That is where my family is from.

Have you visited O'Donnell Castle?

A picture of me standing in the entrance to this fine home.

A lot of Irish are knowledgeable about genealogy, and upon seeing or hearing my last name, many would instantly say, "ah! There are a lot of (not Harkers) in Galway!"

Familiarity with him breeds great contempt among decent folk.

We loved it.

Irish people. Cliffs. Stone walls. Sheep. Sunsets over the Atlantic and Donegal Bay. Deserted sandy beaches. Those crazy little Napoleonic watchtowers. Seals. Country cottages. Beer. Wool tweed clothing and accessories... etc.

I'm wearing my half of the set of crownless cladagh rings we bought from a jewelry maker there.

It was a magical visit.

My goodness.

All of it spent in west County Cork visiting with my wife’s brother sister in law and their children. We wondered around in the various towns and villages sampling the incredible fresh foods including pub grub.

Our home base was Ardfield, from there we travelled east to Timoleague with a delightful country pub and the ruins of an abbey, Kinsale which is a beautiful town, just off shore the Lusitania was sunk, going westward many places, our favorite being Drombeg and the little church of St. Finbar.The town closest to Ardfield is Clonakilty where we at lunch many times at a hotel. Skibbereen was close by as well.

We are rural people so we were right at home with others like us. There was more I wwould’ve like to see such as County Kerry, the cliffs of Mohar (sic) and Galway which has a famous used book store. Oh, a trip to New Grange if some else did the driving. I enjoyed driving around our little nook of Ireland but long trips would be tiring. Thanks for the memories.

Here’s the stone circle, Drobeg.


And close by St Finbarat Gougane Barra. Gene and Eileen were married in this church 25 years before.

Beautiful

The people are just lovely.

It's between Dublin and the Dingle peninsula.

it was longer.

When I was 4 years old I was traveling (with my parents, natch) from LaGuardia to Frankfurt Rhein-Main by Lockheed Constellation, when the remains of a hurricane zigged instead of zagging as expected. Our plane had to swerve north to avoid the storm, which caused it to have to make an emergency landing at Shannon to take on fuel, as it had burned up too much to get us to Germany. Thus, I was in Ireland, but only for an hour or so.
All airports look alike, even if they do get remodeled from time to time.
Back then, 1957, flying was still romantic and adventurous.

Every inch

I loved the people, but sadly didn't get to enjoy the beautiful country.

I loved the way they spoke, the green green landscape of rolling hills flecked with sheep, the castles, including Blarney, where I bravely fought my fear of heights to kiss a stone, the terrible food graciously served, the trains where a disembodied voice implored in two languages to "mind the gap", and that nectar of the gods called Guinness Stout. I could go on.

We did it in a horse drawn cart. It was breathtaking!

For example… Wales, North Wales wonders have been ruined by Social Media.

What was once charming quiet spots —- have been overrun and ruined
by too many people.

I even know of small village(s) in North Wales that took down info
on internet to keep people away. And get locals to remove info too.

I LOVE a few somewhat private, private paths that the fact so few use,
those walking pathways in North Wales, but now I have noticed
a few YouTube videos of those walks are GONE. Good!

Only at a local BnB can you get info now.

Over tourism is a BIG PROBLEM now in the entire world.

Social Media is an absolute HELL by ruining a LOT

AND I LIKE GOING PLACES IN THE WORLD THAT ARE NOT TOO CROWDED,
OF COURSE MANY TIMES ITS JUST NOT POSSIBLE TO AVOID—

There is a REASON so many people want to visit some places.
And thus crowds are hard to avoid.

ADD…

Got to admit…..I most enjoy places in the world that have few to no
American visitors—- Prefer not going on vacations to only then be around
other Americans —- I WANT TO GET AWAY FROM AMERICANS WHILE
I AM ON VACATION

My favorite place, tho, is Killarney National Forest, especially O'Sullivan's Cascade, which is hard to reach (45 minute walk from parking) but worth every step...we've gone back there all three times.

But St Pat's in Dublin was a very close 2nd!

Clonmacnoise, Cluain mhic Nóis, near where my Grandmother's family lived until they moved to Galway. And Inishowen where half the population it seems shares my Grandfather's name. It seems that you can hear the Spanish soldiers from la Trinidad Valencera shipwreck being smuggled, through territory practically controlled by the English, to the Bishop in Ráth Bhoth to be smuggled back to the continent, after the devil's wind destroyed the Armada.