Great Stay in Galway - Day Two

Our second day in Galway took my group to the stunning Connemara National Park, Kylemore Abbey, and the cute village of Cong. After waking up early, enjoying a simple continental breakfast at the hostel, and drinking a cafe mocha from the hostel's coffee shop, we set off on our way. 

Of all of the beautiful things we saw that weekend, our tour guide, Paul, was most excited to take us to Connemara. Because Ireland is so small and the tour guides are so personable, it is common for them to have spent time in the areas they show and, in some cases, have grown up there. Paul had spent a lot of time in Connemara as a boy and, now living in Galway, remembers those happy days every time he drives through. By noting that the next stop was his "favorite place in all of Ireland," we all looked harder and appreciated more, the beauty in front of us. And we soon understood why he loves it so much. 

Here nothing happened. That is the important historic event commemorated by a large memorial in the park and a huge statue of Conn, Son of the Sea, erected by Joyce's Craft Shop in 1999. All weekend Paul told us that the Irish love their tales, and their mischief, and to "never let the truth get in the way of a good story." This site embodies that facetious spirit for sure!

We then followed the Lough Nafooey Valley Route through the huge area and stopped for photo opportunities along the way. Even though it was a bit chilly, the place was so expansively gorgeous and incredible. To think that people live in the National Park and get to look at this treasure every morning is wild and lucky. I think we felt fortunate just to breath the fresh air. (Which is so fresh, that the plant lichen, what reindeers eat, grows in the area. Interestingly, lichen is so delicate that it can only grow in areas with zero air pollution. So really, really fresh air.)

Killary Harbour.

Kylemore Abbey was our next stop as we continued through the valleys and watching a beautiful building emerge as we rounded a mountain was a sight to see! This building was constructed by London doctor Mitchell Henry in 1871 as a private estate for his family with beautiful grounds and an English garden. Normally the Irish would have disliked a wealthy Englishman building such a lavish home and interrupting the local culture in the late 1800s, however the Henrys were so nice to the locals that they were loved by everyone in the area. 

Unfortunately Henry's wife, Margaret, passed in 1875 after contracting a fever in Egypt. Mitchell, who was devastated, built her a beautiful memorial church on the grounds which is open to visitors. Henry went on to sell the property as he couldn't bare living in a place that she loved so much. In later years it was a Benedictine Abbey and finally a girls' boarding school that closed in 2010. The area now serves solely as a tourist attraction.

Kylemore Abbey. 

A view of the gardens.

The tropical part of the gardens.

A portrait of Margaret Henry.

Margaret Henry Memorial Church.

Inside the church, I lit a candle as usual. 

Pretty sure that this is not historical...

We made a quick stop for a picture opportunity overlooking Paul's favorite place in Connemara, and thus his favorite place in Ireland. This is the same valley where a scene from the movie Marley and Me was shot. Apparently when Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston were filming in the area, Paul drove by with his tour bus and all of this passengers got to meet the two celebrities. He said that they were both very nice and happy to visit with fans. The scene they were filming was one in which a group of sheep blocked the road (the acting sheep were owned by Paul's friend - of course) and we even experienced this in real life as we drove through.

My group scouring the mountain.

Me and my roommate, Miranda!

The weather then changed and I captured this beautifully eerie shot. 

We then went to the village of Cong to see the abbey there, to visit its beautiful woods, and to drink some hot chocolate. Cong's claim to fame is that John Wayne's film, The Quiet Man, was shot there (a movie I learned about last semester that is apparently full of poor accents and hurtful stereotypes, but I haven't seen it myself). After, we continued to our final stop at Ross Errily Friary just as the sun went down.

The friary's wall was numbered and I couldn't figure out why! Also, these local boys were playing soccer in the Friary which I thought was so hysterical as we were visiting it as a sacred place and they were kicking a ball off the walls and everywhere else. 

After such an exhausting day I went with some girls to dinner in town. I think I ordered a Mexican burrito but can't be sure, and then stopped in a pub for some music and a drink. And man did I sleep well that night!

Yours,

The Opinionated Lassie

Also, for another perspective on this trip, visit my roommate Miranda's blog as linked below:
http://traveling-twamp.tumblr.com/