Traveling the Emerald Isle -- Day 12, Tuesday, August 30, 2022

Galway, Shrine of Our Lady of Knock and the Carrowkeel Megalithic Cemetery, Ireland  – Day 12, Tuesday, August 30, 2022

We’re up for another day of adventure starting with some time spent in the City of Galway. It is a maritime city located between Galway Bay and Lough Corrib.  Walking into the functioning medieval church of the Catholic Cathedral of Our Lady Assumed into Heaven and St. Nicholas took my breath away.  High curved arches, a central dome, beautiful stained-glass windows, life-like Stations of the Cross and a beautiful Marian side alter all contributed to the grandeur yet holiness of the church. Legend has it that Christopher Columbus prayed here in 1477 before his voyage to the New World.

Catholic Cathedral of Our Lady Assumed into Heaven
and St. Nicholas
Galway, County Galway, Ireland

From here we stroll along the lovely River Corrib to the Spanish Arch, a remnant of the city wall built in 1584 to protect the river and the city.  It is also the place where the Spanish would unload their ships filled with goods, mostly wine!  Further along, we enjoy the pedestrian shopping area, enjoy the unique names of some of the businesses (I especially related to “Nana’s Tea”!), the street musicians which seem to be prevalent in cities throughout the country, until we reached the open grassy area of Eyre Square. This area was outside the city when donated by the mayor in 1710 and is now where people linger, sip their coffee, read or check their phone and let the children play in the playground. 

Spanish Arch, Galway

Now heading north, we make a stop at the Shrine of Our Lady of Knock, Queen of Ireland. It is a Catholic pilgrimage site and national shrine in the village of Knock, County Mayo.  On the evening of August 21, 1879, 15 parishioners ranging in age from five to seventy-five, witnessed an apparition of Our Lady wearing a large, brilliant crown and clothed in white garments. On her right was Saint Joseph, with Saint John the Evangelist on her left. To the left of St. John, a cross and a lamb stood on an altar. No words were spoken.  Witnesses stood praying for two hours in the heavy rain, though the ground around the apparition remained dry for as long as the vision lasted. The Vatican has approved a new Feast Day of Our Lady of Knock on August 17 of every year.  It was truly a holy place … beautiful, serene, prayerful.

Chapel at the Shrine of Our Lady of Knock

In the Cathedral at the Shrine of Our Lady of Knock

Heading to the Carrowkeel Megalithic Cemetery, we wondered if we were on the right path. The road narrows to a cow path (okay, sheep path!).  Then there’s the gate across the road reading “Leave the gate as found. Please keep gate closed. No dogs allowed.” Do we continue further? There’s no sign of other humans anywhere (to be fair … two hikers did come down the trail as we were going up).  We open the gate, drive through, then close the gate and continue. At one point Frank decided he probably shouldn’t go on, parked the car, and we hiked UP the trail on the side of the mountain.  While the vistas were stunning, the walk up was rather difficult.  Frank, Suzanne and Bob forged ahead … I was a bit slower and enjoyed snapping pictures and talking to the many grazing sheep scattered throughout the road and mountainside.  At one point, where no plain path was discernible though it definitely went higher among the boulders, I couldn’t tell where the rest were and didn’t want to take the wrong path up, so I turned around.  However, the others did make the climb and found the ancient burial tombs to be amazing.  There were at least 14 tombs constructed, some of which they could squeeze into. These tombs were built of stone, of course, in the 4^th millennium BC; and, remarkably, no modern reconstruction has been done or needed.  The monuments were the final resting places of people within the Neolithic community and would have functioned as territorial markers for an expanding colonization of the region.  Frank and Suzanne have said this was the highlight of the entire trip!

We make one more stop at the lovely Glencar Lough in County Leitrim where a captivating waterfall tumbles down, eventually making its way to the lake. The Central Hotel in Donegal, County Donegal, is our home for the night.  Reminiscing about our day over dinner and drinks, we all agree the gift of being able to experience this beautiful country is truly a Blessing.