Sligo – The Roaming Roths

We departed super early this morning for Sligo. I would share the photo of how amused Caleb was with my early morning wake up call but he would kill me.

This was our first real venture across the countryside as we headed for just under a 3 hour drive to the west coast of the island. I really am not sure which is more nerve racking…driving in the city or driving on the narrow roads of the country. Sometimes it becomes a choice of either your life or the car’s. I see now why they force the insurance. We had to stop the car every so often to take in the views.

Sligo surrounds the Garavogue River where it meets Sligo Bay. It’s known for its literary heritage of some of the greats such as W.B.Yeats.

I think Sligo has been my favorite stop so far, although I am sure others coming down the road could trump it. Who knows. It’s a quaint town and people here are so friendly. We met a few people at the start of our day and several hours later, they drove past us on the street, hanging out the windows to greet us again as if we had been long term friends.

First stop today was Parke’s Castle. This plantation castle of the early 17th century was restored on sits along the shores of Lough Gill. Eventually the home of Robert Parke and his family, it was once owned by Sir Brian O’Rourke who subsequently was executed at Tyburn, London in 1591 when it was discovered he provided housing to the enemy. This is a great tour if you have the time and the story is these two families and the scenery are incredible.

Next stop was the Sligo Abbey. The abbey was originally built in 1253 and destroyed in 1414 by a fire and eventually ravaged during the Nine Years War and the Irish Confederate War. The friars moved out in the 18th century. The ruins and their burial plots have almost an eerie presence nestled right in the modern town.

After all the exploring we wandering downtown for a while to find food and back to our castle hotel! Time here is short lived! On to Galway tomorrow for 2 days before we start our trek down the Wild Atlantic Way!

Most of you know that in 7 months, the kids and I will be heading to Ireland for a family reunion and to meet up with a few friends in our path of travel.

I am fortunate my friend Jen decided to marry an Irish lad this past year. While they were home for Christmas break, they came by and helped me lay out my plans over some gin and tonic. Conor was a wealth of knowledge on how to make the most of our 12 day trip. Of course this itinerary is only our guideline and subject to change based on our whims.

We plan to fly into Dublin and stay downtown so we can foot hike around the city. I’m sure The Temple Bar will hit our list of must stops. They have the largest collection of whiskey in Ireland. St Patrick’s Cathedral and a hike up Wicklow Mountains also top the list.

After two days in Dublin we will head to Belfast for two days with a stop at the Titanic Museum. My son is a huge fan of Titanic. He has been entranced with books detailing the ship’s construction, it’s journey and its ultimate demise since he first learned to read.

From Belfast we will traverse the countryside and it’s scenery for several hours to Sligo, which is situated between Donegal and Galway. It’s a combination of literary legacies, a surfing hotspot and jagged mountain peaks that helped to inspire the writings of William Butler Yeats.

After departing Sligo, our next stop is Galway. We have a friend in Galway with a horse farm along the beach so we plan to take a ride along the shore. There is so much to see and take in in Galway that we may take a few days to rest here. Who hasn’t wanted to be a Galway Girl for a few days?

We will drop south of Galway to hit the Cliffs of Moher for some incredible views before we cut Southeast for our final part of the week.

Our next destination will take us to Kinsale, Cobh and Cork. Kinsale is known for its yachting, sea angling, and golf, but also for being the gourmet hub of Ireland for foodies. Right up my alley! I plan to fill my belly quite well as this stop.

Once known as Queenstown, Cobh was the final port call of the RMS Titanic when it set out on its maiden and final voyage across the Atlantic. It is also the departure point for over 2.5 million Irish people who emigrated to North America between 1848 and 1950, including the Keough’s and the Moriarty’s. See, this is how you all ended up with me!

We can’t leave Ireland without partaking in a little tradition so we will check out the Blarney Castle and kiss the old Blarney Stone to seal up our Gift of Gab.

We will finish out the trip with a 3 day visit to Waterford, which is where my grandmother’s family originated. During the Keough reunion will get a personal tour of the area with specific focus on our heritage, old family homes, burial sites, etc. We will be staying at the Faithlegg House, old castle style, for a dinner and reception to meet our relatives from across the globe. This is such an amazing opportunity for the kids to meet their relatives and trace their heritage to a different sort of home.

From Waterford we make our way back to Dublin for a flight out the following morning back to the States. We will catch a few more sights here before we head home. Along the way we plan to get in some hiking, tour some castles, enjoy the local beverages, and maybe even squeeze in some falconry! Sleep is overrated. There is so much to do here that we will catch up on that on the flight home.

I’d welcome any feedback or suggestions for our travels from those who have experienced Ireland firsthand!

Tag: Sligo

Sliding into Sligo

Planning Our Next Itinerary