Cong and Ashford Castle
Our first stop after leaving Galway, our first stop was the little, but famous town of Cong. It was here that John Wayne's The Quiet Man was filmed. We were able to make a quick stop at the ruins of Cong Abbey, view some other Harry Clark Stained Glass Windows, and walk the ground of Ashford Castle, the former summer home of the Guinness Family.
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And Now the Rest of the Story
Hawk Walk
One of the best group experiences of the trip was our Hawk Walk at Ashford Castle. We were joined by Falconer Alec and his pal Inca, the Peruvian Harris Hawk. We were all able to fly Inca and learn about hawks. It was quite a unique and fun experience.
Below is a video taken by fellow tour member, Kelly Townsend, of Sean and Inca. It is in slow motion capture.
Crannogs, Fjords, Waterfalls, and Bogs
Crannogs: Ever need to save your cows from raiders? No? Well, the people of Ireland did. One way that they did this was by building little man-made islands, or Crannogs, in a nearby lake. When the raiders would come, the farmers would herd their cattle to the little islands (yes, cows swim). Once the raiders left empty handed, the farmer would swim his cattle back.
Fjords: We stopped in the little town of Leenane for a group lunch of sandwiches and soup. Leenane is located on the coast and is the home to Ireland's only fjord. This is also an area of the country that was hardest hit by the Great Potato Famine of the 19th century. On the hillsides, you can still see the ghosts of potato fields abandoned by farmers more than a century ago.
Waterfalls: Shortly past Leenane, we stopped at Aashleigh Falls for some pictures. The falls and river were very beautiful and peaceful. At times, you can see salmon running, but we were not at the right time of year for that.
Bogs: The bogs are an important part of the Irish landscape. In order to truly understand them, we were able to stop and hop on the bog in Doo Lough Valley. A neat thing happens when someone hops on the bog near you - You feel it! The earth vibrates with the jump right under your feet. Bogs are also kind of wet, so be sure to have waterproof shoes! We also saw small carnivorous plants on the bog and a memorial to the famine walkers.
Doo Laugh Valley is the site of a very tragic famine tale. In the winter of 1849, the people were starving. About 600 Irish left Louisburgh and walked twelve miles to the Delphi Lodge, where their landlord resided. They had been told that they would be given food if they made it to Delphi Lodge, but upon their arrival, they found the place empty - the landlord had vacated the premises in order to avoid feeding his tenants. Starving and with no where else to go, they turned back and headed back to Louisburgh. Unfortunately, not all of them returned. It is said that anywhere from 100 to 400 of them perished on the trip.
Fjords: We stopped in the little town of Leenane for a group lunch of sandwiches and soup. Leenane is located on the coast and is the home to Ireland's only fjord. This is also an area of the country that was hardest hit by the Great Potato Famine of the 19th century. On the hillsides, you can still see the ghosts of potato fields abandoned by farmers more than a century ago.
Waterfalls: Shortly past Leenane, we stopped at Aashleigh Falls for some pictures. The falls and river were very beautiful and peaceful. At times, you can see salmon running, but we were not at the right time of year for that.
Bogs: The bogs are an important part of the Irish landscape. In order to truly understand them, we were able to stop and hop on the bog in Doo Lough Valley. A neat thing happens when someone hops on the bog near you - You feel it! The earth vibrates with the jump right under your feet. Bogs are also kind of wet, so be sure to have waterproof shoes! We also saw small carnivorous plants on the bog and a memorial to the famine walkers.
Doo Laugh Valley is the site of a very tragic famine tale. In the winter of 1849, the people were starving. About 600 Irish left Louisburgh and walked twelve miles to the Delphi Lodge, where their landlord resided. They had been told that they would be given food if they made it to Delphi Lodge, but upon their arrival, they found the place empty - the landlord had vacated the premises in order to avoid feeding his tenants. Starving and with no where else to go, they turned back and headed back to Louisburgh. Unfortunately, not all of them returned. It is said that anywhere from 100 to 400 of them perished on the trip.
And Now the Rest of the Story
Famine Memorial
Our final stop before Westport was the National Famine Memorial. Located between the water and Croagh Patrick, this striking memorial is a tribute to all of those that lost their lives due to the potato blight that ravaged Ireland. The memorial is a Famine Ship, but the sails are skeletons. It is truly a beautiful piece of art to represent such a tragic time of Irish history.
Arriving in Westport
We spent one night in the little town of Westport. After the long day, we were up for little more than a small stroll and dinner.