Of all the Irish cities I visited this spring, it was Galway that most captured my heart. It’s small enough to be walkable, has a quirky Latin Quarter, plenty of history, lovely parks, and a fantastic waterfront. But what most impressed me was the music in Galway. It poured from every pub, and…
Tag: Ireland
Wild Atlantic Way – The Best of Ireland
The stunning scenery along Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way is so forcefully etched on my memory that I can close my eyes and see it still. Unshorn sheep, fat like giant cotton balls, meander across green-carpeted bluffs. Waves smash at the feet of precipitous cliffs, while thousands of seabirds whirl and screech above. I…
PHOTO: Cliffs of Moher in County Clare, Ireland
Click on title to view photo in large format: The Cliffs of Moher in County Clare, Ireland, are home to an estimated 30,000 nesting birds, including the elusive Puffin, with its bright orange beak. The 702-foot high cliffs are the most visited tourist site in Ireland, attracting more than a million visitors each…
PHOTO: Gallarus Oratory on the Dingle Peninsula of Ireland
Click on title to view photo in large format: Gallarus Oratory, an early Christian Church on the Dingle Peninsula of Ireland, is believed to have been built between the 6th and 9th century AD. The site was constructed using a technique known as corbel vaulting, wherein each successive layer of sandstone is angled…
PHOTO: Typical Street Scene in the Town of Dingle, Ireland
Click on title to view photo in large format: The town of Dingle, Ireland, is the ultimate destination for those who drive around the Dingle Peninsula. The peninsula’s high, craggy sea cliffs and expansive sweeps of beach are backed by the Slieve Mish mountain range, creating what many consider to be the most…
Was Kissing the Blarney Stone Worth the Price of Germs?
I lay on my back and reached behind me for the iron rails attached to the parapet at Blarney Castle. Slowly, I squirmed backward over a gaping hole in the floor. “Now lean down into the hole,” said the guide who gripped me around the waist. With my head and shoulders hanging precariously…
