Castle Hacket
We had a gorgeous sunny day and decided to use some of it to see some sites nearby. First stop was Castle Hacket, the castle in the photo above. Wikipedia writes about the castle that:
“Castle Hacket is a 13th-century tower house located at the base of Knockma hill six miles southeast of Tuam, County Galway, Ireland. It was built by the Hacketts, a Norman family. The Kirwans, one of the tribes of Galway, settled there in the 15th century. The Castle Hackett branch of the family was established in the mid-17th century by Sir John Kirwan. The castle was abandoned in the 18th century and the Kirwans built a new three-story house called Castlehacket which was burned in 1923 during the Civil War but rebuilt and still stands today.
In the introduction to his Fairy and Folk Tales of the Irish Peasantry (1888), William Butler Yeats mentions the family and castle Hackett; he writes, “Each county has usually some family, or personage, supposed to have been favoured or plagued [with fairy-seeing abilities], especially by the phantoms, as the Hackets of Castle Hacket, Galway, who had for their ancestor a fairy…”
Entrance gate to the castle
The area around is a lovely spot for going walking or running on a sunny day, and for those who like that sort of thing it’s probably nice in rain too. We went for a small walk as we had other things on our programme for the rest of that day.
Into the woods
There were loads of nice yellow buttercups and other flowers in bloom and with birds singing, the sun shining, people smiling and greeting each other as if they knew them, it made the atmosphere almost magic.
Bank of lake Corrib
Afterwards we drove to Lough Corrib, Ireland’s second largest lake in Ireland. Last time I went over we also went dow, but then the lake was a nice misty mystery. It was almost unrecognisable now in the sunshine.
Pier where there used to be a ferry
The fresh air did us all very good and there was a gentle breeze by the lake that felt really invigorating. Even though we where the only humans at the pier, there where others that was also enjoying the lake in the sunshine.
Two ducks chilling in the sun!
Being blind I really appreciate the way in which you label photographs. Your description of what the picture is is very helpful. Thank you. Kevin
Thank you Kevin. Even if I can see I find it useful to have a description of what it is I’m looking at, so I try to provide others with the same in my pictures.
I want to tell you: I love your blog! I am very jealous of all your writerly travels. Ireland looks so beautiful. Yeats is one of my favorite poets, and I don’t think I’ll ever be able to visit Ireland without his words ringing in my ears.
Thank you! Ireland really is beautiful !
“I have spread my dreams under your feet.
Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.”
Once again I so happy for you and hreen with envy. The photos are lovely and your descriptions make me feel homesick though I have never set foot in Ireland. In this life anyway.😉
It’s a very lovely country and I’m not sure my photos do it justice. But I have gotten a new phone with better camera for next time! Sadly it doesn’t improve the person behind it 😉
Don’t be silly. Your photos are good. Can’t wait to see the “new and improved”! 😀
Thank you. I’m hoping I’ll get some good shots!
I look forward to seeing them!
[…] Easter in Ireland Part 4: Castle Hacket and Lough Corrib […]
[…] It’s finally time for me to hop on a plane and go back to beautiful Ireland. I’m very much looking forward to spending easter over on the emerald island. I was there last easter at well and it was lovely. Hoping for more like the below: Easter in Ireland Part 1 Easter in Ireland Part 2: Tuam and Oranmore Easter in Ireland Part 3: Galway Easter in Ireland Part 4: Castle Hacket and Lough Corrib […]