A few days

3/22: kinda a travel day. I went down through Leitrim to Sligo and stopped at Drumcliffe, where Yeats is buried. He isn't my favorite poet but I stopped to see anyway. Apparently he was extremely fond of western Ireland and who could blame him. I bypassed Sligo town in favor of Carrowmere which was closed and then decided not to climb to Queen Mebh's cairn. I stopped at a darling pottery place, Breeogue Pottery, run by a husband and wife couple. She does stoneware, with delicate and pretty decoration and he is mostly into raku. Hers tends more to functional and his to sculptural. Loved them both. His touch with raku is quite lovely and the incised decorations beautiful. The western coastline of Sligo was beautiful. Definitely a place to consider for a summer holiday with lovely beaches and cute towns. 

I followed the road west into Mayo, stopping to walk on the beach at Inishcrone. I passed through Ballina which was very pretty if you don't count the terrible traffic (they truly need a bypass so as to make downtown less choked up with one way streets and cars) and stopped Rosserk Abbey on my way to Ballycastle. Loved Rosserk! Right on the water, it is very well preserved. 1400s. It was for 3rd order Franciscans--married people who wanted to be Franciscan. I didn't know such a thing existed. You could climb the steps to the upper outdoor area. 

3/23 Mayo all day. I followed the North Mayo Sculpture trail as best I could. Which wasn't so great as signage and directions were spotty at best. I did see four, maybe five, of the sculptures and a lot of lovely scenery on the way. Also went to Rathfran Abbey, circa 1250, which was a nice ruin but not as nice as Rosserk in spite of billing. What was interesting as that it was no only hard to find but once you did the path was interesting. You went thru two gates and then around the edge of the land right along where you could see the water was at high tide sometimes. The path is only sorta there. Then you come around a corner and there are two more gates to go through to the ruin which is not in as good a shape as Rosserk. I went down the Mullet peninsula and found another sculpture at the end of the trail which was a take off on the stone circle--a spiral called St Dervla's twist. St Dervla is associated very closely with the area as she plucked out her eyes there to convince someone he didn't want to marry her, which turned into a well and when she washed her face her eyes came back, and also founded a church. God does amazing things in this part of the world. 

I stayed the night in Westport, a very lovely and European little city. 

3/24: I left Westport this morning later than I'd hoped because of laundry. Which I might say that everyone must have a washing machine here because there seems to be very few laundromats. 

I followed a sign for a long time and finally ended up in a gorgeous beach called Silver Strand. It was very deep and the tide seemed very far out. There was a farmer right by the beach when I came out who was chasing sheep around. I'm not clear how he selected which sheep he wanted by but he and a dog herded three out and into a trailer. Then they went back and brought the whole bunch down and chased them into a corner. He then selected one more and pulled it out by running as fast as he could at the herd which scattered, baa-ing, and grabbing the one he wanted by the horns and straddling it. He then lifted it over the fence which could not have been easy and it ran off up the road. He was quite friendly and we chatted a bit--broad Mayo accent. Born and raised on the peninsula, had sheep all his life. They get sheared in July. His sheep hadn't had lambs yet because of the cold off the Atlantic. The colors are for identification as they mix with other farmers. He wanted to know why I was traveling alone, where I was from, if I was lost/why I was in this lonely spot, and how I liked Ireland. 

The Doo Lough Valley came next--probably the wildest place I've been so far. Stark mountains with their toes in the Lough. Gorgeous. Definitely want to come back here. 

I then went around the Connemara peninsula much too fast. It required at least another day and I had to skip things like the park to make it to the southern part in order to catch a ferry for Inish Oirr, one of the Aran Islands. I did stop at several beaches and take some smaller roads though which in turn made me later than I wanted to be but still in plenty of time. In fact it was probably better as there was nothing to and nowhere to be near the port. 

The ferry to Inish Oirr also stops at Inish Meain. My spellings might be off and there are missing accents. It's not a huge boat like ferrys in Washington. Maybe the size of a large yacht? Most of it is covered and has seating inside. It's a businesslike piece of work and I'm guessing a lot of the people on it are locals since they are mostly carrying large bags that are more grocery than suitcase like. I hear Irish being spoken. It sounds very liquid and yet also a bit like Hebrew. 

Photos are on Instagram or Facebook. 

3/20

I started the morning in Letterkenny with pancakes...the first I have seen since I got here. Breakfast seems to be consistently the following: variety of cereals, fruit salad (thankfully banana free), yogurt, toasted (sandwich) and untoasted (usually wheaten bread which is smaller and less consistent than sandwich) bread. Then you can have a full fry or some of those components. A full fry constitutes, for those unsure, eggs, bacon, sausage, grilled tomato, toast. Depending on where you are it can also include one or more of: fried mushrooms, black or white pudding, beans. It's all a bit much really. It's one saving grace is that it is mostly protein and lasts a long time (till dinner). 

Anyway, I stayed at a nice B&B, an older couple. I went first to Doon Well and Stone. The well is a holy well, supposedly blessed by a healer and not dedicated to a saint or Christian. Except when I got there there was a big sign about how to do turas (pilgrimage) and it involved a lot of Hail Marys and the apostle creed. Neither of which I know. And the water was...well let's just say I wasn't touching much less drinking it! Pretty spot though and obviously much trafficked since there were several trees hung about with offerings.  Later, at the workhouse museum on something about railways, it mentioned that the railway made trips to the Doon Well easier. I was interested as it is quite a distance for people to have wanted to go on the 1800s. Then I climbed Doon Stone which was used for crowning cheiftains, mostly O'Neills I think. It was a lovely high point from which you got a great view of the countryside (which I didn't photograph since I didn't take my camera). 

From there I wandered about the area where St Colmcille (Columba in English) was born. He's one of Ireland's great saints, along with Patrick and Brigid. He also founded the important monastery on Iona, a Scottish island. Anyway, I spent a long time drawing the cross at one of his first monasteries by his home and then the church wall. I'm fascinated by the dry stone building and the lovely way it goes together. Also the doorway is no taller than I am at its highest point. 

Then I drove around Glenveagh national park which was seething with families and people on bikes, because by this time the clouds of the last few days had lifted and the sun came out. Very pretty. These are the Derryveagh mountains, seen from outside the park:

No, it's not snow on top. 

I next came over a hill to a valley where I could immediately see a lake and a ruined church. The turn was also good for the Poisoned Glen, supposedly poisoned when Balor, a one-eyed king of Tory, was killed. His eye spilled poison on the Glen. More prosaically, it was a cartographers mistake--they change one letter of the Irish name and went from heavenly to poisoned. It was a very rocky place between arid looking mountains with a lovely stream running through it. 

 

The old church was quite picturesque and I spent a lot of time drawing it too. It's a Church of Ireland church which was building mid 1800s and in 1955 the roof was removed as there was not enough people for the congregation. The graveyard is still in use though. 

When I got to the coast, I went to a museum in an old workhouse to learn more about the famine and workhouses. Extremely sad and brutal history. Workhouses did feed and clothe you but they were terrible places to live and separated families, even babies. 

Driving down the coast I circled the Gweedore peninsula, stopping at Magheraroarty beach. This is also where the Tory Island ferry goes from.  It's a lovely long beach, which makes a sweeping curve around the bay and bends out towards Inishboffin island. I hear (from a lovely lady who chatted with me) that Inishboffin is even prettier than Tory but harder to get to as no one lives there year round. 

3/21

In spite of my best intentions I did not manage to make it out if Donegal today. The Glencolmcille peninsula proved to be quite fantastically beautiful and interesting. I heard Gaelic spoken! Lovely and musical. The peninsula is all mountains and ocean, quite rugged and remote. It's getting more tourists now because of the Wild Atlantic Way which is a new scenic route that runs the length of the western side. 

There's a fantastic folk museum in Glencolmcille. What I especially loved about it was that it focused on the common people's experience and living circumstances. There were 5 cottages from different time periods and that belonged to different types of people (farmers, fishermen) along with a wealth of implements, mostly donated from the community but in quite good shape. They have developed some good material about it as well. Living circumstances were quite harsh--although the cottage walls were thick I doubt they were very warm. All were thatched in the traditional way. Life was sparse--they had very little. And yet it seems it was sufficient because there has been life on that peninsula for millennia--it has numerous archaeological finds and cairns and so on dating back to the Bronze Age. Lovely spot with beautiful beaches (too bad it was cold!). Next time I come I will try to stay awhile. Although the peninsula does lack accommodation and restaurants. 

Interesting thought--we talk about food deserts in the US.  Most of Ireland could be considered a food desert--I can't count how many villages I've been thru with only a pub. Not that it's far to somewhere else, but usually not walking distance either. Even slightly larger towns won't have much. 

Some other musings:

I'm losing track of right from left. I don't think I realized how much I depended on driving and cars for that. Now I have to think about my writing hand. It's an interesting disorientation. 

Religion: Ireland has a zillion churches, both Catholic and Anglican.  And of course an immensely rich religious history, both pagan and Christian. What's interesting is that in the republic I have seen precisely one church that might be more evangelical in nature. No religious signage. No one seems to care in the republic. However, in the north, I suddenly started seeing signs of religious activity that looks more like what you see in the US: signs with scripture, more evangelical, fellowship type worship places. And of course, in the north, everyone cares a great deal which church you belong to. 

Gravestones don't give birthdates but rather age and date of death.  And are often used for whole families like from 1800s forward. I can't tell if a lot of people are cremated and then use the same grave or what's happening. 

The whole of Ireland is quite park-like. When you think people have been living here since 9000 years BC you kinda see why. Here's s list of wilder places so far: Glenveagh park, Malin Head, the Glencolmcille area, Urris mountains. I'm guessing there will be more in Connacht. 

Music seems to mostly start very late at night (10ish) and be played in noisy, crowded pubs. Which is why I am not seeing so much of it. Mostly I'm pretty tired after a day of driving and hiking about. Plus pubs are dark so I don't particularly want to sit about in one for an hour or two after dinner waiting for music to start. Although good conversation sometimes. 

Inishowen day two

Both of those were from the Bocan Stone Circle. Really more oval, only about 8 stones still stand. The rough outline is there will smaller stones. I think some of the stones were purloined for the Clonca church high cross and lintels. 

Or even for Carrowmere:

And here's some lambs: 

This family seemed quite sure I was there to photograph them. 

The afternoon I spent at Malin Head, most northern point in Ireland:

And the Ballyhillin beach, which had the most wonderful stones ever. It's known for agates, carnelians and jasper. Most beaches have some stones on their sand; this beach had a bit of sand with its hills of perfectly smooth stones 

I picked up a bunch before finding the wee house of Malin, which is a ruined church, a cave which a hermit is said to have lived in but which also always has room for one more no matter how many people go in it, and also had a pilgrimage site and a holy well. 

Personally I would've selected a cave with a bit more protection from the elements to live in, especially since the sea is only a few yards away. I do not claim to be as committed to a life of poverty, solitude and hardship as the early Irish hermits. 

Inishowen day two

Both of those were from the Bocan Stone Circle. Really more oval, only about 8 stones still stand. The rough outline is there will smaller stones. I think some of the stones were purloined for the Clonca church high cross and lintels. 

Or even for Carrowmere:

And here's some lambs: 

This family seemed quite sure I was there to photograph them. 

The afternoon I spent at Malin Head, most northern point in Ireland:

And the Ballyhillin beach, which had the most wonderful stones ever. It's known for agates, carnelians and jasper. Most beaches have some stones on their sand; this beach had a bit of sand with its hills of perfectly smooth stones 

I picked up a bunch. 

Derry & the Inishowen peninsula

Derry comes from the Irish word Doire which means oak grove. A settlement has been there since at least the 500s and maybe earlier depending on how one interprets archaeological evidence. It was originally an island but no more. 

Which takes me to an offshoot. Ireland is a park in my mind. Even the wildest places are inhabited and used, and modified for human needs. It's nothing like wilderness in the US. In some ways I like this sense of continuous inhabitation, the sense that every spot has been loved at some point. And in others I think I prefer the wilderness and wildness of much of the US land. 

Back to Derry. Or Londonderry as it was renamed when it was granted to the city of London in the 1600s to rebuild. It's a sweet little city. The second largest in Northern Ireland and the only one to have its city walls survive intact (albeit with modifications--two more gates and more ways on and off them for pedestrians). The city wall walk is lovely. The murals in the Bogside, which are cousins to those in Belfast, are more interesting and artistic than the ones in Belfast. I didn't do a tour and I wish I had. The town has a more arts oriented feel and seems quite cosmopolitan. There is a craft village with several artist cooperative stores--and quite good work. I could definitely consider moving there. I stayed in a nice B&B which was only a few minutes from city center by foot--the owners were very kind and even let me do laundry! 

This morning I took off for Donegal (pronounced don ne gal) which is supposed to be one of the most beautiful areas in Ireland. It is gorgeous. Mountains and sea. And a lot of people for somewhere that's supposed to be so rural. Rural in the sense that it isn't a city but not rural like the west!

The Glenevin park was a nice detour to see a waterfall in a Glen. 

The Gap of Mamore was interesting. Basically a one lane road over the Urris mountains, it has a fun history. Read:

I liked the idea of a republic based on liquor! The well is obviously much used and venerated as it had several statues with offerings. There was also a lot of trash. I noticed people were leaving offerings; I decided mine would be to clean up all the trash in the vicinity. It's interesting that I can't find anything about St Egney except that he may have been a Druid who saw the Christian faith coming. St Colmcille (Columb) was another very busy Saint who founded at least a couple of monasteries all in the northwest and in Scotland on Iona. Local lore says he was born in Donegal. 

Panorama of the gap and the well:

I stopped at the Carndonagh cross this afternoon and was charmed by the simple carving on it and the imagery of Jesus with his arms spread in benediction or welcome (instead of crucified). There were two pillars next to it with carvings as well--one of a harpist and one of another clergyman with symbols of office. And in the graveyard, the lovely marigold stone with a flower like design carved on it. The church was new, but incorporated a 15th century door lintel and had a 12th century one on display, both found on site. The graveyard is still in use but had the sense of some very old graves mixed in. Lovely.  I think this site is associated with Colmcille as well 

Now I'm up at the north end of the peninsula. I'm staying the night in a pub with good music which I enjoyed earlier. Lots of people out enjoying St Pats day. I was stunned at how many places were closed--basically all shops and many restaurants that weren't pubs. Schools maybe too? Families and cyclers were out everywhere enjoying the sun and the day which I can completely get behind. 

Giants Causeway to Derry

This morning I went off to the Giants Causeway. I love the old story about this. Finn McCool, a giant living with his wife Oona and son in the headlands nearby, decided one day to challenge the giant in Scotland to a fight. However, he didn't want to get his feet wet so instead he took the rocks and built a causeway across the sea. He then snuck over and when he caught site of Diarmuid (I think that's the Scottish giant's name) he got scared and ran home. Diarmuid followed him so Finn posed as his baby in the cradle. Diarmuid took one look at him and said if that's the baby how big is the father?? And then ran off back to Scotland, tearing up most of the causeway as he went. To substantiate the story, there's a piece of corresponding causeway on the Scottish coast. You can still see Finn's chimney on the headland and they say it smokes sometimes. LOL

I did listen to the scientific explanation as well, which was volcanic and something about the way the lava cooled it cracked into the neat hexagon shapes. That story was good too but not quite as entertaining. Although interesting as I don't think if Ireland as volcanic. In any case I walked down to look at the causeway and then climbed back up by the shepherds stairs--168 uneven basalt steps to walk back along the headland. All of it with amazing views in spite of the fog over toward Scotland. Here's a taste of the Causeway. I suggest looking it up online for better photos. 

I then went off to Bushmills for a tour of the oldest continuously operating distillery in the world. Pretty interesting. They use a lot of barley every year! And water. Their barley comes to them malted (sprouted basically) from the same place that does it for Guinness. Bushmills also bottles and distributes Jameson's, which is made in Cork. The difference between Irish and Scottish whiskey is that Irish are triple distilled for a smoother finish while Scottish double distills to keep more flavor (and some use peat fired malted barley as well for flavor). Most Irish whiskey isn't peated although I guess there are a couple of boutique distilleries now doing that here. Anyway, the Irish add their flavor back in by using bourbon barrels imported from KY, as well as Sherry and Madeira barrels. Once they use the barrels a couple of times, they sell them to the Scottish distilleries who don't care so much about the flavor addition part. Apparently we're all friends in the liquor business! No pictures allowed at Bushmills. 

I then took the coast road to Derry and managed not to get too lost or confused on the way into Derry. Once again I appreciated google maps as it helped me find the B&B. 

North Antrim Coast 3/14

A coastal day along the Irish Sea. It was mostly sunny today but foggy out in the sea so Scotland was hidden in a dense gray mass. The coast is all narrow curvy roads and sea views with small pretty villages along it. I stopped to see the Glenariff forest park. Glens are apparently narrow gorges with watercourses, usually forested, often glacial in origin. This glen had amazing views out to the sea but not so much forest (at least not for an American westerner). There are 9 or 10 glens in Antrim depending on your interpretation. View from the park to the sea:

I also traveled the Torr Head road. This is an extremely narrow two laner. In the US it would be a one way street. I was pleased to see very few cars and most I did see passed me while I was stopped looking at things. Gorgeous views. The community there is very tightly knit as it was essentially cut off from the mainland--it was harder to get overland than to simply take a boat to Scotland--and many of the people working these very steep and rocky farms are Scottish in origin. The views are amazing but honestly it seems like a very hard life. Nothing much was flat. View of the area:

Here's my car which is kindly taking me everywhere:

After Torr Head I stopped at Bonmargy Friary (Bonmargy means bottom of the Margy which is the river) and then at Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge. Which wasn't as scary as it might sound. 

I then decided to stay in Bushmills tonight as my knee was too irritated to handle the Giants Causeway so I found a darling little room above a pub, had dinner and then a beer, a cider and a shot of a homemade potatoe...whiskey? While chatting with some Irishmen and a pair of Germans. One of the Irishmen was from Strangford Lough and was doing some work up here. They are all quite entertained by the American political circus even as they are also worried about what it means for Europe. The Germans disliked the similarities to Hitler that they see in our Republican "front runner" and I disliked that Hilary seemed to be the only alternate--they barely knew about Sanders. 

The coast up here seems better cared for, maybe a bit more prosperous, than the Mourne area. 

Nendrum and Belfast 3/14

I got up early and had breakfast in the pub while chatting with the owners (I stayed above the pub the night before). They are Irish living in Northern Ireland and clearly not in love with the British but also against any return to the strife of the troubles. 

Nendrum is a very early monastic site, circa 500. Pre-Norman. The site is beautiful, an island in the Lough reached by causeway via two other islands. It must've been amazing back then--it would have been completely isolated. The site was rediscovered because of the round tower. Many of the monastic sites had the round towers but it isn't clear what the purpose was always, and as the information points out, there must've been an important religious or defensive reason to spend the resources to build such an edifice. In this case they don't think it was defensive as the tower would've given them away to the Vikings and anyone else. There's also the remains of the church and several other buildings, one which may have been a space for reading and writing, and small round spaces which were probably living spaces. Those rooms were small but nice sized. I think I might have liked a space that size for just me. 

You can see the outline of one of the round spaces. 

Sundial reconstruction

Notice the thorns on that ivy!

From there I went to Belfast. That was a trip because I must've missed a sign or two and ended up east and had to find my way back...and nearly died because I turned into oncoming traffic. Thank heavens for the small turnout in just the right spot!

I am not sure how but my google map worked even without cellular data and that made it possible for me to find the place I was staying in Belfast. They were very nice and arranged for me to take a tour of the political murals in Belfast, which is one of the things to do. I didn't do the other thing which is visit the Titanic shipyards and visitors center. Anyway the murals. My guide's name was Jimmy and he was an Irish Catholic man who grew up right in the area where some of the worst of the troubles took place--he knew many of the people who died as well. I learned so much about the historical basis of the troubles--all the way back to the 1600s but also the more recent causes such as discrimination based on religion for housing, jobs and police brutality. He explained how the provisional IRA came into being. Things are much better now but the sad thing is that I am not sure what kind of "peace" requires a wall with locking gates, or includes provocative efforts in the part of both sides but especially the loyalist side (British supporters). It's still a mess really just not such a violent one. Jimmy was very clear that he felt everyone behaved badly--all the factions and communities, IRA included--during the troubles even as he was very clear about how the Catholic side took the brunt of the burning and police neglect. 

I didn't take pictures because a) it felt disrespectful and b) frankly the murals themselves are not so impressive especially from an artistic standpoint. They are moreimportant  from a political one. Another thing that occurred to me as we looked at the ones in the Catholic and Protestant neighborhoods was how different they were. The Catholic ones were commemorative and non-aggressive. They recalled people who had died, usually unarmed. They also had quite a few which expressed sympathy for causes other than their own--Palestinian, Leonard Peltier, etc. The Protestant side ones were far more aggressive--they had guns (one pointed a gun right at the Catholic quarter and was clearly visible from it) and celebrated people who openly boasted of killing as many Catholics as possible, in cold blood. Another interesting anecdote is that the Protestant groups arose out of the type of group in the states which we call skinheads--groups that hate anything unlike themselves. Oh and the loyalist paramilitary groups have never been asked to disarm and disband, but the IRA has supposedly decommissioned all its weapons. Definitely a set of problems which will take some time to resolve. Jimmy, the guide, told me he thought that until there was integrated education it would not happen--but the Catholics nearly all send their kids to Catholic school, often Gaelic speaking, while the Protestants send to the public schools which are English speaking. So there's some way to go. 

I think if I were Irish I would definitely be a republican (one who wants a whole Ireland). Apparently republicans say that they live in the north of Ireland instead of Northern Ireland because they don't want to be separate from the rest of Ireland. 

Driving notes. So the roads are very narrow here. Shoulders are nearly unknown. 

Strangford Lough 3/13

I spent the morning looking around Downpatrick, particularly at the cathedral and the Mound of Down. Oh and don't forget St Patrick's grave. The cathedral is a lovely old building (not super old but like 1800s) with regency box pews that are unusual and interesting. It is quite a small cathedral and not so fearsomely decorated as some. Instead it relies on lovely graceful lines, light and color for its beauty. There are some lovely modern touches in the altar area--very clean and streamlined pieces that go well with the airiness of the space. The stained glass windows were well done and showed Patrick's life. I didn't take any pictures of the cathedral or the Mound of Down. Neither seemed like I could do it justice. 

The Mound of Down is a hill which was built up and fortified with earthworks--ditching, basically, by John de Courcy, a Norman knight who wanted some land and decided to do a land grab in Ulster. It might have pre-existed that time as well as it made a very defensible spot since marsh surrounded most of it and there was a river nearby. It makes a lovely and peaceful spot to wander and wonder and imagine a bunch of men in metal sleeping by fires, hunting and trying to stay dry (they came in winter). Overall the Irish seem really enamoured with hills for building on. 

I stopped at Inch abbey which is a good example of a Norman period Cistercian abbey that was founded by John de Courcey in atonement for decimating another monastery nearby. Might've been easier and cheaper to just support the old one. It is a good gothic example. Oh and it was set atop a much earlier monastery dating from at least the 800s which had been burnt out a couple of times by the Vikings. It was originally on an island in the marsh but they must've drained the marshes. You can see the Mound of Down and the cathedral from it. 

Did you know Cistercians were classist? They had two kinds of monks, choir monks who basically just prayed all day and did minimal labor and lay monks who did everything else--cook, clean, farm, have contact with--gasp!--the public, etc. The Cistercians believed in being as self-sufficient as possible and didn't believe in slavery, which is good I suppose. Choir monks were better educated and were kept separate from their less educated lay brothers. Oh, and in Ireland back then native Irish were not allowed to be Cistercian monks at all. Too dirty or something! Never mind that Irish monks kept the light of Christianity alive in Europe during the dark ages when they spread knowledge and learning and preserved many important books which were destroyed elsewhere!  

From there I went to Strangford and took the ferry to Portaferry. Both are cute little villages. The ferry is a 10 minute deal, open. It crosses Strangford Lough (kind of pronounced lock but more like lokh) at the sea end where it gets more narrow. Loughs seem to be lakes which open into the sea and mix fresh and sea water. Strangford is tidal. From Portaferry I continued by accident up the Mourne Coast road but after awhile I came back via two quaintly named scenic loops and managed to find one of the three sites I was looking for--Millin Bay Cairn. This is a Neolithic burial site right near the bay. Pretty spot. It was unusual for a number of reasons--it incorporated an earlier boundary walk into the site, was oval shaped, and the bones were arranged by kinds of bones (skulls, long bones, etc) and included like 15 people. There were more burials around but they seemed to be later burials. Here's more information:

The last is the site as it looks now. Parts of it are underground. It's right by the bay. I spent some time on the beach as well. 

I went around the Lough stopping in Gray Abbey which is a cute little town with actual shops. Mostly antiques and very expensive ones at that but also a darling little shop of locally made art and craft items. I bought a small piece which I just love. 

Gray Abbey was another Norman Cistercian site, founded unusually by a woman. She was the wife of John de Courcy and she had applied for dowager lands in Ireland after he died which were granted. It was a quite large establishment and it is fairly well preserved. It's also a fine example of gothic architecture. 

I stayed the night again in Downpatrick at the very nice Denvirs. The owners are quite friendly and the food and rooms are nice. 

Go to Instagram for more pictures!! They don't upload well here. 

Mourne Mountains and Lecale Peninsula 3/12

This morning I wandered around Carlingford. There's a great shop, the Carlingford Design House, with lots of tempting Irish-made art. I heroically resisted the impulse to buy. The owner was a very nice guy, a goldsmith with a workshop in the store. He gave me directions which only half worked but then again I hear the Irish are terrible at directions. And I got a nice detour out of the deal even if I didn't find the standing stones. 

Bright, cheerful Carlingford. 

This is a road... This one isn't wide enough for two cars so there are periodic pull outs so you can move over if a car is coming. 

Crossing into Northern Ireland is no big deal--there isn't even a checkpoint. The main thing is that everything changed back to miles from kilometers so now I am converting km/hr to mph as the car is in km. People drive just as beserk, roads are just as narrow. 

The thing I find really interesting is that Northern Ireland has an air of...neglect? Maybe that's it. Just an air of not being loved so much. At least this bit of it.  Except then there's these huge new houses so someone's making money. But the towns seem a bit rundown, even ones that have had a makeover. The roads are a bit worse. Everything seems a little grittier. And there's something funny about the money. Technically they use pound sterling but they don't have British pound sterling, it's an Irish one. Lonely Planet says no one wants the Irish one outside of Northern Ireland. 

The Mourne Mountains, where I spent much of the day, are gorgeous even if they do look rather Wyomigish (kinda bare in places and stark, and red pines). I did part of the coastal trail and a bunch in the mountains. Every corner has high mountain meadows or sea views. The Mournes feel rather less inhabited than elsewhere as well. The UK does seem to be more interested in local tourism as there were picnicking places and more sign boards than I have seen so far in the republic. I took some photos but I don't think they do it justice. The Mournes were their own kingdom, mostly cut off from the rest of Ireland, because they are hard to get into and over. The coast road is a very recent invention. I'm guessing most coming and going was done by boat. They are haunting and beautiful especially covered in fog as they were today. 

Continuing up the Mourne coastal road one comes to the Lecale peninsula, a little visited area in the heart of St Patrick lore. Apparently he landed on the Lecale when he first came back to Ireland to convert it. I stopped at two sets of ruins, one a church that from long after his time and the other a well where he is said to have spent the night scourging himself. That early Christian God was sure a demanding one. Had to hurt yourself and also live in the most out of the way places ever. Except I'm not sure how living in the most remote and weather challenged places would help the goal of converting people. It's a good thing I'm not Christian, as I'm pretty sure that God would get tired of me wanting logic quick!

This is St Johns Point church. It is darling and tiny, smaller than our studio space at home. The Irish Sea is in the background. Ir would make a perfect art studio with a bit of sympathetic renovation.  

The eye well at Streull Well...supposedly heals eye ailments. I made sure to rinse my eyes. 

This is the limb well where you can wash limbs in need of healing. And yes, I put my knee in it! I'm sure it is better already. 🙃

This is the whole enclosure with a filter on it. Close by is the drinking well (closed off), probably the oldest building in site with a conical roof made of stone slabs like that at Newgrange. In the middle distance is the eye well which is built in Leitrim style and farther away is the bathhouse with the limb well and also apparently a bathing room that you can't get into. The signs say there is some pretty fancy underground channeling of water going on to move it from the stream to these places (the stream is just over the wall to the left). There was also a church which may have never been finished but which would have straddled the stream:

You can see part of that here and here's the other side of the church. Amazing that something unfinished can stand from the 13th century. 

The speculation is that this site was holy long before St Patrick took it upon himself to Christianise it. 

I ended the day in Downpatrick, a larger town with St Patrick's cathedral. I don't care for the town which has a vaguely threatening feel to me--something about how everything is shut down (bars, garage doors over all shops) and a bit run down too. But I found a nice room above a bar (kitchen actually and two floors up) and had a good dinner. Also I really have no idea how anyone is supposed to know how to find streets or anything. I drove past this place twice trying to find it. 

Tomorrow holds more St Patrick and probably Belfast although I'm not feeling cities right now.