The drive from Belfast to the Galway region takes about four hours, winding along twisting roads through farmlands and peat marshes. The hills rise brown above green fields, quartered with stone fences. It’s more brambles, marsh, and rough grass than I expected, but the people are warm and friendly and it all feels very Irish. The weather was uncharacteristically nice for a few days; dappled sunshine and lush sunsets.
Galway was all music, as promised. It spilled from the pubs in the evenings and drifted along sidewalks in the mornings. Rich seafood dishes were characteristic: O’Grady’s was recommended by a colleague and turned out to be a real find.
There was no time to visit the Cliffs of Morer (Distance: 26 mi; driving time 1hr-15m advised the TomTom, ominously) or the winding road through Connemara to Ballynahown. So, saved for the next trip, hopefully early next year.