Our accommodation at Lisdoon Lodge B&B was excellent value at €53 a night, After four years in the community, hosts Bernie & Oliver are still considered as intruders by the locals. Perhaps it is more to do with the fact that it's not what they do but how well they do it. By comparison they often display a no vacancy shingle.
Four counties, Clare, Galway, Mayo & Sligo, 353 kilometres, numerous towns & villages dotted along the N67 & N59 between Lisdoonvarna & Sligo have been highlighted on our route map. Those worthy of mention include Galway.With a population of 80 000, it is the fourth largest city in Ireland. The city centre lies on the banks of the River Corrib. Our route took us through the university precinct & streets lined with grand Victorian houses. Phil was impressed with the marina.
We then headed in a north-westerly direction in search of Clifden, a town celebrating its bicentennial year. En route we passed the Twelve Bens, a geographical feature worthy of mention. From Clifden we took, our only deviation from national highways today, an eleven kilometre circular route offering stunningly stunning Atlantic Ocean views.
Kinvara is a picturesque fishing village at the head of Galway Bay with Dungaire Castle standing sentinel at its entrance. An imposing structure protecting a quiet, unhurried community of just 1100 residents.
Built in 1867, Kylemore Abbey stands proudly amid 1000 acres of beautifully manicured lawns & gardens. It was home to Benedictine Nuns in 1920.
Leenane oozes old world charm. It nestles between the Mewelrea & Maamturk Mountains on the southern shore of Killary Harbour, Ireland's only fiord. The tidal headwaters of the harbour provide ideal conditions for mussel farming.
Westport boasted elegant Georgian streetscapes. At the foothills of the nearby Ballyroy National Park we witnessed the harvesting of turf. Not turf as we know it, but brick-size cuts of peat to be dried, bagged & sold for burning. We understand five such sods provide heating for five to six hours.
Ballina, a busy industrial & commercial centre on the River Moy Estuary, is an angler's paradise. Offering lake, river & sea fishing, it is a popular destination with fishing enthusiasts. The Ballina we met today isn't as picturesque as its NSW namesake.
We have arrived Strandhill, County Sligo. We are looking forward to a two night stopover.
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