Saturday, March 1st, 2025 – Galway to Athlone

We got up and around, and went out to do find coffee and a bite to eat then do some sightseeing.

When driving around to find our hotel yesterday we got a little familiar with the area. I saw some familiar places and one of those was the Galway Cathedral. That was where we were going this gray, cool & drizzly morning.

On the way there we walked from our hotel through the streets & alleys. It was a normal day in Irish life. The streets were being cleaned up, people were out walking, and there were even vendors setting up stands with fresh seafood, produce, meats, and handmade crafts. Reminded me of the classic Beatles song “A Day in the Life”.

We stopped at a bakery and got a coffee and a fresh-baked pastry. A delicious breakfast, and it was even better since I did not really eat much yesterday. I really like stopping in these little places. It is good to support the local shops.

We casually worked our way there, stopping to see the river we had to cross to get to the cathedral. There were a few interesting interpretive signs along the way that talked of the history of the river.

The cathedral is a newer building but is still beautiful inside. I was in here in 2020 but I can always look at great architecture. Nice stonework, beautiful stained-glass windows, beautiful woodwork…all nicely lit. It is not a grand, 800-year-old building like the others we saw, but it’s not a tiny place.

We walked around inside and then went out for a stroll around the area to get some exercise in before we checked out of our room. Cobblestone streets are so cool, but after a few beers they can be “challenging” shall we say. But, concrete is not as charming.

It’s time to leave Galway and head north. I do love all of Ireland very deeply and it does feel like home – I have never seen a part of it I did not like. Galway is a fun city with a lot to see and do in the area. But, the next stop DOES feel like home.

Aughnanure Castle in Oughterard. My family castle.

Just seeing the place gets to me, and it chokes me up a bit as I think about it while writing this. We were here in 2020 but it was closed. I timed this trip to make sure it was open for the season, and it had just opened yesterday.

On the drive up we saw a lot of damage from the storm that damaged the trails at the Cliffs of Moher. It was a very bad storm and there were big trees snapped off and uprooted. It was another grey & cloudy day, but that doesn’t bother me much after living in Washington. Rain, shine, snow…I get to see inside the castle today.

We got to the parking lot and got out of the car. It is such a beautiful setting. I really am home.

There is a farmhouse on the way up the trail and they have horses. Their trees were just destroyed by the storms, with splintered wood, branches, and tree trunks all over.

One new thing is the people there opened up a snack/coffee stand on the edge of their property along the trail. Very smart thinking, as I bet this place is busy in summer.

We got up to the gate and I cannot believe I finally get to see inside. I gave them my Heritage Card, which gets you into all of the Ireland Heritage Sites. I bought it back in 2020 to help support Heritage Ireland through the pandemic. Nice thing is that it is good for a year AFTER you use it the first time. This was my first use so it’s good for a year.

When I bought it they mailed it to me with my name printed on it. Needless to say when they saw my last name it was a big deal. There were two guys working and they told us a little history, then we walked onto the grounds. Wow. Just wow.

We got over to the castle itself. It is what is called a “tower house”. It goes up instead of out like a classic castle. We were looking around and the older guy of the two came over with a black bag. He reached inside and pulled out a piece of white cloth with something on it.

It was a giant coat of arms flag for my family! We held it up and he took pictures with our phone. Such a cool thing to do and it’s only for those of us with the last name of Flaherty.

He then gave us more background history of the castle and of “the ferocious O’Flahertys”. He was pointing out things on the grounds that were of importance. The small river was used as transportation & shipping to and from Galway. Just a few kilometers to the east is a lake, and this river (which apparently was much bigger) was attached to the lake. The lake then flowed to Galway, so it was a very important resource.

He talked about some of the construction methods used and interesting characteristics of the stonework. They used tricks from ancient Rome to fool the eye with respect to perspective, making the windows look the same size even though they weren’t. He said the stonework was basic, but any extra work cost more money and was a sign of bragging about your riches. So, if the stones were rough blocked that was the cheapest work. If the stones had smooth faces, that was extra. If the rock faces were “dimpled” that was more money. If there were carvings that was even more. This castle had carvings in the floors and the stairs and insides of some windows were carved or were dimpled. Finished stonework inside the window frames was major bragging rights.

He also said that the exterior was originally painted with a white “paint” that was tinted with oxblood to make it pink. This was even more status.

I asked him if they see many “family” there and he said yes. I told him it was an emotional thing for me and I did have to wipe away a few tears. He said he has seen some walk up and hug the building, and just break down.

This may sound a little silly to some people, but when you get to see family history like this it IS very emotional. Not many people get to see this type of family history so I am so very fortunate. In fact our clan motto is “Fortuna Favet Fortibus, or “Fortune Favours the Brave“. If you ever get a chance to see this far back in your family history you should do it. You will feel things you never have before.

We walked around looking at the place. We went up to the other floors, exploring all the little passageways. It made me think about the things that happened in this place. How cold it had to have been in winter. The things that happened within these walls.

This place is very special to me because it is my family’s history, however it is also special for a few other reasons. Thousands of miles from where I live I am walking in a place my parents visited 40 years prior and that I saw pictures of and read about in my mom’s travel diary.

And, about 10 years ago I got a text from my good friend Paul. He and his wife were here and he sent me pictures of it and talked a bit about the history until I could see it firsthand.

It was the last time I heard from him.

The day my mom was diagnosed with stage 4 brain cancer I got a call from my friend that I had met Paul through. He said “I have some bad news. Paul was found in his truck on the side of the road. He had died of a heart attack and they thought he felt it coming and was trying to get to help. He did not make it.”.

At the front gate I thanked the guide for all of his vast knowledge.

Just outside the front gate is a yew tree. It is a very large tree and is quite disfigured, which is common with yew trees as they get older. He told us that they think the tree is about 2000 years old and it is documented as being there when the castle was active. The name of the castle “Aughnanure” reflects this tree. Per Wikipedia – “…the name translates from the Gaeilge/Irish “Caisleán Achadh na nlubhar” as “Castle of the field of the yews”; and there was once an extensive yew forest stretching from the site half-way to Galway.“.

I could stay here forever, but unfortunately it is time to leave. I will come back again.

We head back south and I made a mental note of a sign for “Brigit’s Garden”. It was just down the road from the castle. I knew we needed to stop and have a look so I turned onto the road and we drove past more extensive storm damage. When we got to the place the lady told us the power was out for a few weeks or something like that.

This place was pretty cool. St.Brigid, the namesake of the garden, There is not much written about her more than things rooted in Pagan folklore and a few miracles, but she also could be a Christianization of a Celtic goddess named Brigid. This garden definitely has Pagan meanings in it and it was a very cool place. There were sections of the garden dedicated to the Pagan celebrations of the seasons. It makes sense since Paganism is a rooted in nature and Gaia.

They created a really beautiful & serene place that had a really nice, peaceful vibe to it. I found a few places in the “seasons” to sit and think and look at my surroundings. It has been an incredible last few hours emotionally and this had a peacefulness that brought me back a little.

We got back in the car to leave. I think next time I see the castle I will stop here again. I found the Paganism aspects fascinating in relation to the gardens that they created and it really brought it to life. I think the pictures show that.

We had to go back through the outskirts of Galway then went east toward Athlone, our destination for the night and home of Sean’s Bar – the official home of The Oldest Pub in Ireland. It was only a few hours down the road so we would have time when we got there to explore a little and eat some lunch.

This was a return trip for me here as well, but hey…it’s fine with me! I booked us in the same hotel I had stayed in before because it was really convenient to Sean’s. We got settled in to our sparse, tiny room and then walked across the river to get to a restaurant I found. I had not been over here before, as the last time I was here it was a really short visit with little time to explore – only time for some pints and a shot of poitín!

Athlone has a lot of history and is a pretty cool city that is about halfway between Dublin and Galway. There is a castle there that is a big part of the local history. There are lots of shops, pubs, and different types of restaurants.

After lunch we went to Sean’s for a pint.

Much like Amsterdam, Sean’s has changed and not for the better. Effing IGers ruin everything they touch – just like meth addicts. Sean’s was so crowded in the middle of the day with people wanting “to be seen” and taking videos & pics. I am probably in a few; that’s my middle finger in case they are wondering.

We sat there and had a few more pints then decided to leave & go a few doors away to The Snug, the place where I had the aforementioned poitín last time.

I switched to water and we listened to some live music. As time went on, there were some guys getting to be rather hammered. They were having a great time and were dancing, trying to get people watching them to dance. Yeah, they tried to get me out there too. A couple of the guys were so funny, but I don’t dance unless I am under the influence.

We were getting hungry again and they had a special. A drink and a pizza for €15 so we got that deal. The pizza was so good and it was from the pizza joint right next door. We had their pizza last time too so I knew it would be good.

I was getting restless because I wanted to hear traditional Irish music (“trad” it’s called) but it did not start until very late so we called it and went for a walk then to the hotel for sleep.

We are traveling again tomorrow but it’s another short drive so we can have a leisurely morning.

See you next post!

Shawn