Connemara

We spent Easter weekend in Connemara, an area on the west side of Ireland. We got lucky: two of our three days there were sunny. Lee Ann remarked that that was the first time since she has moved here when it did not rain for a whole day. And we got two of those in a row! The third day was rainy, but even then we were able to get some cool pictures with a dark and mystic mood to them.

Maybe the mood was more misty than mystic, but I'm happy about how the pictures turned out anyway. You can see all of them on my Picasa album.

I know how the Easter bunny relates to Easter: It was the first animal Jesus saw when he came out of the tomb after his resurrection. But the association of lambs with Easter has always been a mystery to me; until now. Driving around Connemara, we saw a million sheep. And many of them had cute little lambs by their side. Easter is their season. By summer, they will all be teenagers in sheep years. Still not sure what all this has to do with Easter eggs, but I'm glad I solved one of the conundrums.

Irish sheep are pretty smart too. A fence is no match for the sheep's skill to get past it and conquer the roads. It seems the grass right next to the road tastes much better than the grass on the meadows behind the fences.

We did a lot of driving to cover a pretty large area. Some day it would be nice to go back and spend more time there and hike around more. Looking at the map to retrace the route we took, brings back chuckles and astonishment at these Irish town and place names.

Days 1: Dublin - Galway - Furbogh - Spiddal East - Spiddal Middle - Spiddal West - Screebe - Rosmuck - Kilkieran - Rusheennamanagh - Bunnahown - Cashel - Glenturkeen - Cloonacartan - Kylemore pass - Leenaun (Leenan).
We spent two nights in a charming old hotel in Leenan. Like many towns here, it has two names: An Irish one (Gaelic) and its Anglicization. We found it fun that it sounds almost like Lee Ann.

Kylemore Abbey

Day 2: Leenaun - Kylemore Abbey - Letterfrack - Letternoosh - Clifden - Gortrummagh - Belleek - Knockavally - Derrycunlagh - Roundstone - Errisbeg - Ballyconneely - Bunowen Beg - Bunowen More - Doonloughan - Clifden - Leenaun.

Roundstone

Day 3: Leenaun - Letterettrin - Gowlaun - Renvyle - Tully - Rusheenduff - Ardnagreevagh - Cloonlooaun - Derryinver - Ballinakill - Letterfrack - Leenaun - Munterowen - Rinavore - Kilmeelickin - Maum - Claggan - Comamona - Carrick Middle - Croaghrim - Clogher - Cong - Derryfadda - Clonbur - Comamona - Maam Cross - Derryerglinna - Oughterard - Tullyvealnaslee - Shanballymore - Currarevagh - Gorterwulla - Curraduff Middle - Curraun Beg - Oughterard - Gortrevagh - Knockkillaree - Ardnasillagh - Porridgetown East - Gortnagroagh - Rosscahill - Knockaunranny - Drimcong - Moycullen - Ballyquirke - Galway - Dublin.
Which one do you like best? I vote for Kilmeelickin, although Porridgetown and Letternoosh are cool too.

Bunowen castle

From the pictures you can tell it is a remote and barren landscape. I expected us to be the only ones visiting, but there were a fair number of tourists. It was not crowded, but we did run into one of my co-workers and his family at the Connemara National Park. The park is small and devoted to the bogs that are so common here and have given livelihood to the locals by providing them with fuel for heat, and grazing land for sheep and cattle. The bogs are also a rich source of folk tales, other tall stories, and artifacts that got buried, forgotten, and preserved by the nutrient-poor bog.

Bog tales in the national park museum (click to read)

This trip was a lot of fun in a beautiful landscape and cute little towns. It reminded me of one of the reasons we now live here in Ireland. Its an interesting and beautiful country. Unfortunately, it is usually wet and hidden under clouds.

Another reason for living in Ireland is that it is a two-hour trip away from Switzerland where we are this weekend. It is cold and cloud covered here as well. With some luck, however, I should get some pictures on that trip as well. Check back here!

The ruin of Renvyle castle