We made a few stops on our short drive to Galway this morning.
Corcomroe Abbey is the ruin of a Cistercian monastery built in 1195. The cemetery out front has some amazing Celtic crosses.
The Corcomroe monks were known for distilling single malt whiskey in the San Gael tradition, using ancient native and indigenous recipes and processes.
Most of the floor inside the abbey is covered with tombstones – visitors are asked not to stand on them!
The Hazel Mountain Chocolate shop is one of the smallest and most remote factories in the world. They are the only chocolatier to use Irish milk in their recipes. We sampled their amazing dark hot chocolate and picked up some small batch bean to bar yummies to bring home.
Dunguaire Castle is a 16th C tower house sitting on the shores of Galway Bay.
Our hotel in Galway is right beside the docks and an area called the Long Walk.
The Long Walk at the Docks is ironically not very long at all, maybe 314 meters down the pier. The area was built in the 18th C by the Eyre family to extend the quays and act as a breakwater.
The Spanish Arch & the Caoc Arch (blind arch) are two remaining arches from the original city wall.
The wall protected the city’s quays built in 1584. The arches were partially damaged by a tsunami in 1755.
The afternoon was spent wandering the tourist streets and shops.
Everyone in Galway seems to sell the claddagh ring, but Thomas Dillon’s Claddagh Ring Store claims to be where the first was made in 1750.
The claddagh comprises three symbolic elements, a crowned heart held by two hands, each with their own meaning: the heart represents love, the crown denotes loyalty and the hands are a sign of friendship.
Claddagh rings worn on the left hand with the heart facing inward mean that the wearer is married. When worn on the right hand with the heart facing outward, the Claddagh ring indicates that the person’s heart is still open.
The Aran sweater, or Fisherman Irish sweater, takes its name from the set of islands where they originated many generations ago off the west coast of Ireland.
The patterns for the Aran sweater are fiercely protected and have been passed down from generation to generation. This style of sweater has become the ultimate symbol of Irish clan heritage.
The line-up for a popular pizza place were around the block, so we found an authentic Italian restaurant for dinner.
We’re only staying one night in Galway. Tomorrow we continue our journey north.
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