We arrived in Sligo, on the west coast of Ireland with nothing on our agenda. The trip took us past this lovely waterfall (Glencar) that could be in some tropical oasis. Thanks for the photo Marj - because of my foot I didn’t climb all the way up.
Sligo is famous for being the home of the great Irish poet W.B. Yeats. It’s a beautiful little town, with a river down the middle so some cute bridges.
Looking online for 'what to do in Sligo' we noticed the "Rose of Innisfree" which is a boat trip on Lough Gill, where Yeats was inspired to write many of his poems. The meeting point was at Parke's Castle which, because it was the first Wednesday of the month, was free admission (yay!).
The castle was originally built by the Irish Chieftain Brian O'Rourke but because he took in members of the Spanish Armada (enemies of the English) in the 1500s who had run aground near Sligo, Queen Elizabeth 1 had him hung and quartered in London.
On the boat trip we heard several poems of Yeats that referenced various islands and landmarks along the way. Marj even had a chance to steer the boat. Tea and biscuits were served on board of course.
After the boat ride we drove down several narrow roads hardly wide enough for one car but posted at 80 kph with only a few close encounters. At Carrowmore Megalithic Cemetery (again free admission!) we wandered among the many large Neolithic rock tombs.
The fields were covered in daisies, buttercups and other wildflowers (with a few horses thrown in).
Stopping for lunch and having our requisite beverage.
So far the weather is holding and we’re appreciating that very much.
No comments:
Post a Comment