On Sunday morning I woke at my AirBnB accommodation in Dundrum, a suburban area seven kilometers outside of Dublin city. I was relieved when the hot water system worked, and revelled in the cleansing sensation. I didn't have much planned for my three-day stay in Dundrum but to relax prior to the journey home, but… Continue reading Dundrum: My Last Three Days in Ireland
Tag: Ireland
Inisheer to Dublin: The Journey Home Begins
Wheeling my large yellow suitcase along the rough tarmac road alongside the water's edge, the bad feeling began to fester when there was no-one else waiting at the pier. Once I stopped and took out my ticket, my stomach sank when I read '8.00', not '8.30', on my return ticket. Everything had been going well… Continue reading Inisheer to Dublin: The Journey Home Begins
Three Days on Inisheer
Day One It was an early start on Wednesday morning to catch the bus back into the Galway. Once in Galway, I caught a coach out to Rossaveal, in the Connemara area of County Galway, and then a ferry across to Inisheer, the smallest of the Aran Islands. I arrived at around 11.30am and began… Continue reading Three Days on Inisheer
Day Three in Kinvara: Dunguaire Castle
My third day in Kinvara I actually followed the right road out of town. On the way I stopped by the local Garda station, on a quiet street alongside the Merriman Hotel. Continuing on my way, I turned down a narrow laneway beside St Joseph's National School, which led me on a lovely little wander… Continue reading Day Three in Kinvara: Dunguaire Castle
Day Two in Kinvara: Gypsy Wagons and Fairy Woodlands
On Sunday, the day after St. Paddy's Day, I set out on my first day of location scouting in Kinvara. My AirBnB host Sharon had informed me of a lovely walk that looped around from the main road out of town around to the waterfront, and so I decided to take that route. Unbeknownst to… Continue reading Day Two in Kinvara: Gypsy Wagons and Fairy Woodlands
Day One In Kinvara: St. Patrick’s Day!
My first day in Kinvara was St Patrick’s Day, and this small village’s celebrations suited my tastes just nicely. The national holiday fell on a Friday, and there was to be a parade held in the main street at 1pm. It couldn’t have been a more Irish day; gale-force winds and cold misty rain, the… Continue reading Day One In Kinvara: St. Patrick’s Day!
Day Six In Galway: Second Attempt at Letterfrack, Impromptu Solo Pub Crawl
The first sign that I I wasn't meant to go to Letterfrack on Tuesday either was that I forgot my packed lunch. I didn't realise I had left it in the fridge until I was halfway to the bus stop. I was up early and caught the bus into town in time for the 8.30… Continue reading Day Six In Galway: Second Attempt at Letterfrack, Impromptu Solo Pub Crawl
Day Five In Galway: Magdalene Laundry, City and County Council, and Mill Street Garda
It's now Monday, and I had originally planned to travel to the township of Letterfrack  to visit the site of the former reformatory school, St Joseph's. The night before I stayed out later than anticipated, so decided to put the day trip off until Tuesday. Instead I decided to get a few things ticked off… Continue reading Day Five In Galway: Magdalene Laundry, City and County Council, and Mill Street Garda
Day Four In Galway: A Walking Tour of the City
Sunday was a fairly lazy day catching up on some rest. In the evening, I caught a lift into town with my AirBnB host Laura's friend Brien. Brien's plans for the evening were canceled, so he offered to show me around the city instead. We stopped first at the National University of Ireland Galway campus,… Continue reading Day Four In Galway: A Walking Tour of the City
Day Three In Galway: Ballinasloe
It was now Friday, and I planned to take a day trip out to Ballinasloe, a township in the easternmost part of County Galway, to visit the site of St Brigid's Hospital, opened in 1833 as the Connacht Lunatic Asylum. St Brigid's is still a functioning psychiatric hospital.  Main Street, Ballinasloe The walk from Ballinasloe… Continue reading Day Three In Galway: Ballinasloe
