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Destination, Photography, Travel

OUGHTERARD & AUGHNANURE CASTLE – COUNTY GALWAY – REPUBLIC OF IRELAND ‪#discoverireland

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OUGHTERARD

After a much-needed and restful night sleep at Corrib View Country House (just to the East of Oughterard on Lough Corrib) we sat down to another version of a Traditional Irish Breakfast.  It was always different: 1 or 2 eggs; with or without white and/or black pudding.  There was always ample tasty meat thought.  The sausage was pretty consistent throughout our travels.  It had a creamy texture and great flavor.  At 10g fat per link I now know why.  So good.

Just down the way a bit from our B&B was Aughnanure Castle.  We stopped by the previous evening before checking into our B&B, but it was about to close.  We instead went back to Oughterard to look around and get a bite to eat.  The town center was very busy with foot traffic and patrons have a pint (or several).  The streets were lined with shops – no strip mall style anything here.  We located a nice pub with fish & chips easily.  You can never go wrong with fish & chips.  We were very tired from a full day of travel and sightseeing, but could not resist stopping by and old cemetery we drove by on the way into town.

AUGHNANURE CASTLE

Google Maps describes this site as a well-preserved Irish tower fortress with gargantuan fireplaces and a watchtower you can climb.

Built by the O’Flahertys c. 1500, Aughnanure Castle lies in picturesque surroundings close to the shores of Lough Corrib.  In 1546 the O’Flaherty’s motto “Fortune favours the strong” and the powerful Mayo O’Malleys Motto “Powerful by land and by sea“, were joined in the marriage of Donal an Chogaidh O’Flaherty and Grainuaile/Grace O’Malley.  Standing on what is virtually a rocky island, the castle is a particularly well-preserved example of an Irish tower house. In addition, visitors will find the remains of a banqueting hall, a watch tower, an unusual double bawn and bastions and a dry harbour.

–Heritage Ireland

I very much enjoyed visiting this castle as there were very few people milling about.  The setting was beautiful with the lazy Drimneed River flowing by the outer stone walls on two sides.  All structures such as these typically have an interesting feature known as a meurtrière at a main gateway to the premise to thwart attackers , but I’d never heard it described as a “Murder Hole” before.  It is quite an accurate description really.

This one was relatively small; I am guessing as this whole site wasn’t large in comparison to some castles, but a murder hole nonetheless is was.

Here are some additional  images of the interior.

Diagram of Aughnanure Castle c. 1500s – Oughterard Heritage

Back in the 1500s this site was a bit more formidable.  Today most of the inner walls are gone while the outer walls remain intact.  We were fortunate; during our visit in the morning there were very few people there which allowed for easy photographing.

Here are some photos of the grounds.  The softer light the evening before was nicer (first two photos) than the bright sunshine of the next morning.

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Photography

CROAGH PATRICK – COUNTY MAYO – REPUBLIC OF IRELAND ‪#discoverireland

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The adventure continues

Our destination for the evening after stopping at Glencar Waterfall was Westport town in County Mayo.  This was the only day that I wish we had secured a mobile phone.  *I did send the B&B an email to tell them that we would be running late; they didn’t see it.

When we arrived at Carrabaun House no one was there and it was locked up tight.  After checking every filling station in town, we were able to find a pay phone back at the town centre, however using it was another matter.  The directions and prompts were all on-screen; a screen that was completely scratched and not recognizable.  I met a very nice and severely intoxicated man who had no minutes on his phone, but wanted to sit a wee bit, have a conversation and figure out how to help me.  This day of our trip was Cyndie’s birthday and it was getting late; not sure what else to do I walked into the grocery/liquor store on the corner and asked a cashier if they could dial up the B&B for me.  She did with no hesitation and would not accept any money for her efforts.   Wonderful and helpful people in Ireland.

J.J O’Malleys

After getting settled at back at the B&B, we headed back into Westport for dinner at J.J O’Malleys.  At this point we were both pretty much exhausted and starving.  Not exactly the birthday evening I had planned for Cyndie.  The food was tasty and the pints divine.

2016-04-28 J.J O Malleys-Bar and Restaurant 2 2016-04-28 J.J O Malleys-Bar and Restaurant

We awoke to another gorgeous day in Ireland.  The view from our room was amazing.  We could see our destination right out on the horizon.  Another Traditional Irish Breakfast was in order; then we’d be on our way.

Carrabaun House

*If you are going to travel Ireland via car and stay at B&B’s that you book in advance I would highly recommend stating an arrival time of 7-8 p.m.  If you are early, it usually isn’t a problem.  The only issue you may encounter is if the owners/caretakers do not live at the property.  That was the case here.

Croagh Patrick

Croagh Patrick, which overlooks Clew Bay in County Mayo, is considered the holiest mountain in Ireland.  The tradition of pilgrimage to this holy mountain stretches back over 5,000 years from the Stone Age to the present day without interruption. Its religious significance dates back to the time of the pagans, when people are thought to have gathered here to celebrate the beginning of harvest season. – wikipedia

As you can see from the first few thumbnail images, this mountain if massive.  All the photos were taken in order along the accent with the exception of the second to the last two taken on the decent.  This is an amazingly beautiful mountain, but don’t let the that fool you – it’ll bite you if you are not careful any paying attention to the terrain underfoot.  The path and trail were firm in the morning as it was slightly damp.  As the day went on though; with the sunshine and wind, the surface gets dryer and loose.  The path is very rocky; not smooth by any means.

I was not able to make it all the way to the summit.  You can see a bit of green indoor/outdoor carpet in this photo (above) just to the right of trail.  This is where I had to turn around, but not before a lengthy, rest, water and a few photos.  The trail to the summit was steep; I had no doubt I could have made it there, but getting down was more of the concern.  With a bad knee, making it as far as I did was accomplishment enough.  It was a beautiful day in Ireland with perfect weather; we could not of asked for anything more.

I ended up falling on the way back down, bruised my hip, tore up my hand, and cracked a lens hood – no damage to the lens itself or the camera thankfully.  We made it the rest of the way down without further incident.  It is quite a trip with magnificent views.  Allow plenty of time, wear good shoes, go slow and be careful.  You may want to get a walking stick from the visitor center.  We arrived early before it was open and it wasn’t an option unfortunately.

Croagh Patrick is renowned for its Patrician Pilgrimage in honour of Saint Patrick, Ireland’s patron saint. It was on the summit of the mountain that Saint Patrick fasted for forty days in 441 AD and the custom has been faithfully handed down from generation to generation. The Black Bell of Saint Patrick was a highly venerated relic on Croagh Patrick for many years.

The first stop on the pilgrimage is Saint Patrick’s statue erected in 1928 by Reverend Father Patterson with money he collected in America towards the rebuilding of Saint Mary’s Church in Westport.

Each year, The Reek, as it is colloquially known, attracts about 1 million pilgrims. On ‘Reek Sunday’, the last Sunday in July, over 25,000 pilgrims visit the Reek. At the top, there is a modern chapel where mass is celebrated and confessions are heard. Individuals and groups come from all over the world and include pilgrims, hill climbers, historians, archaeologists and nature lovers.

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