7 July 2024 Ennistymon Galway Wild Atlantic Coastal Drive
Today we began
our drive to our last destination in Ireland – Ennistymon. It is a small country market town, dating
back to 1775, with the River Inagh running through the center of town. The river is best known for its Cascades, a
set of waterfalls that we had a beautiful view of once we got to our hotel.
 |
| Irish Countryside |
 |
| Irish Countryside |
Along the way
we stopped at The Quiet Man’s Bridge, made famous in a 1952 Oscar-winning film
of the same name starring John Wayne.
This is the most famous of the movies filmed in the Connemara region and
its scenes of Ireland’s lush green countryside did a lot to promote tourism in
Ireland.
 |
| Stone Walls in Fields |
 |
| Quiet Man's Bridge |
We then stopped
in Galway, the unofficial capital of western Ireland. A harbor town, it was founded by the
Anglo-Normans in the 13th century and still has parts of its
medieval wall which were built by the Normans in 1270 AD.
It is a town of
winding cobblestone alleyways, ancient architecture, old wooden buildings, pubs
with their offerings of live music, and colorfully painted shops. The city center is located on both sides of
the River Corrib where you usually find swans swimming by. In the summer of 1963, President Kennedy, the
first Irish Catholic president in the US, visited Galway where during his
speech, told Ireland to open up to the world.
His family had fled Ireland during the potato famine. He started a tradition that visiting US
presidents have to drink a pint of Guinness.
And according to Tom, after Kennedy was elected every house in Galway
had a picture of him on their fireplace mantle.
One of
Ireland’s traditions, the Claddagh Ring, originated in Galway. The ring represents love (the heart), loyalty
(the crown), and friendship (the hands). While sometimes used as a friendship
ring, the most common use is as an engagement or wedding ring. They may also be given by mothers to their
daughters when they come of age. The way
the ring is worn denotes the relationship status:
·
On the right hand with the point of the heart
toward the fingertips: the wearer is single and might be looking for love.
·
On the right hand with the point of the heart pointing
in: the wearer is in a relationship; someone "has captured their
heart"
·
On the left ring finger with the point of the
heart toward the fingertips: the wearer is engaged.
·
On the left ring finger with the point of the
heart pointing in: the wearer is married.
Galway also has
a legend associated with it. It has been
said that Galway was named after a chieftain’s daughter who drowned. Beginning in the 1700s, stories have been
told about the Lady in White, a ghost (believed to be the drowned daughter) who
walks along the waterside promenade.
However, several years ago, pictures taken of the promenade walk showed
a single image of a new ghost, this time a Woman in Black. And the mystery continues….
We had a 1-hour
walking tour of the city. We started
first in the Galway’s largest shopping mall where the remnants of the old City
Walls with two of its remaining towers are located. We then walked to Eyre Square. Inside the square is a memorial to Kennedy on
the exact spot where he gave his 1963 speech in Galway. And in the center of the square is
Quincentennial Fountain, built in 1984 to celebrate the 500th
anniversary of the Royal Charter granted by King Richard II that created Galway
as an independent city-state. It is
composed of metal red sails that are also a memorial to the red sails of
Galways red hookers. Now before your
minds start wandering toward the gutter, red hookers are traditional boats that
originated in Galway. We ended our walk with a stole down Shop
Street, lined on both sides with shops and pubs. One of the buildings, now a
bank, was once Lynch’s Castle. It was
built in the 16th century by the Lynch family, one of the most
powerful rulers of Galway, as a fortification against raids.
 |
| Lynch's Castle |
 |
| Quincentennial Fountain |
 |
| JFK Meorial |
 |
| City Walls |
 |
| City Walls |
 |
| Bathroom Sign in Mall |
As we were
having lunch on our own, Bill and I found a pub (hard to believe that at 10:00
am on a Sunday morning that pubs would be open) and had lunch. Bill settled for a hamburger while I had a
delicious seafood chowder and an Irish coffee.
After lunch we walked along the river front where several swans were
swimming to Galway’s Cathedral where our bus was parked. Unfortunately, we were not allowed inside as they
were having mass.
 |
| Swans in the River |
 |
Galway's Cathedral
|
After lunch we continued our drive to Ennistymon. As we drove through one small town, Tom pointed at a hotel that had a thatched roof. Appropriately, the bar inside the hotel was named Thatched Roof Bar. We then made a stop stop on a hillside to see beautiful views of the sea and a small section of the Burren (Irish for ‘great rock”) National Park. This is an area that is filled with fields of grey limestone hills and outcroppings that were shaped by geological forces some 359 million years ago. It is located in Country Clare and measures around 135 square miles.
 |
| Ruins of an Old Castle |
 |
| Thatched Roof Hotel |
 |
| Irish Countryside |
 |
| Another Castle in Ruins |
 |
| Irish Countryside with Burren in Background |
 |
| The Burrens |
 |
| The Burrens |
 |
| The Burrens |
 |
| Looking Out at Galway Bay |
Our last stop
was a rest stop in a small seaside town.
Here Tom bought all of us a drink (mainly Irish coffee) as this was the
only way we could use the rest rooms. I
sure hope OAT reimburses him for this.
After arriving in Ennistymon, we
checked into our hotel (Falls Hotel & Spa). Ennistymon is a very small (only 1,000
inhabitants) market town but our hotel was huge. It sits on a large hillside with the River
Inagh running through it and its waterfall on its border. It also has a herd of about 6 donkeys. Unfortunately, the only place to eat in this
town was the hotel’s restaurant unless you wanted to take a taxi to a nearby
town. Another couple and us decided to
eat in the hotel. It was a very good dinner,
but it was a pricey 3-course dinner. But
the views from the dining room were beautiful.
 |
| Cascades from Our Hotel |
 |
Cascades from Our Hotel
|
