Croagh Patrick and Oliver's

On the way back from Westport, we stopped at Croagh Patrick (St. Patrick’s Mountain), where it’s said he climbed the mountain to fast and pray for forty days and nights before he set forth to evangelize Ireland. And, indeed, archeological digs show evidence of habitation at the time approximate to 441 A.D., the time of Patrick. Since early Christian times, pilgrims have climbed the mountain in the footsteps of this beloved saint. An impressive climb up this 2,515 ft. peak. The truly devout make the ascent barefoot, returning with bloodied feet and a cleansed soul. Mom remembers her mother speaking reverently of these pilgrims and she was thrilled to see Croagh Patrick firsthand. You can just see the path at the lower part of the mountain in the accompanying shot.

After a lovely day at Kylemore, Westport, and Croagh Patrick, we repaired to the cottage to eat a tasty dinner prepared by Stacey. Irish beef (“locally sourced and fully traceable”) and fresh pork and black pepper sausages made by the butcher mixed quite nicely in the pasta sauce she put together. Combined with garlic bread and a variety of tasty wines (so I’m told), we ate well and deferred dessert to Oliver’s Pub where we, once again, listened to some lovely instrumentals and gorgeous voices from the Dusty Banjos and their myriad musical camp followers. Before Oliver’s we engaged in our nightly ritual and took in the sunset at the cove beach a few hundreds yards away.