1 - Gatan som går ner till gamla hamnen
2 - Medeltida hus i modern färg
3 - Hus mot gamla hamnen
4 - Vilande båt i väntan på tidvattnet
5 - Vilande Mette, i väntan på annan flytande vätska

Igår gick vi en guidad gothisk tur i stan. Det var Kinna o jag o gudien;-) Nåväl, han var duktig och bra. Han rekommenderade oss att gå en specifik liten guidad tur i Dublin, i en viss St Michans kyrka. Där får man gå ner i gravkammaren. Kistorna har fallit isär och de gamla kropparna som ligger där har liksom mumifierats. Helst ska man röra vid fingret på en korsfare som ligger och pekar uppåt med armen från armbågen. I don't think so! Skulle drömma mardrömmar resten av livet...!

I went swimming in Silverstrand (a beach near Galway).

I wonder why the Spanish and the Portuguese guys were the last ones in :-D

The water was cold but the weather quite nice, everybody says it was strange :)

I love Sir James Galway, the flautist, the man.  I love his hearty laugh.  His very approachable personality, his humility, his mischievous spirit, his support of young musicians.  Once a few years ago, he answered what I had written about flautists and singers on his blog.  I cried when I read it...For many reasons.  And it was so meaningful to have this wonderful master of his art, say to me, "yes, you are right".  Now how good does that get!  I posted to Sir James' site under the nom de plume, Rainer.

Here is his response as he answered what I wrote nearly point by point.  I had written a letter to a young flautist..and at the end of the letter had said, that I believed that Sir James was "secretly a singer at heart".   I have bolded his words.

Dear Rainer and friends,

>Singing is more straightforward, and less encumbered by the rigors of
intellect.

Here I agree completely. I find there to be way too much
intellectualizing on the subject of flute playing.

>It is you, your body and your soul...letting forth a
sound, a feeling.

Again I agree. When I am practising the flute doing my scales I am not
concerned with playing fast. This comes with practice and experience.
What I am concerned with is getting the scale to sing. Here I do not
always play the scale in the three octaves as written by Marcel Moyse
in his book. I will often take a scale and just "vocalise" with the
notes in the scale getting a smooth action in the embouchure and fingers.

Perhaps I should record a scale session.

>Not everyone loves music...enough to practice and work and try again
and again to perfect the art..be it singing or playing the fllute.

Again I have to say you have hit the nail on the head. Unfortunately
there is a lot of people out there in this category teaching the
flute. I feel there should be passed on in a lesson the enthusiasm for
playing, for making music and getting engaged in playing.

As you know Rainer, when you practise singing you are actually
learning to do what you are going to do in a song. I find largely that
flute players do not do this. They are practising without engaging the
soul or trying to get a beautiful feeling behind the music and wonder
why it is not happening on stage in performance.

Rainer you will know very well how much it means to sing a slow aria.
How much you have to put into getting it right when you are practising
or warming up the voice.

We as flute players generally begin by seeing how quickly we can play
on any given day. I think it is sad the the average flute student does
not have in their repertoire around 10 slow arias which could be used
to train the voice of the flute, to make it really sing. As a kid
growing up in Ireland i did not learn any difficult pieces at the
beginning but played things like Rubensteins Melody in F, the Swan,
Handels largo, Where ere you walk by Handel and so on. It was playing
melodies like these which gave me a love and a passion for playing and
prepared the way to be expressive in a virtuoso concert piece.

>Learn to sing if you can and master the singer's breath...

Two days ago in a reception in Hattiesburg a young girl asked me to
have a photo with her. I put my arm round her shoulder for the photo
and while the photographer was getting ready i asked her what she did.
She said she played the violin in the orchestra and also sang. I asked
he if she had mastered the breathing and she took a breath to show me.
Well I thought she was going to explode. this was a simple example of
"the singers breath" and I have not stopped talking about it ever
since i was so impressed.

As flute players we do not even begin in the breathing department. If
you want to learn how to do this I would suggest getting a boo on
singing. I have a very good one by Richard Miller called the Structure
of Singing; system and art in vocal technique. There are lots of books
out there on the subject and I just happened to buy this one on the
internet.

And lastly I am a singer at heart. I love singing and listen for my
pleasure to singers and what they do.

What a life we have being blessed with all these great artists.

Best wishes,
Sir James.
Little Rock.
Arkansas.

Sir James answered from Little Rock Arkansas where he had a concert.  And btw, Sir James did put on his website his lessons on Scales..so any flautist can learn from Sir James Galway, the Laughing Master.  

Also check out his Youtube video Masterclasses!!!  This post was inspired by Valentine Bonnaire, who has a muse she calls Flute!  Sorry friends, I do not know how to insert links yet, but you can find Valentine Bonnaire and James Galway on my widget/sidebar.

Després de sobreviure miraculosament a les degudes sobredosis de Guiness, sausages, bread & butter, soup of the day i tonelades de carn greixosa, puc afirmar que Irlanda m'ha encantat! Ha estat un viatge increïble que, em temo, serà força dificil d'oblidar! I quasi us podria confessar que prefereixo la boira, l'insistent xiri-miri i les temperatures de 15º a la enganxosa xafogor barcelonina que m'ha abufetejat tan sols baixar del avió.

Si una cosa m'he adonat és que, en el fons, Irlanda i Catalunya son pobles germans. Ambdues nacions porten a les seves esquenes una història bastant trista, plena de batalles perdudes, invasions, desastres i calamitats, vivint sempre a la ombra del seu veí poderós que no dubta en imposar la seva llengua i bandera. Si bé Irlanda ha aconseguit la independència de quasi tot el seu territori, cal dir que la seva llengua pròpia, el gaèlic o irish, és troba en procés de desaparicció inminent: per molt que l'estat s'obstini en subtitolar-ho tot en ambdós idiomes, en 10 dies tan sols he escoltat a un conductor d'un petit poblet parlar 5 min. en la llengüa del país; mentre que de catalans en trobava a cada racó! Ni a Lisdonbarna, un poblet minúscul on vàrem dormir dues nits, ens vam lliurar d'escoltar a turistes amb accent lleidetà! De fet jo proposaria al govern irlandés que s'oblidés de la seu obsolet idioma d'origen celta i adoptés el català com a pròpi!

I que dir dels seus jaciments! Oh my God! És la veritable Disneylandia de l'Arqueologia! Haurieu d'haver vist la meva cara d'èxtasi davant els 600 gravats prehistòrics als gegantins túmuls funeraris de Newgrange i Knowth, el llibre altmedieval de Kells a la biblioteca del Trinity Collage, els dolmens de Burren o les esglesietes paleocristianes i els fortins celtes d'Innis More, aixó per no parlar de la quantitat de castells i catedrals que trovabem a cada pas! Si mai em quedo al atur, ja sabeu on em podeu buscar! El sou mínim son uns 2.000 euros i la vivenda està igual que aquí, es per pensar-s'ho, no?

La gent irlandesa, ja es un tema a part! A Dublín, possiblement la part més lletja de la illa, estava plena de ionkis, borratxos i mares adolescents. No vaig notar un especial fanatisme catòlic i fins i tot hi han pubs d'ambient, però tenien pinta de ser veritables bunkers armaritzats. Galway, pel contrari, semblava la ciutat més oberta i feliç del univers; sospito que el fet que el 50% dels habitants siguin estudinats d'anglés de menys de 30 anys, hi deu tenir molt a veure!

No us aborriré amb una interminable sessió de paisatges irlandesos, però no he pogut resistir la temptació de penjar una minuscula selecció fotogràfica d'aquesta aventura en els nòrdics paratges celtes!

a

a

a

a

Irish blood, catalan heart
is what I'm made of
there is no one in earth
I'm afraid of

Truth be told, I've looked at over 175 year old parish records that shows the surname spelled as "Haly", in ev.er.y single entry.  In later records just about everyone in the same village had a spelling of Healy.  While some or all of these few examples might be true in some cases, but they are not in all.

In our own family, we have brothers who arrived from Galway, Ireland, where the surname was spelled Healy.  Here in the USA, one of those brothers ended up with the surname of Healey.

So, what is in a name?

i always thought i didn't like oysters. it's just one of those things. like brussel sprouts, eggplant, and all those other "good for you" foods that you turned your nose up at as a kid. they just seem yucky. but as an adult, i've given most of these another shot and found that i actually liked them. so it seemed about time to give oysters another go when they came as the highlight of our walking tour of "food in irish history."

my new friends from the netherlands, elly and nicole, each picked up their huge galway oyster and waited as i doused mine liberally with lemon and tabasco. "cheers!" we all shouted, tapping the shells together as each of us let the slimy oyster meat slide down our throats. the slippery texture and the sheer size of the oyster were a little daunting, but once i tasted it i realized it was actually pretty good. in fact, i almost bought another, but we were planning to go eat soon so i decided i'd save it for later.

the following day, nicole told me that they were planning to go to galway, a town in the west side of ireland, about a three hour's drive from dublin. i didn't really feel like spending three hours in a bus, but the chance to see the irish countryside as we drove and to spend some more time with elly and nicole was what finally sold me. we all paid the 19 euros and boarded the bus to galway, taking up three seats right in the front so we'd get the best view.

i read from elly's ireland guidebook on the way up since i knew nothing about galway, except that the oyster's we'd tried the day before were called galway oysters. they actually do have an oyster festival every year at the start of the oyster season. apparently galway is known as a festival town - there's a general festive atmosphere in galway as you walk the streets. you can usually hear live music from many of the pubs you pass, regardless of the time of day, and in the streets you'll come across balloon artists and other street performers or art markets on your way.

we stopped off at the tourist info booth to inquire where to get the best galway oysters and some traditional irish food. the girl at the window seemed stumped.

"ummm, i don't really know where you can find oysters here. i've never really had them."

"really? but isn't galway famous for oysters?"

"i guess, but you're too early for the oyster festival so i don't know if you can find them now. you might try McDonaghs. yeah, that's your best bet."

so the three of us walked down to mcdonaghs, a famous fish & chips takeaway restaurant that was packed with tourists ordering up huge batches of cod and chips. it looked pretty tempting actually, but we were there for oysters. seeing none, we roamed around the pubs looking at menus, growing more and more hopeless as the time for our return bus neared.

a sign for "traditional irish food" caught my eye, and as we scanned the menu we found what we were looking for... six galway oysters - 11 euro. perfect! elly and i split the oysters (nicole had had quite enough, thank you very much) and i rounded it off with some fries (oops, chips!) and a pint of guinness. what a perfect end to our quick day in galway.

there's actually a lot more to galway than just oysters too - we wandered around and found a huge chapel, walked along the river, posed for pictures on top of random rocks, and shopped on the cute pedestrian streets. you can view all of our pictures from galway here.

Sheep's Head Peninsula
[googlemaps http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&saddr=Bantry,+Cork,+Ireland&daddr=Unknown+road+%4051.597690,+-9.725954+to:Unknown+road+%4051.546118,+-9.828149+to:Unknown+road+%4051.569403,+-9.737992+to:51.611621,-9.561195+to:Glengarriff+Rd%2FN71+%4051.680210,+-9.450828&hl=en&geocode=%3B4775942208658564512,51.597690,-9.725954%3B18239714550827906874,51.546118,-9.828149%3B3219605836006111224,51.569403,-9.737992%3B%3B7948182752657537259,51.680210,-9.450828&mra=dpe&mrcr=0&mrsp=4&sz=12&via=1,2,3,4&sll=51.589016,-9.698524&sspn=0.145688,0.336113&ie=UTF8&t=p&s=AARTsJqiiPsRFm10e5XYotr1M1Mik4lrNg&ll=51.606077,-9.596558&spn=0.255871,0.645447&z=10&output=embed&w=470&h=300]

Sheep's Head Peninsula has long been a popular destination for hill walkers, the peninsula is also a stunning drive. The Sheep's Head Way is a 88km trail which follows old roads and tracks around the peninsula from Bantry to the headland and back. The route combines low and rugged hills with coastline and cliffs. The walkway is very straightforward and can be walked during any time between April and October. The drive around Sheep's Head Peninsula is just over 70km, but offers the same stunning views as the walk.

"A peaceful, unspoilt peninsula which as some of Ireland's most beautiful scenery."

The start of the drive at Bantry’s south is generally devoid of villages, allowing you to see the magnificent cliffs along the Irish coastline. Drive around the hairpin bends on the road to Kilcrohane before heading off to Durrus. Stop by Good Things Café and Arundels pub, both in Ahakista. From the pub, you can view Dunmanus Bay, the pier, and a little farther off, a small beach. Also in Ahakista is Hillcrest House, a good place to spend the night.

Dingle Peninsula
[googlemaps http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&saddr=dingle,+ireland&daddr=R559+%4052.114177,+-10.464769+to:R559+%4052.184490,+-10.363440+to:52.22843,-10.186043+to:Upper+Main+St+%4052.143310,+-10.272350&hl=en&geocode=%3B17868596843583893917,52.114177,-10.464769%3B14188927450516691932,52.184490,-10.363440%3B%3B29478225435369116,52.143310,-10.272350&mra=dpe&mrcr=0&mrsp=3&sz=12&via=1,2,3&sll=52.171826,-10.296249&sspn=0.143811,0.336113&ie=UTF8&t=p&s=AARTsJrIyA3wW8fbVCyjOyQdBmT55GopKg&ll=52.170142,-10.312729&spn=0.147396,0.322723&z=11&output=embed&w=470&h=350]

Dingle is one of the biggest tourist attractions in Ireland. The town is a mix of authentic Ireland and nature set against a stunning backdrop. The drive around the Dingle Peninsula starts at Castlegregory at the Corca Dhuibhne Peninsula, go west into Cloghane, past Conor Pass and Dingle, and head west to Slea Head. After Ballyferriter, continue to Murreagh and Kilmalkedar, and finally, back to Dingle. The route is approximately 75 km and highlights are guaranteed around every bend.

On the road, you will see the ancient buildings of Gallarus and the revered site at Kilmalkedar. The Dingle Peninsula itself is dotted with striking ogham stones. Eat in Waterside’s renowned restaurant, Out of the Blue, where the fresh seafood dishes are world-class. Also try Dunquin’s Krugers pub, which has a spectacular view of the sea. If night befalls, stay in the century-old The Captain’s House in Dingle.

Bantry to Killarney
[googlemaps http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&saddr=Bantry,+Cork,+Ireland&daddr=Killarney,+Kerry,+Ireland&hl=en&geocode=&mra=ls&sll=52.171826,-10.296249&sspn=0.287621,0.672226&ie=UTF8&t=p&s=AARTsJqtDCXQYt5lmpIOZkFOXGhlrrdGKA&ll=51.869708,-9.547119&spn=0.59356,1.290894&z=9&output=embed&w=470&h=350]

The trip from Bantry to Killarney is approximately 80 km. This route can become very congested during peak tourist seasons as you will surely find a long trail of pilgrims and campers on the highway.

During the drive, you will see a number of quaint villages, such as Glengarriff; herds of farm animals, especially sheep; and both freshwater and saltwater lakes. Drop by the Eccles Hotel, and watch boats coming from and going to the Glengarriff Harbour. At the end of the drive is Kenmare, Ireland’s gourmet capital. Choose from any of the popular restaurants on Henry Street, such as Mulcahy’s and Packie’s.

If you happen to reach the area by nightfall, you may want to consider staying over. Various accommodations are available for tourists, ranging from four-star hotels to campsites.

Copper Coast
The 120 km-trip begins in Dungarvan, with its gorgeous coastline. Proceed to Stradbally and eventually head to Waterford. Continue to Clonmel, then to Ballymacarberry, and eventually head back to Dungarvan.

The Copper Coast in Waterford is the only geopark in the entire European continent. It was named as such because of the mines of copper that used to be present in the stretch. View the majestic Comeragh Mountains, the Nire Valley and Stradbally Cove. Make sure you try the Tannery in Dungarvan, which is an institution in itself, offering mouth-watering Irish dishes. You may want to stay the night in Hanora’s Cottage, which is right beside the Mahon River in Nire Valley.

Galway to Westport

View Larger Map

The long trip, which spans approximately 230 km, starts in Galway city. Driving along the N59, head over to Clifden, past Connemara National Park and then to the center of Westport. Finally, go back south via N84, and back to Galway, maybe taking in Castlebar along the way. The Sky Road in Clifden is a must see for the stunning views of the Atlantic coastline and Connemara.

Enjoy the view of Killary Harbour from Blackberry Café in Galway. Stop over at Kylemore Abbey in Galway, where you can check out the church and craft shop and eat at the restaurant afterwards. After the long drive, spend the night at Quay House, a former monastery in Clifden.

Related Stories

- The Sheep’s Head Way or Bog hopping in Ireland
- Ireland: Dingle Peninsula
- Kilarney National Park
- Copper Coast
- Ireland again part 3

Bookmark This:

If you have any suggestions for this list, or have any other suggestions regarding this article, please leave a comment.

Over that first week I re-acquainted myself with that tuning device rarely used: intuition. You hear people say, "follow your intuition, it won't lead you astray." But, let's be honest, how often are we faced with situations where we really need to rely on our intuition? How do we learn to differentiate signals from our sixth sense vs. over-marketed paranoia? Don't ask me, I have no clue. One thing I have learned, though, is that you can't keep yourself under lock and key, protected from people who may or may not try to take advantage of you, and still expect to connect with anyone. People know when you're being open and genuine- they can sense it. Likewise, if you tune in, too, you'll quickly see the bullshit rise to the top.

Beyond my extended weekend in Galway, I didn't have a plan. I looked at a map and bus schedule, saw that Sligo was on the route north, and booked a hostel without much thought. The Harbour House sounded quaint, (a lot of potential there, right?), however upon arriving, I realized "quaint" was a bit of stretch. "Industrial park creepy" was a more adept description. In fact, from the moment I stepped off the bus in Sligo I wanted to hop right back on and drive out of that place. Maybe it was the weather or my attitude, but the town seemed to live under a sadness that spread like a thick fog, tinting everything with a dull weariness shared by the buildings and people alike. As for the hostel itself, I couldn't pinpoint why this place gave me the creeps, but it was totally the type of place that had a closet full of dead animals. I even considered the 10-minute hike back into town to check out the other hostel I saw along the way, however after a quick look around and no dead animals to speak of, I decided to stick it out for the night. I claimed a bunk and hoped into the shower to settle in. By that point I was feeling the effects of the pub crawl the night before, and not all that enticed to explore in the dreary grey weather, I climbed into bed for an afternoon siesta, only to be woken an hour later by shrieks coming from the bathroom.

Apparently a girl had started a shower only to have the drain overflow and water lock on, causing a massive flash-flood on the second floor. I'll admit the shower didn't drain speedily when I had used it, but nothing all that alarming. I'm not sure what this girl did, but it was enough to have the whole house up in arms as the flood started to leak down into the living room below. If I wasn't motivated to go out to town earlier, the rising mutiny certainly did the trick and I dashed out away from the chaos. On my way out of the hostel I bumped into a girl in the kitchen from Canada. Or at least, that's what she told me. She was just sitting down for a tea and offered for me to join her. After ten minutes into the conversation, I realized I wanted to get away from her even more than the upstairs flooding situation. An alleged law-school-drop-out MFA student with a book already at the publishers, currently making money as a personal trainer, sky-diving instructor and from her personal sheep farm with 500 sheep, this diabetic who also suffers from thalucymia recently ended a 7-year long engagement with a Brit rock star. You see, all put together, this girl clearly suffers from a bad case of Pinocchio syndrome. The most disarming thing about pathological liars is the subtly of their lies, as they slip them into conversation to mingle with other, presumably truthful, statements.

After the skydiving comment, I graciously, or more probably ungraciously, stood up and ended the conversation, saying it was time for me to head into town, alone. Meandering up towards the town Abbey, the only real sight to see in Sligo town, my initial impression of the town: not good, still held true. I picked up some groceries and headed back to the Harbor House, looking forward to moving on in the morning. You could say I didn't give the place a chance, but all told the bad vibes of the place far outnumbered the good. The next day I already felt lighter just on the bus headed north, and when I stepped off the bus in the center of Donegal town, I could feel the good vibes bouncing off the buildings. I didn't even have a place to sleep that night, however I could feel it was going to be a better experience, and I headed down the hill to the tourist point to figure it all out.

I took a different road home from Clifton Park a few weeks ago and stumbled on this historic house. I love old houses. This one is even more meaningful to me because the man who lived here was not only the founder of the Baptist Church in Clifton Park, but also the Baptist Church in Galway, where I attend.

I found the following about the house in the minutes of the Town of Clifton Park. “John Scherer, Town Historian, explained Abijah Peck was an early settler of the town who leased the house in 1807 which was later purchased by a grandson in the 1860's. Abijah Peck established the Clifton Park Center Baptist Church in 1794. Mr. Scherer said the house descended in the family to Heath Peck who sold most of the farmland that became Clifton Knolls to Robert Van Patten just before 1960.”

Historical marker in front of Abijah Peck’s house.

Oil painting of Peck that hangs in the Clifton Park Baptist Church. Abijah Peck (1758-1848 was a Revolutionary War veteran, a weaver by trade, and a dynamic lay preacher. He moved from Connecticut to Galway, New York around 1785 and set up his loom there. Around 1790 he established a Baptist society in Galway. He served as its first deacon and often preached as well.

In 1794 he moved his family and weaving shop to Clifton Park Center and founded a new Baptist society.

Baptist Church in Galway, New York. One of the two churches Abijah Peck founded in Saratoga County. Worship services have been held here for more than two centuries and are still held here every Sunday morning at 11:00a.m.

Lisa Cahill

# 278, SPANISH ARCH, GALWAY CITY, IRELAND,

WATERCOLOR

11 X 15 $950.00

Y'know when you have a song that always reminds ya of a certain time or place? Forevermore will I remember the third weekend of August that I spent in Galway when I hear either of the following:

[audio http://j0uktw.bay.livefilestore.com/y1pyyvIQJ8wZuTWvbtBMuBGR42O3uVwjDRz25B9qNKYvFOsPQSaKK-7-u00CAOEnalmnc2eBm7SCoSFnQ-7v4LR8w/16-Sticking-With-You.mp3] [The Velvet Underground - "I'm Sticking With You"]

[audio http://j0uktw.bay.livefilestore.com/y1pyyvIQJ8wZuSMkVDroewkj5M0ZetvuvmFxkDLVFDxbfCyuddMai5Jf-kHwfqMeLvSBY2WPsmUETnBsLmGmGTjIA/18-Vampire.mp3] [Antsy Pants - "Vampire"]

No no. It wasn't my first time watching Juno or hearing the soundtrack. It was the 24 (and a litttttttle bit) hours I spent in Galway between 7:15pm Saturday and 7:30pm Sunday of the weekend just gone by.

You may have already asked the question why is this post entitled "Galway: Part Two" when there's no post in the Auspainia archives entitled "Galway: Part One". Well there was supposed to be. But there wasn't as much to talk about as there is this time. So I may indeed make references to the imaginary post that is "Galway: Part One" and I will try to fill in any blanks that may crop up from having never written that post.

Things got off to a fairly pleasant start thanks to the fabulous weather:

"Don't you hate pants?"

I arrived to the house in a state somewhat comparable to that of a drowned rat. And seeing as it was just an overnight stay I hadn't brought a change of trousers. Being the logical chappy that I am I thought "2 pairs of trousers?? Why would I bring them?? 2 jackets on the other hand. Now THAT's necessary"
That's when the skorts were invented.
After peeling off the soaked clothes (and hanging them on the door to make the dead midget - who Jill repeatedly tried to kill):

I decided to construct an outfit out of a t-shirt and my dry jacket. Unfortunately no photo was taken. Or maybe I should say fortunately...

"But wait a second! Did he say he constructed an outfit out of a t-shirt and a dry jacket?? That's crazy talk David! they're both torso-wear! What was on your legs??"

Ahhhhh thank you for asking imaginary reader. The upper body was grand. Just a normal tshirt. But that left my legs bare and all I had was a jacket... How can I work this one?
[zips jacket around legs, ties arms like drawstring]
There we go. I'd made shorts. They just didn't have any seams in the middle. In fact there was no material in the middle. Just air. Carol politely pointed out that with the aforementioned description it was somewhat unjust to name my makeshift legwear "shorts" when in actual fact they had all the attributes of a skirt. I refused to admit that I was wearing a skirt. When I looked at myself in the mirror it really did look like I was wearing shorts. From the front. From the back was a different story however. I admitted partial defeat and reached a 50/50 compromise. They were neither shorts nor a skirt.

They were skorts.

And they were good.

I wore my skorts most the evening (despite 3 offers of trousers).

"Pasta? Or Soup? Or Sousta? Not Poup."

Cooked my dinner - smoked salmon pasta with a cream and white wine sauce - which ended up being white wine and cream soup with a tiiiiiny bit of smoked salmon and a few strings of spaghetti. It's soupiness was aided by my reaction after my first spoonful of the stuff:
"This is missing something"
[proceeds to pour half the bottle of wine into the bowl]

"I've got trousers!!!"

Eventually I got bored of/cold/over-ventilated from wearing my skorts so after hair dryering (yeah it's a verb) the bejayzus out of my jeans they were dry enough for me to wear and I returned to the sitting room, bursting through the door declaring:
"I've got trousers!!!"
Unfortunately due to the loudness of the hair dryer I hadn't noticed the arrival of 3 new guests. Yeah..... I declared the fact that I was wearing trousers to 3 complete strangers. I felt so cool. I kinda spun around in a circle with embarrasment (a la Dizzy Dizzy dinonsaur) before finding a corner to cower in.

The following events may not exactly be in sequence but I don't care and neither should you.

The vagitaional pull of Karl's ass

With the music playing on the ipod speakers which were perched atop the TV (completely illogically) we became witness to something that was later termed "the vagitaional pull of Karl's ass". Somehow, every time Karl got up to dance the ipod speakers would get knocked off the TV.
The ipod speakers that were on the other side of the room.
The seismic reaction of Karl's ass shaking (or "assquake") sent tremors across the room disrupting the music from its natural habitat. Isn't nature fascinating?

Andrew Kenny, meet... Kenny Andrews??

Given that Jill's boyfriend Andrew was staying over at the same time I was down there I thought it only right that I give forewarning that my alter ego Andrew may make a guest appearance later in the night (He allegedly did). Anyway I wanted to avoid confusion given how my Andrew always speaks of himself in the third person and I didnt want Jill thinking I was talking about her Andrew in a derogatory manner. So we decided her Andrew needed a nickname but it turns out he hates being called by his last name, Kenny. It was at that moment I realised my Andrew doesn't have a surname. Then everyone started talking really fast and a lot of confusion ensued. Some suggestions emerged including:
- give my Andrew the surname Kenny. I can't see what problems that would've solved. If anything It would've made matters more confusing
- change Jill's Andrew's first name to Kenny and his surname to Andrews making him Kenny Andrews. It could work but it was still very confusing
- rename my Andrew and call him Kenny Andrews. ABSOLUTELY no. My Andrew is never getting renamed.

MUCH MORE TO BE ADDED

They will now only approve larger mortgages in cities such as Dublin, Cork, Galway, Limerick and Waterford.

Read the full article here

With nods to Historiann. No, not another post on aquaponics. Off to more wedding festivities etc.. in Norway. Declan, that is, not the entire company. Updates on aquaponics, more on beer, more on Eyre Square, whaling stations in Ireland, new finds, perhaps a little bit more on Maggie Ronayne, and pics from Headfest 08 when we return in a couple of weeks.

The picture above was obtained using Jazz Biscuits Creative Commons Image Search -a really useful resource pointed to by Damien Mulley (and best wishes to JB in whatever it is he/she's up to next).

And we're delighted to announce that we will be launching our new Building energy ratings (BER) services next week. Call the office on 091-765640 for a quotation. More details on that when we return, including handy energy saving tips etc..

Sleepzone was a fine place and I managed to meet a few nice people, however it wasn't the most personable spot around. It really catered to large families, large families that liked to cook very, very large meals, in the very very large, crowded kitchen. Not the best scene to meet people. The free internet, however, was a great thing, as I'm watching my euros pile up as I type away. Another great thing about the hostel was the ever-friendly Canadian Tony, who has been living in Ireland since last fall and took us on a great pub crawl through the town last Monday night. I don't even remember all the places we went, it was that great. We heard traditional live music in at least four different pubs, and by the time we stepped into the first club of the night I was shocked back into reality by the blaring American hip-hop, and decided to call it a night.

Total Guniesses consumed: 10+

Average daily spending: $80-90. under $100 average is better than I expected- this country is expensive!

# of beds slept in: 6

# of cool people met so far: a ton

# of creepy pathological liars/bipolar people met: 2

Taken in the early hours on the bus from Shannon to Galway- the most sun I've seen since I've been here. As the town scizophrinic informed me over a Guiness in the Quays, this is one of the worst weather-related summers Ireland has seen in years. He knows because it brings out his bi-polar disorder. I quickly finished my Guiness and headed back out into the rain.

Swans on the River Corrib. There are a whole bunch, and they hang out at the mouth to the bay by the Spanish Arch. There's a tiny waterfall, and when I was walking by a whole crew of swans seemed confused as to why they couldn't swim up the waterfall. I felt bad for them for a second, until I remembered that swans are mean, like "I'll drown you with my long neck-mean', and then I didn't feel so bad.

And as promised, a shot of the new haircut. It's already grown a bunch in the past couple of weeks- I can almost get it all into a ponytail. That will be a great day.

Special thanks to my good friend in Galway  http://www.youtube.com/user/liocarcinus who has an excellent You Tube Channel and check out http://www.marine.ie/home/services/operational/stock/Life+Cycle+of+the+Atlantic+Salmon.htm also

The beautiful town of Westport is situated on the West Coast of Ireland along Clew Bay. The town center of Westport is a beautiful area, lined with shops and restaurants. The fact that Westport was a planned town is obvious from the spacious streets, picturesque river and it's famous octagonal square. Westport was designed in the Georgian style of architecture. The grand buildings, wide spaces and mature trees all add to this beautiful town. The town has a thriving bar and food scene while also offering easy access to areas such as Achill Island and Belmullet.

After leaving Westport, Clew Bay is the next attraction along the road. Legend has it that Clew Bay has 365 islands in it, ”an island for every day of the year”. The large number of drumlins at the east end of the bay gave rise to this myth, but in fact there are not so many. Without doubt, Clew Bay is a magical sight and one not to be missed. There are a number of laybys for pulling over and enjoying the view.

Croagh Patrick is clearly visible along the road out of Westport. It is said that Saint Patrick spent the 40 days of lent fasting and praying on Croagh Patrick. Croagh Patrick is 764 metres tall and is an important site of pilgrimage in Ireland. It is the third highest mountain in County Mayo after Mweelrea and Nephin. On “Reek Sunday”, the last Sunday in July every year, over 25,000 pilgrims climb the mountain. There is a church at the summit and masses are celebrated regularily.

The route from Lousibourgh to Clifden is one of the most spectacular routes in Ireland, if not the best known. In particular areas along the way, the landscape remains untouched. A number of stunning lakes and inlets are skirted along the way, along with several small towns before you enter the Connemara.

Clifden is situated on the west coast of Ireland in County Galway against the backdrop of the 12 Ben Mountains and beautiful rugged coastline. The town is the center of the Connemara area and is known locally as the Capital of Connemara. Clifden is a lively location full of shops, pubs, restaurants and cafés. While the major attraction in the area is the landscape, the town of Clifden is a great place to spend some time.

The Sky Road in Clifden is one of the best tourist attractions in the entire Connemara region. The circular route is 11km long and takes you out west from Clifden. Simply put, the scenery along the Sky Road is stunning. Very few places in Ireland can match the rugged beauty and range of scenery that can be seen from the Sky Road. The route is well signposted from Clifden and easy to find.

Galway is the third largest city in Ireland, but for what it lacks in size it makes up for in character. The central area is full of pubs, restaurants and shops while small medieval streets surround. The city has a famous night life and more pubs than you could ever hope to visit.

If you are planning to tour Ireland during your visit, Thrifty Car Rental Ireland offer excellent options for renting a car in Ireland. No matter what your requriements are, Thrifty have the right car for you.

Related Stories

- 5 Irish Drives
- Clifden and the Sky Road

Bookmark This:

If you have any thoughts on this article, or have any other suggestions regarding this article, please leave a comment.

The band is called The Rye and has captured the hearts of me and my friends and we are from Dublin which is not normally interested in Tradition Irish Music, however this band has achieved the perfect mix of both traditional music and punk/rock/ska/reggea an explosion of tastes that has combined beautifully into an amazing group.

The also have a rather acute sense of humor to attune to their tone! Images upload by the group will show they have an enjoyable and feel good aura about them!

I most certainly reccomend this band and if you ever happen to be in the west of Ireland I would advise you to look them up! they are most certainly a band to look out for!

If you want to listen to their music or contact them or get to know them a little better click here!

The Sky Road in Clifden is one of the best tourist attractions in the entire Connemara region. The circular route is 11km long and takes you out west from Clifden. Simply put, the scenery along the Sky Road is stunning. Very few places in Ireland can match the rugged beauty and range of scenery that can be seen from the Sky Road. The route is well signposted from Clifden and easy to find.

As you travel away from Clifden, the Sky Road separates into the lower and upper roads. The lower road will give you a very close up view of the landscape, but the upper road is most popular because of the views it offers over the entire area. There is a car park at the highest point of the road with plenty of room to park and take pictures.

Related Stories

- 10 Things to do in Ireland Before You Die
- Touring Ireland's West Coast
- The Sky Road, Clifden - An Exhilarating Drive

Bookmark This:

If you have any thoughts on this article, or have any other suggestions regarding this article, please leave a comment.