Galway Cathedral

Situated on the banks of the River Corrib in Galway City, Galway Cathedral is the most recently built of Europe’s great stone cathedrals and is one of the most impressive buildings in the city.

Construction began in 1958 on the site of the old city prison. It was completed in 1965 and jointly dedicated to Our Lady Assumed into Heaven and St. Nicholas.

The church was opened on 15 August 1965.

The architect was John J. Robinson who had previously designed other churches in Dublin and around the country. 

The architecture of the cathedral draws on many influences.

The dome and pillars reflect a Renaissance style.

The rose windows and mosaics echo the tradition of Christian art.

The cathedral dome, at a height of 44.2 metres

(145 feet) is a prominent landmark in the city skyline.

-Wikipedia-

Exploring Galway

A mid morning stop for coffee at Esquires Coffee 

in Eyre Square.

These two menu items looked good to me but not so much to my husband and Sally. It was too early for lunch anyway.

The Eyre Square Hooker Sculpture (fountain) dominates the square.

The Galway hooker is a traditional fishing boat used in Galway Bay on the west coast of Ireland. The hooker was developed for the strong seas there. 

It’s sail plan consists of a single mast with a main sail and two foresails.

Traditionally the boat is black (coated in pitch) and the sails are a dark red-brown.

(Wikipedia)

 

Old Ireland

Traditional Irish Fishing Boat

Photo by California Will on flickr 

Jerry leads the way!

Colorful Postcards

I wanted to taste one!

Looks Tempting!

Italian!

We had dinner here and we were not disappointed!

A slice of life in Galway. 

We saw this man in Ennis, County Clare a few days before!

Swans on the River Corrib

We were checking out this highly recommended Italian restaurant...next time.

River Corrib Walk

William O’Briens Bridge at Bridge Street

The dome of the Galway Cathedral is visible in the distance and is our destination.

These colorful buildings are the Fitzgerald Kennedy Law Firm

 

The middle building is the Il Vicolo Italian Restaurant.

We chose another  that was very excellent. The Italian restaurants in Ireland seem to be very nice!

The River banks were full of beautiful flowers, 

The William O’Brien Bridge and the Italian restaurant are visible from a distance.

Old Bridge Ruins

We needed to cross the Salmon Weir Bridge on University Road to get to the Cathedral.

Reflections and Flowers

St. Patrick’s Church

It was Sunday

July 16, 2017

We took a short walk from our apartment to St. Patrick’s Catholic Church to attend mass. 

We thought this beautiful church with the red doors was where we needed to be but also noticed a much more modern church across the parking lot.

We found out that this church has been closed for some years and that the modern church is the official St. Patrick’s.

We were a little disappointed. 

This building is more like the churches in the USA.

We were looking forward to a more Irish experience in Galway, Ireland.

The stained glass was very attractive.

Not the heavy doors of the old churches...

The Cliffs of Moher on a Very Foggy Day

The Cliffs of Moher

County Clare, Ireland

We were so fortunate to be able to return to the Cliffs of Moher a second time in completely different weather conditions. 

This time it was VERY windy and VERY foggy.

In fact, it was so windy that we stayed away from the cliffs’ edge to keep from getting blown over!

These conditions are, actually, more like a typical day here. 

The green shines through the fog!

Wild flowering plants peek over the limestone walls.

We can barely see the ocean through the fog. 

These steep cliffs are perched 600 feet above the churning Atlantic Ocean. They are bordered by an extensive cliff-top trail that offers majestic and breathtaking coastal views.

It’s beautiful with or without extreme weather!

Our friend, Sally, is trying to stand still in the wind. 

Where has her hair gone?

The wind gusts are strong!

That’s me hanging on!

You can climb to the top of the O’Brian Tower for a fee of a few Euros.

 But, it was closed at this time since there wasn’t much of a view.

There’s an ocean out there...really!

The Wild Atlantic Way is appropriately named!

Just love the limestone rock walls.

A Foggy Foggy Day!

A lot of walking can be done in this area!

We had a very nice time but hope to do much more walking another time.

The trail along the cliffs’ edge gets very narrow so

be smart and save that walking for a calmer day.