Postcard from Kinvara

... And so to part two of my Irish summer holiday recollections. This time a look at the village of Kinvara in County Galway on Ireland's west coast. This was to be our basecamp as planned back in Finland since way back in January beforehand. I even mentioned my plans to Irish radio presenter Hector Ó hEochagáin on his breakfast show to warn him I was coming over! 

Kinvara can be found on the map below just south of Galway city in the centre of the picture. The village name can also be spelt Kinvarra as on the map here, but please don't ask me why!

After driving non-stop from Dublin it was nice to stretch the legs and find our pre-booked accommodation. And we were not disappointed!

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View of Kinvara harbour with the Burren hills behind in the distance.
Our house rental is in the centre of this photo. Click on image to enlarge

Nice living space with all mod cons and free wi-fi! 
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Hawthorn / Fushia House Rentals
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This was our home for three hot days and nights (that's something you don't hear too often in Ireland!).  It got so warm that the asphalt on the roads started to melt. Unusual weather for Ireland, but always welcome. We prebooked our accommodation at the Hawthorn home rental after we booked our flights back in Finland. 

Patio view of the harbour

Patio view with free parking

The tide comes in!

The tide goes out!

Kinvara Garda Station (Police)

Watching the sun set at a nearby beach

Old ruins close to Kinvara

A boat

A wall

A closed Pub???

For some reason P.J.Flatley's pub seemed to be closed while we were in Kinvara. I heard about a cellar bar there which interested me. But a visit wasn't to be had!  
Luckily there's no shortage of bars and pubs in this small village, and over our short stay I got to visit a few of them. We got to hear some traditional Irish music in a pub called Connollys. Even though it's a pub aimed at the tourist trade, it came with a decent pint and prices weren't a rip-off like so many other tourist pubs. We also popped our heads into a pub called Conole's, but skipped having a drink as it lacked any atmosphere whatsoever. Instead we headed up the street to Tullys Bar which was just what I was looking for. A normal bar with a tv and music playing in the background. It also had a pool-table and friendly staff behind the bar. I wouldn't call Tullys a tourist pub, but it's a good place to meet and chat with the friendly locals. I couldn't have found a nicer place even though some dog ran off with the cue-ball in his mouth! 
A decent pint of Guinness also.... mighty!!!

Good Morning Kinvara! Maidin mhaith!!

After a pleasant Guinness-fuelled sleep it was great to open my bedroom window to the smell of the sea. I've done this on occasions in Finland also, but it's never the same. It's a completely different experience. The sea looks and smells very different with salty water and seaweed everywhere.

Kinvara, Co.Galway

During our time in Kinvara we used the facilities in our house rental as often as we could. I got to cook a full-Irish breakfast to my Finnish guests which was hard work but fun. I then watched as they all tried to figure out how a typical Irish heating and shower system works, which was even funnier! Yep, some things are different in Ireland.


We did get to sample some of Kinvara's restaurants and pub-grub, the best being served at the Merriman Hotel where the staff were excellent.
Using Kinvara as a base on the westcoast we also travelled to nearby Doolin in County Clare, driving through the Burren and visiting the Cliffs of Moher. We also took a boat-trip over to the Aran Islands as well as driving around the Connemara loop. But I'm gonna write about that on my next blogpost.
Before leaving the west coast and heading to the city of Kilkenny we visited Kinvara's main tourist attraction Dunguaire Castle.

Dunguaire Castle, Kinvara, Co.Galway

Check out this program from the BBC here which shows more scenes from Ireland's west coast as well as some interesting bits of history. Might be a good idea to go full screen for this one!

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This is part 6 of a set of 'Ireland' travel posts here on my blog. Click on the destinations below to read the rest!

Share this blog!

Thanks for reading my blog and please feel free to share it with any of your friends.

You can receive my blogposts direct to your email or facebook profile by pressing the follow button at NetworkedBlogs  and you are welcome to visit my art page on Facebook by clicking the 'Like' button under my signature below.

- Alan 

                     

Summer in Dublin, again!

Over the past few years I have often heard Irish people talk and reminisce about the warm summers of the mid-1970's and early 1980's. I often rambled on about it myself sometimes.
Well, after this summer of 2013 I reckon all that might quiet down a little. Last month was one of the warmest Julys in recorded history of Irish weather and I had the luck to be on holidays right there when it all happened. I want to post a few photos on my blog here for my own record and also just to show the world that Ireland can be a wonderful place when she gets some sunshine! (okay, it can be a pretty good place without the sun too!)
I went on a little roadtrip from Dublin to the west coast of Ireland with some friends from Finland. It was really great to show my home country at it's best and I think the Finns enjoyed it. Also it was their first ever visit to Ireland, so a bit extra-special! I don't like to do on-the-spot travel blogs as I am usually too busy enjoying myself to start typing. But over the next few entries in my blog I will post some photos of the places I visited, including County Galway, County Clare, the Aran Islands, Kilkenny City and firstly my hometown Dublin. 

Lambay island, off the coast of Dublin.

Coastal rocks near Malahide in County Dublin

View over Dublin from Deer Park Golf club in Howth, County Dublin.

View of lighthouse from Howth summit in County Dublin.

View of Dublin Bay from Howth summit.

Dublin Bay on a sunny day in July.

After arrival in Dublin, it was off to John Kavanagh's pub also know as the Gravediggers because of it's proximity to the Glasnevin cemetary next door. Here's what was going on at the cemetary gates while I supped on my pint of Guinness. The Ghostbus is doing a tour with shots of alcohol being passed around to it's passengers to keep them awake. (below) 

Gravediggers Ghostbus at Glasnevin cemetary.

While I've been to visit my family back in suburban Dublin on many occasions over the past few years, I reckon it must be over 4 years since I have actually gone into Dublin's city centre. Unfortunately I only spent one day there, but this time as a tourist!

Moore street, Dublin

The famous GPO (General Post Office) and
the infamous Spire on O'Connell St. 

Interior of the GPO (General Post Office)

Statue of Daniel O'Connell

Trinity College, Dublin

Old parlimentary building, now the Bank of Ireland.

Ron Black's Dawson Lounge: Dublin's smallest pub
Take a look inside on this Norwegian news video below.

Christchurch Cathedral, Dublin

St.Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin

The Church of Guinness, Dublin
... you can almost smell it's goodness!

The gates of heaven

Lost souls follow the signs! 

The Wellington Monument in the Pheonix Park, Dublin.

The Real White House . The President of Ireland's House

Old Jameson whiskey distillery, Dublin.

The Ha'penny Bridge, Dublin

Grounds of Trinity College, Dublin

Viking splash tour, for our scandinavian cousins!

Molly Malone

Wicklow street, Dublin

Georges Street Arcade

Hogan's bar, South Great Georges Street, Dublin

Correct Time at The Long Hall pub on South Great Georges Street

South Great Georges Street, Dublin

Temple Bar area

Oliver St.John Gogarty Pub
Nice pub, but the biggest rip-off in Dublin!

Hard Rock Cafe, Dublin. 
Don't expect to get inside with so many students about!

Deception of the highest level!!!

O'Connell Street by bus

Molly again!

Guinness!!

Arthur Guinness lived here!

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This is part 1 of a set of 'Ireland' travel posts here on my blog. Click on the destinations below to read the rest!

Thanks for reading my blog and please feel free to share it with any of your friends.

You can receive my blogposts direct to your email or facebook profile by pressing the follow button at NetworkedBlogs  and you are welcome to visit my art page on Facebook by clicking the 'Like' button under my signature below.

- Alan 

                     

Who'll Stop The Rain

It's been a while since I've had a little blog post here, but then what's new about that eh? 
I had planned on posting a few photos over the past few months but I've just been so lazy. To be honest, I reckon I spend too much time on my computer between reading emails and social media, most of which seem increasingly to be just spam or scams. Are any of you having the same problem?

Anyway I wanted to post this item on my blog for my own record, so here goes!
It concerns a bit of bad weather in the town where I live.
Coming from Ireland I'm fairly used to a drop of rain. I use the word 'drop' lightly here as it's an Irish thing. A drop of rain to an Irish person is usually equal to torrential rain elsewhere in the world. I say this just so you know where I'm coming from. It's not often you hear an Irish person go on about the RAIN!

new swimming pool

Anyway the rain arrived yesterday, and flooded out the garage under my house.
I use this garage as an art studio space, which I call 'The Art Garage'. This is where I keep most of my paintings and drawings. Lucky for me however I managed to get most of my work out of danger before the water level got too high. Only a few items were damaged. Also, stupid old me didn't have any wellies (wellington boots). I only had a pair of crocs to wade through what was freezing water, made so by a pile of large hailstones just outside the door!

My garage wasn't the only casualty in Karis, a lot of other premises where flooded also including the local supermarkets. Here's a video somebody else shot in Karis centre. It's hardly a state of emergency I know, but nice to keep a record.



Next time it would be nice to have some kind of weather warning from the met office. Only a small thunder and a small amount of rain was the given forecast on this occasion. But nevermind, everything is back to normal here now though. Hot sunny Finnish summer, just the way it should be!

Thanks for reading my blog and please feel free to share it with any of your friends. Big Hello to any readers living in NYC, thanks for all your greetings and support! 

You can receive my blogposts direct to your email or facebook profile by pressing the follow button at NetworkedBlogs  and you are welcome to visit my art page on Facebook by clicking the 'Like' button under my signature below.

-Alan 

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