Lisbrin and Around

And just like that we were on our way to our last castle of our vacation. So unbelievable. We had five nights booked on the North Atlantic Ocean in a small area of Ballycastle called Lisbrin. This was about a two and half hour drive away from Killybegs. We were all sad to see the end of our time at Driftwood cottage but we were definitely looking forward to our next cottage.

We drove through Sligo and had to make a pit stop at Hertz to deal with a wee issue. It was a bit of a challenge finding the exact location of the Hertz rental store as we were told to head to the airport. The airport was extremely small, far from international. When we went inside, it was deserted of people. Fortunately, there was a number at the Hertz counter to call and we were given directions to head back to town. Once we found that location, Arlyn dealt with the issue and we were back on the road.

We arrived to a beautiful cottage. Two of the walls on the house were floor to ceiling windows. These looked directly over fields and down toward the ocean. The views were breathtaking. Calvin, Abby, and I stayed at the cottage while Arlyn and Kim headed back to Ballina to get groceries for the next 5 days. As Calvin curled up in bed, Abby and I went outside to explore the barn and visited with our neighbours (cattle and horses) and got completely soaked. It was definitely a short exploration. We dried off, Arlyn and Kim returned and we enjoyed our first dinner at our cottage.

View from our cottage.

The wind howled all night long. Sunday, we woke up to more wind and rain. It was a was a very lazy day. We all huddled around our books and curled up on the chairs, couches, or in our beds and read (or watched YouTube if you were under the age of 40)! I continued to read Dragonfly in Amber all morning. I enjoyed some Suits in the afternoon.

Around the dinner hour, we all emerged from our various cocoons and decided it was time to head into the village and have a meal at Mary’s Country Kitchen, a place that had been recommended to us by the cottage owner. Mary’s Country Kitchen is a well known eatery and is situated in a very small and cute old cottage style home. Homemade dinner was the name of the game.

After a lazy Sunday, we were geared up to get back into our touring pace on Monday. First stop was to head west a bit down the road to Ceide Fields. Ceide Fields was discovered in the 1930s by a local man named Patrick Caulfield. Patrick was digging in the bog when he noticed a pile of buried stones. Exploration of the area began 40 years later by Patrick’s son, Seamus. Ceide Fields is considered one of the world’s most extensive Stone Age monuments. Essentially, this area is the remains of a farming community from 5000 years ago. There is a wee museum in the centre that explains how bogs are formed and about the farming community that would have lived here. There is also a 20 minute movie that tells about the land, rock formations, and the discovery of the site.

Rock walls at Ceide Fields

After watching the movie, we geared up for a guided tour of the site. We got to our first stop and the rain started moving in horizontally. It was freezing. One by one, our group of interested tourists lost interest and headed for shelter. I really tried to stay to listen but I was getting soaked and it was just so cold that I had to politely run for cover.

We had a hot tea and a wee snack in the cafe and by the time we were done, so was the rain. For now. So, we headed back outside and walked the site independently. Unfortunately, without the guidance of someone in the know, what we saw was basically piles of stones that we figured used to be fences or the base of walls for buildings.

We left Ceide Fields and started heading east, back toward Lisbrin. Before we even made it back to the Lisbrin area, we stopped and found a standing stone that was in the middle of an old grave yard. The stone was marked with a couple of stylistic crosses.

 Standing stone

The next stop for the day was the Ballina Tourist Centre. Calvin really wanted to find a spot to fish and we were told that the employees would be able to help us out. We did receive some information from the BTC but best yet, across the street was Costa Coffee! Sweet justice. We collected all of the information and sat in Costa and enjoyed our coffees. Arlyn and Kim made a couple of calls regarding fishing and horseback riding. When we were finished with our coffees, and walked down to the River Moy in order to meet Gary at the Tackle shop. Unfortunately, the shop was closed. There was, however, a number on the door to call a tackle shop in a different town. Arlyn did that and the person who answer told Arlyn that Gary had a bad back and sometimes didn’t open the store but we were welcome to visit him in Foxford. We hung about the river for a bit and watched some fly fishers casting and recasting their lines.

Foxford was actually the next stop on our list for the day as we had heard that there was a woolen mill there. This mill/shop did not hold a candle to the shops we had visited in Donegal. We all left with “full” wallets! But the tackle shop came through from Calvin. We were able to set up a time for him to rent a rod the next morning. Luckily, we also got a call in to the horseback riding farm and set up a time for riding the next afternoon. Tuesday was now planned.

Driving home we were looking for stone circles and standing stones that were highlighted on a North Mayo County map. We found a stone circle and visited the remains of Rathfran Abbey. But we discovered that the map we had was rather useless. Even a local walker could not interpret it for us. So the poor map decided for us that it was time to return to Lisbrin, the cottage, and dinner.

 A wee stone circle.

Tuesday was an early rise day. We set off for Foxford to get Calvin set up for his fishing expedition. The drive took about one hour and was very quiet. I think that we were all a bit tired. It was earlier than our usual time of departure and we had been travelling for 5 and a half weeks. I may have even had a wee nap on the way!

One in Foxford, the tackle shop set Calvin up with a rod, tackle, and a very large (hopeful) net. Arlyn and Calvin stayed on the river as Kim, Abby, and I returned to Ballina.

I promptly deposited myself at Costa Coffee, bought a hot coffee, and read for an hour or so! Bliss. Abby and Kim took of for the shops. After the hour, they met me at Costa with shopping bags bursting with new purchases. We picked up some lunch items in order that we could have a picnic lunch between fishing and horseback riding.

We return to Foxford and met Calvin and Arlyn at the river. We spent some time watching Calvin fish. We saw a few salmon jumping in the river but Calvin had not luck, even with all of his inventive fishing stances, and super speedy reeling.

The owner of the tackle shop recommended a great area where we could enjoy our picnic lunch. A short drive away from Foxford was a small beach on Lough Cullin. This was a beautiful location for us to enjoy an outdoor meal.

Lough Cullin

Our next stop was Iceford Stables and horseback riding. Now, I have not been riding since I was a kid. I used to ride just about every weekend when I was in grade 3 and 4. And, I remember loving is so much. Now, as a 40 year old, I can tell you, I was a ball of nerves. I was worried about riding. But I did keep in my mind the thought that I should not be held back by things that I am afraid of. It was time to face this challenge!

Horseback riding

The employees at Iceford Stables were all very professional, supportive, and encouraging. And, they were 12 years old. They assured me that Casper, my ride, would be fine and would provide me with a comfortable and enjoyable ride. With the assistance of a step, I hopped up on Caspar and was ready for our trek. Once all of us were suited up and ready to ride, Liz, the leader, asked our guides to lead us around the barn for a couple of turns. We were instructed on how to lead our horse, how to instruct them to stop and how to instruct them to move faster. After we had completed this, it was off for our outdoor trek. We walked along the road outside of the stables. Moving slowly along the road and enjoyed the beautiful scenery and conversation with our guides. Next it was off to walk in the fields of the stables. In the distance, we were able to see the beautiful Ox Mountains. Everywhere you look, Ireland pleases the eyes. Finally, we returned to the barn and were given the opportunity to trot with our horse. That was fun. After our pictures were take, it was time to dismount. I can’t say that my dismount was elegant but I got down safely. It was truly an enjoyable way to spend the afternoon.

Our last stop for the day was on our way home at Downpatrick Head. Downpatrick Head was an area/landform of Ireland that had been described to us in the movie at Ceide Fields. Named after the time that St. Patrick founded a church here, Downpatrick Head is a beautiful, rugged, area of natural beauty. Dún Briste sea stack sits just off shore and is a beautiful feature of this area. Downpatrick Head was also a World War II lookout post. It was super windy at the edge of the cliffs. The views were breathtaking.

 Downpatrick Head

After dinner back at the cottage, Kim, Abby, and I decided it was time to investigate the abandoned house that was located between the cottage and the shoreline. We made a couple of attempts to get to the house but were blocked, first by the shoreline, then by a bull, and then by the electrified fences. We were able to get fairly close to the house but were stopped by the fencing. So our exploration could not occur. One the way back we were walking near bogs. I walked a little too near the bog. Actually, I walked in the bog and my boot got sucked into the bog. The only way to get the boot out was to release my foot from the boot and, while standing on one foot, retrieve it from the sucking mud. Thankfully, no muck actually got into the boot, but it really was covered. Once again, rain forced us back to our cottage and shelter. Another busy day came to a close with some exploration and good laughs.

Wednesday was a day to explore some ancient stone structures. We had a later start to the day. Our first goal was to head to Carrowmore. Carrowmore is the largest Stone Aged cemetery in Ireland. The visitors centre has some information about the cemetery and you can rent a laminated map of the area that helps you to follow a path around the site and read about what you see as you journey. One the site are dolmens and stone circles. There is also a large reconstruction of one cairn that you can enter. Again, we were foiled by rain. Although I was able to read all of the information about the site and the stones, it was definitely a quick tour.

 Dolmen at Carrowmore

We ended up at a roadside pub for lunch that was between Carrowmore and our next site, Carrowkeel. We dried off and warmed up with a cup of tea. And then we were off to Carrowkeel. After parking our car, we hiked up the 1 km, on a path lined with sheep, to the top of the hill. I feel like I keep writing about how the landscape of Ireland is so beautiful and breathtaking, but it really is. It makes me happy to be outdoors in this country. It was a good spot for our last true adventure in Ireland. It was fitting to be hiking the countryside surrounded by sheep, rocks, wind and green. Carrowkeel is located at the top of Bricklieve Mountains. It is an ancient sacred site. Like Carrowmore, Carrowkeel has dolmens and cairns scattered around the site. We all spent time sitting and enjoying the scenery.

 Cairn at Carrowkeel

By the time we got home, the inevitable was staring us in the face. It was time to pack. We spent the evening trying to stuff all of our wool purchases into essentially the same amount of suitcases that we brought with us with varying degrees of success. In the end, we all managed to happily fit all our purchases in our cases. My case was 0.5kg underweight. Yikes!

Our flight was Friday out of Dublin. Kim had booked us a hotel room for Thursday night so we were not rushed on Friday. We had to drive from the west to the east of Ireland in a sub compact car with more luggage than was strictly necessary for 5 people. So, we decided to cut the journey in half by stopping at the Famine Museum in Strokestown. This museum was located on the site of Nicholas Mahon’s manor home. We opted out of touring the mansion and focused only on the Famine Museum which had been set up in the old stables. The museum provided information about the social structure of Ireland in the 1800s, the importance of the potato, the devastation of the Potato Blight of the 1840s. Also of interest was the information about the emigration of the poor and starving to the New World. So unfortunate were their lives in Ireland, the journey to the Americas took place on what became known as coffin ships. The landlord during the potato famine evicted starving peasants and chartered boats for them. A shocking 600 out of the 1000 people  died on the overcrowded ships. The last part of the museum focused on the early fight for Irish freedom and independence.

The last leg of our journey took us to Dublin. We had made a full circle in two week. We checked into our hotel and rested for a bit before we headed out to The Old Schoolhouse pub for our last dinner together in Ireland.

Friday morning we took our final group selfie outside of the hotel with as much success as could be expected for our group. We hugged and said our goodbyes. Kim and I hopped into our taxi. Arlyn, Calvin, and Abby were leaving from a different Terminal so they waited for a second taxi. And that was that. We were off to the airport.

Of course, as soon as we cleared security, we visited the Irish shop in the airport and made some final purchases. Apparently no day in Ireland is complete without some significant spending!

It is rather difficult to sum up. This post is entitled “Lisbrin” and it is about our final cottage stay but it is also the final post for this 6 week wonder trip. How do I sum it all up? Maybe the best thing to do is a top ten list???

Top Ten List

10. Travel. We are a privileged people. We live in an amazing country. But we also have the privileged opportunity to leave home and explore our world. Plane, train, taxi, boat, car, subway, tram, bus, and lots and lots of walking. These were all the means of our travel. But the means of travel are not really as important as the destinations and the experiences. Travel really opens your eyes to the way that people exist around the world. Travel also helps you to reflect on the way you live back home. Travel expands horizons. It opens eyes. Travel makes you see that people are more alike than different. Travel makes me grateful to be able to return to our amazing country, Canada. And finally, after you have returned, travel makes you hungry for more travel!

9. Education. This trip was a true education. I learned so much about World War II from the Eastern European perspective. I learned a lot about the horrific treatment of Poland during this time. I learned about the history of a number of cities. I learned about historic people that I had never heard of before in my life.

8. Food and drink. Of course a big perk of visiting other places is being able to experience some of the food and drink of the area. Perogies. Lody, 99s, Guinness, sausage, fresh fruit, scones with butter and jam, McVities, Sauerkraut, dumplings, beef stew, crepes, soda bread, Pogácsa (cheese biscuits), Galaxy chocolates, chocolate snails, trdelníks, Żywiec beer, McGargles beer, Lech beer, radler, Bailey’s, coffee, tea, and I am sure I have missed so much more. All enjoyable!

7. Differences in cultures. Most places we went in Poland, Czech Republic, and Hungary, and Austria we had to pay for the use of the toilets. Sometimes there were attendants (what a job). But Ireland, toilets were free of charge. While in the cities, we were all very aware of the amount of people who still smoke. It was rather astonishing. We learned about tipping practices in different cultures. We experienced customer service in different countries. Sometimes attitudes were rather abrupt. Other times, very friendly.

6. Beautiful, old buildings. If you check out my Instagram account @tdotmcgdot you will see what I mean. Everywhere you look in Europe, you see buildings that have seen thousands of years pass by their doors and windows. It is truly mind boggling to learn that a building has been standing in the location you are visiting for more than 500 years. Sometimes it is difficult to fathom.

5. Wandering. I love wandering. It is one of the best things about travel. When you don’t really make a plan but choose to wander. It is amazing what you find when you travel this way.

4. Ireland. I have visited Ireland a few times before. I love it more and more each time I visit. Maybe my soul knows that my ancestors were from Ireland, there is a connection, it just feels like a coming home. The Irish are truly the friendliest people that I have ever met on all of my travels. They have a quick wit, are always willing to laugh and tell a story. They are helpful and full of life. It is a joy to meet an Irish person.

3. Auschwitz. I feel very privileged to have been able to walk those hallowed grounds. See my blog post for more: here

2. Laughter. Man did we have some good laughs. From Calvin’s shanking with the wee thistle prick at the Dark Hedges to Arlyn’s spread eagle on her horse to the multiple fails of our group selfies to the inventive hashtags, we spent a lot of time laughing.

1. Family. The top experience of this trip is the most obvious to me. It is having the opportunity to spend time with the wonderful Newbery/O’Driscoll clan. This family has welcomed me, with open arms, into their tightly knit family. It is one thing to be included in a family celebration. It is another thing completely to invite someone to travel with their family for six whole weeks. I am eternally grateful that I was invited. I am eternally grateful that I was included and treated like family. I am privileged to know each member of this family. I am lucky to be able to consider them apart of my extended family.

“Traveling - it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller.”

~Ibn Battuta

I know that I was left speechless many times over the past 6 weeks. I hope that this blog has been a great storytelling forum and has communicated the experiences in an interesting way to all those who read this.