Among the many highlights today was watching Katie Taylor, local Irish lass,  win a GOLD medal at the Olympics. She had captured the imagination of all the Irish and even us! We had to make a stop during our drive to find a country pub and watch the flight with an assortment of folk who were our friends by the end of the fight.

In the morning we drove out to the Connemara area stopping first at Clifden which was abuzz with a pony show. The streets were busy with streets stalls selling all manner of things including hens. We continued on to the most beautiful place – Kylemore  Abbey – which was built as a house , a gift from a husband to his new wife. It’s a real love story. They had 9 children and when on holiday on the Nile,  Margaret Henry died. He, Mitchell Henry, returned and had a Chapel built in the style of a Cathedral. It is gorgeous.

We also visited the garden, a walled garden, so lovely. It was bought by the Benedictine nuns after WW2 when their Abbey in Belgium was bombed. They started a school for young ladies. It’s not a school now but the nuns are still there and run a craft business – making soap, chocolate and other assorted things.

We left the Abbey and planned on finding a suitable place to watch Katy fight the fight of the year. We stopped at a small country pub called the Anglers Rest.  We rushed in and every eye in the place turned and  looked at us – the interlopers! I asked “has the fight started” and they all broke into smiles and welcomed us with encouraging  cries of “come in ….it’s about to start!”
It was a gem. By the time the fight was over and  GOLD won, we had new friends.

Tonight back in Galway we plan to hit the streets which are alive with people celebrating. In my opinion the Irish like a good flight and know how to celebrate.

Photos soon. Its not easy putting them on with the iPad. Does anyone know an easy way ?