Leslie's
Armchair Travel

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1. Lee Studio

   “We took a great walk on Slieve Mor, the big mountain. There is a dolmen behind McDowell’s car park—look northwest for a tomb. Then walk south to a Caher. Judy and I were walking on a stunningly beautiful path with the hills and mountains rising above us and sea peeking through from time to time on a distant view point. We came upon a man named Tom, who was directing his sheep dogs to move the sheep from field to field far up on the hill a half mile away. We paused to watch h...is work. Tom pursed his lips and whistled sharply. The dog, perhaps a half-mile away on the hillside, understood the command and completed the tasks, whether it was to move a group of sheep to another location or to rescue a stray lamb.

   Tom called one of his dogs to him, and without a word, the dog lay looking up at him for the next thirty minutes. The dog never took his eyes off Tom and he didn’t address the dog while he told us something of the history of the region. He explained there used to be a small but thriving community who lived on the hillside in the group of houses that were now abandoned. The abandoned houses were left when the Protestant church took over. The parish of O’Donnel of Newport House in Newport, effectively took the land again from the locals. These houses were called bier houses because they had no fireplaces. The cows in the house created the heat from one end of the room.”

   —excerpt and image from Leslie’s Travel Companion journal: 2010 Ireland, The Long Stay (2010 10 07 Ireland, Co. Mayo, Achill Island, Walking on Slieve Mor)

   Please visit our website to purchase notecards, postcards and custom fine art prints: https://www.leestudiotc.com/artwork/

   #ireland #slievemor #newporthouse #achillisland #bierhouses #travelart #artwork

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2. Lee Studio

   “Big surf! I repack my bags to be ready to leave Moy House. Up early for tomorrow’s departure. Judy arrived forty minutes early. As usual, people arriving from America need to catch up on their jet lag so we had a quiet evening.

   Up early. Drove north to Achill Island, arriving at Bervie about 12:30 p.m. We walked the beach picking up what we’re calling “rune” stones. The white-washed Bervie was the coast guard station on Achill Island facing the sea on Keel Strand looking acr...oss Clew Bay to fantastic cliffs of Minaun. The inn is now a charming B&B and restaurant. My bedroom was only steps from the ocean and we were welcomed back by our hosts John and Elizabeth with great warmth.

   We napped for thirty minutes, then drove over and down to Keem beach, recently named one of the most beautiful beaches in the world for its white sand, steep cliffs and turquoise water.”

   —excerpt from Leslie’s Travel Companion journal: 2010 Ireland, The Long Stay

   Please visit our website to purchase notecards, postcards and custom fine art prints: https://www.leestudiotc.com/artwork/

   #ireland #bervie #keembeach #achillisland #cliffsofminaun #travelart #artwork

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3. Lee Studio

   “Meryl and I drove Byrdie to the airport at 4:45 a.m. We went back to bed and are now up having breakfast in the very formal castle dining room. The nine a.m. flight from Shannon Airport must have arrived with new guests on the castle doorstep. One lady was being seated by her waiter.

   She flounced into her chair and said in a harried New Jersey accent, “I didn’t sleep last night because I was on the plane from America and I’m so tired, but I decided to have breakfast first, ...then sleep during the day until my tour. My tour doesn’t start until 6 p.m.”

   “Very good madam,” the waiter murmured.

   She continued, gushing “It’s beautiful here and everyone is so helpful… I feel like the Queen of England!”

   “Yes madam, although this is Ireland,” her waiter said.

   “Oh, I feel like the Queen of Ireland!” she said.

   We and the other diners nearby shook our heads in shame and amusement, since there is definitely not a Queen of Ireland.

   We are staying the night at Daley’s B&B in Doolin—Susan and Paul Daly have two houses, one with six rooms and one with four. It is just behind O’Connor’s Pub, about one hundred yards. We had a fine pub meal at O’Connor’s and stayed for the traditional Irish music where I sketched many of the local musicians, Jamey Storer singing One Starry Night. Hugh Healy, Noel O’Donoghue, Sean Vaughan and Charles Monod kept everyone entertained into late in the evening on their instruments. It was a fine evening with only one embarrassing incident. An Englishman named Terry decided to perform a song as a drunken Irishman. He wasn’t well received as it was a horrible stereotype.”

   —excerpt and image from Leslie’s Travel Companion journal: 2010 Ireland, The Long Stay (2010 10 03 Ireland, Co. Clare, Doolin, Gus O’Connor’s Pub, Noel O’Donoghue, Hugh Healy, Sean Vaughn)

   Please visit our website to purchase notecards, postcards and custom fine art prints: https://www.leestudiotc.com

   #ireland #gusoconnorspub #daleysbnb #doolin #travelart #artwork

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