This is the main shopping district in the Irish capital city, a great place for people-watching on a cloudy, drizzly Saturday.
Category: General
This site, only 35 miles north of Dublin, was constructed in the mid-12th century as the first Cistercian structure in Ireland, and it heralded the beginning of Continental architecture on the island.
Now, little remains other then this lavabo, an octagonal building where the monks washed up.
We had a fun time exploring Belfast this afternoon, from a drink at the historic Crown Bar, to strolling through the Botanic Gardens and Queens University, and then seeing a parade for Irish Special Olympians at Victoria Market.
Kath and I went on a Bogtown walking tour in Derry, given by a member of the IRA. Very interesting.
The Count of Anytime lived in this castle, perched on a crumbling ledge overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, until a stormy night in 1639, when the kitchen and several servant collapsed into the sea.
Depending on who you ask, this strange rock formation on the north coast of Ireland was either created by a giant, Finn McCool, or by an unusual cooling process on basalt columns after a lava flow.
It isn’t the 8th wonder of the world, but it is something unusual among beautiful cliff and a gentle sea.
This drive along the northern coast of Ireland is stunning, with cliffside ocean views and emerald fields filled with sheep.
Kath and I just found the ruins of this 18th-century house, as well as its beautiful gardens and stark architecture, fascinating.
For some reason, these photos didn’t upload the first time.
This is a 12th-century Irish Romanesque church, surrounded by medieval tombs, a Celtic Cross, and an ogham stone used to seal deals by touching thumbs through a hole in the top.
I was impressed by the efficiency and design of this Bronze Age dry stone fort, occupying a sliver of land jutting out into the sea.
These photos are from several days ago, going over the Conor Pass on the Dingle Peninsula.
This is the view at dusk through Bishops Gate out to the stone tower, behind which many Protestants lives before the start of the Troubles.
Derry is a fun, interesting town and our first stop in Northern Ireland.
Our hostel is only a few blocks away from Bog Land and the site of Bloody Sunday, though we spent our first night walking the old city walls, observing the police presence, and thinking of the looting going on in London and other UK cities.
Some additional shots from the Aran Islands.
Kath and I elected to visit one of the smaller and less developed of the Aran Islands, named Inishmann, for a day.
We walked around the entire island, drank some tea, ate some scones, bought some locally-made sweaters, watched and chatted with the locals every chance we got, and enjoyed the sea breeze.
Simply beautiful country, covered in bogs, erratics (large rocks strewn across fields), cracking hilltops, and loads of sheep, goats, and cows.
We drove (and occasionally even walked) all over the Gaelic-speaking region. Even Elmo was speaking
Gaelic this morning on TV.
The cliffs are amazing, as many have recommended, but I was surprised that they were divided into an ultra-safe area (think: high walls, set away from the edge) and the no-rules-apply area (think: no fences, you can hang out on the 600+ foot edge all you want).
Guess where I spent all my time. 😉
Kath standing on Dunsmore Fort, as we made our way around the Dingle Peninsula.
We found a comfy pub in Tralee and settled into a corner booth, watching the light dim and the locals roll in for the night.