Cong, Ashford Castle and the Falconry
On our way through the Connemara region, we stopped by the small town of Cong where John Wayne filmed Quiet Man. We checked out the Pat Cohen Bar where Wayne was famously thrown out the window.
Next we headed up to Ashford Castle where our guide, Dara, had done an internship in hotel hospitality. The grounds were beautiful, but the real highlight was the falconry! Here, we had a local trainer teach us about raptor training and demonstrate her skills, but the best part was that we all got to take a turn catching and launching the falcon. It was so cool! We quickly learned "hand down--falcon stays away," "hand up--falcon flies to your arm." Everything went like clockwork until the falcon saw a frog in the bushes and took a little detour for a snack! In time, he returned to our group for more launching and catching. This was an awesome experience and the site of our group photo! |
On to Westport
On our way to Westport, we grabbed a group lunch at Hamilton Bar with beautiful views of Killary Fjord. This beauty was followed up with a stop at Aasleagh Falls and then Doolough Valley, the site of the hunger walk memorial. It was a bit sobering to be at the place where people died on their 12 mile walk. To lighten things up, Dara introduced us to "bog jumping." Facing each other in two lines, one group would jump and the other side would feel the boggy soil lifting them up. Now that's unique entertainment!
While heading into Westport, we stopped at the National Famine Memorial (the Famine Ship). It was an eerie memorial made of skeletons and emphasized what a huge impact the great famine had on Ireland as a nation. Once we were settled into Westport, we stopped at O'Malley's to watch a local band. They played about 1/2 American music (Dylan, Cash) and 1/2 traditional Irish tunes. One of our favorites was a medley of "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" and "I Wish I Were Back Home in Derry," both sung to the same music.
While heading into Westport, we stopped at the National Famine Memorial (the Famine Ship). It was an eerie memorial made of skeletons and emphasized what a huge impact the great famine had on Ireland as a nation. Once we were settled into Westport, we stopped at O'Malley's to watch a local band. They played about 1/2 American music (Dylan, Cash) and 1/2 traditional Irish tunes. One of our favorites was a medley of "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" and "I Wish I Were Back Home in Derry," both sung to the same music.
People and Culture
The Two of Us :)Of course, spending time with the love of my life is always a highlight for me, and we love Rick Steves' Tours!
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Local Bird TrainerOur visit to Ireland's School of Falconry was one of the highlights of our trip, and the guidance of our local trainer was a key!
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Group Bog JumpingOK, this might not be official culture, but it was fun anyway. These tour members jump high to give us our bog bump.
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Places and Sights
Killary FjordThe views on our drive to Westport were often stunning. We had this view of Killary Fjord during our lunch break!
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Ashford CastleAshford Castle is a 5 star hotel with meticulously maintained grounds. It is also the site of the school of falconry.
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Doolough ValleyThe Doolough Valley offers incredible views but is also the sight of the tragic 12 mile hunger walk where many died.
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Music and the Arts
Bird ArtWhile not art in a traditional sense, the work this raptor trainer does with these birds is amazing . . . and definitely an art form.
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The Famine ShipThe National Famine Memorial (or famine ship sculpture) was an eerie and fitting memorial to the great Irish famine.
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Music at O'Malley'sThis local band played a medley of "The Edmund Fitzgerald" and "Back Home in Derry," both played to the same music.
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