England and Ireland---Day 16

Packed up yet again.  We had two days in this hotel, and two days in one hotel, as mentioned before, is luxurious.  We have two days in Derry, our next stop too.

Left the Galway area today heading almost due north on our way to Northern Ireland.    Got a lesson on "The Troubles" from Marian.  Turns out it isn't as much a religious conflict as an ethnic one between the native Catholic Irish and the imported Protestant Scotch. Pretty much settled now, although on the way in we say signs where the London of Londonderry had been marked out.  Obviously still some resentment.

Clonalis House

Back to today:  our first stop was in Castlerea at Clonalis House which is the ancestral home of the O'Conor Don, who is a direct descendant of the last High King of Ireland, Ruaidrí Ua Conchobair.  The name has, over 900 years, changed to O'Conor, and don has nothing to do with Italy or Spain, but is the name given to the head of the House,  like Lord.  This is a wonderful old house, where we were met by a member of the family.  They can trace their line back to 1000 BC, which I find interesting, if not almost impossible.  The library here has 100,000 volumes, so perhaps the genealogy is not impossible.  The rock upon which the dons were installed is in the garden...looks like a rock, so if you weren't told of its importance it would just be another rock.

River Shannon

Music at lunch

Leaving Castlerea, we headed east and north to Carrick on Shannon.  More of the same wonderful green rolling Irish countryside with lots less rocks than in Connemara.  The Shannon is the longest river in Ireland at 224 miles, which also makes it the longest river in all of the British Isles.  Unfortunately it is shallow which makes it unusable for transport of large ships.  We boarded a boat for an hour cruise on the river with a nice lunch.  We had home-made sandwiches and more wonderful scones with jam and cream.

Yeats' headstone

Next stop was outside Sligo in the town of Drumcliff.  This is the burial place of William Butler Yeats, a major poet and play wright who died in only 1939.  In my mind I had him earlier, perhaps the late 1800's.  Just goes to show what I don't know.  Marian recited some of Yeats poetry (from memory, mind you) and this may be some literature I'm going to have to look into.

A long run into Northern Ireland followed.  There is no border crossing, and the only indication that you are no longer in Ireland is the lack of Irish on the signs, miles instead of kilometers, and £ instead of €.  Interesting that the official name is Londonderry, but the Irish name Derry is usually preferred and used by everyone.  

Swan on the Shannon

Northern Ireland countryside

 Summer solstice tonight, so the sun sets here at 10:10, and lord knows when it will be full dark.  I certainly won't know, as I'll be asleep.