An Irish stone cottage on the water’s edge, bunnies, horses & a herding dog for neighbors, water & mountain views to die for … what more could one want? Well, maybe a pint of Guinness & there was plenty to be had if one knew where to look.
John & I rented a stone cottage in a remote section of Connemara for a couple of weeks this past June. In the adjacent field were two horses who didn’t mind the occasional carrot & rub on the head. Bunnies hopped around the backyard but scooted back into their warren when we approached. However, they were no match for John with his trusty camera & zoom lens. A neighbor’s friendly black & white herding dog came calling most days to play fetch with us. His method of playing fetch was one of diminishing returns as each time he returned to us with a stick, he bit into it breaking it into smaller & smaller pieces. Eventually, all we had to throw for him was a little nub of a stick which was difficult for him to find & left him looking perplexed!
Cleggan in Connemara is the hopping off point for the ferry to Inishbofin & the pier from which the ferry departs was built by Alexander Nimmo in 1822. Oliver’s on Cleggan Pier & Joyce’s Pubs in Cleggan offer delicious food, friendly & helpful staff & a pleasant “home away from home” when you desire a bit of company while enjoying your pint of Guinness.
Oliver’s has been a favorite for years & Noreen & Peter serve up a delectable garlic crab claw dinner (my favorite!) in addition to other terrific meals. New this year is Philippa & Sinead’s Sea Hare Pop-Up Café in Joyce’s Bar. The Sea Hare has a Thursday night “Long Table Dinner” which is a delightful combination of wonderful food & great company at the table.
To work off the Guinness, garlic crab claws & Long Table dinner or just because it’s loads of fun, I like to go horseback riding at Judy & Enda’s Cleggan Beach Riding Centre. The horses are a delight, Judy ensures that the riders are paired off with the appropriate horse & a short ride through town brings you to a pleasurable ride along a beach with a backdrop of stunning mountains. At low tide there is a longer ride across to Omey Island which was for me a beautiful & thrilling ride. It’s not every day that I get to horseback ride along the sea floor!
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Another terrific post to delight armchair travelers (like me) and inspire and inform those contemplating a trip. “Horseback riding on the sea floor” really struck me as magical! The photos by John that accompany this post, as always, bring settings to life. Teresa, as usual, you make me want to get out of my armchair and go!