Ireland Dos and Don'ts

Believe that this is the first time I've been gone for 2 weeks and not wanted to get back home. Just love Ireland, but confess a bias towards the north and northwest, as there's way too many tourists south of and along the line from Galway to Dublin.
So what if we're tourists. Our goal is always to hang with the locals, do what they do, eating and drinking like them and generally blending in, especially when driving!
As a wrap up, some observations of what Ireland has to offer.....

Ireland Do:
Have Guinness everywhere, some fresher than others based on how busy the pub.
Have a surprising and tasty selection of microbrews that has grown over the past decade, wish they were available in the States.
Have great breakfast that'll last all day, just don't ask what's in the black pudding.
Have great veggie soups and brown breads at every stop.
Have nothing but friendly folks.
Have fresh foods - not processed packaged stuff like in the States, but really fresh breads, meats, and veggies.  You can taste the difference.


Ireland Don't:
Have great roads. The M routes are like US 181. The N (National) routes range from our two-lane FM roads and worse, none with shoulders, and lots of curves and hedges and walls. The R (Regional) routes are FM or worse. And the L (Local) routes are two tracks or driveway sized with curves and walls.
Have abysmal weather, at least not while we were there. Rain?  Wind? Cold? Hah! I went to Ireland and got a tan. Longest drought in recent history was 37 days without rain. Must just follow me cause we got them through 14.
Have air conditioning. ...see heat wave comments above. Only one hotel had A/C.

Ironically, despite the drought we brought/enjoyed in Ireland, it has rained in South Texas every day since we got home!  So much for the argument that dry weather just follows me around...

Cheers!

And Sláinte!

Headmasters

Nearly forgot about getting the best hot towel shave I've ever enjoyed at Headmasters in Galway. Shops that still provide this service are few and far between but it sure is worth it when you find a good one.

Pretty cool shop too. Bat Out of Hell on the CD player, Pulp Fiction posters, lots of GAA and World Cup chatter. Did ask if the Scarface poster in front of my chair was a warning. ... took him a second to catch on.

Spanish Point

So we were gonna go see the Cliffs of Moher,  perhaps better known as the Cliffs of Insanity from The Princess Bride movie, but the freaking tourists were on it like sheep on an Irish hillside. Since we'd already been to the higher and more remote Slieve League cliffs, our interest in fighting the tour busses and 35mm cameras was, predictably, "Inconceivable!"
So we continued down the coast to Spanish Point which just happens to have a nine hole links course along the Atlantic. Drove past Lahinch and its €135 green fees to get there too.

The course was having a women's tournament, but when they heard I was passing through from Texas, they decided to squeeze me in between the two flights as they made the turn.
Rushed out to the first tee and got my shot off as two determined looking ladies approached glaring at me. Promised to be out of their way in a jiffy and they only sorta jokingly threatened me with their drivers that I better stay out of their way!
Pretty little course with elevated tees and greens, and an Atlantic breeze that was definitely in play.

Approach to elevated 7th green.

Retrieving pitch shot that hit pin and dropped. 

Finished with 4 pars and well in front of the ladies.
So glad I hassled with taking my own sticks. There's great golf and friendly golfers all over Ireland.

Dunguaire Castle

Another tourist spot but well preserved. Could have done the medieval dinner here, but. ..
Great access however, including along the top of the tower.

Another Irish link with the Civil War

We toured the Glengowla Mine west of Galway. During its heyday it produced galena or lead shipped to the States for bullets. Lots of Irish lads in Lincoln's army too.
Turns out a lot of the timber in the mine is American long leaf pine shipped over to Ireland around 1850 as ballast on the famine ships that hauled starving immigrants back to the US.
Mine was rediscovered in the 1970s and is run and being restored by a single family on their own land, so go support them if you're near Oughterard.

American pine, still in good shape. 

A horizon guy

Dense forests and narrow city street flare up my claustrophobic tendencies which explains my obsession with the American West and R335 between Louisburgh and Leenane.

There's a photo from almost the exact same spot displayed at Shannon airport. 

Achill Island links

Apparently, the more agricultural the golf course, the better I play. In most other places this course along the Atlantic might be mistaken for a sheep pasture. Drop €10 in the registration box and tee up. One of the local club members who was just finishing up was very chatty. Told us his name was Sean Connally and the local Chinese takeout place was expecting James Bond when he went for his order; that his daughter was marrying a Paiute Indian from northern Nevada; and that sheep were in play.

The tufts of wool and white rocks made finding a white ball challenging even on the wide open track. Sheep made fine targets except that they tend to move. 

Guardian of #3

Scenic fifth hole

My lovely caddy was kind enough to carry my divot repair bag for the round. And yes that's sheep poo by the divot. 

Greens were in great condition despite the sheep. Apparently the blue ropes surrounding the greens act as a mental barrier for the dumb animals, even though they are 3' off the ground and draped from post to post. The 5th green looking back towards the water and my lovely caddy. 

Managed 3 pars and a bird once I stopped laughing about the surreal, yet so Irish, environment.

Achill Island

From our hotel in Westport we ventured west along the coast to Ballycroy NP, an area preserved for its bogs, wetlands and peet production, then out to Achill Island to Keem Beach on the tip as recommended by the park ranger.
OMG who knew that Ireland boasted so many pristine, white sand beaches with turquoise waters in front and towering cliffs behind.

Where mountain stream flows into Atlantic waters. 

Surfing sheep? 

And of course the obligatory motel kitty shot.

Just so's I won't get bored

With an aging "dog of a lifetime," the American Upland Grand Slam, 49 states, and a few other milestones, was getting worried about running out of things to do but recently decided to add fishing in as many locations as possible to the list. Already have 6 states ... and now Ireland.
Mojo led me to Sean Carty at Land and Sea Sports in Bundoran,  the heart of a fly fishing mecca. Got me square on regs and even drew on my map!

Any fishing that might include sighting a red grouse is alright with me! 

Like so much of the rest of Ireland, there's picturesque beauty surrounding everything you do.

Eagle Flight

We love visiting raptor rehab sites when we travel like the Vermont Institute of Natural Science or Raptor Rescue in the UK. Came across Eagle Flight brochure and got there in time for the flight show!

She landed on my hat! 

Fish eagle

They have lots of other critters as well. We were the only visitors older than 3rd grade so the staff were happy to answer our questions and show us around.

Bundoran links

Our funky cool old hotel was adjacent to the pro shop and the 9th green was right outside the girls' window so I was antsy to play the next morning. They said I could be first off as a single at 0815. I said that the sunrise was 0459 and would they mind if I teed up then?
Complete silence and stunned gazes. Nobody ever does that but sure and just pay when you are done.
Barely slept that night thinking about the links style course along Donegal Bay with knee deep rough, blind shots over hills and numerous bunkers. Convinced Daphne it would be great exercise and when I put my first tee shot middle of the fairway right of the bunkers at 0620 there wasn't a person or car visible on the course, around the hotel, or even in town.

The greens keepers didn't arrive until 0715 while I was on the 5th tee. Saw another couple tee up when we made the turn. 

Photos can't do justice to the hills you have to climb on the 7th and 10th as you play towards the beach. Both drives found the middle of each fairway, but your drive just slams into the wall and dies! Great stuff! 

Great views along the beach. The sign in the back shows the middle of the green which can't be seen from the fairway because of the big swale in front. 

Into the rough on the 2nd and with Daphne's help found the ball but took THREE shots to hack my way out! 

Greens were hard as granite table tops but fuzzy and slow so was happy to play bogey golf the last six holes, but can't say I really figured out the course. Maybe next time. Proud that I didn't lose a single ball!

Walked off 18th in to breakfast at 0915!

Beaches

From Sligo to Donegal and west the coastline offers many beaches and scenic views. Mullaghmore Head on Donegal Bay has sand on the inshore side:

And on the Atlantic side there's tide pools and caves carved into the rock that juts into the water.

But best of all are the views from the cliffs of Slieve League towering 1800' above the Atlantic Ocean.

It's a good hike but well worth standing on the bluff looking down into the turquoise waters below.

Crosses, cairns, and abbey

Started off generally north by northwest from Trim stopping to see the late-9th century High Cross in Kells...

Another neolithic cairn tomb at Loughcrew from the same era and construction style as New Grange but better preserved and less disturbed.

Can see 18 of the Irish counties from up here, one of the reasons for the selection 50 centuries ago. 

Sitting in the Hag's Chair, her protection reportedly the reason the tomb was unmolested all that time. 

The Boyle Abbey is one of the oldest yet best preserved because when it was turned over to an English noble after Henry VIII's confiscation, their family maintained ownership into the 19th century and buried family within the church. Less pilfering of materials through the years, even as it served as an army barracks.
Took nearly a century to build so there are interesting changes in style (different columns in the same wings).
Right on the Boyle River which the tour guide suggested I fish without a permit since there's "nary a chance the water bailiff will see ye oonder de bridge. "

Note Roman aches in front of Grecian?!