Touring in Clare

Our mini break in Galway was over and it was time to move over the border and into County Clare. It was not far and so we could take our time. The short distances are a great feature of this trip in Ireland. First stop today was Ballyvaughan and just in time for yet another tea and ….... . This is a very idyllic spot in the Burren. On the water and very Irish. Great thatched roof holiday rentals and not all that many tourists about. Time denied us the opportunity to try the highly recommended Monk's seafood restaurant but we enjoyed an adjacent tea room. Great selection of tarts and light lunch and we resisted most of them.

From there we meandered along to rediscover O'Connors pub in downtown Doolin and this time just in time for lunch. We made it to the bar just in advance of a horde of glazed eye bus tourists and so we enjoyed our second lunch at this active spot.



From there we drifted into Ennis, another good town in this region before driving over to Limerick and our next accommodation at Castleconnell. This time we are in what looks like a former stately home. Right on the Shannon River and with commanding views. The small town looks to have been decimated by the GFC. Any number of places for sale, some clearly under refurbishment. There is no longer a restaurant in the town and the 2 pubs are quite average looking. A bit sad I must say.




On Tuesday Yvonne took Randall over to Killaloe for breakfast and a guided tour of the town which is on the Shannon River and opposite Ballina in Tipperary on the other side of the river. Our target on this clear, sunny day is Adare, said to be the most English of all Irish villages. It does live up to its' name and we spend a few hours there enjoying the atmosphere.



From there we drive over to Cahir and Cashel, two towns with great medieval features. In cahir we enjoy a good walk along the river and beside a beautiful golf course. A couple of healthy duck meals at Goosers in Killaloa ends another great day in this green piece of paradise.

A Day on Aran Islands

For our last day in Galway, the weather was fine enough to venture out to the Aran Islands. It was a no drama day with everything going like clock work. After breakfast we drove to Rossaveal where we caught the boat over to Innis Mor, the principal Aran Island. We joined with a number of others to take a mini bus for the next few hours. This was a good decision compared to taking other options including walking, bikes or horse and sulky. The roads are too narrow and carrying too much traffic for walking or bikes and horse is too slow. And we have decided that only true believers would risk a bicycle tour in Ireland. We have seen any number of these travellers and none looked all that happy with their lot.

Anyway, the mini bus option worked well this day and we thoroughly enjoyed an hour or so walking up to Dun Aonghasa fort where there are commanding views along the coast and over the island. What a great place.



We duly completed the mini bus tour and after watching a few hardy lads entertaining the small crowd rowing the local currachs, a locally developed type of rowing boat, in a race over several miles, we headed back to the boat and home.

WYBMADIITY and rain, rain, rain

Showers all the way with Galway; possibly the rainiest area in Ireland. So we are getting used to that now. Due to the weather Friday morning we aborted our plan to go to the Aran Islands for the day. We have a few days up our sleeve here so we can afford to park the idea. Despite vowing that we would not follow the tourist coaches to the Cliffs of Moher, we did just that. By late morning we were out in the rain tramping over to the Poulnabrone dolmen as part of our tour in the Burren. This dolmen is said to be over 5,800 years old, older than the pyramids and is a remarkable structure.



And Yvonne knows what WYBMADIITY means



From there, we headed into coastal Doolin where we joined a large throng of people sheltering and lunching in O' Connors pub. Something of a local icon we gather and the meal was very good too

So we headed off into the rain and the Cliffs of Moher. The raincoats were working flat out but our legs were soaked through by the time we dashed from the car park to the cliffs. There were a few other mugs also out and about and the outlook was not too bad. But we did not hang around for the cliff top walk we planned. Perhaps in a few days time when staying in Clare County we will come back this way to finish the job.

From there we straggled back to Galway, had a bite to eat locally at Salthill, before finishing by far our dampest day. The locals and radio stations say that the weather is terrible for this time of the year. But by now we know they lie about weather to us visitors. They just get on with life, some without raincoats, some even in T shirts. We figure that most do not even know when what we call rain is happening.



Saturday arrives and it seems to be clearer today and the rain is certainly backing off. After breakfast we walked into town, checked out the Saturday markets and caught up with Luke, brother of Rachael's Brisbane friend Leah. Luke works in McCambridges an up market gourmet food store in the heart of Galway city. We had a good chat to someone obviously well set in Galway and enjoy a coffee before moving on to finish our look around the city. The place certainly has a very relaxed feel about it. We enjoy our lunch near the river and Spanish Arch at Ard Bia at Nimmos before walking back to our bayside B&B, passing some locals playing competitive Aussie Rules in the damp. No Jimmy Stynes in this lot though.



In the afternoon we drove over to Athlone where after a walk around this old town, we dropped into Sean's bar, said to be the oldest pub in Ireland, if not the world. A very cute little pub that dates back to the year 900AD. And yes this has been researched. During renovations in 1970 the walls of the bar were found to be made of 'wattle and wicker' dating back to the ninth century. A few chords of Irish music later and we moved to back bar where we watched some Wimbledon tennis. Athlone is a foody heaven in its own way so we enjoyed a great dinner before heading back home.

Reflections on Ireland

Forming a view on Ireland is a bit more complex than I thought. The dominance of the English language means that a huge cultural barrier compared to most of our other trips is reduced-even out here in the Gaelic West of Ireland. Massive Irish migration over the years means that most of us have a view on what being Irish means long before one arrives here. A land of pubs, pubs and pubs with people who sing a lot but can be aggressive at times and ready for a fight. A land of ancient mystic with friendly natives who cope by having a huge ability for self deprecation and desire to make you laugh. And weather not at all remarkable; just some wind with rain, rain and more rain.

So after a few weeks on the ground, what am I thinking?


With the GFC impacts, Dublin looked to be struggling. But everyone was very helpful and courteous, often going out of their way to assist and only too eager for a chat. Parts of the city were quite modern and we found an odd mixture of bits of England through similar buildings, houses, buses and pubs together with a emerging smattering of cafes, coffee culture and small restaurants.

On the other hand and in the North, Belfast and especially Derry were more aggressive places, perhaps heightened as we tended to focus on the racial/secular/economic problems there. It felt like the English community, especially those lower in the socio economic strata, are extremely defensive about most things. I will follow “marching season” this year with some interest but I would like to see one Republic in my lifetime, (as would most people we talked with) even if only to make driving in “border” areas easier for tom tom. It makes no sense to me to have two different countries in the one small island. The English need to go home.


Recognising that our contact with the natives is very limited and not much beyond those in the hospitality industry, I suspect that economically, Ireland will come out of the crisis ok. There is plenty of optimism out and about. Against this, real estate is a bit of mess and in the cities we have seen, there are plenty of vacant offices, shop spaces and many houses for sale or rent.

We are not big on the pub/music scene so we are not looking for evenings inspired by River Dance and/or traditional music. We have left that to other tourists and the younger ones.


We like the scenery in the remoter areas, so far especially in the Connemara area. We need to do more walking in the West but the rotten weather is deterring us at the moment. In planning this trip, we left a bit of room to account for a few bad days so perhaps I will have more to say about the West of Ireland later.

But the people are fascinating. Talkative, confident in their own skins and getting on with life regardless. Only too willing to stop for a chat. Only too willing to give advice and only too quick to suggest that their area is the most interesting in Ireland.

I will return to these themes in a couple of weeks when we have experienced a bit more of the country.

Clifden and Connemara

Wednesday, and the weather looked a lot better. Just as well as after travelling all day Tuesday, we are ready for a break from driving. Clifden is nicely set near the coast and on a river. We find the “Sky Road” which leads from the town out to the coast and head off for our 16 kilometres walk, expecting to be back early afternoon.

As we clear the town, the camera leaps into action again. More sheep for the collection. More dramatic coastline and more wonderful views over the water. There are quite a few locals out for a walk as well as tourists; on foot, on bikes or in cars doing the loop. Yvonne does very well with just a slight drop in pace over the last few kilometres back into town. A great walk in good weather.


There were two other Australian couples in the B&B last night. On their way to a family wedding nearby. We exchanged experiences and the Irish stories are much the same. Friendly people only too happy to chat and help where they can. Our host at the B&B this time is a very friendly young Irish man you would be very happy for your daughter to bring home. He also runs the sports shop downstairs. The bedrooms, lounge and kitchen are very tasteful décor together with a breakfast that did not include eggs!!!



In the afternoon we headed back to Kylemore Abbey for a closer look inside the Abbey and a walk through the gardens. From there we drove along any number of coastal tracks taking in some terrific views. Tom Tom extracted us from a maze of country roads and we get back to Clifden around 7pm after a great day in this fascinating area.

We eat in the best pub in Clifden after trying a restaurant the night before. For us, there is a fair difference in pub food experiences. Some places are not that great but in the main, the food here is reasonably good. Especially in this area where the sea food is fresh and cooked quite well. Both in pubs and restaurants.

Yes. It rains in Ireland

The locals told us Tuesday that the rain we are experiencing is unusual. We think they are having us on. We planned that for our longest day of driving from Omagh in Northern Ireland to Clifden in County Galway, we would be taking in dramatic scenery. No. Just low clouds and fairly constant rain. Although, in some ways, this was a good day to be travelling as better to be in the car than waiting somewhere for weather to clear.


We stopped in remote Ersky for our now regular tea and scones. The only clients in the only coffee shop and with 3 people to serve us. “Should have been here yesterday” they said. “The weather was beautiful”. In Ballina for lunch where an Irish visitor in the former pub where we had lunch said that “This used to be a good pub, but now you cannot get a drink”. That got the owner out from behind the old bar area to explain the demise of the pub business in Ballina. From 76 pubs in the early 2000s to about 20 today. And they are struggling to survive.


But from there it was over to Westport where things are a lot different and clearly richer. Probably a lot to do with nearby Crough Patrick which attracts many Catholics and walkers. The rain had stopped by now but even so, the place looked quite prosperous. Good spot for afternoon tea and a leg stretch around town. The roads around here are a bit narrower though.


From there the change was dramatic as we neared remote Connaght. Yvonne's camera leapt into action and the trip driver was getting used to urgent calls to stop the vehicle, regardless of traffic and road conditions. We must have snapped every sheep in Ireland now but they are never shaggy fleeced enough for this camera.

Then we came around the corner to find Kylemore Abbey. This place, a former majestic country home built by Mitchell Henry to show the love he had for his wife (they don't make men like that now!) and sold off to a Catholic order after two former owners went broke. It has a fantastic setting over a lake and tucked into a mountain side. Very impressive indeed.

From Kylemore it was just a few kilometres to our next home in Clifden capital of Connaght.

Boat person origin found

Monday had been set aside to see what could be found in a day at Enniskillen tracking the Irish family of Randall's great grandfather John Cassidy who came to Australia as a boat person in 1858. Well, Randall had quite a bit of luck in that regard. A very helpful tourist information office got him to the local Enniskillen library where the expert research officer Murana McGuire dug up quite a bit of information once we had found the precise area where his part Cassidy family had lived.



We found the area where John Cassidy's father and brother James and his family lived. It looks like one brother stayed on in Ireland. A lot of quite useful census, family breakdown and location information was obtained.

From the library it was a case of driving to the area, enquiring at the local post office door to discover that the family had died out here in the 1950s. Randall had a series of discussions with the post office lady who called about 3 or 4 others on farms in the area. She then relayed us through two other ladies before we had the Cassidy story tied up and a couple of photographs taken. We are sure we had found the right farm when we were told about the last of the Cassidy's dying out.





Almost everyone we spoke to had parts of their own family in Australia. Everyone was helpful and very inquisitive at the same time as we struggled to get away gracefully.

We ended up in the kitchen of a farm with a nice old couple offering cups of tea and telling us quite a bit about local happenings. They were armed with census information, family bibles and the old local fables. Fascinating experience and mission accomplished.

Yvonne Cazaly goes to the footy

We left Derry Sunday morning with Yvonne insisting that we extend our football experience. Our B&B hosts in Derry had mentioned that in the direction we were heading, it was not much of a diversion for us to get to a semi final of Ulster Gaelic football competition that afternoon at Clones. Yvonne liked the idea so Randall gracefully agreed to take Yvonne to the game. Now she is just that bit more of a world football expert. And she helped get Derry over a difficult game and into the final.



From another perspective it was an interesting experience, just like an Australian football experience in the 1960s. Locality based teams with loyal local fans. Lots of families at the games. Ground facilities basic and absolutely no alcohol evident or on sale. Basic seating and everybody focussed on the game. The game was quite fast and player skills were impressive especially ball handing and player ability to turn on a dime. We enjoyed it a lot.



From there is was only a short drive to our next B&B just a few kilometres out from Omagh in County Tyrone. Right on top of a rise with 360 degree view for many kilometres. Great Irish hosts with our hostess from Uzbekistan.

The drive across country was easy and interesting. A great multicultural day.

Going coastal

We left Belfast on a cool and wet morning. It did not take long to clear the city and we were in Ballycastle for our morning cup of tea with scones - as you do over here. The Irish do know how to make a good pot of tea. From Ballycastle we took the coastal road towards the giant's causeway. At Carrick-A-Rede we took to a pathway leading to a rope bridge out to a small island. Along with other, somewhat sullen tourists, I would have to say - hardly a smile amongst them. The coast line here is quite dramatic in its own way but not as spectacular as that seen earlier on the trip in Kerry.

After that we stopped again at the giant's causeway where we again took to the paths and made our way down to this remarkable feature. By now the rain was getting fairly constant and we were pleased to get back in the car and to head off looking for a late lunch in Portrush. From there it was just a few kilometres into Derry and our B&B above the old town. We had just enough time for a quick walk into town and to find a place to eat. Another tough day in the office

Trouble digesting troubles

Several days later and we are sitting in the Derry B&B digesting our doses of Irish “troubles”. In Belfast we were thoroughly enthralled with our Black cab city tour where we toured Shankhill and Falls Road areas with Tom our “London” cab driver. Just minutes into the tour and we were walking around the “Protestant” enclave in Belfast taking snaps of the wall murals and wondering how and why these things can happen. Next day we spent a little time in the Ulster museum where we followed another exhibition on Irish history and recent issues. Now we have spent a day or so in Derry where the issues seem more in your face. We had just completed a walking tour of the walled city of Derry and were finishing a coffee when a British band struck up a march in the centre of town and the Derry Apprentices came by exercising their “right”” to march. From their we toured the excellent Tower Museum where we had another dose of the story of the city.

Since “Bloody Sunday” in 1972, Derry has further split along “religious” lines with the Protestant community moving to the other side of the river. We are staying on the “Catholic” Bog side of town. If there is one over riding feeling then it is that the English still have a lot to answer for. Just why Ireland, an island, is still divided into two separate countries is beyond our comprehension and it must only be a matter of time now, perhaps in our lifetimes, before Ireland is one again; as it should be.

Imperialism is well past its use by date and military style marches are events that ought to fade away into history if the world is to move on. Our Irish experience has only re-enforced such thinking.

At another level, all locals we meet are only too helpful and interesting to talk to. Here the people are pleased to be moving on having tours of “troubles” places is a positive development in a slowly moving process. We are having another good trip this year.

On the road again

We left Dublin early Monday morning in cold and wet weather via the airport to pick up our hire car and then we headed north looking for Drogheda and beyond. Yvonne had a lovely chat at the bus stop with a friendly couple off to England for some theatre and a family visit. They told us that at the end of your 65th year, bus travel is free in Ireland and they often use this service to get around.

Kerry Kia Kar picked up, GPS out and reset from Provence France to Louth Ireland and we turned Kar loose and headed off to see just how small Ireland is. Pretty small it seems as before long we were passing today's destination (Drogheda) and heading up into the Cooley Peninsula and looking for lunch. Destination Carlingford, a small waterside village, with a growing reputation for starting to move with the times. We took about 10 minutes walking to cover the three streets in the place, passing about 8 pubs in so doing. Yvonne is slowly adjusting to the idea of pubs but for today we are in deli mode, looking for LP recommendations. And sure enough she finds the “Food for Thought” cafe and we join with other touring boomers for our break. Suitably nourished we take a stroll along the waterfront where a group of school kids are being tutored in kayak and water survival techniques.

A quick stroll through King John's castle ruins and then we are back in Kerry Kim Kar and drifting back south to find our B&B. From there we stroll up to a nearby pub to enjoy the rest of our catch up chat from our recent parting, a wine or two and our evening meal. Day one motor tour is over.

Day 2 saw us visit the quite fantastic Bru na Boinne and the extremely interesting prehistoric tombs of Newgrange, Knowth and Dowth which date from around 3200BC, predating the Pyramids by some six centuries. Again and again as we travel to such places, we are reminded just how innovative man can be and just how far advanced we were in matters of the seasons and celestial affairs. Standing in the interior chamber of Newgrange under the mass of stone construction was a great experience and not to be missed.

But next we are set to stay in Belfast where we hope to get an understanding of just how stupid man can be. In this case, during the “troubles” in recent times. We are a complex species.

Where was Yvonne

While Randall was walking the Ring of Kerry I took myself down to Ballina and Killaloe, a twin township on the River Shannon in County Clare. I enjoyed a four day art course with two 16 year old girls who were preparing their portfolios for their final year of school and several other people from around the region. The location was above the Wooden Spoon Bakery which turns out the most amazing array of cakes and breads a day. As well they also made the most tempting varieties of bruschetta. Of course the aromas from the bakery drifted upstairs to tantalise us.

Julie was the artist running the classes and although she put us through torture at times, her bubbly personality, her many stories and her morning tea treats from the bakery below altogether made a fun and fulfilling time. I also enjoyed some great discussion with other students over lunches and dinners and was particularly impressed with the range of little eateries (other than pubs) around the village, which took time to discover.


I was looked after well by my host Anne who requested a report and show and tell of my work each day. When it came time to return to Dublin I was quite reluctant to leave my village life. However I returned to Dublin for 5 days to take in more of the sights of Dublin, an historical walking tour of Dublin conducted by a history graduate from Trinity College which was excellent, the theatre and of course a closer look at Grafton Street.

Life is not a race, but

The Ring of Kerry is 214 kms of spectacular walking. The Middle Aged Walking Club gathered in Kenmare to take on the Ring and from there we walked (almost together) for 8 days. Along the way we stayed in a mixture of B&B's, guesthouses and hotels, taking a packed lunch each day to get us from cooked breakfasts to our next ritual dinner gathering. We had good maps, great directions and the way marking was first class.

To get spectacular views one has to do a fair bit of climbing and during the early days, we enjoyed the chance to eagerly fill lungs with fresh air. And it did not take long to get used to the softer walking along slightly waterlogged tracks dotted with a range of tactically placed rocks. I lost count of the number of stiles we crossed; over 40 one day. For the more draught horse end of the group, these stiles reduce optimum performance as the more sneaky (and some would say better trained) end of the group, often used these stiles to put just a little more distance between walkers. All the while we were all getting fitter and faster.

The weather was with us most of the way with several really fine days. At the other end of the scale we were in at least “force 9” conditions between Cahersiveen and Waterville. A couple in the group almost became kites and everyone struggled to maintain balance and warmth, especially over the last 3-4kms before descending into Waterville. Intermittent showers kept us alert.

Competent walkers need good sustenance and we managed to enjoy excellent Irish hospitality and fare each evening along the way. The end of day normally included a refreshing ale or two and everywhere we encountered friendly people eager to help us in any way. Fish great: duck even better and lamb super. Several wine lists took a battering.

This was not a race. Life is not a race but. In this group of caring sensitive types, competitive instincts were buried, at least for several days. Inevitably some loose talk emerged and whilst the more refined end of the group ignored the urge to compete, a couple of dark horses emerged during the last, particularly long day over undulating terrain back into Kenmare, to claim a victory of sorts over us lesser mortals. The lead culprit, our token Kiwi, enjoyed looking down over the beaten ones from the crest of the last hill, before turning away to flash down the final slopes and across the finish line.

Walking is a great way to relax whilst refreshing aging bodies and minds. We enjoyed meeting collectively to explore this fantastic part of the world and we are looking forward to the next reunion and potential to take on further challenges.

Finding our Irish feet

We did not do any people tracking today as we began to find our feet in Ireland. Dublin was reasonably active but there is plenty of evidence that the GFC is making a mark. Lots of shop space to let, sales in almost every shop and just a general quietness about the place. We found the centre of the city fairly easy to get around once we had completed a hop on hop off bus tour and we enjoyed the easy banter of the people we met over the day. We particularly liked the long room in the Trinity College library and although we circled the Guinness storehouse several times over the day, we were not tempted to enter.

The guest house we are in near Blackrock is proving to be a good choice and it should prove to be a good base for Yvonne to have next week when she returns from her art school.

By chance we met up with one of our fellow walkers-Greg Cave and his wife Robin- as we were bus hopping so maybe Ireland is as small a place as people have been telling us. Also we are not pub people at the best of times but here it looks like we will be trying quite a few for meals as they offer reasonable fare at reasonable prices. The trick is going to be picking the good ones from the not so good ones. But that is an inevitable part of the travel experience wherever one goes.

At the start of our Dublin tracking experience

Tracking our people can be fun but it always takes a while to adjust to the constant stresses of this type of travel. We have made it just a little more stressful this time as tomorrow we will split up to do our own things for the next week and a half.

After that almost endless flight with just a few hours pit stop in Abu Dhabi, we were glad to emerge into an almost empty but impressive Dublin airport. Then, as is our fashion, it was into the local transport system to get to our guest house booking close to Blackrock in the southern coastal suburbs. After finding that the bus we were planning to take had been taken off line last year we found any number of helpful locals who could point us at least in the general direction. No one had heard of the “suburb” we were seeking but between the driver, another bus company person on the bus and an interested bystander we alighted at a Blackrock shopping complex soon enough. A short taxi drop later and we were in the guest house and intently getting the run down from Dee our hostess.

Our first impressions of this part of Dublin are that it is a neat and tidy area, just a bit “twee” in that English, Brittany, German, Scottish village sense with plenty of small local shops and pubs, a very nice park that backs onto our place and within which any number of other locals were walking dogs, playing with kids or enjoying tennis at a great tennis complex.

We took the obligatory late afternoon walk around our new neighbourhood before taking one of our hostess eating recommendations at the “Wishing Well” pub.

Wednesday will be settling day as we start to explore Dublin whilst finding our time adjusted legs and the ways to get to the Heuston railway station where Randall needs to be early Thursday morning for his trip to Killarney and also the main bus station near Customs House in the centre of Dublin where Yvonne needs to be Friday for her weekend painting school at Killaloe.

For now it is also all about adjusting to this constantly moving lifestyle whilst exploring the history, culture and people of fascinating Ireland.

And the weather? A cool 12 degrees but fine mid afternoon. There were plenty of people enjoying the Sandymount beach towards Dun Laughaire. Not too many in the water though.