H and I are just back from holiday in western Ireland and environs. The visit was absolutely outstanding in all regards: the people, the history, the ancient and holy sites, but the natural wonderments were really superlative. Here are just a few snapshots. More photographs and stories are posted on the companion blog.
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| Downpatrick Head |
This tall rocky outcropping at Downpatrick's Head was where the Devil lived but crumbled away from the mainland in the Middle Ages, and like the snakes, was banished from Ireland.
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| Doolin Harbour |
At the southern edge of the karst moonscape, the Burren, we visited the village of Doolin before traveling on to the amazing Cliffs of Moher.
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| Cliffs of Moher |
There was no end of things to see and we certainly did not exhaust the Connemara region, with its undulating ribbons of coastline and picture-perfect drives. We did venture further north, however, through County Sligo. On the descent from the hike up Knocknarea Mountain, we had a spectacular view of Ben Bulben, which dominated the land like a green version of Ayers Rock, sides carved out by rivulets that swelled with cascading white water after a good, brief rain.
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| Ben Bulben |
And about the weather, it was forever damp but the rains only stayed for a brief spell and afterwards we were rewarded with a cavalry of rainbows, coming one right after another, like the dominions of Rainbow Brite, My Little Pony and the Care Bears all put together. Here was a particularly nice one over the fjord that frames Killary Harbour, just looking out of the window of our cottage.
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| Killary Habour |
