Most visitors to Ireland arrive at the Dublin airport and rent a car, or like in our case join your tour group. We have a private van and driver for our small group and. We will be together for the next eight days exploring Ireland. And within two hours you can drive all way across country.
We’re stopping an hour and 1/2 in at a historic site. The ruins of Clonmacnoise dating back about a thousand years are one of the most important religious structures from ancient Ireland, more-frequently mentioned in ancient history than any other place of its kind in the country. The two round towers are by far the most interesting buildings in Clonmacnoise.
Of all around towers in Ireland, of which there are many, these are considered the most beautiful and perfect. Principal use of the tower was to protect the clergy and the treasures of the churches from marauding Vikings. They would go up into the tower and barricade themselves inside.
The Danish invasions were heaviest and most harassing in the early part of the ninth century when Clonmacnoise was in its most prosperous state. The churches were the main target of the invaders, to grab the gold. Its location on the Shannon River made it very easy for the Vikings to come up in their long boats and do the raiding.
While there are only remains of three small churches now, earlier there had been a dozen.
And it's believed they were destroyed by Cromwell's invading armies in the early 1650s.
The invasion by the Parliament Army of England was especially brutal. And Cromwell is still a hated figure in Ireland, a symbol of English oppression.
We'll be seeing lots of green fields as we roll along through Ireland's countryside.
We carry on with our van ride just another half hour to Galway on the West Coast, our home base for the next three days. Day one will focus on Galway city. Date two a trip out to the Aran Islands and ancient prehistoric stone fortification.
And Day 3 will tour Connemara Peninsula with a visit to Kylemore Abbey. You do need three days to take in all the sites.
The most outstanding single feature of Galway City is the pedestrian street that runs right through the heart of town, the ideal spot for your first impression. It's really the center of downtown and it's lined with lots of outdoor eateries and many different kinds of stores. It's the best place in town for people-watching and a great place to strike up a conversation.
“I love Galway. It’s absolutely amazing. And why is that? Because, the atmosphere, I love the atmosphere, it’s so friendly, and everybody is always enjoying themselves.”
And what are you doing here? I’m studying science at the University. Aha, and looking for a part-time? I’m looking for a part-time or full-time, or whatever will have me. Aha, in restaurants, maybe, right here. Restaurants or bars.
This busy street is only 600 meters long, but it seems much bigger than that. Especially here, we’re in the lower section towards the river. It's called the Latin Quarter and this is where you've got the highest density of these outdoor sidewalk restaurants. The best time to visit a stretch like this of course is around twilight, the cocktail hour, the dinner hour. If you come in the morning, it's kind of dull. If you come in the midafternoon, it's not very busy. But in the early evening, and right on through the night this is the center of town, especially in Galway which is a university town so there's lots of young people and they love to cluster in a place like that.
This end of town is called the Carib. There's a small plaza here with benches. It's a fun place to hang out, get a drink from the tea shop. In front we have the River Carib and it flows out into Galway Bay. And we’re actually in the area that’s called the Claddagh. It's a very old part of the city. There was a population of people who lived and worked here over a thousand years ago. It was the earliest settlement known in Galway, and now we have modern hotels.
Down at this end of town you've got the famous Spanish Arch. So-called because Spanish merchants lived here in the 16th-century and practically controlled the city. Because of its excellent location on the west coast of Ireland with a natural harbor, Galway enjoyed for centuries trade with Spain. The arch was built in 1584, but it's an extension of Norman wall built much earlier in the twelfth century.
There would've been a longer wall running around it to enclose the fortified settlement. This is what's left of it.
The city thrived on international trade and by the Middle Ages it was the principal Irish port for trade with not only Spain but France. Those merchants lived behind the wall to protect themselves from the Irish.
You'll find that Galway is a perfect city to visit and spend a few days. It's a wonderful place in itself.
And it gives you access to the beautiful countryside of Connemara, the Aran Islands and other places that we’ll be visiting.
It's a sizable town, population seventy-five thousand, which makes it the fourth largest city in Ireland after Dublin, Cork and Limerick.
And yet it's not a big city by any means. There really are no skyscrapers in town and the central part of town has a pedestrian atmosphere. We have lots of shops, pubs of course there are historic buildings and everything is in a human scale here.
Personally, I'm not much of a candy eater but when your mother-in-law remembers some candy that you brought home from your last trip to Ireland, hard, sour apple drops, and asks for the same candy again you have to go find it.
Apple drops, there made by Curleys in Dublin, and they been made up there for over one hundred years now. Half a kilogram. (candy noise) Going on a hunt for obscure items on the trip and then finding them can be very satisfying.
Music in a pub is another one of those Irish things that you've just got to do. (Music plays)
We’re down at the southern end of the main pedestrian street. Here it is called Quay Street. This lane changes name several times in typical European-style it's the High Street, Churchyard Street, it's Shop Street, William Street, and Quay Street at the lower end with all the restaurants.
I found very nice French restaurant here in the Latin Quarter of old Galway town and it was delicious. The price was terrific. A three-course meal was twenty-two euro, and I got there early so the place was not crowded at all.
Delicious chicken breast with lentils and stewed vegetables hot from the kitchen, with a window seat where you can watch the people walking by, putting on that show of theater of the streets. The Latin Quarter Bistro.
There are some other interesting streets in Galway such as Middle Street and Cross Street Lower.
But you'll find that the main center of attraction is that pedestrian lane that we've been focusing on. But if you've got the time, wander around and discover more of the city.
Ayre Square, one of the most popular spots in town. It's always busy, beautifully landscaped in the center with hotels around it, restaurants. The bronze statue represents a traditional sailing boat called the Hooker. Ayre Square is also known as John F. Kennedy Memorial Park.
Perhaps you've heard that every once in a while it rains a little bit in Ireland. You’ve heard about the rain? Yes it can get very wet with those winds blowing in off 3000 miles of Atlantic Ocean. But when the rain stops the air is nice and fresh. The streets are glistening. It's a great time to be out walking.
Or, duck into the covered shopping mall. Yes, Galway City also has a downtown shopping mall like just about every city in the world. Actually, two malls joined together the Ayre Square Center and Corbett Court. They've got over a hundred stores and of course a lot of places to eat.
Our Imperial Hotel is conveniently located on Ayre Square just round the corner from that pedestrian mall. A good night sleep, followed by breakfast to get us ready for a big day. We’ll be taking a boat ride into ancient history.
Good shoes are important today because were going off on an adventure that involves some walking. We’re leaving Galway on a day trip to the Aran Islands.
It's one of the most traditional parts of the country, a place where they speak Irish as their native and main language.
And yet it has been discovered by tourists because it is so attractive as you're about to find out.
The boat ride takes about forty minutes and it's quite scenic as you leave Galway Bay. You'll see lots of stonewalls and their little houses stretched out along the shoreline.
It's a good time to be outside up on deck so that you get a good view, cameras turned on and clicking.
Fortunately, we've got great weather. It's a mostly sunny day, a little breezy especially out here on the boat.
You can sit inside if you like, a little bit more comfortable, or up on deck for the full panoramic view.
There are three Aran Islands. We’re going for the largest one Innishmore, by far the most popular with a very important historic site were going to be showing you.
First we dock and transfer to our van and then we’ll take you to an ancient stone fortification up on the cliff on the other side of the island.
Because we are on a tour we have a transfer all arranged for us but you can wing it and make your own arrangements when you land at the harbor here at Kilronan village, maybe ride a bicycle.
It's nearly 4 miles from the harbor to the other side of the island that has the stone fortress we’re heading to. The island is 8 miles long and 2 miles wide with the population of under a thousand people, and one grocery store, but many sweater shops for the tourist. As you'll see.
Very scenic drive and along the way we stopped and got out of the van to have a look at the ruins of a monastic church.
There several of these ruins on the island. Nearly three times as many people lived here back in the nineteenth century.
It was always a tough life. In ancient days they had to create most of the soil by bringing in seaweed, and clay because the natural landscape was a barren rock, a Carboniferous limestone.
When your van ride ends, the last kilometer to the fortress is on foot. But it's an easy gravel trail, slightly uphill, and it will be worth it. The views of green fields and stone walls are lovely, but especially that fortress looming up ahead on the hill is intriguing. Not only is it a wonderful World Heritage Site, but the setting on these radical cliffs is even more astonishing. It's 100 meters straight down.
An archaeological historian at the park was able to tell us the history.
We are at Dun Angus, which is the largest of the stone forts on the Aran Islands. The oldest part of the fort dates from around five thousand, when it was two huge stone walls enclosing about 14 acres. The shape that it is in at the moment, that's the way it was left in around about 1000 A.D.
Dun Aengus is it a more strategic spot that it is a defensive spot, because there is no sign of battle.
It's on the highest points on the cliffs of the island. It's close to the narrowest point on the island, you can see both sides of the island. So if you're controlling Dun Aengus, it's control of who's coming from one part of the island to the other. You can control the seas all around the island.
So any of the boats that are coming up into Galway Bay have to pass by Dun Aengus and the size of these massive stone walls on the edge of the cliff will make whoever is in the boat think, you know, I better not mess with them. You know, I better give them their course as I'm passing by.
Right, so apparently it worked. Is there a source of water up there, within the fort, there was not a well?
No, they would gather rainwater, I suppose. But you know this is the Bronze Age. They wouldn't have expected running water in the same way might today. So that reinforces the idea it wasn't really a fortification that would withstand the siege. Exactly, yes, yes.
So, just a lookout, a ceremonial place probably, a special place. Exactly, I mean it's on the edge of the cliff between the land and the sea and the sky. It's on a very particular spot that maybe had special meaning for them. Oh, that's great.
It is pretty scary, but you can go right up to the edge of these cliffs and look straight down. There are no barriers.
Then after your visit, it's a much easier walk downhill, and there you'll run into a little cluster of shops and a café, a chance to look at the Aran sweaters, and other kinds of knitted woolen goods. Some of it is hand-knitted, and less expensive items are handmade on a loom. All of the work is done here in the islands.
The sweaters have different styles and colors and patterns of knit work, some of which hold spiritual meaning, such as Jacob's Ladder that represents how the islands work together, and some designs originating with Celtic art from the pre-Christian era. The fishermen famously wore the sweaters for warmth and also in some religious hope that it would protect them from dangers of the perilous seas.
Then it's another short, bouncy van ride back to the village. It just takes about fifteen minutes, and more stone walls. They say there are 3000 miles of stone walls in the Aran Islands. They built them to clear the land of all the rocks and to mark the property boundaries.
Slowing down for the horses along the way, and the Connemara pony grazing by the side of the road.
Were back in the village of Kilronan for an hour. We can take a break and have lunch, do a little walking around. The Aran Sweater Market is the largest of all the sweater shops with outlets in several other Irish cities and also online.
This doggie must be one of the town characters. He was running around loose and acting very friendly, maybe too friendly to the visiting tourist dogs, very interested in making friends.
That wraps up our visit to the Aran Islands. It takes about six hours altogether from Galway city to get out here, walk around and then head back over to the city, but you'll find it's worthwhile.
Galway, day three, we’re heading out to Connemara and Kylemore Abbey.
We did quite a bit of stopping and getting out of the van while driving through Connemara to enjoy the landscape, take a good look at and snap some pictures, then back on the road heading to the number one visitor attraction in the west of Ireland, and certainly one of the most beautiful sites that we’re seeing.
Kylemore Abbey is one of the great highlights of Ireland. We’re in the Connemara area and enjoying this beautiful scene. It was a former private mansion.
And then it was in Abbey, and it became a private school for girls, and once again it's an Abbey, and a major tourist attraction, you can see because it's so beautiful here on the lake. And there's a garden, there's a tea shop and tours. It really is a wonderful spot to see in Ireland, Kylemore Abbey.
Probably the best part of the visit is simply looking at the Abbey across the beautiful lake. But you also get to go inside and tour the former mansion, and walk along the shore, and there is a beautiful landscape garden that's been created that for many people would be their favorite activity.
You could walk from the Abbey to the gardens, but it is about half a mile. And so they provide a shuttle bus to bring you from the Abbey over to the garden. You can walk around and then take the bus back again.
The Catholic girl school was operated by Benedictine nuns and it was open from 1923 until it closed in 2010.
But there's still an order of nuns who live here, and some years ago we had a chance to speak with one of the nuns who told us about the history. So while we're looking at the beautiful sites of Kylemore, let's listen to the sister.
“First of all, welcome to our small native island, the land of many greens. And you are now seeing a part of Connemara in the west coast of Ireland, a very special part that people say, a bit of paradise. And the setting of this place and everything about it is special. And should you ever come to Ireland and the green spot in Connemara just no that you’ll be very, very welcome.
Our Abbey was first a dwelling home for a very rich Englishman, Mitchell Henry who married a North of Ireland lady.
Many people came from the continent to help and build this. It took eight years to build it. Mitchell Henry, himself, even brought a lot of plants and shrubs from South Africa. He had a lot of mines there, and eventually they all fell through. And he had to sell out. And after that he was very despondent, and eventually had to give through to the Abbey and it was taken over by the Dutchess and the Duke of Manchester.
And they we have about ten years and finally in 1921, our own community, we’re a Benedictine community. St. Benedict was very much 6th-century Italian. And the Benedictines, right through Europe, were marvelous for education and whatnot. We would be directly from that line. They came to the south of Ireland and in 1921 to Kylemore.
We share this with so many people from all over the world, many languages every day from the northern hemisphere to the southern hemisphere.
We leave our gates open and our craft shop and restaurant. As a Benedictine our first thing is the praise of God, which is our prayer which we sing. After that, it's hospitality to the stranger. And it's a very special part of our vocation, meeting people and being with them. And I must confess, we not only give, but they give to us when they come through.
And we have something to give.
Thank you very much.
Thank you, sister, for that fascinating story of Kylemore Abbey. It is a wonderful spot.
And there are other beautiful sites in Connemara. We’re driving down to the town that's considered the capital of Connemara, the town of Clifden.
It is considered one of the top ten-towns in Ireland for charm and beauty. It's a quaint place, with wide sidewalks, shops and cafés.
We’re here on a weekday in the month of May so it's not very busy. It looks like more locals than tourists out today.
And then we stopped into a local bike shop where she also sells arts and crafts.
Hi, how are you? My name is Amanda from All Things Connemara, here in Clifden. Clifden in Connemara is a beautiful little town. It’s got lots of little shops, bars, great food, fantastic music and it’s a great base for the whole area.
The sea is on your doorstep, the mountains are rolling there behind you all the time. It's just beautiful.
So, All Things Connemara is a retail shop and we sell everything made in Connemara, or branded for Connemara. So all our stock is local people making local things from mostly local products.
So lots of artwork. We also set of small items like soaps and pottery, food, jams, lots of little things.
The whole of Connemara is fantastic. Connemara is from Galway city and it runs up here from the Corrib up to Lough Nafooey and along here into Killary Harbour. So you're here in Clifden now. And a must do is a drive or cycle out here to the Sky Road where you’ve got the most beautiful and viewing points on the Wild Atlantic Way.
And with that lovely view of the Wild Atlantic Way from the Sky Road viewpoint, we wrap up our visit to Connemara and Galway.
Be sure to look at our Ireland series for the complete picture that opens the door to this magical country.
