Volvo Ocean race, Galway

Galway won a bid to hold one of the Legs of the Volvo Ocean race, this was a huge thing for Ireland and was even bigger for Galway, we have a number of festivals in Galway during in the summer, Arts festival, Galway Races(horse) that bring thousands into the city during the summer so the tourist board was not sure that they could get even more people to come. The turnout for the ocean race was bigger than expected, there were thousands of people out on the docks to welcome in the boats at 4am after they sailed from Boston and there has been a carnival atmosphere in Galway since.  below are some pics of my day wandering around

A view of the masts of the ships in the Volvo Ocean race against the sky. If you thought the second one looked  different then it was this guy on top of the mast. The boats docked One of the boats coming into the dock after racing, the sails are down coming in, they use engines to travel in the docks. One of the boats inside the dock area The boats about to set off on the days racing, today there were pro-am racing where half the team was made up of amateur sailors from Ireland, the boat with the green sail is the Green dragon the Irish boat, its made in China hence the name. Another shot of the boats racing, we didn't get near enough to get a great shot. The Spanish Arch in Galways Latin Quarter one of 4 arches dating back to the 1580's  Another shot near the Spanish Arch, this old building is now an award winning restaurant. The Green dragon in Eyre Square Another view of the Green dragon looking down Eyre Square A Galway hooker, a traditional sailing boat sailed in galway joins in the fun A view of the bay with all the small sailing boats in the bay today The Galway hooker comes into dock

Some strange Galway

Today there was something weird up in the sky, there was a lot of blue where the grey skies should be and there was a bright object that was very hot and hard to look at. I think I remember seeing these things before but am not sure as it seems so long ago. :P

Fields of Athenry, Co Galway

made famous by the song that is sung on the terraces of Parkhead(Celtic)and Anfield road(Liverpool). Apologies for the quality but I had no camera with me, someone will not be pleased.

Connemara Landscapes 3, Co Galway

These are the last of this series. There will be more in the future because these do not do justice to the beautiful scenery. Maybe a twelvemonth since suddenly I began, In scorn of this audience, Imagining a man, And his sun-freckled face, And grey Connemara cloth, Climbing up to a place where stone is dark under froth, And the down-turn of his wrist when flies drop in the stream; A man who does not exist, A man who is but a dream; And cried, "Before I am old I shall have written him one Poem maybe as cold And passionate as the dawn." WB Yeats

One Misty Moisty Morning, Galway Ireland

Today I was spotted this horse hiding under the tree as I was on my way to the office,this was taken with my phone as I did not have my camera with me.

Later when I was passing back along the road the mist had stopped and the horse decided to venture out, but not to far away from the shelter.

Connemara Landscapes 2, Co Galway

More of Shots from Connemara

Connemara Landscapes 1, Co Galway

Connemara not only one of the few Gaeltachts (Irish speaking areas)left in Ireland it also has a wilder beautiful landscape.

This first picture is on the border and is greener.

Changeable Scenery along the road, Galway

This morning was an overcast morning, near Galway Airport a lot of forestry and stone walls. The mist has disappeared and moving further along the road to the bog lands on the Kiltullagh/New Inn border. The speckled white in the foreground is bog cotton(Scirpus caespitosus). Here Cappataggle the land has improved a bit a lot of rushes and a lot of sheep. Behind the village of Aughrim, more famous for the Battle of Aughrim 1691 where the Jacobite Army(Irish and French) was beaten by the Williamite army made up of Dutch, English, Scottish, Danish and French(Huguenot), more people lost their lives here than any other single battle. This effectively ended and Catholic resistance in Ireland. The land is getting better and Cattle start to appear.

Sunset Galway

Boreens and backroads

This is a video of 2 boreens in Killimorday today I was in too much of a hurry to take pics I hope you enjoy, the music is Rodrigo y Gabriela a Mexican guitar duo who lived for a time in Ireland.

sorry about the Quality not sure what happened when I uploaded to Youtube

Cloonshecahill 2008

This pic was taken last year of the same bush around the same time of year