Doolin, Co. Clare ….

… is a small village on the coast of Co. Clare. We had just left the Cliffs of Moher and were on our way to Galway, sightseeing along route

Opposite the row of village shops is a river .. that’s how small the village is!! (Actually it’s not the smallest village we’ve seen .. one of smallest, is one we stayed in last year – Lumpley Stoke, near Bath, England – consisted of the pub, hotel and disused railway station!)

This is the pub in Doolin – well known the world over for it’s traditional music! The Publican at a pub called The Thatch in Waterford told us about Doolin and it’s music! Gosh, he was a helpful chappie and sat with us with our map sprawled in front of him circling the places we should visit – well, this was one of them .. so there we were … outside the pub … (no time to stop for a drink unfortunately as we had lots more to see on our way to Galway)

.. and found two music shops …

… this one was tucked behind the front village shops ….

… filled, floor to ceiling, with musical instruments and everything connected to traditional Irish music and dance ..

.. I asked the chappie behind the counter if I could take photos … yes I could, but not of him! Should have got a close-up of those dainty leather dancing shoes hanging from the Bodhran’s ..

The other music shop was round the corner and had a beautiful garden filled with flowers .. don’t know what the pink ones are but the fuschias grow everywhere … absolutely everywhere!

Strange to see them so large and so bushy – don’t grow like that here. Usually this dark variety and sometimes a pale pink one but they are very commonly grown as hedges alongside roads and lanes. Cars, buses and trucks sweep passed them leaving them straight as if cut with shears, a long line of a dip (from the cars’ mirrors !!) and then over the top like a tunnel (from the tops of buses and trucks!!) These were taller than me!

We travelled down to the end of the road to the port ..

.. from here there are ferries to Aran Islands in the distance …

.. or to the Cliffs of Moher in the distance ..

It was strange to see the sea .. the Atlantic Ocean .. sooo calm !!!