Way to go....: Sligo, Derry (formally known as Londonderry)

After a 3 hour drive with me still sad we arrived in Sligo (I swear there is a song about Sligo Bay!) and how gorgeous it all is. Sunshine and a beautiful day emerged from the mist about 10 minutes of driving away from the Cliffs, then sunny all the way. Just our luck!

Sligo is set on a large narrow bay with very strange hill forms at one side.

Still nice lush green country side.

Dave was still earning his brownie points because I wanted a photo of Sligo Bay so he turned off and drove past these flash houses to find a place.

See what I mean about McMansions! There are house like this everywhere! I asked our new Irish friends about it and he said that they are actually quite cheap to build and buy.

Sligo

We decided to have a beer (it seems to be the thing to do about 5.30 but today it was earlier because it was a very disappointing day all round). The view was of these weird hill shapes sitting on outdoor furniture made out of small wine barrels. This couple next door to us heard us talking and it turned out they recognised the accent because they were Irish born but were living in Tauranga for 22 years! They were out on a long overdue (because of COVID) visit to relations over here. She had a slight NZ twang with vowels but he was as broad Irish as ever. So we got chatting over drinks, they come to Mission concerts, knew HB, loved the wine etc. It was great talking to them about what made them go to the other side of the world in the first place. All carried on and drinks turned into dinner together and more drinks so a lovely night after a bad day. We exchanged phone numbers, email etc and they are coming down for Robbie Williams, have accommodation booked, but we will catch up for a coffee and a round of golf with Dave. Small world.

Derry

Next day we drove to Derry - in the North of Ireland. Took two hours but only crossed the border over just before Derry. We were told by our new Irish friends that Derry was a must stop and so Dave was on a mission to do so. In fact I give Dave lots of brownie points for today, as it cheered me up no end.

The first stop was a photo with the Derry Girls! This was a request from Viv our Irish/Australian friend who really wanted to do it. If you haven't seen the show, look it up. It is hilarious about Irish catholic girls at at catholic school up to no good, with a sharp-tongued Nun (she won a Bafta for it), a weak- minded priest and a poor Protestant boy from London who was a cousin of one of the girls but had to go to the school. Very, very funny and how Dave knew where to find the billboard is beyond me.

Then we parked up and walked the city walls (one or two miles long). We had been told to do this as it was a must-do if you come to the city. It was a lovely sunny day, not too hot and very interesting history.

The walls go around the city as it was about 1500. There was a siege in the late 1600 for 100 days by Charles 2nd who was a Catholic (Jacobite) and wanted to throw out the Protestants who governed the city. (Yes this stuff was going on since then). The city put out cannons all along the walls and defended themselves against the British forces and won! The mediaeval cannons can still be found up on the bastions that defended the walls.

Views from the walls.

I loved this. It is a poets corner and you go inside the cage and push a button and select a poem and suddenly a poem is being read in a loud Irish voice!

See above? It is what is left of this pillar after it was bombed by the IRA in the 70's.

Little humps in the wall which shows where the entrance gates are underneath.

This is the guildhall (now a museum/art gallery) with a big clock face - biggest in Ireland- but when it chimed it was the most cheerful, jovial clock chimes I have ever heard! Happy to hear the time for once.

Once again we have an Irish city founded on the banks of a river the Foyle river. The walls used to come down to it so boats could come up to it and trade.