Europe and Cruising 2016: Galway and Inish Mor

1,2,3 November

We have now had 3 days in Galway, a small but lovely city with lots to do in the surrounding area, although today we took a much needed “rest and do jobs” day so didn’t see all we had planned.

On our first day here we explored the city. Finding the city walls involved a visit to a shopping centre as they have been cleverly incorporated into the design. At the small but interesting Galway City Museum we had a close encounter with the President of Ireland, who was launching a book of historical city maps there. This was after Dale complained about the big black car and all the Garda (police) who were blocking her photos of the Spanish Arch! We also visited Eyre Square, Lynch’s Castle and the Collegiate Church of St Nicholas of Myra.

The highlight however was a walk along the path beside the lovely River Corrib and its parallel canals, to the Galway Cathedral. The river is quite wide and rapid and there are 4 or 5 canals running either side with weirs and little bridges and park areas all around. The cathedral interior is stunning, with copious amounts of stained glass throwing multi-coloured patterns on the stone work and a high blue dome that seems to shimmer.

Yesterday we caught the ferry to Inish Mor, the largest of the Aran Islands. The islands are part of the same limestone escarpment as The Burren so are rocky and flat with sheer cliffs on almost all sides. Approaching Inish Mor from the sea, it seems to rise straight up out of the water. There are no trees but plenty of rock. Our driver and guide, Thomas, joked that on an island only 14 km long and 4 km wide there are 7000 kilometres of stone fence! Islanders speak Gaelic to each other.

First on the sightseeing list were the seals at Port Chorruch and the “very clean” Kilmurvey Beach. Thomas was more enthusiastic about both than we were but insisted I photograph them. (He had firm ideas about what I should photograph, even taking my camera and taking some photos himself when I seemed reluctant!!) Next was the worm hole, a rectangular hole in a cliff shelf that the sea washes underneath. There are cliffs above it and every two years they have a festival where competitors dive from the cliff into the hole. Competitors are required to be stark raving bonkers with a death wish in my opinion!

After a warm and filling lunch of Irish stew and potato (what else?) we climbed up to Dun Aengus, the prehistoric fort for which the island is famous. On the landward side, the fort was defended by 3 circular drystone walls on the surrounding ridge lines and a chevaux de fries (big spiky stones all stacked together that make it hard of the enemy to attack through.) On the sea side there is a sheer drop to the ocean far below – unfenced so you (read, “Dale”) would not want to go too close lest you fall to your death!

Just as scary was twice traversing, in Thomas’ van, a ditch in which pipes were to be laid. As we squeezed through the miniscule gap between the fence and the digger, one set of wheels went over the thin band of rock right next to the stone fence while the wheels on the other side crossed a piece of what looked like cardboard that the workers had laid over the ditch. They “thought it was strong enough” but also encouraged Thomas to drive “quickly, quickly” once the wheels were on it. I suppose Na Seacht d Teampaill (the seven churches) were worth it.

Highlight of our jobs day today was a visit to the nearby post office and a long chat with the very friendly and helpful owner. Never mind the waiting customers, who it must be said didn’t seem too perturbed. Seems in Ireland that “having a chat” is important business!