Our day began with the drive from Galway to the pretty little seaside town of Westport. We were expecting the trip to be mostly highway, but our SatNav (Colleen) guided us through back roads and rabbit lanes — or at least that’s how they appeared to us. I’m convinced that she thinks we don’t like to go on the highways.
In any case, we arrived in the late morning, too early to get into our B&B. So we walked around a bit, checked out the harbour and a quirky little museum. Next, we went ancestor hunting. Our first stop was the old parish church at Turlough, the parish of Fred’s Irish ancestors, the Kimlins. We walked through the cemetery but did not find any relatives there.
Next, we went in search of the farm hamlet of Cloonkesh, which Colleen didn’t even recognize as a place (a shopkeeper in Turlough gave us directions). We found a wee sign with the name and an arrow, and followed it to a farmer’s property, where we stopped and wandered around a bit.
The treasure we were hunting was any evidence of the little farmhouse of Fred’s maternal great-grandfather, William Kimlin. We had a good look around, and figured it must be long gone. Just as we were getting back in the car, along came the farmer.
The treasure we were hunting was any evidence of the little farmhouse of Fred’s maternal great-grandfather, William Kimlin. We had a good look around, and figured it must be long gone. Just as we were getting back in the car, along came the farmer.
He wanted to know what we were doing taking photos. We told him, and he knows where the ruins are of Fred's great-great grandfather's house!
So he explains very clearly (three times to be sure) how to go through this gate, walk down the field, go through another gate, then walk along, and go through a third gate and we'll see it.
So he explains very clearly (three times to be sure) how to go through this gate, walk down the field, go through another gate, then walk along, and go through a third gate and we'll see it.
And we did! I took a ton of photos of it from all angles. Incredible! We had to walk through pastures to get there, and as we were examining the ruins, we were being thoroughly examined by large suspicious looking cows on the other side of a flimsy fence.
Next, we went to the site of an even older local church, where there is a 9th century round tower and a lot of very old graves. There may be one relative in there, but the stone was very hard to read.
We drove back to Westport and checked into our B&B, where our host Margaret welcomed us warmly. We walked to town for dinner at O’Malley’s Restaurant, then called it a night.
No comments:
Post a Comment