May 2008 in The Northwest

stewh · Guru

May 2008 in The Northwest

Michele Erdvig · Host

Stewart,

Welcome back! Thanks for beginning your trip report. I look forward to hearing more details about your self-catering cottage. Was it clean? How were the beds? How was the bathroom and shower? Modern appliances? Nice owners? The more the better...please. aww

Michele

stewh · Guru

Part 2
We spent Wednesday, May 7 at the beach. The weather was perfect again, warm (23C) and sunny. Strandhill is a great beach for a stroll; swimming is dangerous at best. There were quite a few surfers but we stuck to beachcombing. We had a bowl of good fish chowder for lunch at a little place fronting on the beach, a pleasant spot. The drive past Knocknarea was spiced up a bit by a group of horses racing by us at high speed. Looked like racehorses in training.
We went that evening to the Italian Warehouse for a few pints. I was surprised to find that one of the regulars who we had met the night before had brought an envelope for me containing the words to 'Nell Flaherty's Drake' as an example of the traditional Irish talent for creative curses:
"May his spade never dig, may his sow never pig..." etc.
Also in the envelope was a complete set of old Irish currency up to the 1 Punt note to display in my Family Room Pub, very generous. We had a pleasant evening with lots of laughs and plenty of suggestions for things to see near Boyle.

On Thursday we drove slightly north of Boyle to seek out the Carrowkeel Tombs. The last mile of road was in poor shape, really appropriate for 4WD, then a short hike to the mountain top where the passage tombs look out over a marvellous vista. The sun was shining and the wind was really blowing. I was able to go inside the tomb that (like Newgrange) has an opening over the entrance, quite a moving experience. The sun shines through to the back wall on the Summer Solstice (Winter Solstice at Newgrange). After a while a few drops of rain fell and we walked down the mountain among the sheep and drove the bad road one more time. Carrowkeel is completely undeveloped. There is still much archaeology to be done at this site which I think dates to around 3500 BC. A highlight for me.
On the suggestion of our host, Christina, we went for dinner to James Clarke's Pub. The food was excellent - not Pub food at all. Lorraine rated the lamb as some of the best she has had. We met a young developer/house builder who was spending 2 years in Boyle building a group of 70 homes. Not for the first or last time we heard about Ireland's Real Estate 'correction' and slowing economy. Someone we met said tellingly 'the Celtic Tiger has a thorn in his paw'.
The weather on Friday was cooler and it was cloudy all day. Being our last day in town we finally got around to touring Boyle Abbey and King House. Boyle Abbey is presently under careful restoration so the tour is free of charge and somewhat limited. Tony, a retired teacher, was an enthusiastic and knowledgeable tour guide, well worthwhile. King House is now an interesting melange of the history of the powerful King family and the Connaught Rangers Regiment that occupied the house for many years. Later I went for a final few pints to Creighton's - the Italian Warehouse. Sylvia and Eddie Creighton try very hard to live up to their motto, "Making the world a better place, one drink at a time."
Boyle was an interesting base for a week's stay. It will not replace Birr, Co. Offaly as my favorite inland town, but it is a genuinely friendly Irish town where we did not encounter many other tourists. There are some good pubs - Creighton's, Daley's and the Moving Stairs and particularly good food at Clarke's. The Cottage we stayed at is owned and run by Christina Mitchell of Abbey House B&B. We could not have asked for a more gracious or helpful host nor for a better location, quiet spacious grounds on the river and actually attached to Boyle Abbey and within very easy walking distance of the town center. The cottage itself is clean and comfortable but compact and fairly basic. There are 3 cottages. The one we had is suitable for 2 or 3 people, a double bedroom and a single. No washer/dryer or dishwasher but the kitchen was ideal for the few meals we cooked. Christina told us that if we had laundry to do just to ask her. All in all we found Abbey Mews to be charming and characterful, just like the owner. http://www.abbeyhouse.net/
more to follow...

-- Edited by stewh at 08:45, 2008-06-18

stewh · Guru

Part 3
We left Boyle on Saturday, May 10 and headed for Co. Donegal. Along the way we stopped at Drumcliffe to visit WB Yeats grave 'Under bare Ben Bulben's head'. There is also an interesting high cross here. We also took the Glenniff Horseshoe drive which gave us spectacular views from very near Ben Bulben, not well marked but worth the effort. Thanks to Anchoress and Dude for the tip.
After a leisurely drive we arrived in Ardara in mid afternoon to meet Francis Campbell at our self catering house, The Bridge Bar. After settling in we walked around town (a village really) and ended up having dinner at Nancy's Bar directly across from our house. Fresh steamed mussels followed by smoked salmon dishes (I think one was called a Louis Armstrong), delicious. Later that night I went to the Corner Bar and heard some good traditional music. The music started about 10:30 and the crowd grew all evening. I was surprised at the number of people who are regular visitors from Northern Ireland. Very friendly place and, as they say 'lively'. The music continued until LATE.
The next day Ardara was visited by Mary Coughlan, Ireland's new Tanaiste (deputy Prime Minister). I guess I shouldn't have been surprised to see that one of the Bartenders (the proprietor, I think) from the Corner Bar was part of the welcoming committee. We spent a very warm and sunny afternoon a few miles away at Narin Beach.
On Tuesday we drove to the Slieve League Sea Cliffs. I must say the drive to the upper parking lot was harrowing. The cliffs of course are spectacular, like seeing the edge of the world. I was pleased to do the return drive from the parking lot without meeting an oncoming car and having to reverse; YIKES! We spent the rest of the day touring the area around Glencolmcille, very pleasant. On Tuesday we visited the National Park at Glenveigh. The drive was very enjoyable, past imposing Mt. Errigal on R251 and through some rather desolate scenery, a massive landscape. Glenveigh was a highlite. Thanks Michele. We have visited many Irish gardens over the years but none is more impressive than Glenveigh. Chatting to one of the gardeners we were surprised to learn that the gardens are maintained by only 4 employees - very well organized. We had Vegetable Soup and Brown Bread for lunch in the Tea Room. We had the same thing a few times on our trip, it was home made each time, different each time, and delicious each time. We drove back to Ardara by a shorter, greener route, through Fintown and Glenties. That night we ate dinner at the Nesbitt Arms Hotel. It was quite good at a reasonable price. We heard that a new chef had been hired a short time ago and that the quality was now much more consistent. Stopped for a drink and a chat at Nancy's before calling it an early night.
Except for a visit to Maghera Beach, we spent much of the day around town. Sme good walking locally. We had lunch at the Heritage Center (yes, the scones are great) where Sheila was kind enough to give us the recipe for her exceptional Brown Bread which went very well with the (what else) Vegetable Soup. Just as we were going to bed at about 11:30 we heard the familiar strains of 'Dirty Old Town' coming from Nancy's Bar across the road. We dropped in just as they were locking up. I had a late night. Very 'lively'.
We spent most of Thursday in Donegal Town. Lorraine had been feeling a bit shopping deprived on this trip and found 'Magees of Donegal' to suit her quite well. Back in Ardara, we went to all the Tweed sellers. They all seemed good to me but I'm not much of a shopper. That evening we ate oysters at Nancy's; we saw them being delivered in buckets, a daily occurrence. They were as good as any I have had, very large and succulent from less than 10 miles away.
Friday was another relaxing day. We did bit of tweed shopping at Molloy's and I bought a CD at Wee Joe's by a sort of local group, 'The Black Stuff'. Not really traditional the CD, 'It Never Rains in the Bar' had been recommended by the boys at Nancy's. We took a drive the few miles up Glengesh Pass, great view of the valley where Ardara is situated. More oysters followed later.
We really enjoyed our first visit to Co. Donegal. It reminded me a bit of West Cork but it really is 'different up there'. Ardara was an excellent place to be centered for a week. I could easily do it again. The town is friendly with good restaurants and welcoming pubs. The house we rented, 'The Bridge Bar' was much larger than I expected. It was a pub until about 30 years ago. Four bedrooms and a large bathroom with power shower upstairs, Large kitchen and Living Room downstairs. There is a washer but no dryer, no dishwasher. The biggest surprise was the very private walled back garden. We used it a lot in the warm sunny weather. This house is right on the main street of town. Parking is in the town lot less than a block away. Francis Campbell is a very friendly helpful host. http://www.discoverireland.com/ca-en/ireland-plan-your-visit/accommodation/listings/?fid=FI_62028

just a bit more to follow. sorry for the delays...

stewh · Guru

Part 4
After our 2 weeks of visiting parts of Ireland that were new to, us we spent 3days in Westport where we had been a few years ago. We arrived on Saturday, May 17 and checked in to the Boulevard Guesthouse -an ideal location, quiet but right in the heart of town overlooking the river. Sadie & John were helpful and entertaining hosts. A sense of humour prevails in this nice old Georgian house. http://www.boulevard-guesthouse.com/ We had a decent dinner at Cosy Joe's, a large multi level pub. We stopped at a pub near the Boulevard hoping for a quiet pint. We couldn't get out fast enough, drunken, rowdy customers and an indifferent barmaid.
Sunday morning the sky was very overcast and the temperature much cooler. We had been planning to tour Achill Island but were a bit hesitant. As you point out Michele, Achill is not such a great place in bad weather. We went anyway. Believe it or not the Sun broke through just as we started across the causeway and continued to shine all day accompanied by very brisk winds, beautiful.
We thoroughly enjoyed the day. The Atlantic Drive is exciting but not precarious. Back on the main road we saw a lot of activity in the turf fields just as we had throughout Co. Donegal. The beaches on Achill are great for walking and all had great views. A highlight for me was the Abandoned Village; I spent a long time wandering around, eerily evocative. We went for dinner to Twig's Bistro, kind of a trendy looking place. I wouldn't reccomend it. Stopped at a small very local pub near our B&B, Toby's. It was OK, pleasant enough but not on my 'best of' list.
On Monday we set out for Silver Strand because it looked isolated on the map. Sadie said it was a good quiet beach. Past Croagh Patrick to Louisburgh we then turned left on the coastal road. Eventually we saw a sign for White Strand so we decided to give it a visit. We strolled for hours on the vast, completely deserted beach with spectacular mountains overlooking us. We continued driving South until we saw Silver Strand but decided we'd had enough beach for one day. We backtracked a bit and made our way to the R335 and drove South through the Doo Lough Pass (awe-inspiring, but with a sad story) and on to Leenane for a late lunch in the pub. Back in Westport we eat a pretty good Dinner at the West, stop at Toby's for a pint and have an early night.
I left Westport with mixed feelings; it is a beautiful town in a great part of the country (loved Achill) but I felt that it may be getting too commercial for its own good. The prevalance of Stag parties on Saturday night didn't help my impression. Perhaps my timing was just a bit off.
On Tuesday we had a pleasant drive South through Maam Cross and the pretty town of Oughterard ( on my list for future visits, thanks MarkD). We were surprised at the number of Tour buses we encountered, counted about eight between Maum and Maam Cross. We arrived in Kinvara after negotiating the endless roundabouts near Galway and checked in to Fallon's B&B for a couple of nights. Fallon's is nice and right in the center of town. Breakfasts were good and the place was friendly. Very small bathrooms. http://www.kinvara.com/fallons/index.html
We enjoyed our time in Kinvara; it is pretty and seems 'farther away' than it is. I heard some fairly good trad at Connolly's as well as some very good old time American roots music at Tully's. We did a bit of a Burren drive and stopped in Corofin (where we spent a week a couple of years ago) and had lunch in the very friendly Campbell's Inchiquin Inn. The Burren landscape really holds an attraction for me, not spectacular but there is something about it.
In Kinvara we had most of our meals at Keogh's, better than average pub fare in a friendly well-run establishment.
On Thursday we drove East and stopped in Tullamore for the night. We stayed at the modern Days Hotel in a very nice 'Business Room'. http://www.dayshoteltullamore.com/ Tullamore is pleasant enough but not really a 'destination'.
We spent our last night at Swords in the modern Carnegie Court Hotel. http://www.carnegiecourt.com/Busy restaurant served a good 'Carvery Lunch'. Hotel was good value but we could hear late music from a 'function room' on our floor.
On Saturday morning we took the short drive to busy, under construction Dublin Airport. Returned our Hertz car in less than 2 minutes and joined the fray in the departures area. We did not choose to use Dublin Airport but there was no flight from Shannon to suit us. I would think of altering my schedule next trip to avoid Dublin.
We had a great trip in May. I enjoyed the new parts of Ireland that we saw and was glad to drop in on some more familiar territory. As always this website has been a valuable planning tool for me. Thank you. We are already looking forward to our next trip.
Stewart

CowboyCraic · Guru

Stewart,

What a wonderful time! I am glad that you were able to visit Achill. It is a special place unto its own. The abandoned village reaches you in some deep place in your soul. I have actually spent the best part of a full day wandering there, listening to voices on the air.

I know what you mean about he Dublin Airport. I am always willing to pay extra to go in and out of Shannon. It is worth the cost to begin and end my journey on a pleasant note.

The Abbey in Boyle, when it is fully restored and not covered in tarps and scaffolding, might be worth another visit. I have also spent the best part of a day there. I seem to lose track of time in the ancient places.

"Nell Flaherty's Drake" is, to me, one of the finest "curses" ever spoken. It is both lyrical and long. My Gran always said it was saved for someone who had wronged you in the utmost fashion. I can believe that! You would have to really dislike someone to expend that much breath. biggrin

So, when are you leaving on your next adventure? biggrin

Slan Beo, Bit

Mark D · Senior Member

What a great trip report !
Glad you like Oughterard. It was a perfect place for our first night in Ireland.
I would go back in a second.
Cheers!
Mark D.

Michele Erdvig · Host

Stewart,

Fantastic report. We can't thank you enough for sharing your trip with us.

Michele

youngka · Guru

Hi Stewart, I really enjoyed reading about all the places and the area/s you visited in May. Gives me some ideas for our trip in May next year - thanks! We will start at Dublin and head North. Plan to make a loop and see the area along the ocean as far as Kinsale and end up in Mitchelstown just North of Cork. Then fly out of Shannon.

A few years ago you had mentioned the nice self catering place in Corofin (Mary Carmel), but we were unable, this year, to stay because my husband was under medical care in Mitchelstown and the doctor strongly advised us not to leave. hmm

Maybe we will be able to go next May. Like I mentioned you have given me some good ideas for our travels next year!
Youngka

-- Edited by youngka at 11:19, 2008-07-14

Anchoress · Guru

Bit; Boyle Abbey like many old ruins, has been under tarps for as long as I can remember..

Glad you found Maghera and Narin etc..

We have guided folk to Ardara who have not been impressed withe McGees... even better is a place in Kilcar.. just drive through the village and it is on the left . Another family firm with weavers on the premises.

Blessings