i’ll be posting my ireland journal in it’s entirety for the next few days. if you haven’t had a chance to view the images, check that posting out here. i’ll also be posting my polaroid images when i get them scanned into my computer}
“we drove north today – it ended up being about an 8 hour drive, but we threw a few short stops in there. the first few were along the ring of kerry, but as we got inland/north, they were at shops/restrooms. gma has to stop often.
the scenery changed dramatically as we got to the north – galway, etc – but we weren’t really coastal again until we got through donegal and headed west into killybegs. after dropping stuff off at the b+b, we drove out to the slieve league. the roads were winding and narrow, heading up and down mountains, and when we got to the town of carrick, the road to the cliffs was narrow indeed.
we got to the carpark and started walking – when jess and i got up and over the hill and saw how much further we needed to walk, i called/texted mom to tell her to drive up.
the walk was stunning but the cliffs were even better. i am not sure which cliffs i like better- moher or slieve – but they were impressive. they come out of the sea at an angle and they rise about 2000 feet out {higher than the cliffs of moher further south}. they aren’t as extensive as the cliffs of moher either, only going a mile to 2 down the coast.
driving back, i wanted to go into port and glencolmkille, but i was vetoed – they wanted dinner.
i observed something slightly random (although makes sense when you learn i’ve been mentioning the book for a week now): ireland and her economic troubles parallel that of the congo. weird?
i mean that in the way that: the same way that the belgian rule built up and subsequently abandoned their fancy homes, the railroads, the roads and river network, the electricity…
the irish are going in a much smaller scale. we have passed so many homes, buildings and hotels that are just laying there abandoned (i guess i should say seemingly abandoned – it’s not quite high season yet). and the famine villages – much older, but just as abandoned in the same way that the rebels in the congo force villagers to abandon their huts in the jungle. the guidebook talks about the “celtic tiger” and the economic boom of the 90s… but [goes on to say] how – once again – irish are emigrating to find jobs.
it was an odd thing to realise, but it makes sense. if the country can’t pick itself up, there could be serious consequences, not only for the irish but for the EU as well.
dinner was at 22 main street – a seafood bar our hostess recommended. the server appeared to be the only one and was telling tables they would have to wait. a lengthy discussion ensued about telling people it was busy, etc. i feel like it is okay to warn them!“