Claddagh Rings and Irish Things

A new day brought with it a new city in Ireland to explore. On Monday, March 5, we said good-bye to Molly and thanked her for her wonderful hospitality as we left Limerick and moved on to Galway. Galway is the cutest Irish town! With only two main cobblestone roads lined with small shops, pubs, and bakeries, Galway was small and charming. The buildings were old and authentic, and as we walked through the town we encountered many musicians playing Irish tunes on the street corners. Walking through Galway was like a dream, the city so quaint and picturesque. I definitely could tell I was in Ireland!

After dropping our bags off at our hostel, we headed to the Irish Claddagh museum. The “museum” is actually more of a single room, but fun and informative none the less. Here Tiffany, Claire and I learned about the initial makings of the ever so famous ring in Claddagh – which is very close to Galway. By the end of the day we all had Irish Claddagh rings and even purchased some for friends back at home. Unlike Claire and Tiffany, mine was not new this trip but a present from the my mom and her mom (Grammy). They got it when they took a trip to Ireland back 1998. I love mine and wear it every day so it was very interesting to learn the history behind it.

During the day, there was of course a break for scones. I think it is mandatory that when in Ireland, you must have at least one scone daily. I will be taking full advantage of this rule!

As evening approached, we were all eager to check out an authentic Irish pub, and enjoy some live music. Upon recommendation from our hostel, we went to one right in town that had some authentic Irish music. In the pub, there were four or five musicians playing traditional Irish instruments such as the fiddle, the flute, and the bodhran which is like a small hand drum. It was so cool! And you can’t go to an Irish pub without having a Guinness in your hand. We all tried our first ones! Although I am not one for beer, I s surprisingly loved this! It was not heavily carbonated, and had a coffee after taste. Delicious!