in Leenane which was lovely. Onto Westport and Castlebar which we didn’t stop at as we headed out to Ballintubber Abby.



Ballintubber Abby was founded in 1216. It has a long history including associations with St Patrick, and mass being held for 236 years in an unroofed Abby. It has been restored and is an amazing Abby steeped in history. We watched an amazing DVD on its history, had a chat with the elderly priest and generally soaked up the history.



We then headed to Kiltimagh to meet Ollie and Lynne and our home for the night. Speaking to Ollie on the phone earlier in the day he gave me directions “as you come into town you’ll have the church on your left, then come down and we are in Park Rd so turn right into there and you’ll go down and see a playing pitch and then there will be a house with a cattle grid, it’s a lovely wee house and that’s us”. “What’s the house number Ollie?” “Oh no we don’t have house numbers here.” Well it turns out there are 4 different ways to come into Kiltimagh and of course we didn’t come in the way we had the directions for. We found Park Rd, and the playing pitch and a house with a cattle grid, but it wasn’t the right one. Ended up calling Lynne and she stood out the front until we could see her and all was good.



We were welcomed with open arms and we felt like we had known them forever. Lynne took us for a great walk around the fields, past a bog and the town and then dinner. Ollie’s friend Terry called in as well, Terry is a poet and Ollie is a musician, so we had poetry, song, wine and much storytelling and laughter until 1 am. It will be one of the highlights of the trip and so grateful to Pam, Lynne and Ollie for making it happen.


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