Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Where the River Shannon Flows



Another glorious day in Ireland. We left Limerick around 10:00 and drove across the River Shannon. From Limerick we went to Bunratty Castle which is really pretty much a tourist trap. We then were on our way to the Cliffs of Moher. It was my day to drive and it is not getting any easier. The roads are so narrow and twisting and people really drive fast!! Even though things are not far apart, it takes quite a bit of time to get from one place to the other because you can't drive that fast. At least we can"t....... We went through a small town in County Clare not far from Ennis. There was a butcher shop and the proprietor's name was Bernard Roughan. I remember Teresa saying that we found some Roughan's in Ennis. I am wondering if this could be a relative. Roughan is not a common name. I took a picture of the butcher shop, but we didn't stop. We arrived at the Cliffs of Moher and walked up to them. They are cliffs that overlook the Atlantic Ocean and they are breathtaking!!!

After we left the Cliffs, we drove to Burren region. These are unbelievable rock formations. I had never heard of them, but Patrick had researched where he wanted to go. Once again, I wish that Cameron was with us so he could remember all of the information! There were some ruins where they found bodies in 1986 found bodies and artifacts that were from 3000 B.C.

We then went to a cave not far away that was found in 1940, but not made known until 1976. It reminded me of the story behind Kartchner Caverns. It was amazing. I really enjoyed going through it.

We were then on our way to Galway. What a beautiful drive!! However, we got lost when we got to Galway and couldn't find the Bed and Breakfast. We stopped and asked several different people and got several different directions. We finally called the family and found out that we were very close.

We took a taxi into the city center to find a place for dinner. It is hard to find any place serving food after 8:00. They stop serving food and only serve alcohol. I find this surprising!! We walked through the city center where they had the streets barricaded off permanently which is great. You can walk through the very narrow streets. We found a pub that was still open for food, had a great dinner, and came back to the B & B.

Tomorrow is County Mayo, God Help Us!!!

3 remarks:

Carol Dunton said...

Sheila and Patrick, I can't believe all of the places that you are visiting and the history behind them. I love your descriptions of each place; it gives us a glimpse and feeling for what you are actually experiencing. Patrick, that is a great picture of you! Keep up the great driving work! :)
Carol

Anonymous said...

Hi Sheila and Patrick,
What awesome pictures you are sending us. Thank you so much! The longer you remain in Ireland the more you feel the spirit of your ancestors. Do try and get to Trinity College if you can. Awesome! Thank you Patrick for giving your mom this special gift!
Sandra and Tom

Anonymous said...

Hey Patrick - "Arrr" you having a good time? Kerri