Ireland again part 3

Once we had left the Aran islands, after two wonderful days, we were off to the Connemara. The Connemara is one of Ireland's most rugged parts. It consists of high, rocky peaks, bogs and a rugged coast line. It is really very beautiful but not very rich. Instead of taking the main road to get to where we were going we cut across the mountains using a secondary road that cuts through a pass in the mountains. Connemara was one of the hardest hit regions in Ireland during the Great Famine, and the population dropped drastically and it is now only starting to recover its prosperity.

The Connemara is also the place where you can find Connemara marble. Usually we picture marble as being white, maybe pinkish or more rarely black. Connemara marble is however green and that is very rare indeed. In fact you can buy jewelry made from this marble and it is magnificent. Mrs. BB bought a necklace and earrings and people ask her where she got the stones.

Panoramic view of the Twelve Bens

One of the numerous lakes in the pass that cuts through the Twelve Bens and the Maamturk Mountains. The mountains in the background are one of the Twelve Bens.

A view of the pass and the road through the mountains.

These small boats are coracles. They are made from a wooden framework covered in tarred canvas. Originally they would have been covered with oiled skins, much like the Inuit umiaks or kayaks.

The coast of Connemara, mountains and bays.

A Connemara pony. These half-wild horses are said to descend from the horses that escaped from the wrecks of t he Spanish Armada.


A view from the Sky road. A very narrow twisting road with breathtaking scenery.

A small bay with the Twelve Bens in the background.

During the famine many farms were abandoned, either because the people had died of hunger or had fled to North America, so there are ruins of cottages in many places. Not all the ruins are because of the famine some of them, near other houses, were abandoned for more modern housing.

The donkey kept following me around, I was finally able to take his picture because every time I tried he would push his nose towards my camera lens looking for handouts.

This is the Dan O'Hara's homestead. It was renovated to show what the small farms would have looked like in the 1800's. The tenant was kicked off his land when the landlord hiked his rent because O'Hara put windows in the house. His wife and most of his children died on the boat and he and the two remaining children settled in New York, where he also died brokenhearted so it's said. There is a song about him that is still sung.

One of the windows that caused so much trouble.

Another cottage with a thatched roof. This one is lived in.