Day 11 - Kylemore Abbey, Connemara National Park and Mulranny

Up early and away north via Spiddal beach. Stopped by a cemetery to have some brekkie, starts raining and there staring at me was O'Toole on a few of the grave stones. Continued on to Kylemore Abbey, amazing amazing place. Built by Mitchell Henry for his wife Margaret, the love of his life in 1865 or thereabouts. They had nine children. They went on holiday to Egypt and Margaret got dysentery and after 16 days she died. She was only 45 and Mitchell was so devastated he never married again. He did not want to think of her lying in the cold so he built a mausoleum for her. Sad storey but an amazing building!  Now owned and run but the Benediction Nuns. Off to Connemara National Park to walk Diamond Hill, well part of it anyway. Rumour is that St Patrick went to the top of this hill and banished the snakes from Ireland! From there to Mulranny, a pretty place on the west coast north west of Westport. Our room in the B&B is brilliant, views of the water, just lovely!  Had dinner at the Mulranny Park Hotel. John Lennon and his girlfriend of the time Yoku Ono stayed here everytime they came to Ireland, he would arrive by helicopter on the lawn and stay in a suite , it is now called the John Lennon suite, Had a great, great day! 😃