This man claimed not to have driven from Dublin to Galway for maybe ten years and was looking forward to seeing all those great by passes and dual carriageways he had heard about. Well, he was impressed. But he just loved it when he came off the big stuff, driving from Dublin, and was soon into the procession of hedgerows, fields and cottage gardens of old. On from Enfield, Moyvalley, Clonard, Kinnegad, Rochfortbridge and so on, he went, remembering here and there a special tree, or even a plot of trees which had been planted at the same time as he laid down some. But, above all, he noticed the flowering of the N6 road.
Where cottage gardens had had in nearly every case - that great old plant the mallow, now they often had two or three, or even a hedge of them, mainly in the newer, paler shades. But even more surprising and delightful to him every villages and town and hamlet was aglow with window boxes and hanging baskets of the most brilliant colours.
How much of this comes from tidy towns competitions, how much is just a growing consciousness and pride in their communities, he couldn't say, but he thought it a revelation. And kept on saying so all the way. The road itself, the old N6, he thought to be in great nick. He came across only one pothole, and he's forgotten where it is. Ballinasloe is always a stopping point for those heading right out west. It's about half way, and Hayden's Hotel, does a big trade in carvery type lunches. No complaints about the new roads, only the thought that it might be made easier to get around Galway.
He hadn't time to stop at what used to be called Kilrickle but is now, correctly, Kilreckil. Joyce's Irish Names of Places gives it as "Church of the virgin St Richill of Ahascragh (Galway) who is vividly remembered in both places. Probably sixth century; mentioned by Colgan and in the Calendars; but little for certain is known about her." The stop would have been to visit again the great shop Carley Bros. And so on to Connemara lakes which showed not just the big stones projecting above glassy waters, but even beds of shingle.
Not a fish. But, as always, lobsters without equal at hosts' places - crab. In Gaeltacht areas, decent houses, relatively unpeopled beaches. All seems natural, self contained and you hope it will remain so and the inhabitants thrive.