Did you know most European hotels don’t have air conditioned rooms? Our first room at the Europa Hotel in Belfast we lucked out with AC but last night no such luck at Bishop’s Gate in Londonderry. The hotel was beautiful and the room was quite large, but we slept with the windows open for the cool air and the noise from the street below meant a rough night’s sleep. We survived, got up on time, and after breakfast in the hotel loaded up to head south towards Galway.
Our first stop was Donegal and a visit to the Diamond, the towns main square. The streets were lined with both tourist shops (think Kiss Me I’m Irish buttons) to nicer stores selling hand woven Donegal Tweed. We were browsing in the store named Triona, they could not have been nicer. They even took us upstairs to show us a demonstration of the looming process used to make the tweed. This family owned store, offers 100% lambs wool that is locally sourced. I would definitely recommend checking them out!
Back on the road, we continue south, as the rain sets in we make a quick and wet stop to Drumcliffe. Here we see Irish poet and playwright, William Butler Yeats, grave site and peeked inside the sanctuary of St. Columba’s Church. Even a church has a gift shop so of course we perused their wares. Having re-entered the Republic of Ireland where the Euro is used we deposited our remaining few Pounds in the donation barrel and loaded back up the car. Next stop was a quick lunch in Sligo.
After lunch we were excited to have the opportunity to tour Ashford Castle, a Five star luxury hotel owned by The Travel Corporation. Since Sean works for the company we were able to view the grounds and even enjoy an afternoon tea, a privilege normally reserved for guests only. We were greeted by Shane in the reception area and given what felt like the VIP treatment, but actually I think it is the level of service that all guests receive. My words and pictures can’t possibly do justice to this majestic 13th century castle. The attention to detail, the amenities, the grandeur, all make up what is truly a royal experience.
After our royal treatment, we returned to reality and continued on our journey. One more stop before Galway found us right outside of Ashford Castle in Cong. Not sure what else Cong is famous for but we were excited to see the sites of the 1952 John Wayne film, “The Quiet Man”.
After a long day on the road we finally arrive in Galway around 8:00pm. We check into Hotel Meyrick, just long enough to drop our bags in the room and then off to find dinner. Several recommendations found us at McDonagh’s for fish and chips. It was good but not quite the best we’ve had. After dinner we wandered the shops before returning back to the hotel. We promise to hit the pubs tomorrow night, but first a good nights sleep is in order.