BUNDORAN to COUNTRY CLARE – visions of Galway Bay –

Monday – an early farewell to our hotel and we are off again!!! Heading south we drive through Sligo and some lovely countryside on our way and enjoy a morning stop at a church where apparently, a few years back, a vision of the Virgin Mary was seen.

The church itself is really nice and peaceful and there is a priest giving out little bookmarks with Scripture texts.

On a sad note there are a lot of little shops up the street with really crass touristy things – like plastic bottles of Mary with screw top heads that contain Holy Water (ugh) and memorial plaques that you can take away and put on your loved ones grave to say that you have visited this place (double ugh).  I think to myself that religion is all about money!!!

Consequently I cannot remember the name of the church or where it was as I took off to wander the gardens leaving the religious amongst us to ponder.  After this we are off on our way to Galway. Pretty countryside – so photos out the coach window. Even a bit of blue sky!

Arriving in Galway we see that it is a really nice town. Of course a song – ‘Galway Bay’.

We get to see Eyre Square and St Nicholas Cathedral and as it is turning out to be another hot day, I grab something to eat and something cool to drink and sit in the square under the trees where there are lots of people relaxing.  After eating my lunch I go for a walk around and discover the Irish Tourist Centre.

Very informative with lots of interesting things to buy but I just opt for the fridge magnets and the customary book!  Looking back – I did not take any photos here. I must have had a lapse or maybe I ran out of film.  No, I think it was a lapse.

Anyway time for another little rest and I find a nice little place to sit – near the coach – which is near the Tourist Centre and immediately seem to strike up a friendship with one of the town’s drunks!!  He wants a few bob for some cigarettes – so I move away – right back to the Tourist Shop where I buy some more stuff.  Is this an Irish plot to get me to spend more money?

This afternoon the itinerary goes out the window for the next day or so. We are to visit Bunratty Folk Park  today and not tomorrow.

The place is a re-built village of saved buildings that would have otherwise been destroyed. Bunratty Castle, houses, shops, church, mill-house etc. Really interesting and well cared for – it’s amazing to think that most of these buildings have been demolished and rebuilt here.

An hour or two here and then back on the coach for the drive to our hotel.  We arrive at the – Clare Inn, a hotel right out of the way that has a pub attached to it called ‘The Poacher’s Pub’.

Things are looking up.

Kenny tells us the tale of the ‘Fairy Tree’ that is in the vicinity.

Apparently The Fairy Tree is a meeting place for fairies and when the road was being upgraded the tree was in the way – so instead of chopping it out – they built the road around it.

Cute story – the place also has a golf course, which has nothing to do with the Fairy Tree but just thought I would throw that in for you.

Dinner is included tonight – Chilled Fantail of Melon with a duo of Fruit Coulis;  Dressed Supreme Chicken glazed with a Garlic and Herb Butter; Tiramisu and Coffee. As I said, this hotel is right out of the way – so there is nothing to do unless you decide to go for a walk around the golf course.

There is also a pool but I don’t fancy a swim so I sit in the bar with a couple of fellow travellers and enjoy a couple of Bacardi Breezers. Later it is time to retreat to my room, have a bit of a look at what I have bought, flick through a couple of the books and it is time to sleep and dream of the ‘fairies’ dancing around the tree out the front.

Highlight of the day: Bunratty Castle