Ireland (Lonely Planet, 9th Edition) - Fionn Davenport [389]
Also recommended:
Furey’s ( 071-914 3825; Bridge St) Old-style bar with superb traditional music most nights, as well as jazz and various open mic opportunities for all comers.
Clarence Hotel ( 071-914 2211; Wine St) Regular live bands and DJs perform at this local gathering spot.
Fiddler’s Creek ( 071-914 1866; Rockwood Pde) Riverside pub with a lively atmosphere despite the dark medieval stonework, plus creative pub grub.
Entertainment
Hawk’s Well Theatre ( 071-61526; www.hawkswell.com; Temple St) This well-regarded theatre presents concerts, dance and drama.
The Factory Performance Space ( 071-917 0431; www.blueraincoat.com; Lower Quay St) A once-derelict pork abattoir is home to innovative professional theatre company Blue Raincoat, whose program includes original productions.
Shopping
Michael Quirke, the Woodcarver of Wine St ( 071-914 2624; Wine St; 9.30am-12.30pm & 3-6pm Mon-Sat) Don’t miss a chat with Michael Quirke (see the boxed text, Click here) as he hand-carves his creations.
The Cat & the Moon ( 071-914 3686; www.thecatandthemoon.com; 4 Castle St; 9am-6pm) Quality Irish crafts and arts sold at this innovative gift shop include designer jewellery.
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MICHAEL QUIRKE: THE WOODCARVER OF WINE ST
The inconspicuous studio Click here of Michael Quirke, woodcarver, raconteur and local character, is filled with the scents of locally felled timbers and off-cuts of beech stumps. A converted butcher shop, it retains some of the implements of the butcher’s trade, including an electric bone saw. Quirke, himself formerly a butcher, began to use his tools for cutting and carving wood in 1968. He divided his time between his twin callings for 20 years, after which he gave up meat, so to speak.
Quirke’s art is inspired by Irish mythology, a subject about which he is passionate and knowledgeable, and as he carves he readily chats with the customers and the curious who enter his shop and end up staying for hours. ‘Irish mythology, unlike Greek mythology, is alive and constantly changing’, he says. ‘It’s not set in stone, and that’s why it’s interesting.’ He draws unforced connections between Irish myths, music, history, flora, fauna and contemporary events, as well as comparisons in the wider world, such as Australian Aboriginal and Native North American lore. Frequent tangents often debunk misconceptions. For instance: ‘You’ll hear talk about bunnies in Ireland, but in fact we have hares, which are very different. Bunnies are nervous, skittish animals. That’s why they live in holes. On the other hand, the Irish hare has nerves of steel. It does not hide in burrows, and when it runs it does not hesitate. When I walk my dog, if a hare runs by, no more than 20 feet away, my dog will never notice it. It’s a grey streak.‘
As he talks and carves, Quirke frequently pulls out a county map, pointing to places that spring from the conversation, leading you on your own magical, mystical tour of the county.
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Getting There & Away
AIR
From Sligo Airport ( 071-916 8280; www.sligoairport.com; Strandhill Rd) there are direct Aer Arann flights to Dublin twice daily (40 minutes).
BUS
Bus Éireann ( 071-916 0066) leaves from the bus station, situated below the train station on Lord Edward St. Destinations include Ballina (€12.90, 1½ hours, five daily), Westport (€16.70, two hours, twice daily) and Dublin (€17.10, four hours, four daily), as well as Galway and Donegal town. Services are less frequent on Sunday.
Feda O’Donnell ( 074-954 8114; www.fedaodonnell.com) operates a service between Crolly (County Donegal) and Galway twice daily (four times on Friday). Call to confirm departure points.
TRAIN
Trains leave the station ( 071-916 9888) for Dublin (€32, 3½ hours, four or five daily) via Boyle, Carrick-on-Shannon and Mullingar.
Getting Around
Local Bus Éireann buses run to Strandhill and to Rosses Point (€3.50, five to seven Monday to Saturday) and sometimes continue to the airport. A taxi to the airport costs about €15.
There are taxi stands on Quay St and on Grattan St. Zero