Exploring Ireland: County Galway, Ireland (part 3)

My Recommendations:

Must Do's ...

1. Upper Sky Road
2. Clifden
3. Buy Connemara Tweed and something woolen
   
4. Kylemore Abbey
5. Connemara Ponies
   
 

What You Can Skip ...

1. Absolutely nothing!

I awoke early the next morning from the sunlight coming through the picture window.  It was a soft, rainy morning.  The sunlight was soft, the gray sky was soft, and the house quiet.  Only the green grass seemed a little bright despite its vibrancy had been dampened from the sunny day before.  I showered, packed my bag, and loaded it into the car.  Anne was up and making breakfast.  There was a couple already eating breakfast in the dining room.  They were not open to conversation.  Anne took my order of fresh salmon omelette which she talked me into saying it was the best on the menu.  Paddy was a professional chef, as it seems.  I was a bit disappointed in the omelette ... too much salmon for me.  But, the salmon was so delicious when it melted in my mouth.

Upper Sky Road
As I left, Anne chastised me for not walking up to Upper Sky Road yesterday when the sun was shining.  She had prodded me, advising the forecast was for rain the next day, saying it was the best view in all of Ireland.  I had planned to take the walk but, sitting in the Irish grasses had been more compelling to me. 

I drove west a short distance on the tiny lane of Lower Sky Road until the road turned up the hill to the right and made a 180 degree turn.

And there I was. 

A 'sky view' of what I had taken in yesterday from the cliff side.  I truly had been sitting on the edge of the world ... looking out onto the Atlantic Ocean near where it meets the Norwegian Sea.

 And here's a distance shot of the point in the two photos above:

My B&B, Rockmount House, is in the row of houses just below and to the left of the point.

Spectacular!  Yes?
And further down the road ...

Clifden
I drove into the town of Clifden anxious to find an espresso cafe, and roam the shops which had just opened.  As much as I hate shopping, I love browsing through small shops whenever I travel to other countries.  And, I was on a shopping mission.  I had planned to buy my Irish father either an Irish tweed cap or an [authentic] Aran sweater.  And if you're wanting Irish tweed, Connemara is the place to look. 

There are several shops in which to buy Irish woolens, and I can't recall the name of the shop where I found Dad's cap.  But, I do know that as soon as you turn right onto the first street of shops, it's either the first or second shop on your right.  Lots of fabulous tweed and woolens!

I love Dad's cap.  It is dark Irish green with tiny specs of brown, yellow, orange, and a few other colors.  It looks very handsome on him, and he looks dapper in it!

(not a good pic, but you get the gist)

Hehir's Woollen Store (Market Street) has absolutely fabulous items (more contemporary, less traditional).  Brian, one of the owners, was very helpful as I selected a wool sweater for myself. 

It's actually a lovely charcoal gray, sits just off the shoulder, and criss-crosses in front.  

Simply lovely.
Made by Fishermen Out of Ireland located in Donegal.

(FOoI catalog:  page 9, cable wrap top with side buttons)

Kylemore Abbey
Back on the road, I headed northeast through The Twelve Pins to the lovely Kylemore Abbey.  It was the most beautiful, peaceful sight ...

I love this photo.

But this is my favorite!

The Abbey became a school for girls, & is, sadly, closing this year.

Rain clouds are rolling in, & wind is rippling the water.

Half of a panoramic view ...

... the other half.

The Kylemore Abbey has a rich history. It's home to nuns of the Benedictine Order who came here in 1920 after their abbey in Ypres, Belgium was destroyed in WW I. They opened a world renowned boarding school for girls & restored the Abbey, Gothic Church, & Garden to their original order.  Mitchell & Margaret Henry owned it for a time, then it was bought by Eugene Zimmerman, an oil & rail tycoon from ... get this ... Cincinnati, Ohio, USA.  Yes, my hometown!  He bought it for his daughter & son-in-law, the Duke & Duchess (Helena Zimmerman) of Manchester.

I love this pic, as well!

Connemara Ponies
There's so much more that I can share about Connemara, but I must leave something for you to discover on your own.  But, I will share that you must see the Connemara Ponies.

Next up ... our final Irish exploration:  County Mayo (Matt Malloy's Pub, and a special farewell evening in Ennis ...

Literature to Life® ~ Fahrenheit 451

When was the last time a solo show, a one-person show, captivated you & stirred your soul?

When was the last time your child came home excited about a book and couldn't put it down?  And when finished, wanted to dive into another?

Last week, on Wednesday 2/23, I witnessed a solo show performance that completely captivated me and was so moving that I felt the emotions of each of the characters.  It was American Place Theatre's presentation of Ray Bradbury's fabulous book Fahrenheit 451.  It was adapted and directed by the reknown Mr. Wynn Handman, who was in attendance ... and very delightful, I might add.

Mr. Handman, a noted teacher for over 50 years, has trained many actors including:  Alec Baldwin, James Caan, Kathleen Chalfont, Chris Cooper, Michael Douglas, Sandy Duncan, Richard Gere, Joel Grey, Allison Janney, Raul Julia, Frank Langella, John Leguizamo, Susan Lucci, Donna Mills, Burt Reynolds, Tony Roberts, Anna Devere Smith, Mira Sorvino, Christopher Walken, Denzel Washington, and Joanne Woodward.

What a strong performance by Emmy nominated Rich Orlow!  I was truly lost in each character completely forgot that I was looking at the same person the entire time.  Read what Alexandra Cheney of the Wall Street Journal had to say about it. 

Performed at Joe's Pub in the East Village to an audience of adults was very unusual for this theater company.  The American Place Theatre's program that gave this performance is a literacy program that gives students a new form of access to literature by bringing to life the world of books with these solo shows. It's called Literature to Life® and is led by David Kener, Executive Director, whose passion is infectious.  David, himself an actor, was described by The New York Times as a performer "who adapts brilliantly to any situation." 

Literature to Life® is non-profit and funded by Project 451 ... the campaign to keep literature alive.  Over 70% of students reached by this program live below the poverty line.  Studies have shown that families living in poverty own either one or no books in their home.  After seeing one of these performances, 85% of children want to read or re-read the book.  And the comments after seeing a performance are inspiring!  Join Meryl Streep, Alec Baldwin,  make a donation to Project 451.

Better yet, sponsor a school or city.  It doesn't take much to make a difference!

Exploring Ireland: County Galway, Ireland (part 2)

My Recommendations:

Must Do's ...

1. Connemara
2. Sky Road
3. The Quiet Man bridge
4. Lower Sky Road
5. Sit on the edge of the world 

What You Can Skip ...

1. Absolutely nothing!

Driving northwest into the Connemara district of County Galway, I was thrilled.  I had not anticipated having the time to visit and had heard this was the 'romantic' part of Ireland.  It intrigued me as I didn't think anything could get more romantic than County Kerry.  They are my two favorite areas of Ireland ... both romantic in their own unique way.

Connemara

Connemara is the 'wild', remote, and somewhat desolate area of County Galway.  It features the Connemara National Park, the breathtaking Twelve Bens mountains which fell runners try to run across all twelve in one day, streams flowing over rocks and stones in the valleys between 'the Bens', mores, lakes, and a lovely coastline.  Given the terrain, this is an area of much fishing including fly and lobster.  Still not having studied where to go but instead allowing life to guide me in whatever direction it wanted me, I followed N59 to the town of Oughterard and then on to wherever it would lead.

Oughterard, "The Gateway to Connemara", is approximately 15 miles west of Galway City.  It is known as the angling center in the area and tourists flock to catch fish.  Close to the town is the Glengowla Mine which was abandoned in approximately 1865 and is known for its lovely and rare crystals of fluorite and quartz.

Sky Road
I continued driving through Oughterard on the, unbeknownst to me, famous Sky Road.  I had no idea I was on this road.  No idea the road was famous.  Nor had I any idea where life was guiding me.  What I did know was that I was experiencing synchronicity as I felt the familiar mixture of anticipation and thrill driving through this lovely land.  And knowing this heightened the sense of the mixture.

About 5 miles past Oughterard, down Sky Road, I saw a lovely stone bridge just off to my left.  There was something so lovely about it that I had to turn left simply so I could drive across it.  But, I felt life calling me forward.  I pulled off to the side of the road at the intersection and pulled out my map and Fodor's Exploring Ireland.  I was heading towards the westernmost points of Connemara.  I read a short snippit about the towns ahead and those to my left, and decided to continue straight towards the town of Clifden.  It seemed to have more to explore.

The Quiet Man Bridge
Before continuing on my journey, I looked again to the lovely bridge.  And then I saw the sign.  Quiet Man Road.  The lovely bridge is the famous bridge in the 1950's movie The Quiet Man which starred Maureen O'Hara and John Wayne.  I melted into my seat, smiling.  The movie was filmed in this area. 

I have loved The Quiet Man since I was a young girl.  Absolutely love it!  In fact, it's my favorite John Wayne movie of all time (John Wayne is my father's favorite actor so, naturally, I've seen most of his movies, repeatedly).  As a young girl, I would come home from church on Sundays, have lunch, and then watch a movie or two.  I would lay on the floor propped up on my elbows with my face in my hands either on the family room floor watching war movies with my Dad and brothers (The Bridges at Toko-Ri, To Hell and Back, A Bridge Too Far, Where Eagles Dare, The Dirty Dozen, The Bridge on the River Kwai, Tora Tora Tora, ... ), or on the living room floor watching romance movies (Easter Parade, In The Good Old Summertime, Pillow Talk, Romance on the High Seas, The Pajama Game, Please Don't Eat The Daisies, ... ).  Any movie with Doris Day, Rock Hudson, Cary Grant, Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly, Mickey Rooney, and my all time favorite ... Judy Garland.  If the movie was filled with singing and dancing, I was in heaven.  But, The Quiet Man ... it was a special treat whenever it aired.  But, let's get back to the trip! 

I stopped along the drive to take photos, as it seemed the few other cars I came upon were doing.  I was still longing to simply walk into one of the fields and sit in the grass to contemplate life for a while (this longing had been with me since I was in County Kerry and I was feeling my soul desperately in need), but this did not appear to the be the terrain in which to do so.

My photos simply do not do this landscape justice.  In my photos, the mountains that were ever so tall appear as hills.  You'll have to use your imagination ... 

I drove into the town of Clifden, the 'capital of Connemara.'  'Capital' as it relates Clifden to Connemara is something else that causes me to giggle as Clifden is a such a small town.  That said, it truly is an amazing one.  Lovely.  In such an amazingly lovely setting.  The people are the sweetest and the salt of the earth.  And the locals are extremely talented with their making of tweed (famous Connemara Tweed) and their woolens.  I longed to get out of the car and explore the two long, main roads of shops.  But I was a wee bit tired and needing to find my B&B for the evening.  A cup of tea and an hour to chill out were needed. 

Lower Sky Road
I stopped at a gorgeous B&B in Clifden whose front yard was filled with lovely plants and flowers, but they had no vacancies.  They referred me to another place a couple miles down the road outside of town.  No vacancy.  As I continued on to the next recommended B&B, still with no idea that I was on Sky Road nor its significance, I felt inspired to turn into a driveway and found myself admiring a beautifully landscaped front yard.  Rockmount House, on Lower Sky Road, is owned by Paddy and Anne Conroy.

Anne answered the door and immediately made me feel quite welcome while at the same time giving me my privacy.  My room was small, but quite comfortable, had a large picture window facing the back yard and a private bathroom.  The bed looked so fluffy and comfortable that the first thing I did was lay down.  Ahh, so comfortable.  "I'll just rest for a few minutes then head outside for a nice long walk," I told myself.  I awoke a few hours later.  Fortunately, it got dark very late in Ireland at that time of year and the sign in the back yard pointing to a walking path was calling me.

I followed the sign around the split-rail fence to the mowed area that formed a path through wild flowers and weeds that stood 3-4' tall.  It was absolutely lovely.  I had seen water from my window and thought the path led towards a bay.

I came across a fence & still admired how the Irish use the natural land to help make barriers (note the ground mounds up to the fence on both sides).

The Edge of the World
I climbed over the fence, turned around, and ... once again ... I was rendered breathless.

 

Forget a bay ... I was on the edge of the world.  I was looking at the Atlantic Ocean.

Finally, finally, I sat down in the Irish grasses.

They were incredibly soft.

The mounds formed on the cliff's edge made a natural 'fence' and I wondered who had built them up.

I sat there for an hour and a half.

Absorbing the beauty.  

The blue sky and water.  The intense green of the grasses.  The sound of the water's waves.  The smell of the fresh air. 

I thought about life.

I thought about my life.

 

1.5 hours later, refreshed on so many levels, I walked the path back to the house, snuggled into bed, and easily fell to sleep.


Next up:  Kylemore Abbey; County Mayo (Matt Malloy's Pub); and, a special farewell evening in Ennis ...