So close yet so far

We were in Ireland and in Galway during the International Quilt Festival 2012. Did I get to it ....... NO :(  We saw the signs and banners, passed the college location, and took a fabulous bus tour to Kylemore Abbey instead. Some ladies on the tour had been to the festival. They liked the quilts on display but were not too happy with the organizing of travel and accommodations for the event. Hopefully some of the kinks will get sorted out for next time.
In all the stop offs we made around Ireland there was not much quilting to see BUT some of the cathedrals had some amazing ceramic floors, altars and other items that could easily have inspired existing quilt patterns and designs :) There was also plenty of other textiles to see which I enjoyed greatly.

One banner in St. Nicholas' Church in Galway caught my eye.

as did some random dancing as we walked around :) Seriously they showed up as a little parade (3 pipers, 2 dancers and a highland costumed guy carrying the Scottish flag), set up, did their dance and cameras and then moved along to another part of the street and did the same thing. We followed them for a wee while.

We took tons of photographs and I will share them over time and at each of my blogs. What impressed me the most - the scenery (obviously), the stained glass windows and ceramics, the wildlife, the historical ambiance intermingled with modern, and the seemingly random sculptures along the roadways, roundabouts and other places.
I was sorely tempted to buy one of the many ruined buildings we saw along the way but managed to resist the temptation. Maybe they will just have to show up in some of my art work (if I ever get back to it).
I also noticed a theme with the many cottages that we saw which I will share in another posting.