Castles, hawks and pubs, oh my!

I've been researching my Lavell family history and am pleased to say I've found several Lavells still living in County Mayo.  I've spoken with a relative living in Great Britain - my great, great, great grandparents Martin and Bridget Lavell are also in his family tree.  His last name is not Lavell, but I've forgiven him that.

I'm continue an internal debate about where to go and for how long after Lauren and I complete our walk of the Dingleberry Forest (the Dingle Peninsula if you're trying to locate it on a map).  I want to go to Westport to Lavell's Bar and meet a famous storyteller named Mic Lavell...if he's still in fact on this side of the grass.  The reports are mixed.  County Mayo is a big place and there are lots of places to look for/find Lavells, (pubs) but I continue to be drawn to Castlebar.  I can't explain it, but there's been a constant pull from that market town for far too long to ignore.

Castles will definitely play into where we visit and how long we stay.  I've started to compile a list of castles and castle ruins in County Mayo and well, let me say this: we'd have to stay several weeks to see them all.  We're going to have to pick and choose and that won't be easy.  Lauren and I are passionate about castles.  Our favorites are those without other visitors, through which the wind blows, where the imagination takes over and the past seems close enough to touch.  Ruins can be magical if you're in the proper frame of mind.

Lauren and I would be content to wander around ruins for days on end, but we'll have Dougie with us at that point and we'll have to keep him entertained.  He'll tolerate climbing over walls and rocks for a bit, but not very long.  I'm thinking horseback riding (can you picture Doug on a horse?) and Ireland's School of Falconry would be great family fun.  The oldest established Falconry school in Ireland is on the grounds of Ashford Castle, which is mind-blowingly gorgeous.  On their one hour, private "Hawk Walk", we can have a hawk land on our gloved arm and set it to fly around the grounds of the castle.  Very cool.  For a mere $2,000, we can spend two nights in the castle, too.  Bargain.

I still have a lot of work to do, but one thing is for certain.  In nine weeks, Lauren and I will be on our way to my Dad's homeland.  Ireland, you've been warned.