Off To Mayo!

Tomorrow at noon, I board the train for County Mayo, in the extreme northwestern part of Connaught, along the west coast of Ireland. I am going with the other ten students studying in my group, and we will be staying in a family hostel, Kilcommon Lodge, outside the seaside village of Belmullet, County Mayo, through Thursday night. County Mayo is famous for its picturesque views and beautiful boglands, but also for its wet and windy weather. Its history is also bleak, being one of the most affected counties during the Famine. It is, however, known for its rural and quaint beauty, and is where the classic John Wayne film, The Quiet Man was shot. While we are there, we will be experiencing a Gaeltacht area, where the first language for much of the population is still the native Irish Gaelic. County Mayo is remote and secluded, and while I'm there, I will have no internet, so do not expect any blog updates or new pictures until late on Friday, but when I return, I will be happy to share all that I have learned!- "To Hell or Connaught"