Just a short episode this time as day 19 needs a post to itself.

With the weather forecast predicting 70% chance of rain all day every day for the following week and there being, the forecast claimed, just one more day of decent weather, we tweaked the itinerary slightly. First a visit to the nearby National Museum of Country Life, which was set up to complement the Dublin museums. Entry is free although donations are encouraged. Here, in this C21st building next to Turlough Park House, the emphasis is on the story of the people of rural Ireland. The contrast between the romanticised rural idyll and the reality of grinding hard work was emphasised. Many crafts were featured and it was brought home just how many skills have been lost. We began with a video presentation, then looked at the exhibits. Information about Curragh making and using heather bushes to make lobster pots went down well with the fisherman of my acquaintance. I was fascinated by the folk traditions, such as the straw boys, which have associations with mummers plays. Wearing conical hats that rest on the shoulders, obscuring their faces, the straw boys appeared at celebrations and parties. My one criticism of the museum was that many of the artefacts were unlabelled, so you were left thinking, ‘that looks interesting, what is it?’

After a shopping trip, we drove to Connemara National Park. We passed the fisheries at Killary, one of Ireland’s three fiords. One who knows identified that mussels were being farmed. The beautiful mountain scenery was different again, much greener and with little heather. The narrow roads, complete with potholes, were reminiscent of home. We looked round the exhibitions in the visitors’ centre, which explained the formation and importance of the bogs and the adverse impact of acid rain. A short stroll round the park and it was time to return to the van.