2004 TOUR OF IRELAND - Ben Oostdam, page 20
June 4 2004:
In Mohair House, Liscarney in the morning, I had a nice long chat with the owner, Marian O'Malley - who had once lived in Cleveland, Ohio - and with my fellow guests, a retired couple, Liverpudlians: she was two months younger than I, former phys.ed. teacher, he worked in tobacco, but never smoked. They did a lot of babysitting for grandchildren but were now on a week's vacation for which they took their own car and paid 350 pound sterling for passage across the Irish Sea.
Thus I only left Liscarney at 10:19 in a light rain, making my first stop in Westport to fill up gas: 27 euro and cash 173 euro.
From 11:24 - 13:00, I visited the (Irish National) Museum of Country Life, very modern, located in old Turlough Park House, former residence of The Fitzgeralds. Many schoolchildren. Old Irish Life panoramas, tools, history. Indeed, sometime in the 1800's Ireland had 8 million inhabitants, but after famine and emigration (100,000 p.a. to USA in 1890's) that was reduced to 4 million!
14: 20 Sligo: busy, New York Circus
15:00 harborview
15:12 Bundoran, fine beach, drunk shakes my hand : "Welcome to Ireland!"
15:36 Ballyshannon, hay for sale, crowded
16:12 very attractive Donegal, still raining, decide to head for Killybags, but
shortly past the new bypass of Mount Charles, I turned back and put up in Clybawn House.
Talked with hosts till 21:00, then walked to TheVillage Tavern: where Kim served salmon salad, goatcheese, dark beer, icecream and cafe latte, all in all 25 euro.
I enjoyed watching customers and children and interactions.
 
I then walked through the old town of Mount Charles and took picts of the back of old houses where I read notice of application for renovation. |
 Ended evening with Cadbury Buttons and Nestle Milky Bar. |