Today was my last day with my first tour and my 42 travelling companions. Fortunately not in the way of my first photo of the day – the graveyard in Tralee with its celtic crosses:
We continued on in the direction of Listowel, coming across this beautiful scenic river:
Listowel was a pretty town that we just drove through:
Then we drove along the Shannon for a little while to the ferry crossing at which we crossed over. I didn’t take any photos because there was no way I was getting up on the top deck into that wind!:
Once we were on the other side of the Shannon, we took off for Kilrush and from there to Lahinch. Those crazy golfers will play anywhere:
We stopped for lunch at Liscanner, at Joseph McHugh, for fish and chips. They weren’t the cheapest, but they were very fantastic, in all their greasy goodness. Yumm. Especially with a half a pint of Guiness to wash it all down. After this we drove through some more beautiful scenery to our next (illegal for buses but did it anyhow) stop at St Brigids Well just outside Liscanner in County Clare. This is a healing well and people tend to leave things behind. It’s only a small area and it’s quite a tight fit! The walls are covered in things people have left behind for about 4 meters. The well can only just be made out in the black area down the bottom of the second picture.
After St Brigids Well it was on towards the Cliffs of Moher:
The Cliffs of Moher themselves were spectacular. I only walked a little way along the right path. I had intended to go a little way up the left path afterwards, but the rainclouds and the rain over the ocean not too far away made me think I probably wouldn’t get back to the bus dry, and it was too cold to be wandering around with wet clothes! We were very fortunate in that it started to rain only at the end of our visit, allowing me to get some good shots in first:
Then it was off to the final destination for the tour. On the way to Bunratty, we passed the Clare Abbey:
I wasn’t joining the rest of the tour for the farewell banquet dinner at Bunratty Castle, but was being picked up for my next tour at about the time they were leaving for it. In the meantime, I had time to photograph the castle they would be banqueting at:
I had one last drink with Cathy at the Creamery Bar, and then it was time to say goodbye to my first tour.
My new tour started with William, my tour director (guide and driver) picking me up at the hotel and bringing me to my hotel in Ennis. The Temple Gate Hotel is a converted monastery. It’s interesting. The lift smelled of vomit, so I avoided it, and my triple room(!) was tired looking, but after the Malton, it’s to be expected that I would be somewhat disappointed by the accommodation I suppose! It was only one night, so I wasn’t too bothered.
I had a little while until dinner, so I went exploring. First stop was St Mary’s Franciscan Church. They were having some sort of performance practice session inside, so I didn’t go in very far, nor take photos. After that, I just wandered around the town for a little while, until it was time to get back to the hotel for dinner:
Then it was time for dinner and to meet my new tour companions. I found out that there’s only 17 of us. A change from the 43 in the first tour. And there’s another non-American: an older gentleman who is actually a retired priest. He lives in Ireland after being born here and working in Manchester in the UK for 47 years. He wants to see how the country has changed in that time. After dinner, we got together for drinks and to go through some information with William. Most of the others had only just arrived in Ireland, so were dead tired and went to bed. I was intending to go to my room, and did in fact do so, but remembered I’d left my jacket at the bar. I went back down to collect it and ended up staying a while to talke to some of my co-travellers. It was good fun, but wasn’t getting any of the blog or photos done, so I didn’t tarry too long. I had a look out the window of my hotel room since I could hear lots of partying going on. The view was very good:
