Donegal and Galway and environs




The first thing we did in Donegal was go to a store and buy umbrellas! Then we visited Donegal Abbey (Friary), where the "Four Masters" (monks who wrote a history of Ireland) lived and worked.  On the coast at Drumcliff, we visited Yeat's grave.


Donegal Carrowmore prehistoric site
The Diamon in Donegal, with its monument to the Four Masters Carrowmore megalithic site
Yeats's grave at Drumcliff Cast a cold eye
on life, on death.
Horseman, pass by!
The grave of Yeats (1865-1939) Yeats's epitaph, from one of his own poems


Then, after a long drive in the rain, we reached charming, delightful, lovely Galway. We loved Galway -- well, except for its stationary traffic. We ate very well in Galway, though, something you don't do just everywhere in Ireland.



Galway Galway
Galway A lovely bookshop



The next day, we toured that strange, rocky area known as the Burren, with its wild landscapes and coastlines.
 

The Burren The Burren
View northwards towards Galway, across the bay Gorgeous views, clear and sunny
The Burren The Burren
Three Aran Islands in the distance Colorful flowers
The Burren The Burren
Road along the coast An Irish road
The Burren
What a wall!

We saw the very impressive Cliffs of Moher in a strong wind.

Cliffs of Moher Cliffs of Moher
Cliffs of Moher

We saw a strange and well-known dolmen called Poulnabrone.

Poulnabronne
Tourist at Poulnabrone Dolmen, the latter dating from around -2500 (like the first pyramids in Egypt, the tourist being somewhat more recent in spite of some insinuations to the contrary...)




The next day, on our way to Shannon to catch our plane home, we made a short side trip to visit Thor Ballylee, the tower home that Yeats offered to his wife, George, with the lovely inscription on the wall.

Thor Ballylee
I, the poet, William Yeats,
With common sedge and broken slates
And smithy work from the Gort forge,
Restored this tower for my wife George;
And on my heirs I lay a curse
If they should alter for the worse
From fashion or an empty mind,
What Raftery built and Scott designed.


The curse seems to have had its effect. Thor Ballylee is still peaceful and lovely. We hope that all of Ireland will be one day soon.

At the end of our original report, we wrote:

Ireland is marvelous. We love it and intend to go back.



Back to Ireland 1997.

Shamrock

Links to Ireland pages: Back to Bienvenu-Welcome