Galway

On the Galway leg of our trip we took several jaunts out into the
western Ireland country side. These first pictures are from the Burren.
The Burren used to be undersea several million years ago and consists
of hills covered in limestone.

Those lines running up over the mountains are called famine walls. The walls in the valley were typically build by sons dividing up inherited land. The famine walls however serve no purpose. During the potato famine the English "paid" the Irish to build the walls to nowhere as a form of famine relief. Why not have them build bridges, or roads, or something useful? Because better roads and bridges would serve to improve the economy of Ireland, and economic independence might just lead the Irish to establish governmental independence.

Doesn't that suck?

Why yes. Yes, it does.

This is a monastary.

Here are the ruins of a set of three churches. When more people moved into the area they just built another church.

Near the Burren is Poulnabrone. a tomb from the megolithic era. It is about four to five thousand years old. Bodies would be left on top of the large flat rock, so that animals and the weather could "clean" the flesh and organs from the bones. the bones were then buried in the tomb that lay underneath the structure.

A classic shot of cliffs on the western shore of Ireland. These are the Cliffs of Moher.

Below is Dunguaire Castle.

Above are the deer that stood motionless outside our hotel window for our entire stay at Galway. Amazing!

Windblown landscape from our second day trip into Connemara.

One of the world famous Connemara Ponies, which I had never heard of until I saw one.

Babbling brook. Better than a babbling blogger.

Kylemore Abbey.

On our third day trip we went to Inis Meáin, one of the Arran Islands. It is the least developed of the islands and provided a much needed break from the tourist crowds.

Fish laid out to dry.

Here I am trudging the very paths the farmers have been using for centuries.

Paths and walls. Walls and paths.

The coast of
Inis Meáin. Blue.

Next, back to Dublin.