Happy Friday! I am back! This post will be all about my fabulous trip to Ireland, and I’ll share some photos that don’t begin to do the beautiful landscape justice.
The combination of the Writer’s Conference and tours were a perfect balance. We had a couple of days that were all-day conference and a couple that were all-day touring. The weather was AMAZING! It never got above 68 degrees on any given day. The only drawback was the rain. As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words, so here we go!
This is the ruins of an abbey built in the 1500s that we visited on the first day.
Our next touring day took us to the standing stones, then to the largest lake in Western Ireland, Laugh Corrib, where I picked up some rocks to bring back home.
The next part of the tour took us to the village of Cong, where The Quiet Man starring John Wayne and Maureen Ohara, was filmed. We also visited an ancient Abbey while there. I loved the Monk’s fish house!
This sign on the wall of the pub where we had lunch in Cong made me laugh. Gotta love the Irish sense of humor!
From there, we hiked through what our tour guide called a fairy forest. It was the most magical place I’ve ever experienced. The trees are all covered with moss, as if they are dressed for a special occasion. And the moss is soft to the touch. I was surprised to see ferns growing in the forest, but they were all over. Then there were some mysterious caves and one with a grisly tale to tell. The ruler of this land had a penchant for young girls and often took them to an isolated cave where he would rape them. The story goes that one day, he forced a young girl to go with him, but she asked that he at least respect her modesty and turn around while she undressed. When he did, she pushed him, and he fell to his death in the depths of the cave.
The day we visited the holy well, it was pouring rain and cold. But I did tie Rick’s beadwork to the tree and left an offering.
I’m going to stop there for now and will share more later. There is way too much for one post. I loved meeting all the authors who attended the conference, and new friendships were forged. This photo also included our infamous bus driver, Billy.
Our instructors, Heather Webb, and Eliza Knight were fabulous and so knowledgeable. I came away with some ideas I’ll be implementing over the next few months, starting with creating new book covers for my first books and re-marketing them. They are ten years old, and things have changed since they were first published.
Thanks for riding along with me for this first segment. There is so much more to come!
Discover more from Jan Sikes
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Still not sure how I missed this. The Quiet Man is one of hubby’s favorite movies – really just anything with John Wayne, lol. I like that you also had time to tour. Kind of gives your mind a break with the writing. And making new writer friends is always a pleasure!
Well, just a tad late on this comment but thankfully I got a notification just recently. A very good trip I’m sure. My wife and I did a two-year delayed anniversary trip to Ireland in May of 2022. Looks like you went to some of the same places we did–like that 1500 abbey. I seldom put links to my stuff in blog post comments, but if you’re interested, I did a two-part post last year that covers our trip with pictures. I’ll understand if you cut them.
Part one: https://views.eaglepeakpress.com/2022/07/04/never-give-up/
Part two: https://views.eaglepeakpress.com/2022/08/09/ireland-part-two-more-great-sights/
Hi, John. My apologies for not responding to this comment. For some reason, WordPress put it in my Spam folder and I forget to look over there. Thank you for sharing your photos! I’m off to take a look!
What beautiful photos! How clever of that girl to push the ruler over the edge. She saved not only herself but others after her. Welcome back, Jan!
These photos are mind-boggling, Jan, and I only wish I could walk amid that scenery and those standing stones one day, myself. I think the ship may have sailed on that dream, but seeing it through your camera lens is a wonderful alternative. Thank you for sharing!
?❤️?
Hi Jan, what a remarkable trip to Ireland. Your pictures are beautiful although that story about the ruler was a bit horrible.
Lol, Robbie. Yes, it was a bit horrible, but so many rulers were not nice people (still aren’t.) Thank you for stopping by!
That is spot on. I prefer reading about the ancient ones than the modern ones ?
Thanks for sharing some of the beautiful Emerald Isle with us Jan. Looks like a storybook. Welcome back! 🙂 x
It was such an incredible experience, Debby. I want to do it again!
Let’s go! 🙂
Oh this looks so exciting! Love the photos.
Thank you, Paula, for stopping by and leaving a comment!
Your pictures are amazing! I’d love to walk in that fairy forest. I’m so happy you had a great time and can’t wait to hear more about your trip.
Yvette M Calleiro 🙂
http://yvettemcalleiro.blogspot.com
The fairy forest was a highlight for me, Yvette. And now, anytime a guided meditation invites me to visualize a forest, I have the perfect one to put myself in. Thank you for stopping by!
Welcome home, Jan. I’m glad you had a wonderful time. Hugs.
Thank you, Teagan!
Wonderful journey and beautiful smiles! Thank you for sharing the joy with all of us followers. ❤️
My pleasure, Gwen. I’m glad you enjoyed the visual journey!
I followed you along on Facebook and love all the photos. Ireland is such a magical place as we have both experienced. Also, the conference sounds wonderful. Always great to get new ideas and inspiration. xo
That is so true, Darlene. I also followed along with you on your recent trip and how amazing that you got to meet the one and only Sally Cronin! I would have loved that, but she is on the other side of Ireland from where I was. And yes. It’s always great to get new ideas and inspirations! Thanks for visiting!
I was lucky that she wasn’t too far away from where I was staying and we were able to meet halfway.
Beautiful pictures! They say a lot about your wonderful trip. Thanks for sharing Jan.
Thank you for stopping by, Balroop! I’m glad you enjoyed the pictures.
Great pictures, Sister! But I’m curious about how you felt. Did you have the sense that you’d been there before or that you’d finally come home? I’m sure we’ll have plenty of time to discuss this in the coming week. I can’t wait to see you, the pictures, and the rocks you picked up. You mentioned they were different from anything you’d ever seen. See you soon. Love you.
I did have a strong sense of being at home, sister. I am quite sure I’ve lived there before and the one word that kept coming to me was ‘gentle.’ The people, the land, the whole vibe was gentle. I am SO looking forward to a visit! We have lots to mull over. 🙂 Love you so much!
What a special trip, Jan! So enjoyed seeing all your photos. You’ve been touched by the magic of the isle. Thanks for sharing! xo
I definitely feel the magic, Mary! And I have so much more to share. Visiting the Burren and the Cliffs of Moher were both amazing as well. I’ll share those next week. Thank you for stopping by!
What a special trip this is for you. I am still having goosebumps. So glad for you that you could make that trip. Oh, and I looooove that sign ?
It was a once-in-a-lifetime trip for me, Erika. Even if I am ever able to return in the future, it would be different than this first experience. I thought the sign was a great example of Irish humor. 🙂 Thank you for stopping by!
My pleasure and thanks a lot for sharing this special experience. Yes, it would be a different experience for sure!
Sounds like you had a wonderful time. Thanks for sharing it with us.
It was fantastic, Craig. Thanks for chiming in!
Great pictures, Jan! Looks like you are having a terrific time ?
It was truly a magical experience, Barbara. Thank you for stopping by!
The ‘Emerald Isle’ presented in all it’s beauty in this excellent post. 🙂 Thanks for sharing, Jan. I’m glad you had a great trip.
I love the term, ‘Emerald Isle,’ Mark. It is very befitting. Thanks for visiting.
I’ve never been there, but as your photos show, the term fits.
This made me so happy, Jan! After everything you’ve been through, I’m thrilled you had a wonderful time. Your photos are beautiful! Ireland is your place girlfriend. You look fantastic and so happy! Thanks for sharing. xo
Thank you so much, Jill. It was truly a fantastic and fulfilling experience. I’m glad you enjoyed the photos. I have lots more to share, but didn’t want to make the blog post too long. I appreciate you stopping by and leaving a comment!
I love the photos. Makes me want to visit Ireland. Glad you had a good time and welcome home. (Even though the heat is brutal.)
It was so incredibly beautiful, Joan. I kept thinking of the Johnny Cash song, “Forty Shades of Green.” It’s befitting. And I want to go back. 🙂
I’m glad you had a great time, Jan. The photos are wonderful. I love the ruins.
Thanks, Dan!
Looks like fun! I visited Ireland a few years ago and loved it. I’d love to go back sometime.
I already want to go back, Jeanne. It was such a fantastic experience.
Fantastic photos and write up, Jan. So pleased you enjoyed yourself ??
Thank you, Harmony!
Glad you are back, safe and sound. Thank you for sharing – what a fabulous time you must have had.
It truly was a fabulous time, Annette. I am still processing everything. The energy was so healing!
Sounds like an amazing trip. Loved the photos. Looking forward to more. Have a great weekend, Jan. (And welcome home.)
Thank you, Staci!