Ireland

While Mikee was staying in the Philippines with her family, Jennifer, Eric and Jan-Eric went to Ireland to celebrate the marriage of Lena Björck and Finbar Breslin. We brought the car via ferry from Wales and rented a cottage near Kincasslaigh on the north-western coast of Ireland, where the wedding took place. We also travelled, first in Northern Ireland for a couple of days along the coast and then after the wedding we went to Cong village and stayed at Ashford Castle before returning home.

The first pictures show the spectacular rope bridge to a small island off the coast. The bridge was used to catch salmon in nets thrown from over the side of the bridge. Nearby is the Giant’s Causeway, which a giant built as a causeway between Ireland and Scotland. It is actually basalt that has crystallized into these strange formations. Unfortunately I had no sun shining on the basalt that afternoon and we couldn’t stay as the wedding were approaching!

We then went into “Ireland proper” and stayed for a few days in a rented cottage near Kincasslaigh, where the wedding would take place. We drove south towards Slieve League and passed the lovely valley of Gleann Cheise and the Carrick River and waterfall on the way. Slieve League has the highest cliff formations in Europe sloping straight into the sea.

The day after Lena and Finbar arranged a BBQ near “our beach”. On the wedding day thereafter I visited the church in the morning and photographed bride and groom at the beach where the party took place later in the afternoon and evening.

The next day brought us to the very north-western corner of Ireland and Bunbeg Harbour. From there we went south along the western coast into Connemara. We stayed at exclusive Ashford Castle near Cong and one of the days we took a tour to the western coast with its dramatic views.

After Ashford Castle we returned home to England.