This morning exhaustion finally caught up with me. I slept until 10am, something I haven’t done in years. It turned out to be the perfect thing to do, as it rained most of the morning. Once I was up and moving, the sun began to peak through the clouds.
Phoenyx, the woman who I’m sharing an Airbnb with, and I decided to go to Glenveagh national park and castle. But first, we needed to figure out how to get there. There are no buses heading there. Uber, which ostensibly exists here, was useless. Calling a taxi required a sequence of numbers I’ve never needed before. It took a slew of tries before we figured it out. Eventually we succeeded.
The taxi driver was chatty, but his accent was so strong I kept needing to ask him to repeat what he said. The ride to the park was lovely, passing through farmland, open spaces, and small towns.
The driver let us off at the parking lot and we walked to the visitor center. There, after a short snack break, we boarded a bus to the castle. The road wound through stark, empty mountains, heather and bog stretching in every direction, and a lake. Then the turrets of Glenveagh Castle appeared, perched like something from a fairy tale at the edge of Lough Veagh.
The sun was out, so we headed to the garden. As we walked around the castle I was instantly captivated. While I recognized most of the flowers and vegetables, their placement was unusual. Massive cabbage marched through a field of daisies, phlox, hydrangeas, dahlias, and begonias. Apple trees heavy with fruit were mixed in. Most unusual were the apples growing as if they were grape vines, I’ve no idea how they manage it, but it is gorgeous. Looking back, the garden backdrop is the fairytale castle.
Stone sculptures of angels, dogs and birds guard the garden. On one side was a small cottage, probably a caretaker’s home, that I’d love to spend a couple of nights in. Don’t think that’s ever going to happen, however.
As we walked further, paths led in different directions heading towards other areas. There were gazebos, roses still blooming, and paths that led down to the lake. Some areas were manicured, others wilder. And, if you are a hiker, there are trails that lead deep into the park preserve.
Circling back, we took a break in the orangerie, a covered garden attached to the castle. As we sat, Pheonyx found a four-leaf clover, a lucky sign.
The castle is impressive, but the history is harsh. John George Adair, the man who built it in the 19th century, is remembered less for his dream home and more for the cruelty of the Derryveagh Evictions. He forced hundreds of tenants from their land. The interior is filled with deer antlers and paintings of deer hunts. The man was passionate about hunting and showing off his kills. Ugh.
I was happy to go back outside and walk down to the lake. The sun played hide-and-seek, creating an ever-changing landscape. I was mesmerized by the play of light on the mountains and water.
As we walked to the bus the skies opened, and it rained for a couple of minutes. On the bus ride back to the park entrance, there was a rainbow stretching across the lake. All we needed were leprechauns to complete our lucky Irish day.
Back in Letterkenny we took a walk on the main street. An Irishman stopped to chat with us. Learning that we are American, he launched into a long story about his time in North America. All it took was a nod to encourage him to keep going. He reminded me of an Irish neighbor I had many years ago, who could talk your ear off. I eventually managed to break through his tale and ask for a recommendation for dinner. He pointed us to the Brewery Bar. It turned out to be a gorgeous, friendly pub with great food.
Later we met up with other people attending the Tbex conference for a drink at a different pub. Along the main street there are at least ten pubs, most offering live music every night.
A four-leaf clover, a rainbow, and a pub. I’m definitely in Ireland.