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Anseo - Guide to Galway and Ireland |
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Resources and Travel information for Galway and the rest of Ireland | ||
Rent an Ireland Vacation Cottage on the sea
http://www.aranrock.com/cave
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"The High Pasture"
21"X 28" Pastel Painting M Loyer
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General
Information
Ireland looks small on the map. It isn't. Its roads are windy and the weather will slow you down as
distances stretch away in the rain. Patience. Plus,
people live at a pace strikingly adopted from the age and temperament of
it's hills, rivers and valleys. However, this country of thin roads can be crazy
on the tarmac and when the pubs close late at night treachery gets
behind wheels. In the light of day, as you do drive around the country,
you will notice ruins of homes that dot the landscape in such a way
that they blend in like rocks do in a field. The history reeks
in an untraceable way. Over 8 million lived here 200 years ago.
Now there is 3.5. There have been Celts, Normans, British, but never Romans
over on extended holidays. They all left, and left their mark. We wish the
Romans came here - the roads would be better.
Ireland is an island of 84,288 sq. km (32,544 miles). At its longest
it measures 485km (302miles), and at its widest it measures 304km (189
miles). The highest mountain is Carrantuohill coming in at 1,040 metres(
3,414feet). The longest river is the Shannon stretching for some 370 kms
(230 miles) to the Atlantic. The largest lake is Lough Neagh in Northern
Ireland. Dublin is busy and the country is quiet -the
density outside the capital is quite low.- cb
Irish Vacation Rentals (Irish Vacation Cottages)
Accommodation - Traditional thatched cottage on the sea
Aran Islands - How to get there and info
Yahoo's Description of Ireland
Archaeology
Burren Page
Cheap air travel to Ireland $278 round trip from JFK
Creature Database- Irish Animals, fish and Plants
current satelite view of ireland
Facts for Visitors
Facts on Ireland Population etc.
Galway Weather
Index to travelling to Ireland - About.com
Internet Access Instructions from Galway
(free)
Ireland West Tourism - GALWAY ,
Travel and Vacations in Galwa, Mayo, Roscommon.
Irish Castles - Gallery of the Castles of Ireland
I
Irish Horses
Irish Links
Irish Links - by Browse Ireland
Irish Search Engine
Irish Tourist Board - Ireland Travel and Tourism Information - Bord Fáilte - Wel
Journey through the west of Ireland
Kinvara Online - Guide and Directory
Links to papers, ferries, airports
Lonely Planet - Destination Ireland
Poets and poetry from Ireland
pub guide
Pubs the 100 best in Ireland-Tribune
Travelling to Ireland - About.com
Aran Islands - A short ferry ride from Galway City
"The Yanks think Galway is a beautiful city
On the banks of the Rhone
But really its a big B&B
On the outskirts of Athlone" - Anon
Galway City, known as the City of Tribes, is one of Ireland's more interesting cities. A university Town, steeped in history but with a vibrancy that is unique in Ireland. A city some 500 years old but with records going back 1,000 years, Galway received its charter from Richard III of England in 1484. Throughout the year there are numerous festivals (including Galway Races, oyster Festival etc.) with an abundance of street life, traditional pubs, a selection of excellent restaurants and theatres. Gateway to Connemara, its beaches splendorous& deserted, its pubs mighty; Galway never disappoints. Cultural festivals include the February Jazz Festival, the Easter Festival of Literature and the Galway Arts Festival in July. Here is a poem about the area. o
From Cave Cottage & Clarenbridge to:
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Clarenbridge: Sherry's and Jordan's are the places to mix with locals. There is a hotel bar in Oyster Manor and have music Fri./sat. There are enough bars that all can be explored. Paddy Burkes Oyster Tavern toward the end of the village. (Watch the road - it's busy) has good food and bar in warm surroundings . The Old School House on the way into Clarenbridge from Galway is getting a good reputation (book ahead) Moran's of the Weir is nicely located on Dunbulgaun bay and is famous for it’s Oysters. Drive south from Clarenbridge and look for the sign on right not far after Clarenbridge then take the right as indicated.
In Galway city go to the Roisin Dubh which hosts everything from traditional to hip hop; Go to Lisheen bar; the Crane bar and Ti Caili for traditional music. There is a free rag in town called 'The big list' with info.
Kinvara is 6-8 miles away towards the Burren. Well worth visiting and might be better than going to Galway in busy periods. Go to the Ould Clad shawl - good music. Tully's - good local bar. Winkel's - good music.
To get to Kinvara : Go south from Clarenbridge to Kilcolgan on the main road. Take a right at Kilcolgan beyond Mother Hubbard's trucker stop. Kilcolgan itself has Raftery’s rest pub but is a main road village - craft shops are there too for hats and scarves..
On the way to Kinvara is the quiet village of Ballinderreen On the right hand side go to O'Connor's Bernies pub (nice open fire local pub - good stop off)Beaches
The Burren, (Limestone Desert) County Clare, about 30 minutes from Cave Cottage
Ireland is renowned for its fishing, and many visitors come to the country just to cast a line. Permits are required (IR5 a day), and a state national licence is required for salmon and sea trout. With a coastline measuring 5630km (3490mi), let alone its rivers and lakes, Ireland offers many opportunities for water sports. Good surfing spots include Easkey in the west of County Sligo, the Castlegregory Peninsula and Barley Cove on the Mizen Head Peninsula. The west coast offers some of Europe's best scuba diving, especially at Bantry Bay and Dunmanus Bay in County Cork, the Inveragh Peninsula in Kerry and around Hook Head in County Wexford. Sailing has a long heritage in Ireland, and the country has over 120 yacht and sailing clubs. The most popular areas for sailing are the west coast, Galway has a huge number of inlets and from there you can go down the coast to Dingle and Cork. Larger lakes such as Lough Derg, Lough Erne and Lough Gill are great.
Beaches
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remember, names of beaches are often not signposted so always ask locally)Tracht (trawkt) beach is a lovely beach 30 minutes drive from our Ireland Vacation Cottage.
Go South from Clarenbridge for a couple of kilometers on the N18 to Kilcolgan.
Take A right just outside this tiny village on the N67 to KINVARA about 10KM
Drive straight through Kinvara (but stop for lunch, walk around, see the castle)
Take the third turn right after you are clear of the village, less than 3KM. This may be signposted for Knockgarra, Tawnagh or Tracht or a Youth Hostel (An Oige)
Go 1KM to a turn in the road and bear right (I think there is a shop & pub on the corner there)
Just after this, bear right staying on the same size road. Taking care not to take the smaller road which connects directly to this one. Just bear right and you will be OK.
Then drive straight down until you reach the sea, you will pass a sign for a Youth Hostel (great place). There is a car park on the right and a caravan camping park on the left . You can camp a tent in the field right on the beach which is a nice thing to do. The farmer will come and collect money from you.
Flaggy Shore: Good swimming and walking with limestone slats running into the sea. Keep on the N67 past Kinvara Village for about 9KM. Go to the Village of New Quay taking the turn Right before the N67 makes a sharp 90 degee turn south.
When you get to the shoreline walk west along the shore to the Martello tower and back for a good 3Km walk to brace you for lunch in one of the pubs around the New Quay area:
Fanore Beach. Beautiful sandy beach. Go South on N67 to R477 the burren way which is the coast road. About 30KM from Kinvara
For other beaches: Ask locally or explore with your Discovery series maps
Get your hands on Michelin map 923 of Ireland and The discovery series of each nearby area in Cave and Clarenbridge such as 44,45,46,51 & 52. You can get these online at http://www.elstead.co.uk
Oh God, the busses are slow and freakingly oversized on tiny boreens, timetables written by madmen and trains expensive and smoky; you'll topple out of the door after a 2 hour 60 mile journey, your head talked off you by a tiny old man with a dark blue suit shiny with the dirt on his way to his brother's funeral he hasn't seen in 60 years, and you, feeling haggard and delighted with yourself having made it, greeting fresh air like an old friend, though it comes filled with rain. All in all, a magnificent way to travel. - cb talkng like the Oxford Guide to Ireland
Men working in the fields late 1970's in Kinvara
In northern County Clare, just 30 minutes from our Ireland Vacation Rental, the Cave, & 45 minutes from Galway City; the Burren region explodes from the sea; the wrack of a landscape exposed is an extraordinary place. Miles of polished limestone karst stretch in every direction, and settlements along the coast are few; they include the popular Irish music centre of Doolin and the attractive coastal village of Ballyvaughan. Underground caverns, cracks, springs and chasms are the major features of the Burren, which is ringed by caves. Flora includes a bizarre mix of Mediterranean, Arctic and Alpine plants, and the region is the last bastion of the rare pine marten. In Stone Age times, the Burren was covered in soil and trees and supported quite large numbers of people. At least 65 megalithic tombs remain from this time; however, the vegetation was destroyed in this early version of land clearing, resulting in today's eroded limestone mass. Iron Age stone forts (known as ring forts) dot the Burren in prodigious numbers, and castle ruins add a touch of medieval mystery. Unpaved, green roads crisscross the region, reaching the most remote places; they date back many thousands of years.
Dunguaire Castle, Kinvara 30 minutes from Cave Cottage
Connemara, a land of bogs and lakes 35 minutes north of Cave
Getting Around
We drive on the left. Don't be fooled by Ireland's size: getting around by
public transport is not as easy as you might like to think. Distances may
be short, but in Ireland getting from A to B never follows a straight line
and the roads are narrow. Rent a small car with lots of window space. Rail
fares are expensive, there are notable gaps in the routes, and the
frequency of both bus and train services can leave a lot to be desired.
Winter bus schedules are drastically reduced, with many routes simply
disappearing after September. Apart from Ireland's wealth of walking and
hiking opportunities, cycling is a great way to get around - if you can
ignore the hills, poor road surfaces and wet weather. Tourist offices all
have regional cycling maps to help you plan your tour.
Tracht Beach, sandy and safe 20 minutes south west.. This summer a small whale beached and we helped it out. Everyone felt great.
Clarenbridge town, the nearest village to cave by about 2 miles. That's Paddy Burkes Oyster tavern you see.
Click the fish
Moran's of the weir. This summer they replaced some of their thatch (in foreground)
Irish meals are usually based around meat - in particular, beef, lamb and pork chops. The steaks are better than anywhere. Traditional Irish breads and scones are also delicious, but we love our own version of superhighlyprocessed white bread (makes great toast). Other traditional dishes include bacon and cabbage (not too popular anymore), a cake-like bread called barm brack (yum) and a filled pancake called a boxty (Dublin). Irish breakfasts are Sausages (big), Rashers (Canadian Bacon-like), a couple of eggs (fried), Fried Tomatoes and black pudding (try it, it's lovely, really) The main meal of the day tends to be lunch which is called dinner, although a pint of plain is your only man (Guinness) and can be a meal in itself. It gives you terrible farts. If stout disagrees with you, a wide range of lagers are available. Irish coffee is not traditional, and is only offered in touristy hotels and restaurants - but it's better here because of the cream. When ordering whiskey, don't bother asking for a Scotch. Ask for it by brand. The Irish drink lots of tea. Try a posh hotel or a comfy looking bar for afternoon tea.
Kylemore Abbey, about 1 hour from Cave Cottage
History is written on the backsides of Irish Politicians and rulers who sat in great halls like the Dail, Parliament and smoky Nordic fortresses, managing circumstance to their own advantage and profiting from every misery and hard luck befallen poor feckers wrestling in bogs around the country. And that is why the soil is dark and rich and rhumy.. Run your fingers through some dirt or over a sod of turf and as it crumbles away in globby clumps, you feel the age and the effort of lives toiled over centuries plowed back darker and darker into the ground. - cb
