Slide Shows from Ireland

Click on a day link to see the slides from that day. Click on links in the day's descriptor paragraph to see the places' own Web sites or info about them.

Day 1, (36 slides) 23 May 2010.

A walk on the grounds of the Inny Bay B+B, on Lough Ree, Co. Westmeath. A visit to Locke's Distillery Museum, licensed in 1757 and believed to be the oldest pot still distillery in the world. A stop at Clonony Castle, built around 1500 by the MacCoughlan clan, ceded to Henry VIII by Jon Og MacCoghlan, then given to Thomas Boleyn to ennoble him when Henry wanted to marry his daughter Ann. A stroll around Clonmacnoise, Co. Offaly, a monastary founded in 545AD. Views of the Grand Canal, navigable from Limerick on the Atlantic to Dublin on the Irish Sea. And a quick tour of Belvedere House, Park + Gardens. After dinner that night I played in a music session at Kiernan's Pub in Ballymahon, Co. Westmeath.

Day 2, (8 slides) 24 May 2010.

Athlone Castle in the Co. Westmeath city on the Shannon River. Lough Boora Parklands, Co. Offaly.

Day 3, (16 slides) 25 May 2010.

A bit of countryside. Roscommon Castle (ruins), c. 1154AD. Donamon Castle c. 1200AD. Galway.

Day 4, (17 slides) 26 May 2010.

Athenry Priory, Co. Galway. (As in the song "The Fields of Athenry".) Lunch at Sweetie Pies Tea Room, Athenry. Preview of Connemara. Session at Monroe's Tavern, Galway.

Day 5, (48 slides) 27 May 2010.

Dunguire Castle, Kinvara, Co. Galway. Ailwee Cave and Birds of Prey Center. The Burren, Co. Clare. Doolin, Co. Clare. Session at McGann's Pub Doolin.

Day 6, (62 slides) 28 May 2010.

The Cliffs of Moher. Pulnabrone Tomb, megalithic, dating from about 2700BC. Caherconnell Stone Fort. Corconroe Abby. Bell Harbour. St. Coleman's Abby "Bishop's Quarter". And, wildflowers, ponies, stone fences and other views around the Burren in Clare, some from behind Cassidy's Pub.

Day 7, (36 slides) 29 May 2010.

A guided Burren walk. An impromptu lunchtime session at Monk's Pub, Ballyvaughn, Co. Clare. Blackhead on the Clare coast of Galway Bay with Burren. tidal pools, wildflowers and a fossil. Finish to the evening with a session (not pictured) at Gus O'Connor's Pub, Doolin, Co. Clare.

Day 8, (46 slides) 30 May 2010.

Walking around Innis Oirr, smallest of the Aran Islands. Children's display about the Plassy shipwreck and rescue .

Day 9, (10 slides) 31 May 2010.

O'Brien Castle ruin, Innis Oirr.

Day 10, (6 slides) 1 June 2010.

St. Brendan "the Navigator church ruin. A peek at Lough Corrib at Annaghdown.

Day 11, (38 slides) 2 June 2010.

Ross Errilly Friary. A stop at Ballymacgibbon Cairn where we searched in vain for leprichauns. A wonderful Corrib Cruise with Captain Patrick Luskin. The cruise included a visit to Inchagoill and a church said to be built on the island by St. Patrick, and where his nephew and navigator's rudder-shaped gravemarker is. Ashford Castle (Co. Galway) and its grounds (Co. Mayo), rich in history, once owned by the Ginnness family, now a 5-star hotel. And, the Co. Mayo village of Cong, setting for the movie "The Quiet Man" starring John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara.

Day 12, (62 slides) 3 June 2010.

Connemara. Killary Harbour and Fjord. Kylemore Abby house and walled garden. Renvyle Peninsula the lovliest landscape on earth?

Day 13, (45 slides) 4 June 2010.

Connemara National Park. Connemara Heritage and History Centre and Dan O'Hara Homestead. More of the Renvyle Peninsula, the lovliest landscape on earth?

Day 14, (28 slides) 5 June 2010.

Roundstone, Co. Galway. Dog Bay. Clifden, "the capital of Connemara". Darcy's Castle in Clifden. Sky Road.

Day 15, (30 slides) 6 June 2010.

Drumcliffe, Co. Sligo. Ben Bulben broods over W.B.Yeats' Drumcliffe grave. Mullagamore Beach, Co. Sligo, on a very warm Bank Holiday weekend. Glencar Waterfall, Co. Leitrim. W.B. Yeats' grave along with his wife's at the Drumcliffe church where his grandfather had been rector. I played in a session at John Lang's Pub (video - not of me).

Day 16, (24 slides) 7 June 2010.

The Sligo seaside town of Strandhill. Knockneara. Coney Island.

Day 17 (8 June) was spent driving a long distance during the rain.

Day 18, (15 slides) 9 June 2010.

Grove Garden and Bird Park. Slane Castle.

Day 19, (26 slides) 10 June 2010.

Battle of the Boyne Visitor Center. Newgrange and Knowth Megalithic Sites. Mellifont Abby. Monastarboice, famed for its high Celtic crosses and round tower. Smarmore Castle Bed and Breakfast. Yes, we stayed at a castle! (It's since become an addiction rehab center.)

Day 20, (41 slides) 11 June 2010.

Trim Castle, the largest castle ever built in Ireland. Birr Castle Demesne Gardens, Science History Center, and Great Telescope. Shannon Harbour, where we stayed at the former Harbourmaster's house.

Day 21, (13 slides) 12 June 2010.

Portumna Castle and Portumna Forest Park and Rinnmaher Point and Lough Derg in the Park. The Thatch restaurant.

Day 22, June 13 was a rainy day day and we took no photos.

Day 23, (28 slides) 14 June 2010.

King John's Castle. (Yes, the "Evil Prince John", brother to King Richard "The Lion-Hearted" of Robin Hood fame). Grange Stone Circle, Ireland's largest. Killmallock Dominican Priory friary and abby ruins. A picturesque mill. Silvermine Drive scenery.

Day 24 Part 1, (110 slides) 15 June 2010.

Bunratty Castle and Folk Park.

Day 24 Part 2, (48 slides) 15 June 2010.

Foynes Flying Boat Museum and Knockpatrick Gardens, owned and run by Tim and Helen O'Brien, the nicest people with one of the nicest places you can ever visit.

Day 25, (28 slides) 16 June 2010.

Rock of Cashel.

Day 26, (38 slides) 17 June 2010.

St. Canice's Cathedral. The Black Abby. Rothe House and Walled Garden. Woodstock Garden and Abroretum. Kyteler's Inn in Kilkenny town. Wallslough Village self-catering cottages and catch and release angling lake.

Day 27, (19 slides) 18 June 2010.

St. Brigid's Cathedral and Round Tower. Moat of Ardscull. Gordon Bennett Cup in auto racing.

Day 28, (39 slides) 19 June 2010.

The 100-year-old Japanese Garden, St. Fiachra's Garden, the Horse Museum at the Irish National Stud Farm, and the INSF itself. Scenery and Grand Canal in Co. Kildare. St. Brigid's Well.

Days 29 and 30, (35 slides) 20 and 29 June 2010.

A few Dublin street scenes. A tour of Trinity College, where we also went to see the Book of Kells. Dublin Zoo.

Bed and Breakfasts that we Enjoyed

Inny Bay in Westmeath.

Consilio in Galway's Salthill section.

Willowbrook in Tipperary.

Twin Oaks in Kilkenny.

Moate Lodge in Kildare.

Irish Vacation Journal

Journal (PDF), 7 pages.