The drive to Ennistymon, Ireland from Northern Ireland was just a little over five hours & it seemed to pass so quickly. Gabriela & I talked for a bit, sang along to music, but for the most part we were content to sit in silence and enjoy the beautiful scenery.
It was dark when we arrived at Keelkyle, so we hurriedly lugged our things inside while trying to avoid tripping.
Since Gaby got the master bedroom during the last Ireland trip, she offered to let me have it this time around. Except this time the “master” bedroom was located downstairs; had a much smaller bed; and had a window & door without curtains that opened up to an open field. Cue the creepy horror music instrumentals. Like always, I allowed my imagination to run away with me & I refused her not-so-generous offer. In my defense, she refused to sleep down there too! So, for the next week we shared a bed in the upstairs bedroom.
Sunday is typically a day of rest in Ireland, as we learned from our previous visit, which was fine with us because we were somewhat tired from galavanting around Northern Ireland & the 7-hour trek to our cottage in Ireland. We slept in that morning & took our sweet time getting ready for the day. If not for our hunger, we probably would have been content to lounge around the cottage all day, but our epic dinner of onion chips, airplane pretzels & water the night before was not enough to sustain us. Lead by our hunger, we ventured into Ennistymon in search of food. We were pleasantly surprised to find a large grocery store where we stocked up on water, snacks & groceries to make a few dinners and packed lunches. On the way home, we took a few detours to explore the area surrounding the cottage.
Thanks to our little off-road adventure, we learned that the open field behind the cottage was the location of the Moananagh Ambush. Visions of shadowy, soldiers advancing on the field (think “The Shadowy Horses” by Susanna Kearsley) made for hauntingly, beautiful imagery. However, I like my ghost stories with a side of my hubby or a night-light. Since neither of those were options, I knew I had made the right choice to invade Gaby’s privacy & sleep in her room for the week. Thanks to the best reading nooks, deep soaking bath tub & impromptu dance parties, we spent most of our time in the living area. Keelkyle cottage was the perfect place to return to after long days of sightseeing.
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