The Irish Renaissance

The Irish Renaissance (or Celtic Revival) was an art, handicrafts and literary movement of the early 20th century that proposed a return to Irish language, tradition and culture. It was marked by a nationalist spirit and a revival of Ireland's pride in its Gaelic heritage. It was a backlash to centuries of English oppression and suppression, from as far back as the 1367 ‘Statute of Kilkenny' which proscribed Irish language and culture for Irish inhabitants who were of the English "race".

Image by Darelle from Pixabay

The Statutes of Kilkenny was a reproof of the adoption by English settlers of Irish language, manners and customs. It forbade the "native" English from intermarriage to the Irish, adoption of Irish children and the use of the Irish language. Those assimilated English settlers who has never spoken English had to learn it or risk losing their land and possessions. Further, it mandated the separation of the English and Irish churches, insisting "no Irishman of the nations of the Irish be admitted into any cathedral or collegiate church ... amongst the English of the land".

Examples of the literature that came from the Revival include J.M. Synge's The Playboy of the Western World and James Joyce’s Ulysses. (Super bonus points if you’ve actually read that. The only works I’ve found more knobbly on the brain are by Gertrude Stein.) The poet William Butler Yeats, who co-founded The Abbey Theater (the first national theater of Ireland) won the 1923 Nobel Prize for Literature for writing poetry that gave "expression to the spirit of a whole nation."

Grace O'Malley, The Pirate Queen

Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Grace O'Malley (also known as Gráinne O'Malley, Gráinne Ní Mháille, Gráinne Mhaol and Granuaile) left a large footprint on the west of Ireland and beyond. The head of the O'Malley (or Ó Máille) dynasty, her power and influence made her the subject of lore and myth. There is little Irish documentary evidence of her life- being a woman meant she was largely written out of history by the male Irish monks who were reportedly the "saviors of civilization". Whether she was a heroine or a cutthroat thief, the facts of her ambition, fearlessness and both seafaring and political prowess are not in dispute.

O'Malley was born in Belcare Castle near Westport. She grew up in the western province of Connacht in a seafaring family that made their money fishing, trading and taxing others who fished in areas of their control, such as Clew Bay. Through marriage and conquest, she acquired several other castles in the area. The ruins of these can be found in Kildavnet Tower in Achill (aka Grace O'Malley's Towerhouse), Granuaile Castle on Clare Island, Rockfleet Castle in Clew Bay, and Doona Castle on Blacksod Bay.

During the reign of Elizabeth I, Grace O’Malley sailed up and down the west coast of Ireland with her fleet of ships, raiding as she went and building up a great deal of wealth, earning her title The Pirate Queen. A biographer described her as “a fearless leader, by land and by sea, a political pragmatist and politician, a ruthless plunderer, a mercenary, a rebel, a shrewd and able negotiator, the protective matriarch of her family and tribe, a genuine inheritor of the Mother Goddess and Warrior Queen attributes of her remote ancestors.” Grace O’Malley has been held as a personification of Ireland and has inspired poems, plays and songs (including Dead Can Dance's "Return of the She-King"). Documentary evidence for her life comes mostly from English sources.

Patrick Weston Joyce, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

In 1593, two of her sons and a half-brother were captured by the English “Lord President of Connacht”, Sir Richard Bingham, who complained that she was "nurse to all rebellions in the province for this forty years". O'Malley sailed to England to petition Queen Elizabeth for their release. O'Malley met with the Queen at Greenwich Castle, finely dressed. O'Malley refused to bow before Elizabeth because she didn't recognise her as the "Queen of Ireland" and considered they were of similar rank. Their discussion was carried out in Latin, as O'Malley spoke no English and Queen Elizabeth spoke no Irish. The women eventually came to an agreement that Elizabeth would remove Bingham and O'Malley would stop supporting the Irish lords' rebellions.

Claddagh Ring

Image by Mégane Percier from Pixabay

One of the most romantic of Irish symbols is the Claddagh Ring, which originated in Claddagh, County Galway. Its modern form of the heart (love) within two hands (friendship) and topped with a crown (loyalty) was first produced in the 17th century. Its popularity spread during the Victorian period through Ireland and Britain, and this is when it became known as the Claddagh ring. Claddagh rings are sometimes used as friendship rings, but are usually used as engagement or wedding rings. Mothers sometimes give these rings to their daughters when they come of age. Claddagh rings can be purchased most anywhere nowadays, but in the west coast of Ireland they can feature a heart of the distinctive green Connemara marble. 

According to Irish author Colin Murphy, the way it’s worn can communicate the wearer's relationship status:

1. On the right hand with the point of the heart toward the fingertips: the wearer is single
2. On the right hand with the point of the heart toward the wrist: the wearer is in a relationship
3. On the left ring finger with the point of the heart toward the fingertips: the wearer is engaged.
4. On the left ring finger with the point of the heart toward the wrist: the wearer is married.

William Butler Yeats

W.B. Yeats

Yeats was a crucial proponent of the Irish Renaissance and was friend to members of the Easter Rebellion of 1916. Among these was Maud Gonne, an English-born Irish revolutionary, suffragette and actress. She actively agitated for Home Rule and then for the republic declared in 1916. The story of Yeats’ enduring and unrequited love for Maud Gonne against the background of the Easter uprising is a romance for the ages. 

Thoor Ballylee Castle (Túr Bhaile Uí Laí) is 15th century Anglo-Norman tower house built near Gort in County Galway that was once purchased and inhabited by William Butler Yeats. It has been described as ‘the most important public building in Ireland’ by late Nobel laureate Seamus Heaney. It was flooded out in 2015, but Thoor Ballylee is open once again, every day from 11am to 5 pm. Tower Admission €7: “Cups of tea, tour, and hearty welcome all included.” A wall tablet adds Yeats' imprint on the ancient tower:

I, the poet William Yeats,

With old mill boards and sea-green slates,

And smithy work from the Gort forge,

Restored this tower for my wife George.

And may these characters remain

When all is ruin once again

Connemara in Film

Photo by Gaynor's, The Field Bar

The Field is a 1990 Irish drama film starring Richard Harris and John Hurt and adapted from a 1965 play of the same name. The film is set in the early 1930s and was shot almost entirely in the Connemara village of Leenaun. The pub there, Gaynor’s Bar, has a lovely painted sign commemorating this. Other locations in the film include Thoor Ballylee, the one-time home of poet W.B. Yeats.

The comedy The Quiet Man, made in 1952 by John Ford, starred John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara and was set in the Irish countryside. The film employed many actors from the Irish theatre and extras from the Irish countryside, and it is one of the few Hollywood movies in which the Irish language can be heard. All of the outdoor scenes were shot on location in Ireland in County Mayo and County Galway. 

And here's an interesting fact: Roger Corman had a production studio in western Ireland because (surprise, surprise) it was cheap. He produced 20 movies there over five years. And you can learn all about it in a documentary aptly titled "It Came From Connemara". 

There was a 1990 French film titled "Connemara" that's an historical adventure and apparently not very good and yet another French film "Connemara" released this year- and that's all I know about that. 

Galway

Eyre Square (An Fhaiche Mhór, also known as John F. Kennedy Memorial Park) is Galway's central park, surrounded by restaurants, shopping and transportation hubs. Galway railway station is adjacent to Eyre Square. The park is surrounded by streets that form the major traffic arteries into Galway city centre. 

Eyre Square hosted the third longest Occupy Camp in the world, that ran for 216 days consecutively. A small group of concerned Galwegians came together in October 2011, inspired by the Occupy Wall Street movement that had very quickly spread out across hundreds of cities in the U.S. and the E.U.

Eyre's Square today, photo: Google Earth

Galway’s street market is open all year round on Saturdays (8am-6pm) and Sundays (noon-6pm) and has been a center of city trade for centuries. A wide variety of foods (sushi anyone?), produce, plants and crafts are available. 

Back in medieval times, Galway City was enclosed by a stone wall, built by the Normans to protect against attacks. A remaining section can be seen in the modern Eyre Square Shopping Centre mall, giving a disconcerting juxtaposition of the old and the new. 

Galway birds, image by christal21 from Pixabay

The heart of Galway is the area around Quay Street (sometimes referred to as the Latin Quarter), which is a bustling area of restaurants, pubs, shops and buskers (street musicians). The street shows its Medieval roots in its Spanish Arch (built in 1584), its ancient cobblestones and its narrowness, which reserves it for foot traffic. 

Omey Strand

Image by calanard from Pixabay

Just about a mile from Cleggan is the village of Claddaghduff. For a few hours a day during low tide the strand between Claddaghduff and Omey Island is exposed. Omey Island can then be reached by foot or by car- but don't forget to check the tide forecast or you'll get trapped! Sights include a 7th C church (Feichin’s Church), an ancient burial ground and a partly submerged town. 

In years past a truly special horserace has been run on Omey Strand when it is temporarily exposed. It isn’t coming off this year (2022), but hopefully it will be back by next year. Also at Omey Strand is the Cleggan Disaster Memorial Cross- a reminder of the Cleggan tragedy of 1927 when 25 local fishermen drowned. The Celtic Cross dominates the tide-besieged Omey Strand graveyard.

The N59

Kylemore Abbey, by christal21 from Pixabay

The N59 takes you from Galway to Clifden. Keep going after Clifden until the R379 branches off to the left, then continue until you hit the ocean and you’ll find yourself in Cleggan. Don’t blink or you’ll miss it (and get wet). If you turn inland from Cleggan you may hit Claddaghduff, which makes Cleggan look like a metropolis.

The N59 from Galway to Clifden is one of the most beautiful drives you will ever experience. If you’ve ever seen pictures of the Irish countryside, some of the places might look familiar. It is a favorite area for photographers. Highlights include:

• The Bohen Stone, also known as St. Patricks Chair, a stone with a circular design that may have been carved as early as 3800 BC
• The field from the film "The Field"
• Glennacally Bridge, an arched stone bridge dated 1826
• Kylemore Abbey- a beautiful castle-like building founded by Benedictine nuns who fled Belgium in WWI- with its Victorian walled garden
• A town called Recess and another called Clog
• The Quiet Man bridge, featured in the John Wayne/Maureen O'Hara film

Inishbofin

Inishbofin, photo www.traveladventures.org

Inishbofin (or "Boffin"- in Irish, “Inis Bo Finne”- Island of the White Cow) is a magical little 3 x 5km islet with a population of about 180 just off the coast of Cleggan. It was inhabited as far back as 8000-4000 B.C. It is said that Grace O’Malley the famous Pirate Queen (aka Granuaile, aka Gráinne O'Malley, aka Gráinne Mhaol, aka etc., more on her later), had a castle on the island. In fact a 16th century decorated stone was discovered supporting a stone wall outside an island pub that may have came from her castle, according to a Connemara archeologist. It’s said she and a pirate friend would run a chain across the harbor to trap and loot ships holding valuable cargo. In the 18th century the island economy was supplemented by the time-honored traditions of ship wrecking and smuggling. By the 19th century the island was crowded with fishermen (over 1600 people!), with Irish still being spoken until the 1900s. These days it’s home to B&Bs, hotels, restaurants, sheep farms, music sessions, arts festivals, yoga retreats, writing workshops and charity fundraising events. It has beaches with crystal (and very cold) water, lovely wildflowers, a seal colony and rare birdwatching opportunities. 

Photo: The Inishbofin Heritage Museum

There are two places to rent bikes on the island (the main mode of transport) - it takes about 45 minutes to bike around the island. There are five restaurants and four bars on Inishbofin, including a luxury hotel and restaurant called The Dolphin. The Inishbofin Heritage Museum inhabits what used to be the store at the old pier. Its collection is made up of housewares and tools from traditional old island homes, but perhaps even more interesting is the glimpse of old Inishbofin through hundred of photos of bygone island inhabitants.

Photo: Inishbofin Ferry

The thrice-daily ferry from Cleggan pier to Inishbofin (10km away) costs €25 round trip and takes 30 minutes. Bring a jacket- if you want to enjoy the view from the deck it can get brisk! Online booking is recommended. It passes Cromwell's 16th Century Barracks, which housed Catholic clergy after the English Statute of 1655 declared them guilty of high treason. Then they were shipped to the ends of the earth, poor souls. East of this is a crescent-shaped medieval harbor that is only just visible at spring tides. 

Random Connemara Facts

• Conamara Chaos is a region of chaotic terrain on Jupiter's moon Europa.  It uses the Irish spelling of Connemara.
• Poet Carl Sandburg's home in Flat Rock, North Carolina is now a national monument named after the Connemara region. 
• French singer Michel Sardou had an international hit with the song "Les Lacs du Connemara" in 1981. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWPJfFL38eI
• The Connemara pony is a breed of horse native to the region- the only native pony breed in Ireland. 
• Recent Connemara crime wave: “The Gardaí in Oranmore are investigating the theft of 19 bales of silage from a farm in the Oranmore area. The bales were taken from a farm yard at Oranbeg, Oranmore, Co Galway between 7pm on Monday the 1st of August and 2pm on Tuesday the 2nd of August.”

Cleggan

Cleggan is a fishing village in County Galway, Ireland with a population of 301. It's 10 km northwest of Clifden and opens on Cleggan Bay. A focal point of the village is the pier, built by Alexander Nimmo in 1822 and extended in 1908.

Oliver's Bar

Cleggan's main industries are fishing and farming, but tourism is making an economic impact with amenities like B&Bs, fishing excursions, horseback riding and ferry tours to Inishbofin.

Cleggan Hill is a long and lovely walk past horse paddocks (they appreciate sugar cubes or carrots) where you can enjoy an incredible view and see the remains of Cleggan Tower, a signal tower built in 1816 in fear of Napoleon’s seemingly endless ambitions.

The Pier Bar

For dining, drinking and meeting the locals, there is Oliver's Bar (ah, the pints I've lifted there...), The Pier Bar (someday I'll tell you about The Lads we met there and the one who came calling for me on his tractor). 

Public Transportation

Ireland has a pretty extensive public transit system. Transport for Ireland offers a good hub for planning trips by bus, train, tram, taxi, bicycle and carpool. 

If you're planning a trip to Connemara you will probably be coming into Shannon Airport, western Ireland's major airport. It's a short hop NW of Limerick and about an hour's drive south of Galway. Shannon doesn't have a train station but there are buses that will take you to Limerick and from there you can connect to railway service to Connemara. The website Rome2rio has a worldwide (!!) travel planner that can, among other things, help you plan your trip from Limerick to Westport. 

All prices are, obviously, subject to change. And my sources may be wrong, but I've tried to do due diligence.

Buses 

There are a number of bus service options in Ireland, both public and private, even in rural areas (like Connemara). Some can even provide door-to-door service. I took Bus Éireann many years ago and don't remember having any problems, but according to Tripadvisor reviews, I may have just been lucky. 

There's a bus direct from Shannon Airport to Galway. To get from Shannon to Cleggan you'll need to make a few changes and it will take a bit over four hours. I recommend a stop or overnight in Galway though. I'll list some Galway attractions in a later post. You can get a bus from Galway Coach Station right to Oliver's in Cleggan. 

Oliver's is the pub/restaurant/B&B/Disco/etc. in Cleggan; basically, downtown consists of Oliver's. Period. (NB: In Europe, "disco" does not refer to the 70s phenomenon but just to any dance club. Apparently only Americans are so ashamed of their behavior during the 70s they can't bring themselves to utter the D word ever again.) 

Irish Rail Map

Iarnród Éireann/Irish Rail

Irish Rail has a pretty robust route map throughout Ireland. They have a 3 out of 5 score on Tripadvisor which seems to be a mix of 5 out of 5 and 1 out of 5 reviews, so "caveat emptor" as they say. Buying tickets online is cheaper. They have Wi-Fi on the trains but apparently not necessarily in the stations, so buy your online ticket in advance. Also be aware that (per their website) food and drink service has been suspended due to COVID, so pack a snack and some water. No alcohol allowed. 

From Limerick to Westport requires one or more changes and costs about €33. To get from Galway to Westport costs €16.79 and requires one change. 

If you'd like to check out Dublin from your Connemara home base, It takes about 3.5 hours to travel by rail from Westport and costs €33.30 one-way, €36.00 for a Day Return ticket and €48.65 for an Open Return (good for return within 30 days).  If you have an interest in seeing Northern Ireland I'm afraid there is no direct route from the west of Ireland- you'll have to travel through Dublin.

Driving & Car Rentals

 IMPORTANT:

1. DO NOT GET AN SUV! Irish roads are about 2/3 the width of American ones and out in the country two-way roads are rarely wide enough for two vehicles to pass without luck and prayers. Cars in Ireland are smaller than we're used to, but still...
2. CHECK YOUR INSURANCE COVERAGE! This is serious. Apparently having your American insurance cover your Irish rental is NOT automatic- read the fine print! Buy extra if you have any doubt. My experience says there is at least an 75% chance you will smash your passenger side mirror. Those narrow country roads don't have shoulders- they have stone walls that are inches from your car. Your front seat passenger will probably be grimacing with apprehension much of the time. Don't worry, you don't notice it after a while. 
3. Remember to DRIVE ON THE LEFT! Tie a string around your finger, put a Post-It on the windshield, put a rubber band around your left wrist- do what you have to. This issue is most serious in big cities, where our American reptilian driving brain will try to take over as we're making turns in big intersections. 

   

   Image by DESI MAXWELL from Pixabay

Other Info:

• Shannon Airport has about a dozen car rental agencies, including American staples like Budget, Avis and Hertz. 
• Your American driver's license will be fine- you don't need an international license. 
• Make sure everyone who might be driving is allowed to under the contract and is covered by insurance. 
• Pack light. You'll only be able to fit 2-3 medium-sized bags in most cars if you want to leave the back seat free. Leave the mammoth luggage home.
• If you want to use a debit card, check to see if your car rental company accepts them. Some may only accept credit cards. 
• I repeat: Irish roads are narrow. Irish country roads are often narrow, winding and closely bordered by stone walls. Driving in Connemara requires concentration. No sipping coffee, no snacking, no napping, no juggling. Also there will be sheep and cows walking in/by the road. Herds have right of way. 

Car rental prices: 

Approximately €400-600 per week. Automatic transmissions are on the higher end. It's cheaper to rent a car in Limerick than at Shannon Airport, but obviously less convenient. You can drop a car off at a different location than where you picked it up, but there will be an additional charge. 

Gas prices:

The only good thing about our crazy high gas prices? It won’t be such a shock when you see European prices. And yes, they sell by the liter, not the gallon. Irish gas prices as of today: about €1.859 per liter (€7.037/gallon).