Not A Quiet Woman In The Lot Of You

We left Doolin knowing we’d return on a future visit.  The scheduled drive was an easier one today through The Burren to Ashford Castle and Cong. For those familiar with mandatory Irish movies, Ashford Castle’s grounds and Cong were used in the filming of the Quiet Man.  Ford, Wayne, O’Hara and the rest had a rowdy time filming and the sets are all well marked.  Ashford Castle is a stunning private resort where gaining admittance is not easy.  Ida had arranged for a wine tasting in the wine cellars there but we had to get by the gate sentry and then the castle guards first.  They took one look at our group and I’m sure reflected on a line from the film where Wayne is dragging Maureen O’Hare through the sheep fields on the Ashford Castle grounds - Here’s a stick to beat the lovely lady with.

The tour started with a visit to the wine cellar rooms and tunnel that leads outside for deliveries.  The Ashford wine collection includes some of the priciest and rarest wines in the world.  Needless to say, we weren’t allowed to touch any of the bottles.  The wine tasting we had selected was Que Shiraz Shirah and as it turned out caused a bit more work for the Head Sommelier as it was not a tasting that was being offered anymore.  He was a down to earth, entertaining host who quickly assessed his audience as being more nonchalant than the average Ashford Castle guest.  After the tasting, he gave us a tour of the castle and permission to visit the grounds before departing.  It is definitely a place to splurge and stay at for a future visit.

Cong is best know for the pub and fight scenes in the movie. It was very crowded with several large family events but we managed to find room at Danagher’s for a pint and a bit of lunch.  Then we headed off to Galway to check in to our lodging there - The Hardiman on Eyre Square (formerly the Great Southern).  Fortunately for Ida and I they didn’t recall our former visits to the establishment where we once kept the bar open until 5am.

This is where we had to part with our driver, Trudy -  Taisteal Sabhailte.  She was a marvelous complement to our travels and made things so much easier.