Ireland: Monday Oct 5, 2009 – Donegal, Sligo, Ballina, County Galway, Clifden

Our departure on Monday was delayed a couple of hours because of a late start; we went out Sunday night to the the Reel Inn in Donegal to hear Irish Music. The pub is right off the main roundabout in the center of town and a short walk from our hotel. The music and Guinness were both excellent so we stayed till after midnight. Monday we headed south again and drove through Sligo, stopping for lunch at Ballina with the idea of driving to see Achil Island on the coast. When it was obvious the road was slower than I had hoped we decided to bypass Achil and see how close to Galway we could get . By 5 o’clock we were getting tired and in Clifden and stumbled upon the Abby Glen Castle for a place to stay. The rate was good and included dinner and breakfast, so we decided to stay a second night too. Driving through the west of Galway was beautiful, with mountans and trees along the rocky coast and scattered peat bogs. There even was an occasional herd of sheep, stopping traffic.