Have you been to The Burren? In the province of Connaught (the other three provinces are Leinster, Munster and Ulster), the wild, massive stone and timeless landscape epitomizes Oliver Cromwell’s “To Hell or to Connaught” damnation of the Irish. It is wild, rocks from handheld to min-mountain, with a green “grass” weeds lacing through them.
The landscape is a timeless barrage of big and mostly massive rocks, with an occasional man made Dolman the sign that man has been here, starting long before modern man made his presence known.
I always associate the word Burren with barren – completely wrong in that there are loads of foliage throughout. But the rocks dominate, in size, appearance and perhaps, mysticism in our Irish folklore.
The Cliffs of Moher
I remember my first visit to the cliffs around 1980ish, when you could walk right to the edge, have a seat, and do your best to capture the breathtaking beauty of the cliffs and the ocean 700 feet below, without today’s tech, without falling off.
I aimed for something different than the welcome center; and booked a boat with The Doolin Ferry. We viewed the mighty cliffs from the sea. Tips: Book ahead to Doolin and get in line early, to get your spot on the boat for great views while on the it.
In an ultimate understatement, the cliffs are impressive. They are so much more too. The Doolin Ferry sails beneath the cliffs, with several passes each way for passengers on the boat to get a great view, photos, videos, memories, different from what is seen at the top. It was foggy, but oh so beautiful, and mesmerizing. The fog added a bit of mystery and timeless imagination to the spirits.
Westport
Westport is unparalleled as an authentic, vibrant Irish town, with great variety in food, history and music offerings. That food requirement thing crept upon us, so we traded the salty sea for dinner with cousin Michael Garrick –at Il Vulcano Italian restaurant in Westport. Mick is well- known and respected in construction at a national level, now retired, but a consultant. For example, Mick had a hand in building the bridge at Kylemore Abby.
Mick and my oldest sister, Noreen, may she rest in peace, had bonded many years ago, sharing family genealogy finds and photos. Mick reached out to me when Noreen passed (four years ago, on June 13, 2021), with kind words and connections. It was good to see him in person and listen to his Irish experience as he shared stories with our group.
For less important reasons, it was sad when the evening ended, for my fav food of any, Lasagna, had ended too. Yes, I am kidding, kind of. The food, company and conversation will remain as great memories for our group for a long time.
In Mayo in general, but in Westport, Newport and Achill Island in particular, if told we’re from Cleveland, local folks will likely ask you if you know their … brother, sister, niece etc. that live in Cleveland …
We experienced that after enjoying the sessiún at Matt Molloy’s. Matt Molloy’s is world famous, for a couple of very legit reasons – it is owned by world famous flautist Matt Molloy of @TheChieftains, has live sessiúns seven days a week with renowned musicians stopping in without notice, and is always packed because of the level of talent jamming right in front of you.
Just around the corner, we found An File (the poet, named for Mayo’s famed blind poet Antoine Rafteirí), in the Octagon, a newer local – there were 2 people and 2 musicians when we arrived, a few more as other musicians came in over time.
There we met a troubadour duo, one of whom grew up three streets over from me in Cleveland; went to same grade and high school (1966), about 20 years apart as I, and a friend of Emily, the niece of Michelle Coleman, who lives a few blocks away as well. It’s a small world after all … The rain wouldn’t stop, but at some point, we had to, so bed bound we dodged raindrops (sheeting) and prepped for what was ahead.
TIP: Many Pubs DO NOT serve food in the evening. An File served till 8, but many stop around 5 or 6 pm, so plan for that. We did not eat there, but I heard that the food is fantastic at An File. Try it, and let us know.
