Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Knock
In 1879, locals saw the Virgin Mary, St. Joseph, and St. John appear against the south
gable of this tiny town's church. Word of miraculous healings turned the trickle of pil-
grims into a flood and put Knock solidly on the pilgrimage map. Today, you can visit the
shrine. At the edge of the site, a small but earnest folk museum shows religious knick-
knacks, photos of a papal visit, and sturdy slices of traditional life (€4, daily 10:00-18:00).
▲▲▲
Strokestown Park National Famine Museum
The Great Potato Famine of 1845-1849 was the bleakest period in Irish history—so trau-
matic that it halved the Irish population, sent desperate, hungry Irish peasants across the
globe, and crystallized Irish-nationalist hatred of British rule. The National Famine Mu-
seum fills a mansion on the former estate of the Mahon family in the market town of
Strokestown, 60 miles (96.5 km) northeast of Galway.
Cost and Hours:
€13 for museum, house tour, and Georgian gardens; daily mid-
March-Oct 10:30-17:30, Nov-mid-March 11:30-16:00; “Big House” tours go daily in high
season at 12:00, 14:30, and 16:00, tel. 071/963-3013,
www.strokestownpark.ie
.
Eating:
Drivers connecting Westport or Galway to either Dublin or Northern Ireland
can stop here en route and grab lunch in the museum café.
