As you know I am living in Carlow – not a very big town on the rivers Barrow and Burren. The guide book I have reminds Carlow as a place not worth of visit, the same opinion about this town has some Irish people I know. Does Carrlow really suck? I am not sure of that.
First of all the town centre has a beautiful shape and line, quite typical for Irish, or even for Scottish towns. I really like Tullow Street especially near the junction with Barrack Street where some nice pubs are placed and the junction with Dublin Street and Castle Street. The last two streets are really nice and creating something like a real heart of the town. I like to walk down the Castle Street and have a pint or two in Tavern, if you go further you will find yourself on Castle Road that ends with nice stone bridge. You can find me near to the river in Corcorian’s which is our archaeological social pub (successor of Tavern and Carlovians).
Of course Carlow has a castle – ruins to be correct. This Castle is the one of the finest examples of Norman castle architecture, and was built in the 13th century by William Marshal a Norman successor of Strongbow.
I was very disappointed of my guidebook which only reminds in few words the Brownshill Dolmen placed just outside of the town. As far as I know it is one of the biggest, if not the biggest dolmen in the Europe. It is really huge thing built by Neolithic farmers that used to live on the Burren and Burrow rivers.
Carlow town is not a boring place. There is plenty things to do, from having pint or more in one of the nice pubs, going crazy in on of the nightclubs to just a quite walk at the banks of Burrow river.
Not everything is such nice of course. The Burrow Bank south to the bridge is not so clean, and the architecture is also not so nice. But the north path is very nice.
Of course, for the Irish people living here, the town is nothing special. There is plenty of castles in Ireland, most of them are much better preserved than Carlow Castle, but I am not an Irish person, and that why I can appreciate cozy little town.
Old Courthouse
Dublin Street
Dublin Street
Castle Street view on Tullow Street
Castle Street view on Carlow Castle
Castle Hill
13th century Norman Castle
I am wonder if Okocim Brewery would appreciate that kind of advertisment?
River Burrow bank south of the bridge is not interesting
Bridge, view on the other side of the river
River Burrow
River Burrow
View on Carlow from the bridge
I love Irish gaeilge:)
One of the nice pubs
Tullow Street.
Tullow Street
Tullow Street
Tullow Street
Irish birds don’t care about birds flu
I am living near to the Masonry Lodge. Maybe that’s why I left Poland 
Carlow can surprise me even today. After 3 months of living in that town I have just discovered a beautiful old cemetery on the Burrow river bank, just 5 minutes of my place.
Reading your blogs has been really interesting. Given your obvious interest in landscape, history and archaeology, if you have time (and money) before you leave, I would recommend that you visit the western coast of Ireland. The landscape is very different to that of the midlands and more dramatic. I imagine that you would really enjoy a visit to the Aran islands off the coast of Connnemara, in County Galway. These are islands of karst limestone with beautiful stone walls, ancient forts, wells and holy places. An Ghaeilge is also the first language of many of the islanders. The largest of the islands, Inis Mór (the big island), known in English as Inishmore is a bit more commercial than the other two but has an ancient fort/place of ceremony, Dún Aonghus, perched on high cliffs looking out on the Atlantic Ocean which is certainly worth a visit. Inis Meáin (middle island) is the quietest of the three islands and is quite magical. Inis Oírr( the eastern island) is a bit more lively (but it is all relative!) and has a beautiful crescent beach by the pier. (Inis means island in Irish.) Inis Mór has the largest population of any offshore island in Ireland - max 800 people. Inis Oírr has about 260 and Inis Meáin about 180 people. But you might enjoy a visit to any of the western counties - I would particularly recommend Donegal, Mayo, Galway or Kerry. The best of luck in your work and travels. Majella
PS One thing that bothered me about your blog was your comments about ‘uneducated’ Polish people. My experience is that ignorant, aggressive people come from middle class backgrounds as much as from working class ones, if not more so, as they have more power. And there is no onus on people from other countries living in Ireland to behave any better than we do!
Thanx for comment!
I have been to West Cork and Kerry including Ring of Kerry and Ring of Skelig. I had some mountain hiking as well. I was really impressed of that.
I am not agree with you in the matter of behaving. Of course I know bad Irish people but for you they are only a single persons. We - Poles - are a guests in Ireland, and behavior of each of us is considered as a part of a common opinion about Polish emigrants in Ireland.
Thus the same bad behavior is much more critical in case of Polish person than Irish one.
It works that way.
I know that it works that way with some people- it doesn’t mean that it should! I, like many other Irish people, worked and lived in England in the 1980s and 1990s. Irish people in England were portrayed as drunken, violent, lazy and stupid, when they were not being portrayed as charming and harmless. (As indeed they had been by the English for centuries.)
And yes I think it would be very interesting to hear your views on the political and economic situation in Poland - I, possibly like many other people here, am quite ignorant of it all. I remember a very cold winter here in Ireland in the early 1980s watching Walesa and the ship yard workers and Solidarnosc on television news and wondering what it would bring. Of course the slant here was that this was a fight for democracy against communism - ironic given that Margaret Thatcher in England, and her crusade to end socialism and break the trade union movement was happening at the same time and the same people supporting her were applauding Solidarnosc!However, that was over two decades ago and possibly when you were just a young child, if indeed you were even born so it would be really interesting to hear your views on the current situation.
Hi Mackozer
Great set of images of my home town Carlow. I live in England and I run the Carlow website: http://www.rootsweb.com/~irlcar2
Can you email me regarding your great work as I would like to talk Off List.
mjbrennan@blueyonder.co.uk
Regards
Mike