Crossing into Ireland

After leaving Derry, Northern Ireland, we were soon in the Republic of Ireland. There was no border as free movement is allowed as both countries are presently members of the European Union. With Brexit, this may change in the future. We went from direction signs posted in only English to signs posted in two languages: English and Irish (Gaelic). Distances and speeds also changed from being in miles to kilometers. But the Irish countryside still looked the same––very, very green with many farm animals on it.

Town in Ireland

We passed through this colorful town in Ireland. It was raining.

Belleck Pottery Visitor Centre

We next crossed back into Northern Ireland to visit the Belleck Pottery Centre. Belleck has been making fine pottery since 1857. We toured their factory and spent time in their gift shop.

Belleck Vase

A Belleck vase. You can have items shipped if you don’t want to carry them home.

Irish Coast

Back to Ireland and a drive along the Irish west coast. The castle in the photo is the Classiebawn Castle that was once owned by Lord Mountbatten, a relative of the British Royal Family. He was killed in 1979 by an IRA bomb put on his fishing boat.

Drumcliff Church

We stopped at St. Columba’s Drumcliff Church, 1809, in County Sligo,

William Butler Yeats

The famous Noble Prize–winning Irish poet William Butler Yeats is buried in the church’s cemetery. Yeats died in 1939 in France and his remains were reinterred in this cemetery in 1948. His epitaph reads: “Cast a cold Eye On Life and Death Horseman pass by” is the last stanza of his poem “Under Ben Bulbern.”

Galway

We arrived in Galway and at our hotel: the five–star G hotel where we would stay for the next four nights. I didn’t take any photos of the hotel but I can describe its interior as being close to “modern bordello.” The room corridors were dark and set up like a maze, but the rooms were big and very nice. Breakfast was good but you may or may not have wanted to sit at the tables below the photos of naked ladies. The hotel was an experience. It was located a bus ride from the main area of Galway. You can see some photos of the hotel by Googling “G Hotel Galway.”

I have put my photos of our drive from Derry to Galway on a slideshow. Go to

http://www.peggysphotos.com/derry–to–galway/

(Slide Shows, Western Europe, Northern Ireland/Ireland, “Derry to Galway”).