We spent a week in Clifden, in County Galway, Ireland. It was the 30th annual Clifden Arts Week. Tea and Sympathy (a band I am in) had a gig at on the last night of the event. We rented a couple of houses and a bunch of us Yanks went over and had a hell of a time.

Clifden is a cool place with a good vibe. There is an old Irish feel nicely balanced with a younger more liberal overlay. Fun pubs, good food, cute little shops, surrounded by the very beautiful Connemara countryside, which is, on the one side, lakes and bogs and on the other, huge rocky hills. Clifden sits on a tidal bay that is filled and emptied by the tides. About 5 miles down the Sky Road is the sea itself, dotted with nearby islands.

One of our friends has a great little cottage on Turbot Island, a mile off the coast. The island is small, has no cars and only recently got electricity. There is a small, old graveyard there and about 8 houses. We spent a few hours on the island, walking the hills, the shore and laying on the long grass in the graveyard, disturbing the dead with our laughter.

The last night of the Arts Week culminated with a parade, some aerial acrobatics, fireworks and music. We played in a pub just off the square and the place was packed and we had a great time.

There’s lot to tell and share and I may even get to it some day. Check out my flickr pages if you want to see more photos (once I get them up there!).