FUN-travel Ireland: Galway – Connemara – Howth
October 3, 2011 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on FUN-travel Ireland: Galway – Connemara – Howth
Day 13 – Monday, September 26 – Galway to Connemara – cloudy, windy, warmer – turns to light steady rain – Depart 11:45
Ashford Castle
- 1st stop – Ashford Castle – restored Victorian (once owned by the Guinness family) rents some of the finest rooms in all of Ireland – Quiet Man filmed here too
- 2nd stop – Cong Village – Quiet Man cottage – Cong Abbey early 1100’s Gothic & Romanesque
- 3rd stop – Westport for lunch – feeling dodgy so only eat a wee bit of soup & cheese bread
- 4th stop – Kylemore Castle & Gardens – neo-gothic design built 1860 by wealthy man for his bride – majestically situated at base of mountain & lakefront
- 5th stop – Ballynahinch Castle to spend the night – built 1384 means “household of the island” – completely isolated in the middle of the forest – absolutely breathtaking! & our 1st time sleeping in a castle
- 6th stop – in the pub for beer – still feeling dodgy & pass on dinner
Cong Abbey
FF (FUN-Fact)– Evan our waitress from Nimmo’s suggested we stay here
Day 14 – Tuesday, September 27 – Connemara to Howth – cool, light rain, low clouds & fog
Kylemore Castle
- Take a short walk along river after breakfast – depart 10:30
- 12:30 – stop for cappuccino
- Good road to Dublin & arrive 3 pm – map not clear & stop for directions – on way to Howth (8 miles northeast of Dublin) stop @ Honda dealership for side mirror – they call Renault dealership & part is there – they are one exit past the airport – WRTC2BSL! will get it tomorrow
WRTC2BSL – What are the chances to be so lucky!
- Go to TI (tourist information) for map – pick King Sitric to stay as owner is renowned chef – get a room – big bummer – restaurant’s closed on Tuesday
- FUN-food – Joan from King Sitric recommends Ivan’s – mussels in cream, garlic & wine (like a light chowder) Gambas (prawns on steroids) in chili garlic sauce w/real french fries! SA Pinotage quite nice
Howth Harbor
FF – “midges” small flying insects – have to keep window closed after 7 pm (very prevalent in Scotland)
Day 15 – Wednesday, September 28 – Dublin to Glasgow – wake to blue skies, full on sunshine & unseasonably warm!
Ballynahinch Castle
- Depart 10:45 – arrive Renault dealership 11:15 – replace plastic mirror molding 80 euro – OUCH!
- Depart 11:40 & head to airport for 4:10 flight
- Check out Duty Free but not allowed for flights in the European Union – Kevin educates us on Irish Whiskey – even gives us 2 different taste samples! Jameson 18 yr & Red Breast – Buy Middleton’s Barry Crockett Legacy – still a good price even w/o duty free – can’t buy it in the states
Myth – GPS from car rental is all you need to find your way around Ireland
FUN-damental Truth– Buy the Complete Road Atlas of Ireland if you want to know where you are going – told by tourists GPS doesn’t always know one way streets
Myth – your credit card (Am Ex, Visa, MC) will cover the insurance deductible on your car rental
FUN-damental Truth – no credit card I know of covers any extra insurance in the Republic of Ireland – buy every bit they offer you for peace of mind!
Michael the Emcee during Competition
- Highly recommend Rick Steve’s travel books! Saved us a bunch of money (which we used to pay for the car repairs)
- BTW total spent on car repairs 140 euro – extra insurance would have cost 168 euro – savings 28 euro and frankly not worth the frustration, aggravation & stress!
Myth – all Irish people are very nice & go out of their way to help you
FUN-damental Truth – they are & they do!