Photos by Philip Galvin

Galway

Galway is a harbor city on the west coast of Ireland in the province of Connacht.  This city is full of canals and medieval buildings.  It was a county previously but in 2001, it became a city.  We loved the scenery below. It really represents Galway.

Galway Cathedral

Galway Cathedral was officially opened on August 15, 1965. The cost to build the Cathedral was almost 1 million pounds. 

The structure of the Cathedral was mostly in the Renaissance style (e.g., dome, pillars, and arches).  You can also see other architectural styles (e.g., rose windows and the mosaics).  The height of the dome to top of the cross is 44m.

There are 140 seats which are made of Utile mahogany from West Africa and have a capacity to seat 1500 people. In the Sanctuary, the floor is Portuguese marble and altar is a slab of Carrara marble.

The most memorable sight of this church was seen in the photo below. It is an inside of the dome which was illuminated by the green light - very impressive. 

As Galway had close links with Spain, the external Romanesque arch at the North entrance was influenced by the architecture of Spanish churches.

Killarney

Killarney is in the southwest of Ireland’s County Kerry,  a town in the Republic of Ireland. It was the last stop on the Ring of Kerry scenic drive which we took. 

Downtown Killarney

You will see 19^th century buildings downtown. When we visited there, it was very busy. We had wonderful dinner in one of the bars and enjoyed Irish music.

Irish Franciscans (Monastery)

Everywhere we walked, we saw beautiful gardens and flowers.

Killarney House and Gardens

It is free to visit this gorgeous garden. While walking in this massive garden, we found many kinds of flowers in different colors.  The view of the mountains from the garden was spectacular. We spent a couple of hours just wandering around and admiring the views of the surrounding area.   

St. Mary’s Cathedral

This Cathedral was completed in 1914.  Though construction originally began in 1842, it could not continue due to the great famine and the lack of available funds. However, the building was ready for regular worship in 1855 while still in construction. In 1973, the Cathedral was renovated.

It has a seating capacity of 1,400 people.

On the Way to Ross Castle

We walked all the way to Ross Castle without knowing how long it would take.  During our walk, many carriages passed us to and from Ross Castle. 

Despite the long walk, we truly enjoyed the scenery.

Ross Castle

Ross Castle is a tower house on the edge of Lough Leane (means Lake of Learning) in Killarney National Park.  It was built in the 15th century for the O’Donoghue family.  Currently, the castle is operated by the Office of Public Works and open seasonally to the public with guided tours.

There is a legend that O’Donoghue Mor leapt or was sucked out of the window of the grand chamber at the top of the castle and disappeared into the waters of the lake along with his horse, his table, and his library.  It is said that the O’Donoghue now lives in a great palace at the bottom of the lake where he keeps a close eye on everything that he sees. He is said to rise on the first morning of May every seven years riding his white horse.

Hodge Podge