Another Long Day

After leaving Westport we drove  to Ballintubber Abbey.  It is partially restored and is still being worked on.  It has extensive grounds and a walk that follows the stations of the cross.  We had to wait for Mass to end before we could go inside.

Next stop was Galway where we did a walking tour and had lunch.

Excavating in the Middle of the City

We next visited the Cliffs of Moher.  There was a fancy new visitors center there along with a large gift shop.

After checking into the Bunratty Castle Hotel we just had time to get ready to go to the Bunratty Castle for a medieval-style banquet.  We were entertained with stories and songs by the lords and ladies of the castle as we ate with our fingers.

Catamaran Cruise and "Quiet Man" Tour

Our bus took us to Killary Harbour to cruise on the "Connemara Lady".  On the cruise we had all kinds of weather - sun, rain, wind.  After the tour we had lunch at Eddie's Bar. 

On the Way to Killary Harbour

Commemorating the Famine

Lots of  Sheep in Ireland

Mussel Farm

Later we went to the village of Cong where the move "The Quiet Man" was filmed.  It was a 1952 movie starring John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara.

A House in Cong

Statue of John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara

  The tour guide had members of the tour act out some of  the scenes from the movie.  Bob played the part of Michaleen Flynn who drove the cart and chaperoned.

Derry to Westport

Our tour continued from Derry to Donegal.  We visited the ruins of Donegal Castle which is partially restored.

Stone Ring Fort

We stopped at Sligo to see where the poet, W. B. Yeats is buried.  His tombstone wasn't as imposing as many that we saw.

We stopped at Westport House, an 18th century mansion - now a tourist attraction which includes a Pirate Adventure Park.

We stayed at the Wyatt Hotel in Westport.

Doagh Famine Village & Derry

We packed up and left Belfast early in the morning.  We arrived at the Doagh Famine Village and had a tour by one of the people who lived in the village until 1983.

http://www.ireland.com:

     The Famine Village outdoor museum, is located on the north Inishowen peninsula and about an hour from Letterkenny in County Donegal. It tells the story of an Irish family from the 18th century to the present day.

     Doagh Famine Village tells the story of a Donegal family and community living on the edge of Donegal and surviving from Famine times right up to the present day.
     Doagh Famine Village contains a wide selection of actual size attractions, including some original dwellings which were still inhabited up to 20 years ago.
     In fact, the centre has been built around the home of the owner who lived here with his family until 1983. By then, living in a thatched cottage was no longer fashionable and today this building tell of the subsistence way of life on Doagh Island.
     Some of the Famine Village’s buildings – such as the Orange Hall, Presbyterian Meeting House, Mass Rock and Hedge School and a Republican Safe House – depict the diverse history and culture of this corner of the Inishowen peninsula.
     Other buildings house information on the travelling community’s culture and other Irish traditions such as food, cures and the 'Irish Wake', a traditional send-off for the dead. 

 Our next visit was to Derry.  The walls that were around Derry in the 17th century are still intact.  We did a walking tour and walked part of the wall.  We saw St. Columb's Cathedral, the Tower Museum and the Guildhall where the history of Derry is depicted in stained glass windows.  We stayed overnight in Derry.

The name Derry was changed to Londonderry by a King of England, although it is still known as Derry.

Up on the Wall

North Along the Coast

It was a long day with much sight seeing.  It was rather dreary as we started out and by the time we reached Carrickfergus castle it was pouring rain.

Carrickfergus Castle with statue of William of Orange 

After we left Carrickfergus the rain stopped and it began to clear.  We had a rest stop at a place called Glencoy.

Then it was on to Giant's Causeway - very cool wind.

Wind blown

Our next stop was Carrick-A-Rede Rope Bridge.

Rathlin Island with hills of Scotland in background

We went on to the Dark Hedges in Ballmoney.

"This beautiful avenue of beech trees was planted by the Stuart family in the eighteenth century.

It was intended as a compelling landscape feature to impress visitors as they approached the entrance to their Georgian mansion, Gracehill House.

Two centuries later, the trees remain a magnificent sight and have become one of the most photographed natural phenomena in Northern Ireland.

In fact, the iconic trees have been used as a filming location in HBO's epic series Game of Thrones, representing the King's Road"  (http://www.discovernorthernireland.com)

We returned to Belfast and finished the day with a tour of the Crumlin Road Gaol which is now a museum.  We had supper there and the roast beef was delicious.

The internet site for the jail gives the following info:

" The Crumlin Road Gaol dates back to 1845 and closed it’s doors as a working prison in 1996. After extensive renovations the gaol has re opened as a visitor attraction and conference centre. Today you can take a guided tour of the prison and hear about the history of the site from when women and children were held within it’s walls through to the political segregation of republican and loyalist prisoners and learn about why the decision was taken to close the prison.
During the tour of the gaol you will be taken by your tour guide to visit the underground tunnel that used to connect the gaol to the Crumlin Road Courthouse, you will get a chance to sit in the Governor’s chair, view all the wings from the circle and of course pay a visit to the condemned mans cell before seeing the execution cell where the majority of the 17 men were hanged."