From Italy to Ireland and back

One of the Bitesize Irish Gaelic members from Italy recently took a trip to Ireland.  Below is a brief photo journal of his travels for all of us to enjoy…

Cill Chainnigh – Kilkenny

Kilkenny Castle Park

This was my first day of exploration in Ireland, weather was very nice and warm, and sky was clear. This is the Kilkenny Castle Park in Kilkenny, a beautiful medieval city. I love the big and green garden of this park, in particular the grass: it is the same grass that you can find everywhere in Ireland…it’s amazing!

Caiseal – Carraig Phádraig

Cashel – Rock of Cashel

I took this photo from the road to Cashel. When I saw it I stopped the car and I spent few minutes to contemplate this wonderful view…the landscape seems to me like a movie set, doesen’t? Then I went inside the abbey: it was built on top of the hill and there I could look everything around me such as fields, hills and mountains; The wind was cold but it allowed me to see far away and to take a lot of photos (above).

Cill Airne – Pairc Náisiúnta Chill Airne

Killarney – Killarney National Park

Second day: Killarney. Here I drove thorught the National Park, a land rich of nice lakes, prosperous vegetation, wild animals and points of view. I was the only person on the road so I drove very slowly to enjoy the silence of nature. I think that autumn is a good season for visiting these places. After Killarney I went to Ring of Kerry and then to Dingle Peninsula; all was wonderful and photos never could describe their beauty.

An Spidéal – Spiddal

Third day: Journey to Connemara. This part of Ireland, the Connemara, is the most uncontaminated land that I’ve never seen but with breathless landscapes. Here I met that I called “kamikaze sheep” because they cross the road when you’re driving close them…many times I had to brake and stop my car to don’t have an accident! Mountains around me was lacking of any sort of tree, replaced by grass of gradations of autumn’s colour. I took the photo above on the road to Spiddal and I could see the Aran Islands from here (not in this photo). The beach and the sea was very beautiful thanks to the shiny morning!

Buaile an Ghleanna – Bolinglanna

Fourth day: Carraun Peninsula. This is a place, in Carraun Peninsula, near the point called “Spanish Armada”; here I did not see anyone in a range of kilometres…there were only the ocean, the coast and the cold wind, with a few sheep who looks tourists with particular attraction.

An Iúraigh – Newry (Ulaidh – Northern Ireland)

Fifth day: Newry and around. I went to Newry to my friend who teach me Irish throught Skype. He took me around his city to visit a few landscape of this part of Ireland; also here I found amazing landscapes and rainbow! I think that this region is very rich of beautiful places like the rest of the island.

Sí an Bhrú – Newgrange 

Seventh day: Newgrange. This archaeological site is amazing and wonderful in the same time. It was built many many years ago but luckily, it remain almost untouched from time. The inside is also breathless; when you enter, you can breathe the History and the sacred nature of this place.

Gleann Dá Loch – Glendalough

 Eighth day: Glendalough. In the last two day I went to Glendalough, where I visited the valley and its archeological site: a graveyard and its church’s remains with bell-tower; and then I went to Dublin, a strange,chaotic but beatiful city. In Dublin I walked in the centre’s streets, parks end in the end I visited the Trinity College and its library called “The Long Room” (photo below); it has a lot of ancient books and documents, such as the “1916 Proclamation”.

Baile Athá Cliath – Coláiste na Tríonóide

Dublin – The Long Room in Trinity College 

Now about Mauro:

I am Mauro, 23 years old and I am a student of “Biotechnology of Plants (I think that I can translate in this way) at University of Milan in Italy, so I’m Italian but I love Ireland…I know that I’m crazy! Two years ago, I started studying Irish, or better, Gaeilge because I really like this language, in particular its sound and words. I’m also a fan of Irish traditional music, there’s only Irish music in my music collection, and I play fiddle and bodhrán but my skill is not so well; when I was in Newry with my friend I joined to a real Session with a bodhrán of my friend…it was fantastic! I am crazy of Ireland, how you can see, therefore, after my degree I decide to plan the travel to Ireland and explore the beauty of this green island. After the wonderful travel and the return in Italy, I always think to the next travel in Ireland because there I felt at home, it is hard to write what I felt during my journey but I can say this: I was very happy. Thanks to you for this opportunity to share my incredible experience and wonders of Ireland!