Last year's Celtic Invasion of County Mayo, Ireland was once again a ton of fun. Once again, I kept a daily journal with lots of short bullet points so that I could remember everything as it happened. So let's get started.
This year's vacation started in France for me. My family and I visited Nice for a few days. It was a wonderful relaxing adventure. We then took a train to Italy to visit my mom. I would've left all of this out except it's kind of necessary to explain the start of my Celtic Invasion.
We got off the train in Ventimiglia, Italy for lunch break and went to the ocean. My youngest daughter, Inara, waded into the ocean only to have both cut by something in the water. We took her to the hospital and she was eventually fine.
Because of that, she was on crutches or being carried for the rest of the trip to my mom's house and then back to Nice where we caught our airplanes. So my journal began here on the first day of the Invasion. I feel like I arrived in Dublin the night before the trip. But I forgot to record that.
Saturday, June 3, 2023 – Strokestown
We picked the invaders up at about 10 AM and hit the road for Strokestown Park & National Famine Museum and gardens.
It was noon when we arrived. We were hungry. We grab breakfast in the café. A couple invaders raved about a pistacchio cheesecake.
The museum wasn’t great. It was mostly panels that told the story of the famine. The story was fantastic. But I really feel like they could’ve used physical items to bring the exhibition more to life.
I followed other invaders behind the museum into a wooded path. There were fairy doors and birds and interesting looking trees. I was worried that this was the gardens. It was just a trail. I found the actual gardens afterward. There weren’t many flowers blooming. But I was particularly enamored by a Rhododendrum by the entrance. The gardens were beautifully laid out. I would love to go back when more flowers are blooming.
At about 2 o’clock we hit the road for our house in Westport. I realize we were going to arrive earlier than I told the owners. So I searched Google maps. I found some historical sites to stop at like Rathcrohan. It is just a sheep field with a mound, but it had a beautiful view of the countryside.
We grabbed groceries and headed to the cottage just outside of Westport. I started making my famous pasta sauce from scratch. It took a couple hours as usual. It is definitely one of the highlights of my trips for me. I love that people come together to create food.
After dinner, I played a good set of music. Then I jammed with Jim who brought his whistles.
Travel Tips:
- Don’t buy car insurance online. Get it in person.
- Bring a car charger.
- Make offline plans. Provide meet up info. In case of the problems
- Celtic invasion vacation magnet might be nice to keep track of more than one vehicle.
Sunday, June 4, 2023 – Westport
The Clew Bay Heritage Centre wasn't open when it said would be online. We drove to Westport House & Gardens instead. It was just down the street from the Centre. We explored the house before getting a tour that included a history of the house plus a little history of Bridget O’Malley.
It was after 1 pm when we finished the tour. We went into the center of Westport to get lunch. I had yummy mussels and a Smithwicks. It was warm outside. Everyone was tired. We planned to go to Matt Malloy’s for an Irish session. However, most of the group chose to go back to the house. Others hung out in town.
I had a few reservations to shore up in town. I took care of that. Afterward, I recorded a video of me singing “Come Adventure With Me” down by then water. Then I ate gelato and met Steve at MacBride’s where we played darts.
We picked up everyone and had dinner at The West Restaurant for some pub food. The streets got crowded as we walked over to Matt Malloy’s. The pub was packed. It turned out Monday was a bank holiday. So everyone was out since they didn’t have to work the next day.
The session was very busy. We decided to leave after hearing one set of tunes. Then we headed back to the house for a restful evening.
Monday, June 5, 2023 – Achill Island
Slow departure from the house. We drove to Grace O’Malley’s Towerhouse. There was a small coffee food truck in the parking lot. We bought coffee and chatted with a local who recommended a place to eat later in Keel.
The tower was accessible and a shell of a castle with great views. It was fantastic. I played a few songs to capture the mood of the trip.
We drove along the coast to the White Cliffs of Ashleam. The cliffs were spectacular. The water so blue and inviting.
Minaun Heights was ugly on top of the mountain, yet filled with delight full things like the soft peat and the rocks that people used to write messages with. It also had some stunning views.
We ate lunch at The Beehive. My beef stew was fantastic, though it was slow to arrive. All the food was made to order. It was well worth the wait.
I needed some beach time. So we stopped at Dooagh Beach to splash in the cold, ocean water.
The final stop of the day was at the Achill Island Distillery. We got a tour of the place and tasted the whiskey. They were out of the bottles of Irish American and their gin. I particularly loved the gin. It was very floral but wonderful nevertheless.
We grabbed groceries on the drive home. I made our Prince Charlie Chicken with some of the Whiskey we bought earlier. We had some roasted carrots and zucchini. It was delicious.
I finished the evening playing music then jamming with Jim on whistle.
Tuesday, June 6, 2023 – Clare Island
The main reason I wanted to go to Clare Island was because of a song by The Saw Doctors. It’s a great song. We took a ferry out from Roonagh early. There was no coffee at the dock. I hoped to get some on the island.
The ferry sailed up to the island. Clare O’Malley’s Rockfleet Castle stood strong overlooking the bay. It was a slightly different design. Beautiful.
Most of the shops were closed so I couldn’t get coffee. I called my girls while I walked on the beach and froze my feet in the water.
I hired an island taxi to take us on a tour of the island. We drove to the abbey. I loved the faded old designs on the roof. From there, we drove to the lighthouse and enjoyed some spectacular views the ocean, cliffs, and Achill Island.
On the ferry boat back, I saw one of the crew had a Clare Island Distillery shirt on. I asked him about the distillery and recorded the story for the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast.
We stopped in Louisburgh for a light lunch. I ate a delicious barley, pepper, and feta salad at Seven Wanders Cafe.
I planned for us to walk around Croagh Patrick. But it’s a four hour hike. We were all hot and tired. So we stopped instead at the National Famine Memorial in Murrisk instead. We parked by the old abbey. I sat out on the pier overlooking the mud flats. The tide was far out. Then I walked up to the memorial.
It was late afternoon when we drove back to the house for a rest before dinner and music at the pubs in Westport.
We ate dinner at The Curious Fish. The mussels and clams were nearly perfect. Not quite as good as in Oban, but the closest I have had. The sea bass was delicious too.
We went to Matt Malloy’s after dinner. We found a sign for a surf rock band playing at the pub that night. So we walked next door and grabbed seats at The Porter House. Music started around 9:30.
It was a guitar and whistle duo. They were good. About what you’d expect on a Tuesday evening. Better than most of the alternatives, but still nostalgia music. Not my favorite. By the end, I started visiting Matt Malloy’s. Turns out, they also had an Irish session. And the surf rock band was doing cover songs too.
Finished the evening at home chatting with Steve about music.
Wednesday, June 7, 2023 – Downpatrick Head
We drove up to the Ballycrory Visitor Center to learn about the Wild Nephin National Park. I learned that all of the beautiful rhododendron are an invasive species and not good for the surrounding bog. We took a short walk.
Next stop was to pick up lunch in Belmullet. We took our lunches to Deirbhille’s Twist on the peninsula. These standing stones were only about 30 years old. But they looked cool.
We drove to the nearby St Deirbhille Holy Well from where the twist got its name. We finished our time at the light house.
Next stop was the Doonfeeney Standing Stone. It’s the second tallest standing stone in Ireland. But on the way, we saw a sign for Céide Fields. I couldn’t resist so we stopped. So happy I did. The view was amazing. There were stones lying flat in the middle of a bog field from something like 5000 years ago. They were part of a big farm.
Our final tourist spot was Downpatrick Head. It was incredible. I wish we had more than the hour I gave us. I could’ve spent 3-4 hours there. The views after spectacular. The blow hole was fascinating, and I still didn’t make it down to the ocean. Again, the weather was perfect too. I did not want to leave. But we only had a limited time to get to the restaurant.
Dinner that evening was spontaneously planned at Dillon’s Bar and Restaurant in Ballina. Tho there was a short stop in Killala to look at a round tower.
Dillon’s was a bonded warehouse in the past. Imports were stored there. There were stables. But about a 10-15 years ago, it was converted into a restaurant. We ate where once the fireplace was. The bar was imported from England. The floor was from Kilmainham Gaol.
Thursday, June 8, 2023 – Country Life Museum of Westport
One of our invaders wanted some shopping. We hadn’t done much of that. I decided to set aside much of the day for that purpose. But we can’t just shop all day! We moved our Friday itinerary plans to Thursday.
First we drove to the nearby Turlough Round Tower. It was a mere 20 minutes away. There was no available history for it and no way to get into it. It was visible from the ground, and it looked really cool.
The Country Life Museum was five minutes away. It was really pretty. We grabbed some coffee before exploring the grounds. The museum itself had a lot of really good displays. However, I spent most of my time by a lovely lake. I sat there for nearly an hour. The weather was just perfect. I didn’t want to waste it indoors.
We drove back to Westport for lunch. We found some unique shops and separated as a group. I spent the rest of the afternoon, drinking beer and playing darts with locals.
We picked everyone up in the evening and went to Sol Rio for dinner. It was delicious. My plan was to go to Matt Malloy’s afterward, but everyone was really tired. Joannie Madden was performing, but we were worn out.
Friday, June 9, 2023 – Kylemore Abbey
I went running a different direction when I woke up early in the morning. It felt great. It was cool. There were sheep and cows and even a couple horses. And what glorious views.
We left early for Connemara and Kylemore Abbey. It was a pleasant surprise to find another round tower just 20 minutes from the house. I made a note to visit it later.
The drive to Connemara was glorious. Beautiful mountains, a fjord, rhododendron, streams. Just gorgeous!
Kylemore Abbey was everything I remembered. It’s set on a lake. There’s an amazing view of the house from the visitor’s center.
I skipped the house tour and headed straight for the walled Victorian gardens. I couldn’t enjoy them last time because of the midges. The wind kept them away. It was blowing pretty hard.
This time, I walked to them and happily enjoyed the view. There weren’t too many flowers in bloom. But it was still pretty.
The visitors center had a great shop. I bought necklaces for the girls. We ate lunch then drove 5 minutes to the Connemara National Park.
Everyone was tired. We drove straight back to the house. We stopped for a few minutes at the round tower we saw earlier that day.
We finished up the evening with dinner at Il Vulcano. I asked and got some great feedback for the trip.
Saturday, June 10, 2023 – Roscommon Castle and Back to Dublin
We left early. I had hoped to visit a couple of round towers on the way out if town. But I realized we only had time for one stop because I had to return the car.
We drove to Roscommon. We stopped for coffee at a super cute cafe. Then we drove to the castle.
Roscommon Castle was built in the 13th century and last used in the 18th. It was a shell of a castle but served as a centerpiece for the park there. Super cool thing to have in a local community. There are families in the park outside the castle.
It rained as we drove to the Clayton Dublin Hotel. It cleared up when we got there tho. We dropped off the car, then checked into the hotel.
After a little rest, Steve and I went to Dublin for dinner and a walk around the neighborhood. And we found a beautiful park and the hungry tree. Then we finish up the evening with some fantastic dinner at Loretta’s
I fly home first thing the next morning. It was another great adventure AND Celtic Invasion Vacations. I hope you will join me on a future Celtic Invasion Vacation.
