October 4 Monday - The currachs of Connemara

Today was spent exploring the Connemara but not before scoping out a place to buy a replacement tire for the one that was damaged. There was lots of wind and lots of rain and yet the beauty of the penninsula made it through the clouds and the driving rain. This is a very beautiful and isolated region of Ireland. Our breakfast was taken in a wonderful dining room that was outfitted with some of the most beautiful china and silverware. The breakfasts in Ireland are something to be reckonned with. Meat and eggs and toast and jam and cereal and many, many other additions peculiar to where you might be spending the night. It's a fun surprise to see what's been cooking for breakfast.

The ambience of the room had been created over several years by Desmonds family who has owned the structure for more than three generations. Antique furniture, old china, beautiful silver and tea sets adorn each and every table setting.

The currach originates from the Aran Islands situated in Galway Bay. It is made with tarped canvas over a wooden frame, and although made of a very light structure it can ride out almost any wave. Great skill however is required to handle these boats properly.

We took our lunch in a very cozy small fishing village called Cleggan. Homemade soup and homemade muffins were most wonderful. We liked it so much that we returned for dinner next to a peat fire. We had fish of some sort.

Small towns with names like Barnanrusheen, Claddagduff, and Rossadillisk were what we encountered on our trip of the small penninsula, sort of a sub-penninsula of the larger Connemara penninsula.