I’m going to backtrack for a moment. I arrived in Ireland early in May and traveled to Galway/Dingle Peninsula/Dublin with my partner in all things adventuresome and practical, @mrpatulski. He then returned to the States, and I continued to Cork/Glandore/Carraig-na-gCat for the residency.

I did this because when I’m an artist-in-residence, I’m focused on making work. In the past, I’ve been distracted by my new environment, so much so that I experienced regret for not spending time exploring before settling down to get to work. I need to allow different cultures to infiltrate my thoughts. This is why I apply to residencies, that, plus removing myself from routine distractions I invent at home.

Here is a collection of photos (so many) from our adventures in driving to places connected by the curvy, narrow roads of Ireland. I don’t recommend driving unless you want to test the strength of your relationship. Not for the novice!

Galway. Highly recommend.

Looking out our Airbnb window in Galway.

Galway at night.

We hopped a seven-minute flight to Inis Mor, the largest of the Aran Islands at the mouth of Galway Bay, and spent the day biking around the tranquil and lush island.

Dun Aonghasais, an ancient stone fort on Inis Mor.

Dun Aonghasais.

Dun Aonghasais.

Gravestone at the site of the Seven Churches on Inis Mor. The Seven Churches are a group of early Christian churches that date back to the 7th or 8th century. 

The Seven Churches.

After leaving Galway, we stopped at The Burren on our way down the coast to The Cliffs of Moher and then continued to the Dingle Peninsula. The word “burren” comes from an Irish word, “boireann” meaning a rocky place. It’s underrated and definitely worth visiting. Above is a stone circle which is considered a sacred place.

The Cliffs of Moher.

We took a tour around Dingle with Sciuird Archaeological Tours. There is so much history in the land. Here is the interior of the Gallarus Orator. It was raining when we toured this site, yet it was dry inside. It’s one of the few remaining churches of this type, over 1000 years old.

Gallarus Oratory.

We stayed at Pax House near Dingle. It’s a very nice B&B facing the Atlantic. Pictured was course two of an extensive breakfast.

 Course three above. We had to get up early to make time for breakfast!

The dining room at Pax House.

Highly recommend Adams Bar in Dingle for live music. We heard an amazing trio: guitar, accordion, and keyboard. They played Irish music and beyond.

We stopped in Adare on our way to Dublin and encountered Holy Trinity Abbey Church while on the hunt for coffee.

This is listed in Yelp as a coffee spot off the highway. It’s in a forest!

Best location for coffee ever. The upside to driving in Ireland.

Seating at The Woodstack Cafe. Lunch and then continue to Dublin. That will be another post because there are already so many photos here.