Ireland Day 9

Well, here's the final installment on Ireland!

Stay tuned for Desert Crossroads and the Himalaya

Day 9
Saturday March 20

We say our good-byes and head straight for Dublin, learning a lot about the fight for Irish independence and about current politics along the way (Current President of Ireland is Mary Mcaleese)

We have but one short day to see what we can of Dublin and we have narrowed it down to:

1. Kilmainham Gaol: 1797-1922.
Was built as a “reform jail,” separated prisoners by type, rather than throwing them all in together. Played a key role in Ireland’s struggle for independence, where the leaders of the 1916 Easter Uprising were sent, and where many of them were executed. Old wing, with long rows of cells, new wing with “panopticon” design.















2 Phoenix Park: Beautiful expanses of green. Largest city park in Europe – twice as big as Central Park in NY. The homes of both the President of Ireland, Mary Mcaleese, and the American Ambassador to Ireland, Dan Rooney, are situated within the park.

3 Guiness Storehouse – This is Guiness’ visitors’ center. There’s a self-guided tour that takes you up about 7 levels to the “Gravity Bar,” where you look out over Dublin.
One of Guiness’ brands is “Harp” and we learned that the harp is a symbol of Ireland, having been played here (in one form or another) for over 2,500 years.




















4. Trinity College (essentially the University of Dublin(?). Founded 1592, home to a vast library of ancient manuscripts in the “Long Room.” [We weren’t allowed to take photos there, but I found one on line – an amazing library!] The most famous masterpiece in the collection is the “Book of Kells,” a handwritten and “illuminated” text of the Gospels that dates back to the 9th century.























Wandered around and took some more interesting signs, then had a wonderful dinner at a restaurant called Foley's, just around the corner from our hotel on Merrion Row. The next day we got up early and flew to London for the next "leg" of our grand adventure...

Ireland Day 8

Posting from Siem Reap, Cambodia (Angkor Wat). Still falling further behind, but haven't entirely given up!

Day 8
Friday March 19

We had read the phrase “Céad Míle Fáilte,” and knew it meant “welcome,” but I was delighted when I saw a sign that told us how to pronounce it and that it actually means “one hundred thousand welcomes.”

Our day begins in Kinsale, where we had spent the night. A decisive battle was fought here in 1601 – aptly known as the “Battle of Kinsale.” This was but one of many battles with the British over control of Ireland, but this loss marked the end of the old Gaelic order. The subtext of most of this struggle was also Catholic (Irish) versus Protestant (England). But we’ll leave all of that for a different kind of blog!

Anyway, back to our tour --- before leaving Kinsale we visited Charles Fort – a star-shaped fort erected after the famous battle.

We head next to Cork (pop. just under 200,000), the 3rd largest city in Ireland/N. Ireland after Dublin and Belfast. We only have time for a brief stop, so Shane drops us off at the “English Market” [est. 1610] on St. Patrick’s Street, which was actually a waterway until 1800. It reminded me of Pike Place Market in Seattle. Shane had told us about some of the food the Irish enjoy – and it was all there, of course, including white and black pudding (which is not pudding as we know it, by any means!)

We head towards Waterford, but stop about half way there to have lunch in a pretty little town called Lismore. We discover a relatively new restaurant called O’Brien’s Chop House – great food, nice young owner named Justin. http://www.obrienchophouse.ie/

Walking around town, we spot a few humorous signs we couldn’t resist -

We head through the Knockmealdown Mts to the town of Cahir, where we see yet another castle (ABC, as Bob says!) and, a few miles further, a Swiss Cottage, of all things! This, we’re told is an example of a “cottage orné” – built for Lord and Lady Cahir in 1810.

Our destination for the evening is Cashel, site of the famous “Rock of Cashel, ” a cathedral/fortress dating back to the 12th century. The partially restored fortress is perched on a natural rock outcropping and has a commanding view over the Tipperary plain. There are some great examples of Celtic “high crosses” in the graveyard on the grounds here.

Our bed for the night is just around the corner, at a charming little B&B called Ladyswell House, which just happens to be owned and run by Kevin (our driver/guide for the first few days) and his wife Beatrice.

We enjoy a wonderful dinner at a unique restaurant right next door called Chez Hans. http://www.chezhans.net/. Originally a church, according to Shane, it was sold in 1960s Sold for only £250, and has been run by same family as a restaurant for past 45 years. Shane says it is the best restaurant outside of Dublin. [We neglected to take our cameras to dinner, but we want to share what it looks like, so I copied this from their web-site!]

Ireland Day 7

Ireland Day 7
Thursday, March 18
[Posted Day 6 earlier today - don't know why it got dated as March 29... Anyway - we've got a free day in Bangkok and I'm trying to make some progress here!]


It’s pouring rain, but at least I finally got the first installment of the blog posted – through Sunday the 14th.

Exploring the Beara Peninsula today – ultimate destination is Kinsale.

We pass through Kilgarvan and Kenmare, encountering a goodly number of sheep along the way, and decide to stop in a pretty little village by the name of Eyeries. A sign proudly announces that Eyeries was a gold medal winner in the annual “Tidy Towns” competition. On our short stroll through its streets we can see why! We also happen on a dance hall there and a new variation of a scarecrow.

Crossing through the Caha Mts down to the southern coast of the peninsula we reach Castletownbere . Shane tells us the local industries are fishing and drug smuggling! It’s lunch time and we stop in at MacCarthy’s Pub for a sandwich and a pint. Like a lot of pubs in Ireland, it serves double duty – this one is a sort of general store, selling an odd assortment of canned goods, cleaning supplies and other sundries in addition to the usual pub fare.

The road takes us along Bantry Bay, the deepest harbor in Europe, according to Shane, and through a string of little towns with interesting names – Glengariff, Bantry, Skibbereen, Union Hall, Ballydehob and Schull (Skull). This area in the south of Ireland enjoys a tropical climate, thanks to the Gulf Stream -- we were pleasantly surprised by palm trees and flowers in bloom.

Between Rosscarbery and Glandore is a significant archeological site – the Dromberg Stone Circle, dating from around 100 – 200 BC. There are 17 standing stones in a 9 ft diam. circle, aligned to the winter solstice, which was an integral element in their belief system.

Our final stop for the night is Kinsale, a pretty little seaport for which we have no photos, due to weather and darkness!