Galway

The Esker Retreat House, Athenry, Co. Galway was our home for three nights. It turned out to be a quiet and peaceful place to begin our pilgrimage. (The first night's whistles and groanings must have been an extension of the day's sight-seeing amongst graves and ruins.) The food was surprisingly good, all local products and grass-fed beef, the only kind of meat produced in Ireland both for Irish and European consumption. Our first morning began in prayer with words of guidance from Fr. Michael to "look for the spark" in each sacred place, the spark or grace or spirit that inhabits it and is waiting for you to ignite and carry to the world.





























Our first stop was at the Rathbaun Farm where we met Fenton the Farmer and Ted the dog (a young border collie who hardly ever stopped moving and reminded us of Bella, Jerry and Lydia's dog). Fenton looks heroic in the photo below, doesn't he? He sheared a sheep and put Ted to his paces herding a small flock of sheep. Because Ted is young and hasn't been trained yet, he "made a simple job very complicated," according to Fenton. We were impressed, however. We were invited into the farm house for scones, jam, whipped cream and tea. It was heavenly, and the farm has been added to our growing list of "happy places."

This is Kylemore Abbey, once a palatial estate built for Margaret Henry, mother of nine, by her doting husband, Mitchell, doctor and tycoon. Unfortunately, she died in Egypt of dysentery in her early '40s, and the estate was bought by the Duke of Manchester who squandered it gambling. It was finally purchased in 1928 by Benedictine nuns who have run it as a retreat center ever since.






The coast near Galway with the Aran Islands in the distance.







Galway's musicians are world-famous, and here are some just getting started on their careers.































The Galway Cathedral.








The Corrib River, Ireland's shortest river, which runs through the city of Galway.








Front door of the Cathedral, which is a fairly new edifice, and some of Galway's citizens crossing the bridge.