August 11 Limerick to Galway to Castledaly to To Newcastle West (175 miles)

Limerick:

The maternal side of Barb’s family is 100% Irish (Daly and Hollohan) hailing mostly in and around County Limerick and Galway. We enjoyed running and walking around Limerick to get the feel of the old town around the Shannon River that runs through it. It was so nice and relaxing that we took an extra day to explore and enjoy good food! Barb’s first reaction to Limerick was that it felt like Louisville and Cincinnati which is where some of the Daly’s and Hollohan’s emigrated. Kinda neat to see how certain characteristics of cities were recreated in America and how they chose to live in areas of America that probably felt like home to them.

We saw the Daly name all over Limerick. Would love to know if these are distant cousins!

Galway

We drove to the city of Galway to visit the Cathedral. It may be the newest Cathedral we’ve been in with construction beginning in 1958 on the site of the old city prison. It was finished in 1965. Yes, that is not that long ago. It has the designation as “the last great stone cathedral to be built in Europe”. Some people think it’s an eyesore because it’s not Baroque, but we thought is was dramatic and dark and the stained glass was gorgeous with the top tier depicting the Old Testament and the lower tier the New. The white Stations of The Cross were unique and made a statement on the dark stone.

Apparently some people think its ugly, calling it a “squatting Frankenstein’s monster”. You be the judge…

Transept windows

The above three pictures are depictions of the Joyful, Sorrowful, and Glorious Mysteries.

Nave upper windows are the Old Testament (Creation, Adam and Eve – rib, Isaiah – embers and woman at Zarephath – son)

Hmm. Apparently we only took one picture of the lower windows. Enjoy the Transfiguration!

Mortuary Chapel depicting the resurrections: Woman at Naim, Jairus and his daughter, Lazarus, and Jesus -along with Martha and Mary.

A few of the Stations of the Cross

Daly Castle Ruins

We never actually found it. Google Maps failed us for the first time! We went to the place it was supposed to be, and there was no entryway. We would have had to trespass on someone’s cattle ranch to get to the field where the facade stands. Another disappointment.

Here’s a pic of what we were hoping to see. There is even a story of it being haunted!

Next to the field where Daly Castle stands is the small, single nave Church of St. Teresa built by Peter Daly. The family crypt is on the front lawn. We’re excited to see exactly where everyone fits into the family tree.