Swept by the Atlantic spray, the West of Ireland has retained its authenticity, particularly the Connemara region... Unique landscapes, a strong culture and people with hearts as big as this!<\/p>\n
Colossal, immense, impressive... There are not enough superlatives to describe these eight kilometres of rocky walls rising to a height of 200 m and falling sheer into a raging ocean! From the top, your breath becomes short, not because of the gusts of wind, but rather because of the feeling of powerlessness that overcomes you in the face of the monstrosity of the cliffs. Particularly when you reach O'Brien Tower, a small stone tower used as an observatory. From up there, the silhouette of the Aran Islands stands out against the veil of the horizon. On a clear day, lucky visitors can even make out the Loop Head, the Kerry mountains and the Twelve Bens hills of Connemara! If you're feeling sporty, there are several miles of small, very safe hiking trails along the formidable cliffs. Excitement guaranteed!<\/p>\n
To enjoy Irish cuisine, you need to love potatoes! Chipped potatoes, fried potatoes, baked potatoes, mashed potatoes, colcannon (mashed potatoes mixed with cabbage and onions), boxty (grated potato pancakes)... They're everywhere and cooked in all sorts of ways! Of course, they go well with the national dish, Irish stew, a sort of stew made with mutton, carrots, potatoes and onions. Tasty, often hearty... far too hearty! Just like Guinness beef stew. Beef marinated in dark beer, as surprising as it is delicious. And don't miss the Galway oysters and salmon, both smoked and marinated! These marvels are accompanied by Irish rolls such as soda bread, a white bread, barm brack, a kind of cake with candied fruit, or the famous brown bread, a wholemeal bread, all of which are excellent!<\/p>\n
Never has a place been so aptly named. Burren, from the Gaelic boireann: rocky land. An immense plateau of large, cracked boulders, speckled with small lakes, a bizarre chaos stretching to infinity. Or almost. Not a sound to be heard, apart from the wind and birdsong! Only low dry-stone walls carve out the road to the hilltops, placid cows wander in search of slightly greener pastures and a few farms betray the presence of humans. And yet, despite its inhospitable appearance, the Burren region is a treasure trove. From spring onwards, more than 1,000 varieties of multicoloured plants spring up from the cracks and crevices, many of them familiar from Mediterranean or Alpine regions! Then there are the charming little villages like Ballyvaughan, a fishing village with slate-roofed cottages. Or Lisdoonvarna, a nineteenth-century spa renowned for its bachelorette festival and fish smokehouse. A must in a region where salmon is emblematic!<\/p>\n
With its flamboyantly signed pubs and lively terraces, Galway is a real ray of sunshine in a country where the rain is so generous. Most of the streets are pedestrianised, and the crowds are young and cosmopolitan. The bustle is a reminder that Galway is an active city, attracting foreign students and employees, many of them French. But above all, it is the Mecca of Gaelic culture. Musicians and artists of all kinds come here in search of inspiration. Artistic emulation gives it that special bohemian feel. Especially in the evening, when the music fills the streets. Night owls have a choice: on the right bank of the Corrib, lively restaurants and pubs like the Quays Bar, where trendy concerts and traditional music bring together a diverse clientele. On the left bank, the historic quarter is just as much fun, particularly at the Crane Bar. A small, typically Irish pub that plays host to excellent musical groups.<\/p>\n
Stony moors, russet peat bogs, steel-blue lakes and rivers suspended from black mountains topped by watercolour clouds, watermint pastures surrounded by mouse-grey low walls, and black-headed white sheep everywhere. Welcome to Connemara! Ireland's largest Gaeltacht, the region where Gaelic is spoken. The most authentic too. In this sublime yet austere landscape, people have been braving a particularly harsh environment for 5,000 years! Numerous prehistoric sites, caves and dolmens, bear witness to their passage. As do the later monastic remains of Kilmacduagh and Clonfert.<\/p>\n
Mysticism is still very much alive today, as evidenced by the pilgrimages to Knock and Croagh Patrick and the many legends that run across the moors. These lost lands were also home to the O'Flaherty clan. A Gaelic dynasty that came to an end under the terror of the troops of the ruthless Olivier Cromwell. In 1649, the latter gave Catholics the choice of going \"to Connaught or to hell\"... Which would amount to much the same thing, since 200 years later, their descendants would have to face an even more deadly scourge: the Great Famine.<\/p>\n
A veritable hecatomb: over 2 million dead, mass emigration. For a few pence, the wretched people who remained built low stone walls between the fields, the \"famine walls\". These have become symbols of the region, helping to shape its raw, unalterable beauty. Every bend in the potholed road, winding its way along a jagged coastline or deep into rocky landscapes, is an enchantment. There's a fishing village here, a sandy beach there. Then there are villages frozen in time. But everywhere, vast wet deserts. And above all, that sweet smell of peat that perfumes the atmosphere and warms the heart.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"