Thatched roofs in the town of Adare

Thatched roofs in the town of Adare

Adare street scene

       Bunratty Castle and Folk Park were the next stopping places.  The castle was built around 1425 and was lived in for 200 years.  It then fell into disrepair until it was purchased by the 7th Viscount Gort and restored and furnished with period furniture. 

Bunratty Castle

Bunratty Castle wood carving

Bunratty Castle - coat of arms

Bunratty Castle

       Next we walked through the Folk Park. The Folk Park is a living reconstruction of the homes and environment of Ireland a century ago.  Rural farmhouses, a village street of shops, and the Bunratty House were moved here rather than being destroyed and are furnished as they would have been 100 years ago.  Rural Ireland was very third world-ish at the time.  We saw farmhouses, weaver's sheds, a fisherman's house, a blacksmith forge, a schoolhouse, a rural church, "travelers' (gypsy) wagons, hay and corn sheds, vertical and horizontal mills, and a collection of old farm equipment which could be operated either by donkey or man.

Schoolroom

Local deer

Interesting stone slab fence

A local resident

 Travelers' (gypsy) wagons

Interesting truck

St. John Castle in Limerick

Limerick house

I never did figure out exactly what this means

Wed., 5/15/13 - Limerick to Sligo
         This morning we headed out for a "coffee break" in Galway where we had free time to wander around the pedestrian streets in the old town center.  Galway is a major center for traditional Irish music and hosts summer music festivals.  We listened to several street performers on our walk.
         We walked past cute shops and pubs and cafes to The Church of Ireland, St. Nicholas' Collegiate Church.  It is the largest medieval church still in everyday use in Ireland.  It was built in 1320.
         Galway is a port city and has a rich history of shipping, trade, and fishing.  Today some locals still use the small "hooker" boats to catch salmon.  Oysters and mussels are caught here.  In 1477 Columbus visited the Galway port.  In the 1580's the city walls were extended with Gothic arches referred to as "the Spanish Arch."  On the way out of Galway we saw the statue of "Woman Breaking Free."  It represents the many barriers women must break through to get even footing with men.

St. Nicholas' Collegiate Church

Cute pub and signs

Galway street scene

Sign post

Bridge over the swiftly flowing River Corrib

Spanish Arches

Spanish Arches

"Hooker" boats

Pretty sign

Woman Breaking Free

      We drove through the Connemara district in the west of Ireland.  It is famous for its green marble and the marble was traded in prehistoric times as well as currently.  We did not see any marble.
      We had a two hour stop in the town of Cong for a lunch break.  Most of us ate at the Crow's Nest, one of Michael's favorites.  We ate vegetable soup (potato/leek) and brown soda bread.  We walked around this small, unspoiled Irish town three times.  The park area was peaceful and the streams were full of rushing water.  It rained off and on all day and was a chilly 40 to 50°.  We are getting used to the typical weather.

Cong Abbey

Street scene

A walk in the woods

Police station