Fanore is a village on the coast of West Clare. It is not on my old map of Ireland (left over from a trip in to 70's).  Also, all the road numbers have been changed since then so, using this old map, we were lucky to find the West of Ireland at all, let alone the cottage we had rented.

Fanore, looking across Galway Bay to the Coast of Connemara

'Fanore' means 'the golden strand'. See the golden beach and the little cottages spread along the coast? That is Fanore - a pub, a post office, some ruins, a magical beach, and cottages strung along the steep slope rising from the sea. We stayed in one of those little specks that is a cottage.

One dawn, we saw dolphins making their way north around this point. When the sunlight hit the water, they breached, singly and in perfect pairs. They rose  fully out of the water and into the sun. Doing pirouettes.  I wish I had a picture.

 

 

 The air is heavy with anticipation as we wait for  the Fanore Saint Patrick's Day parade to make its way from the beach to the reviewing stand in front of the pub.

The second place float is the local young software millionaire, who does a very creditable version of "One Night With You", from Elvis's little known 'blonde' period.

Saint Patrick himself also scored high in the judging. Note the green lumps behind the Saint's pony trap.  They are "snakes", like Chinese New Year's dragons, with children inside.  I suspect points were taken off because the snakes were happily following the Saint (as in the Pied Piper of Hamelin), rather than being excoriated by him, as in the more traditional version of the tale.

Check out the town's web newspaper, the Fanore Examiner for late breaking news.
  The next stop the Burren and some of its ancient sites