Monday, September 30, 2013

West Ireland


We started our trip in the west of Ireland for Mary and Pats Wedding. We stayed in Cromleach Lodge in Sligo and this was the amazing view from our room. Our next stop was Galway but unexpected car trouble came along. Luckily our tour guides Siún and Ian McDonald (their son Christopher is dating my sister for years now) came to our rescue. I had not seen The Burren since I was in transition year in Presentation, so I was really excited to capture it on camera and better yet, have true locals show me around.

Our first stop was Dungaire Castle where Christopher worked as a butler for the medieval banquets. It was built in 1520 and sits on the shore of Galway Bay and boasts gorgeous views of Kinvara, the nearby sea port village.

The trek to The Burren soon began with small winding roads and a lot of stops due to an extremely hung over girlfriend. The Burren meaning great rock, is one of the largest karst landscapes in all of Europe and lies in Co. Clare. The rolling hills of the Burren consist of Limestone rock. It was truly a magnificent site and a must see if you are in the area.

The last series of photos are from Bunratty Castle, where we stayed that night. some are photos of the castle by night and the folk village the next morning before we met the rest of our crew. Our friends flew in from Boston for a week and we all drove back to Kerry together. My next blog will feature some of the beautiful views and places to visit for your trip to Co. Kerry also known as the Kingdom.

Thanks again to Aoife and Kim for all the driving in Sligo and to Ian and Siún for being amazing tour guides.

Thanks to Mom and Jeremiah (my godfather) for rescuing us from Bunratty, so we could avoid the dreaded bus.



Inside Dungaire Castle.



The Burren.

Karst Dome in the distance.

Kinvara Village.


Kinvara village and Ian mcdonald.



Bunratty castle.



Bunratty Folk Village.


Farah outside J Browns Pawn Shop



The crew arrive from Boston into the nearby airport.



Bunratty by night.




©Alison Slattery. All Rights Reserved.