This is now our last evening in Ireland, and we're both sorry to be leaving. So much of the last (almost) three weeks has been fantastic.
Where did we leave you? In the Adare cottage I believe, packing to head north to Co Mayo via Galway.
You wouldn't believe it but today Ireland is bracing for Storm Hannah to hit the south west, heading east toward Waterford.Lucky for us we'e not.
Day 10 drizzly and cold (Driving day)
Most of the day was spent driving so the rain didn't really affect our plans too much. We stopped in Galway for a wander though the town, it is the busiest one we've seen since Dublin. we have our lunch with us so we head out to Galway Bay to enjoy our sandwiches, bear in mind that there's a storm coming and it's cold and windy, there are at least 15 hardy souls who jump into the freezing Atlantic water to swim while we enjoy the warmth of the car. In fact it's so windy it's hard to open the car door. There were however a couple of others who didn't mind the rain.

Knife sharpener and mates Galway

Oscar Wilde  i n Galway

We have quite a way to go so we push on through.











The drive up to Mayo is quite lovely, the main reason to go to Mayo is that we have an ancestry connection to the town of Belmullet, which looks to be almost the 'edge of the world'.

Talbot's Hotel Belmullet

Bridge St Belmullet.

(Family tree notes: Edward Roach and Sarah Cosgrove were married here in 1858 and their two children Mary Josephine and Michael were baptised in the same church in 1860 and 1862. Edward was the Pensioner guard aboard the Ship Racehorse which arrived in Swan River Colony 1865)

The drive takes us through Castlebar, Ballina across to Bangor in to Belmullett, which really surprised us, I'd have thought it might be an old run down town. It is anything but that. There are quite a lot of new builds among the older houses, not as many ruined old homes as other places have. It's a place that's at the end of the road so you really have to have a reason for being there and may people do seem to have done that.

Our accommodation is a BnB along the road into town with a view out to Achill Island ( on a clear day).
We've arrived late. So we find out where we can have dinner and set off for a quick bite and then an early night. The pub wasn't much chop so we did go along to another which was much better but after driving all day sleep was the better option.

Day 11 Very Windy and cold
I've asked a number of people we've spoken to if they know of any Roach or Cosgrove's but no luck there. I'm not fussed, s it was 150 years ago, and we set off the see Black Sod Light house, I was hoping to have a chat to the lady at the Heritage centre on the way but it was not open.
We did a bit of driving around the farm roads behind Eachleim (pronounced Aughleem) and found a ruined tower, some standing stones in a field, donkeys, shire horses and sheep.
There's a National Park (Ballycroy) not far away so off we went to have a look at what's there, and to try to find out the footy score when we could get a signal. As it was VERY windy and cold we didn't stay too long outdoors

Ballycroy NP

It's an incredible place, very empty and desolate, completely different form anywhere else we've been in Ireland.
After that we drove out to the other side of the peninsula to Cheide Fields where a complete collection of Neolithic buildings have been found, mostly showing that about 5000 years ago man was quite sophisticated as they built shelter, enclosed fields for their animals, that are still in situ today, even though they were buried for all that time. Walking around the ruins we were just about blown off the planet with the strength of the winds ( post storm Hannah).

Remnant of Neolitihic enclosure wall

It's been very cold out so went headed back to the BnB for a warm shower and a rest before dinner.
Talbot's is the pub of choice tonight in town and it was great.











Day 12 drizzle, fog and cold
We only have  few days left in Ireland, we now head east along the road toward  Portrush and the Giant's Causeway, It's the most incredible place full of the legends of giants, and you can almost believe them while you're there. The causeway is supposed to go to Scotland, which you can see from here, sometimes.

Small part of Giant's Causeway

There's also a ruined castle (yes another) in quite good condition along the road too. Dunluce Castle.









Day 13 drizzle and cold
After a night in Portrush we are off toward our last night in Ireland at a very nice hotel in Malahide near Dublin.
On the way we stopped at another Unesco World Heritage site (the other was Giants Causeway) Also a Neolithic site this one is Newgrange and Knowth ( pronounced Nowth) These are burial sites of the most amazing and unbelievable intricacies. We went into the grave at Newgrange which on the winter solstice the sun shines into the chamber and illuminated the grave. The guide showed us how it works with lights and it must have been quite spectacular at a time when the only illimination was the sun and fire.

Dunluce Castle,Portrush

Entrance to Newgrange Burial mound

Rock decoration Knowth

Burial  mound Knowth

There was another revelation here too. We sat on a bus alongside a couple from Belmullet ( small world) anyway we got to chatting about the family connection with Belmullett. After a while I caught up with the wife Michelle again, she said Oh, I was looking for you, Michael has rung his Dad in Belmullett to ask him about the Cosgroves...long story short, the 92 yr old dad did remember that there had been only one family called Cosgrove in Attycunane ( pronounced Atchyconan) EVER. Michael and I talked about where I thought they'd lived and he was pretty sure there is still someone in an old house in the area who might remember something. He's going to find out when they get back from their hols....OMG  so we swapped email addresses and have now gone our separate ways.
I can't begin to tell you how excited I was after that little encounter.
AND I had a Pheasant fly alongside my window as we drove along a lane today.

Perfect day
Pheasants are one of the iconic animals I wanted to see while we are here.

Day 14
Travel day today, drop off hire car go to airport wait and wait... fly to Leeds (40 Minute flight!)

Arrive in Yorkshire
Pick up the hire car.drive without a sat nav !! We eventually find out cute little Guest house among the fields of cows and horses, just down the lane from a lovey little pub that had the very best Liver and Bacon on the menu. And that's were we are now.
Although we have had a busy couple of weeks doing and seeing as much as we could in Ireland, here in Yorkshire we've slowed down quite a bit as we are now in Iles country and I want o try to see many of the villages nd towns while we are here and they are very close by.
Over this weekend is the Cycling Tour De Yorkshire  (all around us) so there's that to see as well.
That's all for tonight.