Travelled: 137km in Co.Clare & Co.Limerick
Visited:Ennis & Adare
Stay:Carrigafoyle Castle parking N52.5698 W9.4947
We drove about 30min through the rain to the beginning of the Shannon Estuary to Ennis. We decided to pay €3 /8hrs at the long stay carpark that was still very close walking distance to the centre of town.
Our first stop was the museum which covered 6000 years of Co.Clare’s history. Ennis itself, grew around a monastic site founded in 1240.
County Clare Banner
Tops from ‘Compromise Rules Football’ mixture between Gaelic and Australian Rules, played at the MCG 1986.
Items found in the bog including the big ball called ‘bog butter’ which is butter they put in the bog to prevent it from going rancid.
With map in hand we followed the route around to discover more. We popped in to have a look at The Franciscan Friary.
At the Club Bridge there was a memorial stone and a plaque to the People Of Ireland.
Further up the road near the Mill Wheel there were some sculptures of several that were scattered around town. This piece celebrates Clare’s win in the All-Ireland Hurling final of 1995.
The four heads/minds each represent a different idea- care, harmony, angst, sensuality.
The little ‘Dreamboat’ was carved from Kilkenny limestone.
This next sculpture was my favourite, showing the relationship between mankind and nature.
We then ventured through the narrow streets lined with colourful shop fronts, pubs and eateries.
This shop looks like a pub...
Our grandson would love these..one might have escaped and found itself in our suitcase...
We browsed at the amazing amount of items on offer in the antiquities store...it was like visiting 10 museums at once!
We thought the hand sculpture outside the Cathedral was also well done.
These guys are in the market square. There is still a market held here every Saturday where you can buy anything from a calf to a camera!
By this stage we had worked up a thirst and we both tried new brews. Neither of us were impressed...back to the old tried and true next time.
After a quick hamburger at the famous Irish Supermacs, we made our way back to Bluey. Over a cuppa we decided in which direction we would go. Adare was decribed in our guidebook as Ireland’s prettiest village. So we drove through the busy city of Limerick.
Unfortunately Adare didn’t quite make our expectations. Even though there are some lovely thatched cottages and a few other appealing buildings including the Church, the town lacked atmosphere due to the busy main road running through its centre.
Might be the closest we get to kissing the Blarney Stone
As this area didn’t appear to be motorhome friendly we picked out a spot further south and back on the Wild Atlantic Way. Along the way we stopped at Foynes lookout. The town enjoyed fame in the 1930’s-40’s as the eastern terminus of the first airline (Pan Am) passenger route across the Atlantic. Now it appears to have a busy port.
Our last stop for the day was at the remains of the 15thC Carrigafoyle Castle set on the Shannon Estuary. In 1580 it was attacked by artillery and fell after 3 days, but it wasn’t until 1649 that the body blow was delivered by Cromellian forces.
We were lucky that the door was open and we could venture up the 109 stone steps to the top of the tower, which offered us some lovely views.
Then it was back to Bluey for dinner, duck with mash and veggies, a quick walk in between showers and then blogging etc. as per our usual routine.
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