Cathedral of St. Eunan and St Columba

The cathedral was built between the years of 1890 and 1900 and is the only Catholic cathedral in the county.  I didn't have a chance to go inside but that will be another visit and photo opp this summer.  It is very impressive outside I must say.
I am moving tomorrow (the 30th) to Moville which is part of the Inishowen Peninsula.  Unfortunately I have no idea how long it will take to be back online, hopefully not too long.  I'll catch up with all your photos and posts when I get back.  Happy photoing!

flowers

Some flower displays we saw when we were in Castlebar.  Happy Easter to all who celebrate it.

guard dogs

This little guy was making sure that we kept walking pass his fortress.  His buddy didn't pay us any attention.

the fish shop

Who knew that there is a place where you can get your hair designed and then go down stairs and purchase some fresh fish.  They seem like the odd couple sharing a building.

this is the little man hanging out in the doorway in the above photo

the G454

A light rainy day here in Killybegs.  I saw this boat docking and noticed the rusty chain.  I am a fan of rust.

The two birds are watching over the harbour for something exciting.  You could say I was too :)

Cong Abbey

Cong Abbey is a historic site located at Cong, on the borders of counties Galway and Mayo.  The ruins of the former Augustinian abbey mostly date to the 13th century and have been described as featuring some of finest examples of medieval ecclesiastical architecture in Ireland.

The Graveyard on the Abbey grounds.

The remains of a monk's fishing house built around the 15th or 16th century.  The house is built on a platform of stones over a small arch which allows the river to flow underneath the floor. There is a trapdoor in the floor in which the fish may have been kept fresh. According to local tradition, a line was connected from the fishing house to the monastery kitchen to alert the cook to fresh fish.

Closeup of stone carving of Rory O’Connor, Ireland's last High King.  This carving sits on a doorway that leads in to the Cong Abbey.

Info courtesy of Wikipedia

Rossnowlagh Beach

Rossnowlagh is a seaside village in south County Donegal, Ireland, which is about 29km (30 miles) from Killybegs, .  The beach is one of Ireland's and Europe's best Blue Flag surfing beaches.

bridge

I like how the green looks leading up to the bridge and the two channels where the water flows

exploring

Exploring the the area of Bruckless.  Nothing to hear except the talking of birds. 

boats but no people

When I came upon this place, the quiet stillness took hold of me.  In a world that is constantly busy and noisy, this place was a nice find and a lovely place to rest and think.  Enjoy your weekend!

Rabble Children

This monument was created by Maurice Harron, a Northern Irish sculptor from Derry and erected in 1994. Hiring fairs were held in Letterkenny in years gone by when children between the ages of 11 and 16 were sold for periods of six months to wealthy farmers of the Lagan Valley. These Rabble Days were held annually in May and November at Speer's Lane, at the corner of Upper Main Street.
Info courtesy of Wikipedia.

St. Patrick's Day

The small town parade was pretty cool.  Last year we were in Ballinrobe which is bigger than Killybegs.  This parade had the local accordion band,  St. Catherine's Accordion Band and another one from Killaghtee. 
The floats were interesting.  Donald Trump and Kim Kardashian made it on to a float.  Kim had nothing to wear to Trump's party.   Trump's wall, the one he wants Mexico to pay for also made it on to the float along with the wall.  Some of these floats were ideas of the students that go to the schools here.  Some of these floats, you had to be a local to understand.   Our local politician who represents County Donegal, Thomas Pringle, his image was seen as a cutout on tubes of Pringle crisps.
The building in the background is the community hospital and when the parade was passing, they stopped so the people on the balcony could enjoy the parade too.  It was all entertaining and fun!

 

Irish Adventurer & Mountaineer

Jason Black is Letterkenny's local and famous Irish Adventurer. He is the first Donegal person ever to stand on the summit of Mt Everest the highest place in the world at 29,029ft on 19th may 2013. Denali in Alaska in 2014 and in 2015 set the bar even higher setting the world record on Kilimanjaro speed climbing the mountain via the west2east and back with a double summit in 22.5hrs.

Below is a sculpture honoring Jason and his accomplishments.  It is located in Market Square, Letterkenny.

Here is a close-up.

Here are the words written on the sculpture.

St. Mary's of the Visitation Cemetery

The cemetery sits on a hill not far from the church.  It is a very beautiful and peaceful location. 

views of Killybegs

A view from a hill in town.  St. Mary's steeple is the marker for the town.  The road on the right is the main road that goes through Killybegs. 

A cloudy view from St. Catherine's Well

An Grianán Theatre

When we were in Letterkenny a couple of years ago, we visited this theatre.  They have a nice coffee cafe inside and it is quite the building.  
An Grianán Theatre, with a seating capacity of 383, is the largest theatre in Letterkenny and in the whole of County Donegal.  
The theatre was named after Grianán of Aileach (‘Stony House of the Sun’), a prehistoric ring fort located in Burt believed to date back to 1700 BC.
It opened in 1999.   An Grianán Theatre website 

Letterkenny Public Art

The Polestar is a monument located on the Port Bridge Roundabout on the Derry Road. Its creator is a Derry man, Locky Morris.  The site of the Polestar, on the Port Bridge Roundabout, has had an historic past where trade and goods were landed by boat and transported to the surrounding areas by rail and road. The monument is made of 104 timber poles and rises to a height of 12 metres. Its shape alludes to the outline of a boat, as well as having a locomotive (train track) theme, to commemorate the fact that both forms of transportation played a major part in the town's development in the past.
Info courtesy of Wikipedia.

These photos were taken from the bus window on the ride back to Killybegs.

The Workers is a monument made from stainless steel and stone and is located at The Dry Arch Roundabout in the town. The monument was created in 2001 by Maurice Harron. The monument commemorates a generation of men who worked on building the original bridge and train track at the Dry Arch. The piece of stone in the monument, which the workers are lifting, is a piece saved from the original bridge.
Info courtesy of Wikipedia.

a bus window view on rural Ireland

We left Moville yesterday and caught the bus to begin the trip back to Killybegs.  These photos were taken from my window seat, some have reflections but overall I like them.  It's better than not taking them and I can live with that :)

All of the photos are from our ride from Moville to Letterkenny which was about 1 1/2 hour ride.  Lots of stops, most of the people who were picked up were going to Letterkenny Institute of Technology.    

finishing touches

Finishing up the sanding and getting ready for some new paint.  Local jobs for local people is always good for the community.