Day 4

We left Galway at our usual time and headed to Sharon’s ancestral home of Nenagh. Along the way, we briefly stopped in the town of Bunratty for break along the way and to possibly visit Bunratty castle. It was raining heavily, however, so we opted for some shopping in some of the gift shops. This is where Tavis found his now famous Ireland jacket. Shopping completed, we trooped soggily back to the bus and headed for Nenagh. After arriving we located the Heritage Center where Sharon could dive into her family history further. As a bonus the

center was also a museum and former prison. They had a number of interesting displays of life in Ireland in the 1800’s and early 1900’s. The remaining portions of the prison were stark and ominous as one would expect. Across the street was an amazing gothic church. The architecture was very dark and imposing compared to other churches I have seen in Europe. The interior was awe inspiring; one can definitely see that these churches where

designed not only to inspire but also to remind parishioners of the authority of the church. A final and unique feature of this particular church was an outdoor faucet for holy water.

We next had lunch at a delightful pub called the Hybernia. Here I had today’s beer of the day - Smithwicks. I know I have had it before, but here in Ireland it is truly exceptional.

After lunch it was back to the Heritage Center for Sharon as the rest of us walked around the church and over to Nenagh castle. The castle was closed due to “water ingress” so we could only poke about the grounds.

We then checked in to our bed and breakfast The Abbeyview. Our lovely host Siobhan greeted us warmly and helped us decide where to eat and gave us some hiking recommendations for tomorrow. For dinner we ate at The Peppermill in Nenagh. Here Sharon determined that the wine she ordered should be considered the drink of the day - a Portuguese wine called Esporão Reserva. After dinner, back to the Abbeyview for a restful evening.