County Galway, Ireland Photo Gallery

We ate several times here at Maggie Mays, which was recommended by our host, Chris. Chris and Orla, our hosts at Brookeen Hall gave us many good suggestions for our trip.

In Portumna we did a tour of the most complete remaining Irish Work House. This is the first main building for entrance.

Inside the manager's office and where the officials came to meet it was a nice room with a big fireplace. None of the poor people came in this room.

Our guide, Mark, did a very good job making us understand the conditions of this place. This is where the families would first come to see if they would be allowed to enter. Believe me that it would have been the last resort of these destitute people.

After entering the families were separated, not to see each other again for a long time if ever. This is the women's dormitory.

This is looking towards the dining area and the women's dormitory. Big crows were flying around and added to the ominous feeling of this sobering place.

A room of beds in the women's dormitory. They believed that ventilation would keep down disease. See the vents in the top of the walls and there were also holes under the beds and no way to close them. It was cold!

From 1848-1850 approximately 4,175 orphan girls from these workhouses were sent to Australia. This would help to correct the gender imbalance in Australia. This map shows how many were sent from where.

This was the latrine area, but beside it was the solitary punishment rooms. it stank in more ways than one to be punished.

This was in the laundry building, which was a good job to have because you would get warm.

This building held the infirmary, which was detached from the other buildings and in the back. Many people died in these work houses, partly because of their health when then entered and partly because of the terrible conditions at the work house.

Next I visited the castle in town, where the landlord of this area lived when he happened to come to town.

The Portumna Castle-It actually burned and was never completely restored.

Looking back from the front door.

A lovely spot in the gardens of Portumna Castle.

It was also a kitchen garden and these are sweet peas.

Foxglove.

A beautiful walkway in the garden.

Mountain Bluet.

A beautiful wall area.

Iris xiphium.

Another pretty walkway.

Hardy fuchsia, I always love these flowers!

St. Brigid's Church was built from stones in the ruble of the castle when it burnt down in 1826.

Out in the Connemara National Park area there is lake after lake, or lough as they are called in Ireland.

The beautiful hills and lakes in the Connemara area.

More jaw dropping hills and lakes.

Kylemore Abbey, a Benedictine Monastery founded in 1920, but originally built in 1868 as a private home for the family of Mitchell Henry.

Brian and I at Kylemore Abbey.

Brian's beautiful shot of Kylemore Abbey.

The view in front of Kylemore Abbey.

In the library area of the Kylemore.

The beautiful parlor at Kylemore.

The dining room was gorgeous! The Henry family were very generous and kind people. They hired many people who came to their estate to help the poor.

I would love to sit and enjoy the view from this chaise lounge!

The inner den type room where the 2nd owner added these dark panels.

Walking in front of Kylemore Abbey.

This little church was built as a memorial to Mitchel Henry's wife, Margaret, who died at the age of 45 in Cairo, Egypt.

This stained glass window depicts the 5 graces: Fortitude, Faith, Charity, Hope, and Chastity.

The marble pillars in the church come from the 4 provinces of Ireland: green from Connemara, rose from Cork, black from Kilkenny, and grey from Armagh.

The formal garden area of the 6 acre walled garden looking to the glasshouse area. It once boasted 21 heated glasshouses where they grew fruits and vegetables not found normally in Ireland.

Brian taking in the garden view from a nice circular seating area.

This tree is a Cordyline Australis (Cabbage Tree).

These glasshouses were installed so they could have many different fruits and vegetables not found in Ireland and in different seasons.

Looking from the glasshouse area back to the formal gardens and the hill beyond.

At the Kylemore Garden.

The vegetable garden area.

Crinodendron hookerianum, also called Chilean Lantern Tree.

Church of St Joseph's Clifden.

The town square (or circle) in Clifden.

This statue commemorates the centenary of the first non-stop transatlantic flight by Alcock & Brown June 1919.

We saw many ruins like this along our drive around Ireland.

Galway Cathedral.

Beautiful flowers, church and Droichead an Dóchais, the pedestrian bridge that crosses River Corrib in Galway City.

These flowers in Galway City were so pretty.

Walking down a street in Galway City. Brian just missed the Uke Fest.

A church in Athenry.

Did this used to be the town square fountain in Athenry or just some monument?