September 12 - 13, 2015 - Dublin: Trinity College & Pub Crawl Then Homeward Bound

Dia dhaoibh,

Our last full day and the luck of the Irish returned. The rain stopped overnight and left temperatures a little bit cooler; perfect weather for walking and exploring. Our first stop of the day was Trinity College. Our walk to the college took us by Customs House, a short walk from our hotel, where we stopped to take some pictures. Rather than just wandering around the grounds and paying to get into the Old Library and view the Book of Kells, we opted for the paid tour. It was well worth it as it gave you some insight to the history and background of the College. The tour guides are all students at the College. Our guide was a young lady from the States who was completing her masters at the university. Trinity College was founded in 1592 and it was modelled after Cambridge and Oxford in England. It is one of the seven ancient universities of Britain and Ireland as well as the oldest university in Ireland. The college was set up in part to consolidate the rule of the Tudor monarchy in Ireland and was seen as a university of Protestant Ascendancy for much of its history. Catholics and Dissenters were allowed into the university in 1793 but with a number of restrictions which lasted until 1873. From 1956 to 1970 the Catholic Church did not allow their adherents to attend the College unless they had permission from their archbishop. This ban was lifted in 1970. Women were admitted as full members in 1904 and today now outnumber male students.

The picture in the upper left corner is the sculpture Sphere Within A Sphere (1982) by Italian Arnaldo Pomadoro, it was given to the college and is located outside The Museum Building that was completed in 1857. The Museum Building is noted for its Venetian Exterior and its multicoloured hall. Sadly, as with most buildings on the university grounds access is restricted.

One of the main reasons for our visit to Trinity College was to see the Book of Kells. Pictures were not permitted partly to preserve the magnificent colours of the egg tempura used in the creation of the manuscripts. It is thought that the Book of Kells is the work of monks from Iona who fled to Kells in 806 AD after a Viking raid. The book came to the university in the 17th century and is Ireland's most richly decorated medieval manuscript. The calligraphy is embellished with intricate spirals, human figures and animals. It contains the four gospels written in Latin. The Gospel on display today was the Gospel of Luke and when you consider the time that has past and conditions that they were created in it is really astonishing.

The Long Room is the main chamber of the Old Library and is pictured on the right. The books are stacked largest at the bottom to smallest at the top. Trinity College Library Dublin is a legal deposit library, which means it is legally entitled to  a free copy of every book published in Great Britain and Ireland. Consequently it receives over 100,000 new items every year.
The library contains about 5 million books, manuscripts, maps, and music.

The Long Room measures 210 feet from end to end and houses marble busts of scholars of all the disciplines as well noted writers such as Shakespeare. We were told that books are stored in various locations and any book wanted by a student can be retrieved in 48 hours after a request has been made. They must have an amazing cataloguing system to know what location a book is in. The library is also home to one of three of the oldest Gaelic harps Ireland and is pictured on the left.

Known as Brian Boru's Harp it is a medieval instrument dating from the 14th or 15th century. The Harp was also used a model for the Coat of Arms of Ireland.

We now headed off to check out the pubs of Dublin with a mini pub crawl and visit some of the more out of the way pubs outside the Temple Bar area.
Our first stop was The Stag's Head located down a little alley way. The interior had a large stag head behind the bar and beautiful stained glass windows all around. I had my first decent cider while in Ireland, Falling Apple while Fred enjoyed a Coalface Black IPA.

Our next stop was The Long Hall a Victorian Heritage Pub. Little has changed in here over 130 years since publican, Patrick Dolan completed the refurbishment in the spring of 1881. This site has had a licence  since 1766 and has changed hands a number of times. The picture on the right is of a vintage clock that still works. There was a liberal use of mirrors both concave and convex, used to make the pub appear larger than is it. Gold leaf, gaslights and beautiful mahogany walls certainly take you back to the Victorian Era. Here I had another fine cider Orchard Thieves and Fred enjoyed a Galway Hooker, another IPA. We had a chat with the bartender before heading back to Temple Bar. We stopped again in The Temple Bar and it was already very busy but we were able to get pictures inside. There was a live group playing but again it was modern music. We did not have a drink here but carried on once our photo op was completed. Our last pub of the afternoon was The Oliver St. John Gogarty.

A lively pub with traditional Irish music. I'm lucky to get a seat as an elderly Irish gent invited me to sit by him. We had a conversation of sorts as it was loud and he was very soft spoken. I had a rum and coke here as the only cider they had was bottled and Fred had a craft beer brewed for the pub. I was videoing the performers or so I thought, but I was holding down the photo rather than the record button. We relaxed for about an hour enjoying the music before heading off for a late lunch or early supper.

We headed off to The Bank Bar and Restaurant a place we had passed yesterday and one that I wanted to try out. A converted bank it is very beautiful inside. We both had an open faced steak sandwich and a glass of wine. The vaults or safes are still in place in the basement where the washrooms are located. The portions were good and reasonably priced.

We headed off now to explore the area north of the River Liffey. The picture on the left is Ha'Penny bridge built in 1816 which we crossed. The reason it is called a ha'penny is that the builder of the bridge was allowed to charge a fee of a half penny to cross the bridge for 100 years. More photo opportunities taken before I am totally exhausted and in pain so we headed back to the hotel. I actually crashed and had a nap before packing and getting ready for our trip back home.

As it was Sunday, and breakfast is served until 11:00 am we decided to have a lie in. After breakfast we relaxed in our room as it was a miserable wet day and checkout was noon. Our ferry to Holyhead was a 2:30 pm departure and it was only a 2 hour ride. I was hoping for some waves given the rain but the ride was non-eventful. We arrived in Wales to beautiful sunny
weather. The final picture, taken from the car, is of the Menai Bridge as we head home.

We hope you have enjoyed this segment of our travels. We had a fantastic trip, met some wonderful people and saw the key sights this trip. Definitely an island to revisit as we just scratched the surface.

Sia'ngo fo'ill,

Sandy & Fred

September 11, 2015 - Dublin

Dia dhaoibh,

We had a bit of a lie in today, but were still out fairly early as there was a great deal we wished to see while in Dublin. So far we have been blessed with the luck of the Irish as the weather has been perfect. Cool but dry perfect for walking and sightseeing. Our hotel is located right on the River Liffey and we walked along its promenade to start our sightseeing of the south of Dublin. The picture on the right is a sculpture called "The Linesman" by Dony MacManus and is one of the first sculptures we came across on our walk.

As we were walking to Christ Church Cathedral our first stop of the day, we came across a building with lovely terracotta decorations. It turns out that this   building is the Sunlight Chambers, built for the Lever Brothers in 1900 and the terracotta façade advertises their main business of soap manufacturing.

Christ Church is the oldest cathedral in Dublin and has been a place of worship for nearly 1000 years, being founded in1030. The building itself has gone through many changes over the centuries. Located in the heart of the medieval city of Dublin it was founded by the Hiberno-Norse, rebuilt by the Anglo-Normans and extensively restored in the 1870's. The present building is a blend of original 12th & 13th century material alongside recreated Victorian Gothic features.

The picture on the right is of the beautiful medieval tiled floor in the cathedral. There are 63 patterns in all, which the Victorians copied throughout the cathedral. The Cathedral is also the burial site of Strongbow, leader of the Anglo-Norman's who captured Dublin in 1170. He was buried here in 1176 but the original tomb was destroyed when the south wall and roof of the Cathedral collapsed in 1562. The business life of Dublin which used the old monument for payment of rents, meant that a 'new' Strongbow monument had to be built. The replacement, seen on the right, is from the 14th century and has some of the fine details of medieval armour, including spurs on the ankles. We spent about an hour walking around the Cathedral taking pictures and admiring the structure before heading off to our next site.

Dublin Castle State Apartments. There has been a settlement here for more then 1000 years since before the time of the Vikings. In 1204 King John of England ordered the construction of a castle on this site. Over time Dublin Castle became the most important fortification of Ireland. Over the next eight centuries the castle functioned as the seat of colonial rule, a centre of military and political power, and a glittering stage for Ireland's ruling classes. It has continually evolved to suit the changing requirements of the country. It is still used today for important state functions as well as the inauguration of the Irish President every seven years.

The picture on the left is of the State Corridor. Again you need to check out my Facebook wall and Fred's Flickr site (www.flickr.com/photos/fredparkins) for pictures as there were some very impressive rooms. The most impressive  and one of the oldest rooms of the state apartments is St. Patrick's Hall. Formerly the Ballroom of the Viceregal court, its present appearance is the result of over 250 years of alterations and improvements. The most significant is the painted ceiling by Vincenzo Waldré completed in the 1790s. The walls are lined by banners of the chivalric order of the  Knights of Saint Patrick, the Irish equivalent of the English Order of the Garter. We walked around the grounds before heading off to see more of the sights on the streets.

The statue to the right is of Molly Malone a fictional character. There is a popular song about her and it is said to be the unofficial anthem of Dublin City. Molly was said to be a 17th century fishmonger by day and a part-time prostitute by night. She is also reported to be one of the few chaste female street hawkers of her day. However, there is no evidence that Molly was a real person. During the Millennium Celebrations in 1988 the Lord Mayor declared June 13th Molly Malone Day and unveiled the statue, which was presented to the city by the Jury's Hotel group to mark the Millennium. We also passed some lovely flower markets one which is also pictured to the right.


We continued our walk and stopped for a rest in St Stephen's Green, a lovely park. I popped some pain killers as my sciatica was really acting up.  After walking around the park, we continued on, eventually finding a pub off on a side street for some refreshment and I noticed Moonshine on sale. I asked the waitress what it was like and she told us it was horrible, that it tasted like sour apples. The bartender said it was a lot of sugar and very cheap alcohol. The waitress then remarked whatever do you do with a sour apple drink to which I replied add vodka and you have a sour apple martini. Refreshed we decided to head back to the hotel for me to rest up so we could hit the streets again in the evening. On our way back we came across the Museum of Natural History. I decided it was a good place to stop for a washroom break and to check out the displays. The museum was opened in 1857 with an inaugural lecture by Dr. David Livingston. The building has barely altered since Victorian times and is in itself a museum. The two floors that were open housed a wide variety of stuffed animals, birds, reptiles and skeletons and it is affectionately known as "The Dead Zoo".  The ground floor is dedicated to Irish wildlife and has the skeleton of the now extinct giant deer or Irish Elk. The upper gallery is home to the Blaschla Collection of marine life, as well as deer, buffalo and skeletons of mammals including one of a human. There is also a humpback whale skeleton hanging from the ceiling that was found stranded in the County Sligo in 1893.

The picture on the left is part of The Famine Memorial. The artist really captured the agony of the people during this period. We headed back for a much needed rest for me and more pain pills before heading out for the evening.

The luck of the Irish finally ran out as it started to rain. Our new raincoats were finally put to use as we headed out for supper. We ate at the Mill Stone, a Mediterranean style restaurant. We ended up chatting with two Irish couples of which one gentleman was very entertaining. The atmosphere and food was wonderful. Fred had lamb belly and I had a cottage pie which was accompanied by a nice red wine. Stuffed we headed off to Temple Bar, the arts and entertainment district of Dublin.

As it was a Friday night the area was really hopping. We took a quick look inside The Temple Bar pub and it was so jammed there was no chance of getting near to the bar to order a drink. There was live music although it was modern music and not traditional Irish. We walked around a bit taking in the sights before heading back to the hotel for some much needed rest. The last picture to the right was in The Temple Bar pub.

Sia'ngo fo'ill,

Sandy & Fred

September 10, 2015 - Cork to Dublin

Dia Dhaoibh,    

After breakfast and a fairly early start we left Cork to make our way to Dublin, visiting a couple of sites along the way. Our drive today will cover about 186 miles. Our first stop was The Rock of Cashel. From the 5th century it was the seat of the Kings (overking) of Munster, and in 1101 they handed Cashel over to the Church. Its origins as a centre of power go back to the 4th and 5th centuries AD when the Eóganacht, the descendants of Eógan Mór, first came to prominence. The Eóganacht dynasties spread throughout Munster and, up to the 10th century, only Eóganacht kings were allowed to be overking. An unusual feature of the Cashel kingship was that a number of its kings were ecclesiastics. The Eóganacht were ousted from the Cashel kingship by the kings of  Dál Cais, who were from County Clare. Then as noted earlier, in 1101 the the Rock of Cashel was handed over to the Church. There are no known surviving records relating to the 13th century construction of the present cathedral, all evidence for its dating is purely architectural. The cathedral was greatly altered in the 15th century and also went through many troubled times but was still used as a church until 1749.

St Patrick's Cross pictured on the left is unusual among Irish high crosses as it does not have a ring around the cross head and has subsidiary supports at each side of the shaft, although only one remains. The original is now displayed in the undercroft of the Vicars Choral to protect it from any further deterioration from the elements. We spent over a hour exploring and taking pictures at the cathedral and its grounds.

We now headed to Kilkenny, said to be Ireland's loveliest inland city. It rose into prominence in the 13th century and it became the medieval capitol of Ireland. The Anglo-Norman Butler family came into power in the 1390's and held sway over the city for 500 years.


Their legacy is visible in the cities historic buildings. The picture on the right is of Kilkenny Castle. We entered the grounds but decided against doing the tour as pictures were not allowed and the castle is largely a reconstruction as it fell into such disrepair. We did a walk about of the city and stopped for a drink in one of the pubs. The pub had a large projection screen TV and were showing the big Hurley match from the previous weekend. We were able to get a bit of an idea of what the game is all about and a better understanding of the scoring.  It is a rough and sometimes painful game as told by the bartender. After our drinks we came across some schoolboys in the town square with Hurly bats and balls. I asked them a few questions about the game, and they showed me how the ball is passed and then hit with the bat. It is a game that is played in all schools.

The last picture, to the left, is of the 18th century Tholsel with its distinctive clock tower and arcade which is the main landmark on the High Street. It has an elegant Georgian chamber which is still used by city councillors.

We now headed off to Dublin our final destination in the Republic of Ireland. We have 3 nights/2 full days in Dublin to explore the city.  It will also give Fred a much needed rest from driving as everything is walkable. Once checked in we relaxed and decided to have our supper in the hotel and plan our attack for our of exploration of Dublin.

Sia'ngo fo'ill,

Sandy & Fred

September 9, 2015 - Killarney to Cork

Dia dhaoibh,

We were up and off early as we headed to Cork. Before starting our drive we wanted to visit Muckross House which is a 15 minute drive from the flat, just inside Killarney National Park. Touring the House is only by guided tour. Our timing was perfect as there was a tour commencing within a couple of minutes of our arrival. Sadly picture taking was not allowed. The picture above left is the view from one of the second floor windows of the house. The house, set on 11,000 acres, is a mansion with 65 rooms in the Tudor style designed by the Scottish architect William Burn. It was built in 1843 for Henry Herbert and his wife Mary. The house underwent extensive renovations in the 1850's in preparation for the visit of Queen Victoria in 1861. It is said that these preparations bankrupted the Herbert's and led to the sale of the estate. The estate changed owners a couple of more times before the last family the Bournes and their son- in-law gifted the estate to the Irish people. It became the first national park in the Republic of Ireland and it formed the basis of Killarney National Park as we know it today. After touring the house we walked around the gardens before heading of to our next destination Blarney Castle.

Blarney Castle is a medieval stronghold in Blarney dating back to the 10th century. It is the third structure on this site built by Cormac McCarthy in 1446, and is a tower house or fortress residence. The famed Blarney Stone is located at the top of the fortress. The story behind the stone to this day creates debate. Some say it was Jacob's pillow, brought to Ireland by the prophet Jeremiah. Here it became the The Lia Fail or Fatal stone, used as a oracular throne of Irish Kings. Legend says it was then removed to Scotland , where it served as  the prophetic power of royal succession, the Stone of Destiny. When Cormac MacCarthy, King of Munster sent men to support Robert the Bruce in 1314, the stone was split in half and sent to Blarney. The stone is said to have powers to make one eloquent. We climbed to the top to see what the mystery was all about. The picture below left is of the stone. We did not kiss the stone as I had a vertigo incident when we got to the top and laying on our backs, hanging upside down to kiss a germ ridden rock did not appeal to us at all. Plus nothing in this world could improve my speech or make me an eloquent speaker.

Once down from the top of the castle we walked around the gardens and parkland that were part of the castle grounds. There were woodlands, a poison garden, arboretums, fern gardens as well as a Rock Close and Water Gardens. We only did a short walk along the trail before leaving and heading off to Cork our destination for the evening.

Our home for the night was Lancaster Lodge which is located right in the city centre so very convenient for exploring. We checked in and headed off to explore. Our initial plan was to set out for St Anne's Church. However, we came across St. Fin Barre's Cathedral, pictured on the right. The patron saint of Cork, St Fin Barre, gave his name to this cathedral where he founded a monastery. He is regarded as the first Bishop of Cork, his name "Fionnbarr" means fair headed in Irish. As a place of worship the site dates back to the 7th century were the first a monastery was built. Further church buildings were built on the site until in 1864 then the small cathedral was demolished and the current structure was built. It was designed by William Burges in the French Gothic design. He designed every part of the building including the stained glass windows and 1260 pieces of sculpture.

We spent a good hour walking around the cathedral and taking pictures. The interior is as impressive as the exterior. The picture on the left is of the Sanctuary Ceiling. This is a relatively new aspect of the cathedral as the elaborate and colourful painting was carried out between 1933 and 1935, to the designs of William Burges. We were also in luck as there was a recital of baroque music later that night and the musicians are rehearsing. I was able to get a video of some of the practice which I've posted on my Facebook wall.

From the cathedral we headed into the city centre and stopped for some refreshment. Fred enjoyed a pint of Franciscan Well, an IPA and I had a rum and coke as the only cider they had was Bulmers which to me is as bad as Strongbow. I have become a bit of a snob when it comes to cider, being spoiled by the quality craft ciders in the UK. The pub is a supporter of the Munster Rugby Club with banners, signs and emblems everywhere. The picture above right while not very clear has a banner I particularly liked, "To the Brave & Faithful Nothing is Impossible". The pub also sold a moonshine 3 bottles for 12 Euro, pictured below left. All you do is add ice and drink.

Refreshed we wandered around a bit more then head back to the hotel to download pictures relax a bit before heading off to find a place for supper.

We elected to go North American for supper tonight. Wild West Wings run by an American, Nolan Kision. We had a lovely chat with him as we exchanged stories as how we came to be in the UK and he in Ireland. He certainly is far from home being from Arizona and has had quite the adjustment, weather wise. We have not had decent wings since leaving Canada except for the ones I have made at home and we hoped these would hit the spot. Fred opts for suicide while I order barbequed. There were a group of young men who had tried a special hot sauce and encouraged Fred to try it as Nolan had warned that the suicide was rather hot. Fred found them to be not too spicy but then, he does have a cast iron stomach. The portions were huge and I ended up giving Fred some of my wings as I struggled to finish them. If you are ever in Cork and have a craving for wings I recommend a visit. Stuffed we headed back to the hotel to relax and get a good nights sleep before our drive to Dublin tomorrow.

Sia'ngo fo'ill,

Sandy & Fred

September 8, 2015- Ring of Kerry

Dia dhaoibh,

Today we toured the Iveragh Peninsula better known as the Ring of Kerry. We headed out early as we hoped to avoid some of the tour bus traffic. The views were again spectacular as we wended our way around the ring. Unfortunately, the tour buses were already out and about. After driving through the pretty villages of Killorglin and Glenbeigh we had a brief stop in the town of Caherciveen to stretch our legs. Continuing our drive we came off the main road, taking a slight detour to drive the Skellig Ring stopping off at Portmagee to take in the views of Valentia Island. After leaving Portage the road climbs to our next stop, The Kerry Cliffs where we were able to take in some great views of the Atlantic out to the Skelling and Puffin islands.

The picture above left is of a 6th century corralled beehive cell the remain on this site. You may notice the birds on the first structure. These are not real but the wind was blowing so hard that the black bird was moving and from a distance I thought it was real. I told Fred "Look at that, that bird is real" It was not until we got closer did I realise that they were props. The walk to the summit was steep and it was very windy but well worth the climb. The views were amazing. The picture above right does not really do the cliffs justice. Rugged and wild and I think as impressive as the Cliffs of Moher.

After completing the Skelling ring, we rejoined the Ring of Kerry route stopping for photos along the way. The one one the right is of Mary we think as there was no sign posted as to what the significance of it was. It must be of some importance as the tour buses stopped here and there were a number of vendors selling their local wares. We have seen a number of such religious statues along the roads as we made our way along giving testament to the importance religion has played in the lives of the people of Ireland.

To get to our next stop we drove along some extremely narrow one track roads and we hoped that the drive was worth it. The fort at the end of the trek, Staigue Fort is an Iron Age dry-stone fort (caber) and one of the best preserved in Ireland. The picture to the right
is the entrance to the fort. Small and narrow that even Fred and I had to duck a little to pass through. The fort was built sometime between 300 - 400 AD as a defensive stronghold for some king or local lord. It is a marvel of engineering as it was built without mortar using undressed stones. Inside we could still see stairs and upper levels in the ruins.

The last part of our travels today took us through Killarney National Park. The Park is 10,289 hectares of mountains, woodlands and lakes. In 1982 the Park was declared a Biosphere Reserve under the UNESCO Man and Biosphere Programme.

The picture to the left of Upper Lake was taken from Ladies View in Killarney National Park. From here we now headed back to the flat to relax a bit and pack before heading out for supper at a local pub.

Sia'ngo fo'ill,

Sandy & Fred

September 7, 2015 - Dingle Peninsula

Dia dhaoibh,

We were to a relatively early start as the tourist book recommended at least a half day of driving which does not take into account realistic stop times or time that we would take when we explore sites. Fred has, however, taken this all into account with his planning. The picture on the left above is of the sea view we had as we started our drive along the peninsula.

Our first stop was Kilmalkedar (Cill Maolche'adair) which was once a pagan centre of worship. The picture on the right is of a pillar inside the ruins of the Romanesque church that was built in the 12th century. The pillar has ancient carvings still visible on all the sides of it. The graveyard also has a stone cross and other pagan stones.  Our next stop on our drive took us on a single track road that ran between farmer's fields, finally arriving at the Gallarus Oratory. This tiny dry-stone church is a relic of early Irish Christianity and is about 1300 years old, it is pictured on the left below. It is shaped like an upturned boat and is one of the best preserved early Christian church's in Ireland. The building is rectangular and is approximately 8m long by 5m high. The roof is formed by the gradual rise of the side walls from the base upwards. The most amazing thing about the Oratory is that after all this time with the buffeting by Atlantic gales (the building overlooks Smerwick harbour) the building is still waterproof.

We continued with our drive on the peninsula which took us through some small picturesque villages. We were stopped at one point as some calves had escaped from their pasture and they were being herded back by two farmers. So much for their great escape.


Our drive took us on roads that climbed gradually, were winding and in some places had barely enough room for a single car let alone the tourist buses which seemed to travel in flocks. We missed out on visiting a couple of sites along the way as there was no where to stop and park as the buses had taken up all available space. We did get to stop Dunmore Head, Ireland's most westerly point to take in the views of Blasket Sound and the Blasket Islands. More photos of the Dingle Peninsula can be seen on my face book page and of course Fred's Flickr site (www.flickr.com/photos/fredparkins).

We stopped in Dingle for a late lunch and to stretch our legs. After a short walk through the town to see what was on offer at the pubs and restaurants, which were overrun because of the tourist buses, we opted for a little café near the parking. There were only two ladies working in the café and they were doing an amazing job providing service to all that enter. The food was good and reasonably priced.

From Dingle we headed to our last stop Ardfert Cathedral, Ardfert, County Kerry which is a short drive from Tralee. The cathedral is now a ruin, and was the seat of the Diocese of Ardfert in 1117. The site has 3 medieval church ruins, the main one being the cathedral which dates back to the 12th century. Within the graveyard are two other churches. A Romanesque nave-and-chancel church and a late Gothic Chapel dating from the 12th and 15th centuries. The cathedral was destroyed in the Irish Rebellion of 1641. We were informed by the gentleman on duty at the cathedral that there were the ruins of a 13th century Franciscan Friary nearby, picture below left. We made the ½ mile drive to the parking lot and then made the short walk to the friary. While the friary was was founded in 1253, the south chapel dates from the 15th century. After spending some time here we headed back to Killarney our home away from home.

.

Sia'ngo fo'ill

Sandy & Fred

September 6, 2015 - Sightseeing on the way to Killarney

Dia dhaiobh,

Another delicious breakfast this time with fresh warm scones, from our hostess Bernadette, provided us with a great start to the day. I got the recipe for her brown bread and we said our goodbyes with hugs all around. I felt as though we had left a good friend, she had made us so welcome in her home. We were now on our way to Killarney stopping on our way to visit more of the natural wonders and historic sites in the Republic of Ireland. Our first stop was Dunguaire Castle. Built in 1520 it is not a castle in the strict military sense, but is a typical example of a 16th century 'Tower House'. Tower houses were fortified residences of the wealthy farmers or gentlemen. The castle has a chequered history, originally it was home to the O'Hynes clan and took its name from a nearby ancient fort of Guaire, King of Connaught who died in 662 A.D. In 1924 the castle was bought and repaired by Oliver St John Gogarty, the famous surgeon and literary figure. It became a venue for meetings of literary revivalists such as W.B. Yeats, George Bernard Shaw to name a few. In 1954 Lady Christobel Ampthill completed the restoration and lived there until her death. The castle now gives some insight to the lifestyle of the people who lived there from the 1520's to modern times. The castle still holds special evenings of entertainment, with medieval feasts and plays. Exploration of the castle done we drove through an area known as The Burren, pictured below left.
                                                     

The word Burren is derived from bioreann, which means rocky land in Gaelic and as you can see it certainly is that. It is also a unique botanical environment in which Mediterranean and alpine plants rare to Ireland grow side by side. From May to August the area is very colourful with an array of flowers. The limestone landscape gives way to black shale and sandstone and form the Cliffs of Moher which was our next stop. It is here that we get our first experience with midges.

Tiny little biting buggers that get in your hair and seem to chew away. If we had had a sea breeze they would not have been an issue but the air was still until we got higher up to get good views of the cliffs. They rise 702 ft out of the sea and extend for 5 miles. The cliffs provide shelter for a number of sea birds and have been featured in many movies and TV shows, Harry Potter & The Half Blood Prince being one. There are trails that you can walk along but we have our photo opportunity and left before being eaten alive. I think the midges were worse than mosquitos as the bites were quite itchy almost immediately and made you feel quite grubby.

Our last stop before our destination of Killarney was Adare. We parked and set about for a walk in the village which is billed as Ireland's prettiest. Colourful thatched cottages and stores line the main street. The village was restored to its current appearance in the 1820's and 1830's by the Earl of Dunraven. We enjoyed an ice-cream, took our photo's of which the one on the right gave us a good chuckle.

We headed off to what will be our home away from home for the next 3 days, Killarney. Fred had booked us a serviced flat and it turned out to be a two bedroom/2 bathroom unit. When he booked he asked for a 1 bedroom but took what ever was available. This gave us a break from eating large breakfasts, eating restaurant food and allowed me to do laundry so we did not need to lug about a large suitcase with clothes for the full 11 days. Car unloaded we did a quick food shop and had a light meal of cheese, crackers and fruit before settling in for the night.

Sia'ngo fo'ill,

Sandy & Fred

September 5, 2015 - Exploring Connemara

Dia dhaoibh,

A delicious breakfast was offered by our hostess Bernadette that included fresh homemade brown bread, bacon, eggs, sausage, grilled tomato, and if adventuresome, black and white pudding. There was also fresh fruit, cereal and yoghurt on offer. We then set off to explore the Connemara region and headed to Clifden, about an hour and 20 minute drive. After passing through the town we picked up the Sky Road which is appropriately named as the road seems to take you to up to the sky. A narrow (single track) winding road that climbs up to a summit with the most spectacular views of the west of The Republic of Ireland. The picture upper left is of waves breaking on the distant shore. The picture on the right is of the heather and other wildflowers in bloom at the summit. The drive around the loop took about half an hour, though as a passenger it seemed longer.

Our next stop of exploration was Kylemore Abbey. The abbey was first a home and castle built in 1867 by Mitchell Henry as a home for the love of his life Margaret. Originally it was a hunting lodge that Henry and Margaret visited while on their honeymoon. Margaret was so enchanted with the area that Henry purchased the 15,000 acre estate as a gift for her and created one of Ireland's most iconic castles. Sadly, Margaret died in 1874 while holidaying in Egypt and did not get to enjoy her home for long. Henry brought many benefits to Connemara and left a lasting impression on the landscape and the people.

He created the first model farm in the west of Ireland and cultivated the largest Victorian Walled Garden with 21 glasshouses heated with a network of water pipes.  All manner of fruits and plants were cultivated in them. In 1893 he harnessed the water pressure from Lough Touther on top of the mountain overlooking Kylemore to produce electricity for the estate. He also provided health care, schooling and reduced rates to his tenants during hard times. The castle also had its own fire brigade, staffed by volunteers and trained by Mitchell's son Alexander, who had trained with the London Fire Brigade. The Neo-Gothic Church (a cathedral in miniature) below on the right was built as memorial chapel to his wife Margaret. The most notable visitors to Kylemore were King Edward VII, Queen Alexandra and Princess Victoria in 1903. The estate was purchased by the Duke and Duchess of Manchester in September in 1903 for £63,000. They were friends with the Henry's and had previously visited the estate. The Duchess of Manchester wished to
modernise the castle and ripped out many of the Gothic features and replaced them with the Jacobean features we see today.  Kylemore changed hands again in 1914. The new owner, a banker and property speculator from London visited only once. The Castle and estate was left in the hands of caretakers until a new buyer could be found.  In 1920 the property became an Abbey, a monastic home to the Benedictine Nuns. They arrived after fleeing their monastery at Ypres, Flanders, during WWI. In 1923 the nuns opened an international  boarding school which operated until 2010. The walled gardens which had fell into disrepair have recently been renovated by the nuns. They are a peaceful and beautiful location.

From the Abbey we headed off towards Leenaun to get some pictures of the Killary Fjord. We stopped here for a drink at the Leenane Hotel, enjoying the sunshine and the great views of the Killary Harbour. The picture below on the left is of the fjord.  Refreshed we headed back to the B & B to and relax a bit before having supper.

We had a lovely chat with our hostess Bernadette. She gave us quite an insight into the B & B business. It takes a very special personality to run one successfully. At one time I had thought I would have loved to have a B & B when we were first thinking of retirement but I know for certain now that I am far too outspoken to have been successful at it and I don't think I would have wanted all the hard work that would have been required if I was retired. We also learnt that Bernadette is a painter and a very good one from the pictures we have seen hanging in her home. She was quite excited that her son had chosen one of her works for his new home. As her new guest's were starting to arrive we headed off for our supper. Tonight we dined at Donnelly's of Barna a seafood restaurant and bar. We had a great dinner and relaxing evening. The service was wonderful and the food portions were huge. Full we strolled back to the B & B and relaxed for the evening.

Sia'ngo fo'ill

Sandy & Fred