22-24 June 2007
Our annual coach outing took place on 22-24 June 2007. 36 people in all travelled. En route to Westport we made 3 stops – Foxford Woollen Mills, Straide Abbey & Michael Davitt Museum and Ballintubber Abbey. After dinner on Friday night we were entertained by local Church of Ireland Rector, Garry Hastings and his feadóg mhór.
On Saturday morning we met our guide, Brona Joyce who took us out to Murrisk where we saw the remains of the abbey where Gráinne Mhaol was baptised and married (1st time), famine memorial and some of us climbed (part of) Croach Patrick. From there we journeyed to Achill Island where we got a grand tour and as much history as we could absorb, not to mind the beautiful scenery. After dinner we sang and danced till bedtime.
On Sunday morning we went to 9.30 Mass in the Catholic Church. Afterwards some went on a walking tour of Westport led again by Brona Joyce while a dozen or more attended Garry Hastings’ Anglican Mass in the Church of the Holy Trinity. Afterwards both the walkers and those coming out from Garry’s service had to shelter from a heavy shower. Then it was onto the coach and off to Newport for lunch. After lunch we had a slide show by Peter Mullowney depicting the rise and fall of the Newport O’Donnells. We then visited the local Catholic Church to admire a Harry Clarke window.
Photo taken by Una McGarrigle who, alas, is not in the picture
From there we travelled to Burrisule Abbey where lies the remains of Rory O’Donnell of Lifford who along with 2000 of his kinsmen was banished to Connacht sometime around 1660 by Oliver Cromwell. Peter Mullowney filled us in on the history of the Abbey. There also we saw the grave of Fr. Sweeney who was hanged in Newport for acting as translator for the French in 1798. We then made our way to Bundoran where we dined and agreed we had had a wonderful weekend. A huge thanks is due to our secretary Una McGarrigle for all the planning and organising. The one big question on everybody’s lips as we said goodbye to one another was, “Where are we going next year?”