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Terry And Randy Clarke

Terry And Randy Clarke

Since retiring we are trying to explore as many places as possible without rushing through any of them. Lue lisää🇨🇦Bright's Grove
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    • Terry And Randy ClarkeMatkaajaIreland
      Randy looking through the tax roles in the Armagh Town archives
      These were a few of the documents we were given to look throughThere were two St Patrick's Cathedrals in Armagh. One was Church of Ireland and one was Catholic.This was the Scottish Presbyterian Church. A little newer than the cathedralsThe gardens at the Church of Ireland cathedral were beautifulI don't think we were supposed to be in the gardens but the gate was unlocked for grass cutting.Another church in ArmaghThe catholic St Patrick's in the distance.Our quirky room in BallbriggenThe couch was even too small for me.This book of sheet music was by the little couch.The Lark Music Center. The Bedford House is at the end of the music theater.The beach at Ballbriggen.The harbour at Ballbriggen. There were two seals watching us from the middle of the harbour.Beautiful morning for a drive into Dublin. Looks early but it was 9:00.This is an overview of our full trip starting and ending inDublin.

      Ballbriggen to Brights Grove

      7.–8. lokak. 2024, Irlanti ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

      While we were in Belfast Randy's, brother Rick shared some information about their mother's ancestors. Their great great grandfather left County Armagh in around 1846 to come to Canada. We would be passing close by Armagh town on our way to Ballbriggen, so we decided to make a stop. What a great decision, the town of Armagh is so pretty. Very old with many historical sites. The local museum was our first stop. Here we met John Pierson, who worked at the museum and loved his job. He shared so much great information with us, and he connected us with the manager of the museum Sean. Sean brought out the tax roles for the full county from the 1830s to the 1870s. We went through them looking for any mention of the family name Willoughby, but we didn’t find any. It was still so cool to be looking at documents that old. We spent our last night at a very interesting old manor house in Ballbriggen. It was part of The Lark Concert Hall and Music School. Our room was very quirky and included a loft with a tiny little couch. It looked just the right size for a ghost. Breakfast was included at the LaLa Cafe on-site, and it was delicious. Our server shared some great stories about the venue. That day, they were expecting 75 teenage girls for a two day retreat . It was only 40 minutes to the Dublin Airport. Our drive was great until we tried to locate the drop off for the rental car. We entered the lot on the wrong side, so we had to do a complete circle to get to the correct entrance. It was not my best navigation, but Randy stayed calm throughout the confusion. When we dropped the car off, the young man was so laid back, and he didn't give us any paperwork. In fact, we didn't get any paperwork when we picked up the car either. Everything was electronic, and it felt a little strange. We were a little concerned, but our deposit came back on our card, so I guess all was good. It was quite the hike from there to Terminal 1 and further again to our gate. Definitely got our exercise. Our flight was uneventful, and our drive home from Toronto during rush hour was not as crazy as expected. We loved Ireland but are happy to be back home.Lue lisää

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    • Terry And Randy ClarkeMatkaajaIreland
      A2 was such a great road to drive along.
      The water on one side and crazy landscapes on the other.Our first view of Carrickfergus Castle. They were rebuilding sections of it.Carrickfergus Castle from the waterfront.Our walk from our apartment in Belfast to city center took us over the Albertbridge Road bridge.The River Lagan from Belfast east.Once we were closer to city center there were beautiful buildings.Belfast City CenterInside Kelly's bar was crazy so we sat in their beer gardenEnjoying the music and crowds.Kelly's BarStreet art everywhere.These sheep reminded we of ones in Toronto.Third class passenger cabin on the Titanic. 75% of people in these cabins were lost.Second class stateroom from Titanic, 59% of these passengers were lost.

      Belfast

      5.–7. lokak. 2024, Pohjois-Irlanti ⋅ 🌬 14 °C

      Belfast was a little overwhelming. After spending so much time in the countryside or in very walkable towns, a big city was a real change. Our apartment was great on the inside but not so much on the outside. It was in East Belfast on a very busy road. Across the street was a mural calling for justice for someone who was murdered 5 years ago. Lots of graffiti and many closed storefronts. We walked into the city center, about a 45-minute walk, and found Kelly's Bar. It was a really great spot with live music and tons of people. We really enjoyed ourselves but left early to get most of the walk done before it got too late. Sunday it poured so we took the car and visited the Titanic Museum. What an amazing spot we spent the full afternoon wandering through it. We didn't take many pictures, there was so much to take in. The rain kept up all afternoon and evening, so we had a night in.Lue lisää

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    • Terry And Randy ClarkeMatkaajaIreland
      The Dark Hedge was planted to create an imposing entrance to this manor house.
      There were a couple of tour buses so lots of people wandering.The trees were several hundred years old and some have died. It wasn't as dark as we'd imaginedMet a nice young Spanish couple and we took turns taking couples pictures.Next stop Giants CausewayPicture from the top. The walk down was easy, the walk back up a little more challenging.Randy climbing on the rocks.We climbed down the west side and wandered around the bottom.Absolutely beautiful walk even though it was rainy and windy.1On our way back up we stopped for a selfie.The diamond in Ballycastle. Another name for town square.The beach at BallycastleThe drive to Torr Head. We are only 12 miles from Scotland on this point.The view looking south from halfway up the hill.Randy coming back down from the abandoned coast guard station at the top.Here come the cattle. They were quite large up close. Even the calves.This was an absolutely stunning beach at Carnlough.First of 12 pieces of sea glass at Carnlaugh beach.We watched the dolphins for about 12 minutes. They came quite close to shore.Random cool things on the A2 from Ballycastle to Larne. Epic coastal drive.Love these cows.

      Game of Thrones and Ballycastle

      4.–5. lokak. 2024, Pohjois-Irlanti ⋅ 🌬 14 °C

      We started the day with a drive to the Dark Hedges. They were located on a small country road that used to be the entrance to a private estate. The current owners opened a parking lot, a cafe, and a walk through their land to avoid congestion on the roadway. The gardens and woods were beautiful but muddy from the many visitors. The old beech trees were remarkable, and I could understand why they have been used in films. There were quite a few visitors, and we watched a serious photographer set up his equipment to try and get shots without people. He was still trying as we walked back to our car. We then back tracked a bit to the Giants Causeway. We'd heard so much about this walk and weren't disappointed by the beautiful vistas. What surprised us was how developed it was. There was a huge visitor center built into the cliffside. It offered audio devices, a gift shop, modern toilets, and even a bus to take people to the bottom of the cliff and, more importantly, back to the top. This made the Causeway more accessible but also took away from the remote beauty. Inadvertently, we passed the visitors' center and wound up at an old inn. They offered to let us park for £10 and they had access to the walking trails. We weren't interested in the visitors center, so we took them up on it. The walk was easier than anticipated, even on the way up. We only did the walk to the bottom and back. There was also a west cliff and east cliff walk that you could do as well. Once at the bottom, you could climb around on the rocks. After leaving the Giants Causeway, the drive along A2, the Coastal Route, was spectacular. We spent the night at Ballycastle and then continued along A2 the next morning to Belfast. We took a quick detour to Torr Head on some pretty sketchy roads, but the short hike and views were totally worth it. On our way back to the A2, a farmer pulled us over and asked us to park on the side of the single track road while he moved some cattle. He said they were a bit crazy and didn't want them to cause any havoc. We gladly obliged and sat back to watch. First, a vehicle came by pulling a trailer with a big bull inside, and then about 5 minutes later, the rest came by. It was so fun to watch except for the last one. It had a crazed expression, and it headed right for the front of our car. It stood there staring at us until the farmer chased it down the road. Quite an experience. The rest of A2 was so beautiful. We stopped at Carnlough for a beach walk. It was a gorgeous beach and I found about 12 pieces of sea glass. South of Glen Glenarm Castle, we saw a school of dolphins swimming close to shore. We pulled over and watched. They even did a few jumps. We stopped in Larne for lunch and then in Carrickfergus to check out their castle. We had an interesting chat with a local in his campervan who shared some great insight into the area. It really was one of our favorite drives of the trip, and the road was almost all two lanes.Lue lisää

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    • Terry And Randy ClarkeMatkaajaIreland
      The drive from Derry to Port Rush was beautiful.
      We drove a little further along A2 to see some of the cliffs.This is from the road, so beautiful and so close.Dunluce Castle looking east. We watched the sailboat and we're surprised to get it in the shot.The castle from the west.This was our townhouse, we really enjoyed it. We had the main floorA really cozy sitting room with an electric fireplace.The bed was comfy.Even a turntable and collection of LPs. We used Google but still loved the old school touch.Just outside our townhouse. This was just ahead of the east beach or strand.The east strand.This little cafe is surrounded by water in high tide. Oh it was windyThe west stand.The west strand with the harbour in the distance.The third floor balcony at the yacht club. They welcomed us to their bar.It was cool to visit the Port Rush Yacht Club.

      No Rush in Port Rush

      2.–4. lokak. 2024, Pohjois-Irlanti ⋅ 🌙 12 °C

      It's been a wonderful trip to date, and we have covered a lot of the country. We both have colds, and we felt we needed to slow down and catch our breath. We booked a small townhouse for two days in Port Rush, and it was a perfect spot to do that. Port Rush is a Victorian beach town, only a short drive from Derry. It's low season, so the pace is slower than the summer, but still lots to see and do. We drove along the coast and visited Bushmills before checking into our accommodations. Unfortunately, our timing was off, so we didn't take the tour, but it was still interesting to see the oldest whiskey distillery in Ireland. We parked the car in front of our townhouse and decided that's where it would stay until we checked out. We'd picked up a few groceries so we could use the kitchen and settled into our little home. It was lovely. Michelle, our host, had thought of everything. From a wonderful electric fireplace, to comfy furniture, to a bottle of Bushmills and an assortment of treats. The decor was eclectic, and we kept finding cool little touches. We slept in, explored Port Rush by foot, watched movies, and cooked our meals. It was a lovely break. The views were pretty, we fronted on a park and could see the water. Port Rush has two beautiful beaches, a harbour and even an amusement park. We stopped in at the Port Rush Yacht Club and met an interesting local with her two dogs. We loved that dogs were welcome in many places. It was a wonderful two days in this pretty vacation town.Lue lisää

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    • Terry And Randy ClarkeMatkaajaIreland
      Letterkenny was a quick stop but we enjoyed the pretty old part of town.
      There were many murals but this one was our favorite.The cathedral was pretty impressive1We were allowed access and a couple of maintenance people even encouraged us to go onto the alter.The cross walks were really funny. Almost thought we would time travel.We made it to Derry not at all like the show except for kids in uniforms everywhere.The pigeons were wild. Every few minutes,hundreds would fly overhead anthen return to the same spot.The Guildhall was a gathering place for people and pigeons. It was outside the walls.Iconic Free Derry graffiti. When they tore the building down, they saved this wall.Second Derry Girls mural from the top of the walls.Street view from the top of the wall.First pint after 13000 steps.Music from young performers.Morning walk along the river.Riverside1The Peace Bridge is a pedestrian and cycle bridge. Lots of dogs out for a walk.View from the bridge.

      Derry Northern Ireland

      1.–2. lokak. 2024, Pohjois-Irlanti ⋅ ☀️ 14 °C

      We crossed into Northern Ireland today after a quick visit to Letterkenny. Google Maps didn't let us know, but since my phone stopped working, we figured it out. It never occurred to me that I would need two plans, but it is a different country. The drive was every bit as pretty the people just as friendly. Our B&B on William St was one block from where Bloody Sunday took place, and our host Kevin remembers it well. He was 8, and his parents came home from what was supposed to be a peaceful rally and locked them in the house for almost a week. We visited the memorials and murals in that area. It's hard to imagine how recent it was. We totally loved Derry. It's such a nice blend of old and new. People are friendly and there is music everywhere. The original walls from the 15th and 16th centuries are still in tact, and it's about a mile walk around the top. There were tributes to the Derry Girls alongside tributes to revolutionary heroes. Quite unexpected, but it works. We walked for hours and then found a pub with traditional music. Initially, it was a group of young people with someone who appeared to be their music teacher. The pub was full of their families as well as tourists and regulars. It reminded me a bit of Song Farmers as each performer took turns leading a song. At 8:00, the lights flashed, and everyone under 18 had to leave. A young couple from Ottawa with a baby had joined us at our table, and they had to go too. Quite a coincidence as the young father races at our yacht club at least once a year with our dock neighbor. After the kids left, some other musicians sat down, and the music continued. A couple from Owen Sound sat with us, too. They were traveling the opposite direction to us, so we shared suggestions based on both our experiences. The next morning, we walked across the Peace Bridge and explored some other parts of the city.Lue lisää

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    • Terry And Randy ClarkeMatkaajaIreland
      Our one town in Leitrim County.
      These townhouses may not have been there when Randy's great grandparents left.This cross could have been there it appeared to be very old.The Gills family donated space for a park in the town center.On to Donegal town in County Donegal. We had a quick visit.Donegal was a really nice town.We toured the castle.These spiral staircases in the castles are not my favorites. Only three floors here.This was the toilet, round holes that went down to a pit below the castle.1The main room was pretty impressive.Waterfront in Dungloe from our room.Old abandoned buildings at the harbour in DungloeWe walked to the end of the jetty.This store was so cute, unfortunately it wasn't open but we enjoyed trying to peek in the window.Another really cute store front.We had a nice dinner at a Chinese restaurant based on a recommendation from locals. Pretty placeView of the water from an alley on main streetOur walk homeLeaving Dungloe the scenery was beautifulHard to believe we are on the same latitude as northern Labrador

      Dungloe

      30. syysk.–1. lokak. 2024, Irlanti ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

      Randy recently found out that his great grandparents on his father's side had emigrated from County Leitrim, and we were going to be traveling through a very small part of this county today. We passed through one seaside village, Tullaghan, so we had to stop and take a walk. He is interested in finding out more when we return home, but at least he can say he did spend some time in Leitrim County. We also stopped in Donegal and toured the castle. It is a pretty town and we enjoyed our visit. Dungloe was our stop for the night, and our room in the Midway Inn was tiny but had a sea view. We met a few locals who introduced us to Canadians who purchased a home outside of town and visited several times a year. We also found out that Dungloe is the hometown of Daniel ODonnel, a singer my mom absolutely loved. Mom dragged dad on a few bus trips to places like Branson Missouri to see him perform. Oh my, she would have loved to visit here. He still performs a couple of times a year in the area.Lue lisää

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    • Terry And Randy ClarkeMatkaajaIreland
      1Strangest laundry ever.
      Oops one sock didn't make it too the dryer cycle. The heat vent did the trick.The road to the beach was interesting.Very long beach and sand dunes in the distance. Even though it was rainy people were walking dogs.BeautifulThis one is for the Berkleys. We didn't go in.Made it to two pubs in Crossmolina.Hineys Pub in CrossmolinaWaiting for dinner.1Sunday roast, turkey, ham, potatoes, stuffing, gravy and three different veg. Enough for 2

      Crossmolina

      29.–30. syysk. 2024, Irlanti ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

      It was rainy, windy, and cold when we left Achill Island heading to our next destination. Crossmolina was a small town in County Mayo and was not too far away. There was a long way with great scenery, but our colds were getting the best of us, and we had laundry to do so we took the more direct route. The laundry was in the parking lot of a very busy gas station, and it was pouring. What a different experience doing laundry in a parking lot. The machines were large, and the price included detergent and drying. The most challenging part was getting the clean dry laundry to the back seat of the car to fold. After we finished the laundry, we went for a drive to Ross Beach. It was another windy, narrow road, but the beach at the end was worth it. Our hotel for the night The Dolphin Hotel was interesting. The hallway and stairs were so dirty we were afraid to see the room. Surprisingly, it was updated and clean, but it was so small we had to push on the mattress to open and close the door. There was an antique car show in town and we saw some pretty cool old cars. We stopped in a pub and met a nice young local couple, and they recommended a spot for dinner. We had a huge Sunday roast in a busy pub full of families enjoying a night out.Lue lisää

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    • Terry And Randy ClarkeMatkaajaIreland
      The roads were wider and nicely paved. The scenery was still so beautiful.
      Kylemore Abbey, was a private home but now a satellite campus of Notre Dam CollegeOur first of many sheep encounters. They were not in a hurry so neither were we.The beautiful Killary FjordThe Mariner Hotel in Westport.A tribute to St Patrick in the town square of Westport.Randy got a kick out of the supports for this old fishing boat. Empty guiness kegs.First glimpse of Achill Sound.Stopped for fuel in Newport. It was the lowest price so far, €1.69 per litre.The road to Keem Beach.More sheep.This was a challenging road but so worth it.A small stream by the parking lot at Keem Beach.Keem Beach. It was cold and really windy but still people swimming.We love our beaches.Our pretty room at Greystone House.Greystone House on Achill Island.The swing bridge back to the mainland.1Dinner and a drink at the Achill Island Hotel.1The view from the pub.

      Achill Island

      28.–29. syysk. 2024, Irlanti ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

      We had a lovely B&B booked on Achill Island. The drive from Clifden to Achill Island was amazing. We were on a national road , so well marked lanes, even when it wound up and down hills and around the Killary Fjord, we had room for oncoming traffic. It was a good thing because the tour busses were out in force. The only negative to the tour buses was it didn't leave many parking spots for us. We stopped for a walk through both Westport and Newport. It was nice to stretch our legs and see the sights. We drove past our B&B to drive to the end of Achill Island. There was a huge kite surfing festival taking place with so many campervans and caravans. And sheep, oh my goodness, sheep everywhere. The last part of the drive to Keem Beach was breathtaking, and the beach itself was beautiful. The B&B was so nice, I sat in the sunroom looking out at Achill Sound and caught up on my footprints. We walked over the swing bridge to the Achill Island Hotel for dinner and some people watching. We were Fionas' last guests of the season. She was a wonderful host, and her home was lovely.Lue lisää

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    • Terry And Randy ClarkeMatkaajaIreland
      There is a neighborhood in Galway called Terry Land. Had to take a picture.
      Sweeping vistas as we entered the Connemara area.The bens in the distanceThe Giant of Connemara a carving on the roadside.Along with the statue of the giant is this plaque. Love the humour.Getting closer to the bens. The road ran between them so views on both sides.The start of the Sky Road. We followed a dump truck for a bit.More Sky Road1The highest point was really windy and the view was terrific.Top of the Sky Road.The heather was in bloom, this was outside my car window close enough to touch.On our way down, passed walkers, cyclists and oncoming traffic. The blind corners, wow.Getting close to town and the road is widening.ClifdenA well earned pint of Guiness after a long drive.1Fresh local oysters in the town square.1Breakfast room in our B,&B. This was before we were served a full breakfast. So much stuff.The sitting roomFrom the outside it looks like two stories but it's built into a hill so at least 3 sets of stairs.Charity shop across the street. Backpacks a little full so donations welcomed.

      Clifden and Connemara

      27.–28. syysk. 2024, Irlanti ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

      We had to back track a bit to get to our next destination, Clifden. It was all national roads until we took a short detour to drive The Sky Road. Once we were west of Galway, the landscape became so dramatic as we entered the Connemara area. There were miles of peat meadows with majestic mountains or bens in the distance. As we got closer to Clifden, the Twelve Bens took our breath away. It was a nice change to have such beautiful scenery and a wide two lane road at the same time. That changed when we took the Sky Road. The views were amazing, but the road was narrow with blind corners and shear drops. Well worth the white knuckles, though. We arrived in Clifden in the middle of their annual art festival so it was busy and there were some lovely paintings and drawings on display around town. Our B &B was very interesting. It was in an old building that seemed to go on for half the block. The brother and sister who owned it loved their antiques and had quite the collection. However, the bed was comfy, and the breakfast was plentiful and delicious. We wandered the town, visited a few pubs, and heard some great traditional music. Clifden really is a lovely little town.Lue lisää

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    • Terry And Randy ClarkeMatkaajaIreland
      There were ruins of several churches and many grave markers.
      The original crosses were protected indoors.The site was very large and impressive. I was surprised at its violent history.This arch was called the Whispering Arch. It was so wet and cold I didn't really appreciate it.Randy looking for shelter, Oops no roof.Original church on the site.We pulled over to let faster traffic go by and saw this pretty forest road.Stopped for lunch to warm up and loved the Strathroy butter.1Our room at the Shamrock Lodge.I wasn't joking we really did have the Princess suite.Sitting at the end of the bar watching all the action. The bartenders were hilarious.1They had live music but it didn't start till 10, way too late.This is part of the original wall which was dated to the 9th century.From the outside it's very plain but inside it's awesome.

      Clonmacnoise and Seans Bar

      26.–27. syysk. 2024, Irlanti ⋅ ☁️ 9 °C

      It was rainy and cold as we drove inland to Athlone. We stopped at Clonmacnoise a monastery that was founded in the 6th century. We watched a video presentation and then had a guided tour. Some of the original Celtic crosses have been moved into a museum to safeguard them, and models were erected outside. We enjoyed the inside tour more than the outside as the rain was coming sideways. Our guide tried to keep us to sheltered areas, but it was wild. He also told us that the bar we were going to tonight was almost as old as the monastery. We had a nice surprise when we checked into the Shamrock Lodge, they put us in the Princess Grace Suite. She was at the hotel in the 60s, and they had all kinds of memorabilia. It was a beautiful room and we really enjoyed our stay. We spent a few hours at Seans Bar, and we were totally entertained by the bar staff as they scrambled to take care of bus loads of thirsty customers. The bar dates back to the 9th century. It was definitely worth the drive to Athlone to experience Seans Bar.Lue lisää

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