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Ireland 2020
Am in Ireland for the summer to get out of the UK heat. All my planned summer travel has been postponed, so am creating some adventure here. Below are some highlights:
In Search of Megalithic Tombs & Standing Stones:
Megaliths are, in general, constructions erected during the Neolithic or late Stone Age (~4500-1500BC). The focus is a large pre-historic stone used to construct a structure or monument, either alone or together with other stones. There are several styles which include capstone, multiple stones (like stone circles), and single stones (standing stones). Megalithic structures tend to be grouped together and you can see there are many in Ireland, like Carrowmore Cemetery area and the Boyne Valley. It's fun to try to find them
THE WEST
Connemara Highlights
County Mayo Highlights
Connemara is the largest Gaeltacht region in Ireland (Irish speaking). The name means descendants of Con Mhac, a mythical ancestor of the sea. The chiefs are the O'Keallys. We stayed in Streamstown, near Clifden.
Highlights (see the below blog feed): Court Megalithic Tombs and standing stones, walking Omey Island, Cleggan, Cleggan Hill and the signal tower (flag signals warning if there was an invasion by Napoleon), hiking the Upper Diamond Hill Trail in Connemara Park, hiking and driving Sky Road, Kylemore Abbey, a wonderful dinner at Rosleague Manor, a day trip to Inishmore, Abbey Glen Castle (AKA Clifden Castle, and a day trip to Inishbofin Island.
County Mayo, its Irish name meaning "Plain of Yew Trees", is named after the village of Mayo, now known as Mayo Abbey. First visitors came as far back as 11,000 years ago and their artifacts can sometimes be found in middens.
Highlights (see below blog feed):
Doolough Valley and climb up Barrclashcame, visiting the beautiful Doolough Valley which was a part of the Famine Relief Road, hiking one section of The Western Way, making the Crough Patrick pilgrimage (the Reek) - with shoes on!- hiking in Ballycroy National Park and visiting Cong, hiking in
County Claire Highlights
“Clár.”, the Irish translation, means “board” or “plank.” According to lore, a board was placed across the river Fergus outside Ennis, as a bridge, at a place which was to become known as Clare.
Highlights (see below blog feed):
Hiking the Cliffs of Moher and seeing The Burren,
County Sligo Highlights
In Irish, Sligo means Place of Shells. It is the gateway to the North West and to Northern Ireland.
Highlights (see below blog feed):
Visiting Carrowmore Cemetery and surrounding megalithic artifacts and hiking around Benbulben Mountain.
THE EAST
Wicklow Highlights -
Wicklow is known as the garden of Ireland. In Irish its name means "Church of the toothless one". It is one of the most mountainous counties in Ireland and contains Ireland's largest national park - Wicklow Mountains National Park
Highlights (see below blog feed)
Glendalough White Route - best hike yet and part of the Wicklow Way. I was able to hike The Wicklow Way backwards. The Hermatige of St. Kevin is Ireland's last surviving monastic gateway.
Carlow Highlights -
In Irish, Carlow means "City on the Lakes". It is located between Kilkenny and Kildare. Amongst other claims to fame, it used to be the capital of Ireland in 1361. Carlow is located in Carlow Co and in the River Barrow Valley where one finds many longer distance hikes like The Barrow Way. We stayed in Hacketstown, near Carlow. Hacketstown has little to recommend it, other than watching very large trucks going through very narrow lanes and waiting for one of them to hit a building. We are in an apartment on top of a pub and thank goodness the pub is closed for Covid, or it would be very loud.
Highlights (see below blog feed)
When one Googles "top 10 in Carlow", Delphi Sensory Gardens always is listed. One of the highlight hikes to take is up to the top of Mount Leinster where, on a clear day, you can see the coast of Wales.
There are two local dolmens, BrownsHill and Haroldstown, each interesting in their own right (see blog feed).
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