Top Tips
Here are some useful tips I picked up at Ireland’s National Museum of Country Life:
- Next Halloween I’m going to be putting on my Fiddle Face and bothering the neighbours with my Ghost Turnip.
- When I leave the baby to go to the well, I will put my tongs across the cradle to keep the fairies away.
- Next time someone doesn’t invite me to their wedding, I will disguise myself in straw, including a pointy ‘Strawboys’ hat and drink all the booze.
- If a Brideog knocks on my door on the 1st February, I’ll let her in and be nice.
…and the bath water was brown and slimy?
Wash that down with an ice cold shower and your 
Again! Again!
Today, although it was a grey day, the summit was surprisingly clear. So I had to find a new reason.
I abandoned the disastrous sketch and opted to do the 
The views of Clew Bay are excellent. Even the sheep agree. Here’s 
Down in the village I finally got to see the Fisherman’s Memorial. Those cyclists took off pretty quickly. Must have been the way I looked at them! 
My personal pilgrimage could only end at the 
The village itself is silent, save for the twitter of little brown bog birds and the odd ‘baa’ of the horny sheep.
Around the bend, a little way on, we are faced with bus-loads of tourists in the not-so-deserted part of of the village.
On the way down to Grace’s dungeon a young girl ran at me whispering in a loud hiss ‘this house is haunted!!’ I swear I saw the ghostly figure of the pirate queen in a swan pedalo.
That was not as spooky as the fantastic ‘party waxwork room’ full of Irish artistic talent. Their eyes follow you everywhere to the sound of the fiddle… I wasn’t sticking around to add colour!
I calmed down with coffee and cake in the tea room. Trying not to think about what those massive hooks on the ceiling were for. I’m sure that stag just winked at me!
I ran across the field in front of the house whilst finishing this one, but I think the wonkiness adds to it! The tour waits for no one!
3. Go to Vaughan’s in Kilfenora for a pint. Also featured in ‘Are you right there Father Ted’. 
After all that culture, I needed a bit of nature, so finished up at the Cliffs of Moher.
The ferry to the Island has a super quick turn around – 30 seconds and the car has disembarked via crane!
Grace’s 16th Century castle looms over the harbour.
It’s a gorgeous walk to the lighthouse at the North of the Island.
Sadly, the lighthouse is gated off, so I have to peer over the wall. 
Grace is buried in the Abbey graveyard on the south of the Island. There is an eerie mist hanging on the hill behind. I can hear a crying child… but there is no one there. 
Exhausted, I manage one final quick sketch before the ferry arrives.
I’ll dream of plunder and sketching tonight!
