Gleninchaquin Park

After chatting with Eoghan ( pronounced; Owen) and his lovely wife and being absolutely stunned by his work we decided to take his advice and head about 13 km our of town to the Guilinchquin Park. We drove up one very narrow road and stopped first at a trout cottage. The lake was beautiful with mountains in the background and reeds on the lake.

After finishing up here, we headed deeper inside the area and drove to a stone circle about 4,000 years old. (1 Euro each on the honor system). We walked to the top of a hill and in the center of the rise was a stone circle (in better shape than most we have encountered) but this time there were a number of ladies gathered about the circle holding hands and singing Amazing Grace. It was simply perfect. Their voices wafting like the Irish breeze across the heather.

We waited while they finished their little ceremony (photographing them all the while) and proceeded to take more photographs of the landscape. Wonderful.

We continued driving to Gleninchaquin Park and suddenly, as we turned a curve, in front of us was the most spectacular sight you could ever imagine. If this is not a setting for a fantasy movie then no one has discovered it. It makes the New Zealand scenery for The Hobbit pale in comparison.

First, the incredible chartreuse green grass and hills dotted with black face sheep with a waterfall behind about a mile that puts Yosemite Falls to shame. Streaming over the black volcanic rock is a multi streamed waterfall that is simply magical.

We were greeted by the owner’s wife, a lovely lady who showed us the little routes to take to enjoy their working farm.

As we walked up a little 2 mile grade, we were greeted with more waterfalls, each one outdoing the other. The green inside this river walk is not to be believed and perhaps it was a dream we were in. But, if this is a dream, we will stay asleep never to awaken.

After getting back to the car we drove directly beneath the falls. The landscape here is pure fantasy. There is no way to describe it nor compare it nor do it justice in pictures. This is a seriously beautiful land of green and natural sounds of silence not to be believed.

If you come to the western part of Ireland and do not visit this place, it would be a serious loss. I did not see it on any maps. Thanks goodness for fellow photographer, Eoghan Kavanagh for his suggestion.

Again, Eoghan’s website is www.skyline.ie.

When we finally get home, we will put together another of our travel books. This one will be Ireland. Stalking the light. Because this place is so incredibly beautiful we are contemplating having an exclusive exhibition of some of our work from Ireland. Give us your thoughts and we will choose a venue. Perhaps, our studio but probably a gallery in San Diego. Trust me when I say that Ireland has enchanted us far more than even Italy.

One caveat however; Italians excel at espresso. The Irish do not. Wurra, wurra, wurra.