A visit to Bunratty Castle is worth the hassle and the crowds of tourists. It is, after all, the best ancient castle in western Ireland. Built in about 1425 on the site of two previous strongholds, the castle was restored in the 1950s and 60s by Lord Gort and his family to appear much as […]
The Cliffs of Moher
When I first visited this amazing natural site more than a decade ago, it was free. You’d park in a dirt lot and walk about fifty yards and boom – there they were. The Cliffs of Moher would knock your socks off, even if you weren’t wearing any. And, they were free. Now the entire […]
The Beara Peninsula
We were on the Beara Peninsula, Counties Cork and Kerry a few days ago. The memories of this wild place are still fresh in our minds. One of the highlights of our day spent on the Beara was a visit to Molly Gallivan’s cabin. This old house, which has stood since before “The Great Hunger” […]
Just Watching the Clouds
If I had an entire day with nothing to do in Ireland I would just sit and watch the clouds. Especially, along the western coastline where they change every few minutes. The Irish are fond of saying, “If you don’t like the weather, just wait 10 minutes.” This photo was taken near Slea Head on […]
Today on the Dingle Peninsula
A photo collection from the day’s travels around the Dingle Peninsula.
Cobh, old Queenstown, has a sad aura of tragedy
A visit to Cobh is sometimes a somber one, especially when it’s raining lightly on the old graveyard on the north side of town. This is where more than 150 victims of the attack on the “Lusitania” are buried in three mass graves. We visited the cemetery on our way to the Cobh / Queenstown […]
Hard Times in Cashel, County Tipperary
It’s a sign of the times, or rather, lots of signs of the times when you see “50% off” sale signs in the windows of stores at the very beginning of what should be this town’s busiest season. Inquiring at a souvenir store selling high-quality items from around Ireland, we were told today that “we […]