December 23, 2016 (Connemara, Ireland)

On a cloudy and windy morning, we stopped off at Pascal Coffee House (pretty good by the way if you happen to be in Galway) to get a latte, and made our way to the coach station where our bus had left from the previous day. Just as we stepped into the station, the rain started pouring like cats and dogs, figuratively… though I think I heard some meow’s and woof’s just before thuds hit the pavement. The rain was coming down so hard and we were lucky to have just missed it. Our tour bus driver, who was checking everyone in, mentioned that Galway was supposed to get a hurricane that day. We were very happy we had done the Cliffs of Moher the day before; since gusty winds almost blew us off the cliffs, a hurricane would have been a bad portent for that activity.

We piled into the tour bus and were relieved to be heading north, we were hopeful to be out of the storm’s way.

The first stop for us was Ross Errilly Friary which was founded in 1351. This medieval monastery was enlarged in 1498 turning it into one of the largest Franciscan structures in Ireland. The air felt eerily alive here. The friary is on the outskirts of a village but the ruins are still standing in a way that you could easily imagine what life was like here in medieval times. The dormitories were on the 2nd floor and you can still make out where the upper floor was supported in the outline of the stone structure. The church area held the daily ablutions of prayer and service and the domestic buildings  were used for cooking, eating, and sleeping. If you can imagine a roof over the entire building, you could easily visualize the rooms coming alive with the daily business of friary life as you make your way through the maze of spaces and hallways, and peek through windows.

Throughout history, Ross Errilly was emptied of its monks seven times, once by being expelled by Cromwell’s soldiers in 1656. But each time, the monks returned. The friary lasted until 1753 when it was finally abandoned and the building soon descended into ruin.

 

 

 

 

We had fun ducking in and out of the rooms in the rain (and dodging gravestones as some were unfortunately placed right across doorways) as we explored the ruins. Some gravestones were placed after the friary was abandoned, as is the Irish custom of burying their village dead on church grounds no matter whether it is still in use or in ruins.

Our bus then made its way to Cong Village and we had some time to explore the area on our own. Besides being a cute little Irish village, Cong is known among tourists as the filming location for John Ford’s 1952 Oscar-winning film, The Quiet Man starring John Wayne, Maureen O’Hara, and Barry Fitzgerald. The village itself is situated on an island between streams that surround it on all sides.

Grant and I were walking around, as the rain had finally let up, and came across the ruins of Cong Abbey. The gate was open so we went in to take a look. This monastery was founded in the early 7th Century but was destroyed in a fire in the 12th Century. This ruin wasn’t as well preserved as Ross Errilly Friary but it was still neat to have a look around. What was really nice were the abbey grounds that seem to be well maintained.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Grant and I rushed back to our tour bus right at the time when our tour guide said we needed to be back. Or else he threatened the last person on board who was late, would have to sing a song out loud. I already had my song picked out, it would be “Jingle Bells” but thankfully, we weren’t late.

The bus wound its way through a region called Inagh Valley. This landscape was hauntingly beautiful. Seemed very barren, not like The Burren, but still mysterious and serene. Funny enough, it actually reminded me of the scenery as you drive towards Waimea from Kohala on the north tip of the Big Island. Our bus stopped to let us take some photos. On one such stop, as soon as we got out, it started hailing like mad. The ice was coming in such a ferocious downpour that it felt like little pin pricks through my fleece layer and down-feather jacket. And just like the punchline to a joke, our bus had driven and parked ahead 300 yards uphill, so as to not block a one-lane bridge. We all made a mad-dash to the bus while getting pelted by BB bullets of ice. This was another pavlov behavioral training moment, as the next photo-op stop, only a fifth of the bus of tourists got off and were willing to risk the unpredictable weather.

 

 

 

Our final stop was Kylemore Abbey. This is the one I was most excited to see after having seen the abbey in a travel magazine a couple of years back. Because we had 2 hours of free time here, Grant and I grabbed a quick lunch at the cafe and then boarded the shuttle. There is a private shuttle that takes you around the different points of interest on the estate which is recommended. Otherwise, it could take 20 minutes or so to get from the visitor’s center to the famous Victorian Gardens.

 

 

Kylemore was built by Mitchell Henry, an English doctor after he and his wife, Margaret had fallen in love with the area on a previous trip to Ireland and had bought the land around the abbey. Mr. Henry set about building their dream home after he had inherited a small fortune from his father. Kylmore Castle took 4 years to build with a construction crew of 100 men, many of them locals who lived in the Connemara region. The castle when finished (in 1871) consisted of 40,000 square feet (3,700 square meters) with 33 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, 4 sitting rooms, a ballroom, a library, a billiards room, and a school.

Unfortunately, Margaret was only able to enjoy her castle for 4 years. The family had decided to pack up some of their 9 children and take a vacation out to Egypt. In Egypt, Margaret became sick with dysentery and died 16 days later. The family was heartbroken as Margaret was brought home in a casket. Due to her love of Kylemore, Mr. Mitchell had a mausoleum by the lake’s edge built. Because the thought of his wife being buried in a cold, foreign country (i.e. not in England) brought him sadness, he also had a miniature gothic cathedral built in her honor near the castle.

During his lifetime, Mr. Henry would enter politics as the MP for County Galway from 1871 to 1885, and started many businesses. None of his businesses did well and he was forced to sell Kylemore castle in 1909 to the Duke and Duchess of Manchester. His only wish was that he could be buried next to his wife in the mausoleum by the lake no matter who became owner of the estate. This was honored after he died in 1910. In 1920, Benedictine nuns bought the castle after the Duke and Duchess of Manchester were forced to sell it to make up gambling debt. Kylemore Abbey is still an active abbey but it was recently bought by University of Notre Dame as recently as 2015. I believe the school has plans for classrooms within the many rooms of the building while still keeping it as an abbey.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Because this church is dedicated to Mr. Mitchell’s wife, there are feminine elements included in the design. For example, rather than gargoyles there are angels.

 

 

We highly recommend Galway Tour Company. Their tours were a great value and the tour guides really know their history. Also, I felt these tours gave you more time at the featured sites than other tour companies we’ve heard of.

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