Neach na hÉireann

Neach na hÉireann - The Spirit of Ireland. (If my Irish is correct.)

Travelling through western Ireland is like travelling through a dreamscape. Mists and fog. Lakes and bogs.

I stayed in Líonán (Leenaun/Leenane) a year and a half ago. It's a small town with a picturesque "downtown" with a tavern, a tiny grocery, and an out-of-this-world restaurant (something with 'berry' or 'blackberry' in the name). This is a photo of downtown Líonán at dusk.

Actually, I stayed just outside Líonán, at a country B&B. I took a walk along a path that overlooked Killary Harbour, the only fjord in Ireland. Talk about spectactular views. The weather was misty and the path was boggy; I was half expecting to see bodies floating in the bogs, a la The Lord of the Rings.


This photo is of the forest that I saw on the way back. It was very dark in the forest, even though it was the middle of the day. I like to think this exposure captured my feelings very well.

Earlier in the week, I had travelled to Connemara National Park. They have some wild Connemara Ponies there. On the drive there, I stopped by Kylemore Abbey just to grab a few photos. This photo and the photo at the top of this post are both from the Abbey. Yes, it was foggy, and one of the few wooded areas I saw in Ireland.

It's hard to convey the grandeur and mystery of a place in a small, two-dimensional photo. But I hope you get a feel for western Ireland (Connemara) from these photos. With EU money pouring in, Ireland is changing fast. Progress is good, but with the widening of the roads and the installation of gas (petrol) stations and fast food joints, it's quickly losing its mystical qualities. Just the change between 2002 and 2004 was significant. I hope to get back there later this year--and practice my Irish while staying in a Gaeltacht.