The Love Story

Clew Bay from Croagh Patrick

Croagh Patrick covered in mist

 Today we headed to Croagh Patrick and ventured part of the way up the mountain. The top of the mountain was shrouded in mist so we did not get to see the cone shaped top of the mountain. It would have been good to spend more time at Croagh Patrick and actually climb the whole way but it was not possible with the tour. We’ll just have to put it on the list of places to return and complete – that is getting to be quite a long list now!! Even climbing part of the way up Croagh Patrick rewarded us with amazing views of the coast line and it was not hard to see why it was a pilgrimage place for St Patrick and so many people throughout history. The mountain is famous for being the place where St Patrick fasted for 40 days, and each year on the last Sunday in July, some 30000 people make the climb to the summit to celebrate Reek Sunday. The views over Clew Bay, even from only part way up were amazing. Also on the shores of the Bay was a stark memorial to victims of the Famine in the form of a Death Ship. It makes us realise the profound impact this period of Irish history had on the country.

Kylemore Abbey from across the lake

From Crough Patrick, it was off to Kylemore Abbey in County Connemara, another beautiful location. The Abbey is owned by the Benedictine nuns who arrived there after their abbey in Ypres in Belgium was destroyed in World War 1. The Abbey, formally Kylemore Castle was built in 1876 by an Englishman, Mitchell Henry, as a gift for his beloved wife Mary. They honeymooned in Connemara and loved the area so much that Mitchell used his inheritance to buy the land and build the Castle for the love of this life. It is easy to see why he chose there, we could easily have moved in! From what we read about him, Mitchell was genuinely a generous man who looked after the local people on his estate. Tragedy struck with Mary’s death from dysentery and he couldn’t bear to bury her, so a mausoleum was built and she was placed there, where his remains were later returned after his death.

Part of the walled garden at Kylemore
Abbey

The nuns purchased the Castle in 1920 and moved in, starting a school which continued right up until 2010. Students from Australia even came over to attend with the likes of Indian Princesses  The Benedictines are still running the show today, which is the most visited attraction in Western Ireland. Our tour guide Angela told us that Sr M Magdala is her happiest sitting at the till ringing up the money! The estate also includes a beautiful walled Victorian Garden some distance from the Abbey with parts of the original hothouses still visible. All in all, the visit was lovely.

The rest of the afternoon was spent travelling into Galway with spectacular views over the Loughs that feed into the Corrib River that flow eventually into Galway Bay.

Tomorrow we head to the Aran Islands to check out a prehistoric fort and island life.

Love to all

S&E