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Ireland

June 2022
A 22-day adventure by Eileen Read more
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  • TravelerIreland
    Day 2

    Flying across the Atlantic

    June 3, 2022 in Ireland ⋅ ⛅ 59 °F

    Made it to Dublin! Plane was not full so we had an empty seat between us. It was a very modern 787 jet with great seat entertainment screens, plugs and USB ports. Been a while since we have flown internationally but it’s still hard to get sleep! Staying one night in Dublin, heading to Belfast tomorrow. Hop on and hop off bus tour, a visit to Guinness, a quick nap, dinner and chill.Read more

  • TravelerIreland
    1
    Day 3

    Northern Ireland

    June 4, 2022 in Ireland ⋅ ⛅ 57 °F

    A visit to The Book of Kells at Trinity College in Dublin to start the day. It’s an amazing place and a must visit. One of the pictures shows the alphabet in the book. So ornate! Met up with our driver for the next 7 days, Pat O’Brien. What a lovely gentleman. Styling in our Mercedes sedan! Why can’t airline seats be as comfortable as these? He spent some time growing up in Howard Beach, NY and has a son who worked in Ocean City for a summer. A stop at the Slane Castle and Distillery and then heading to Belfast. Overnight at Europa Hotel, dinner (scallops with crab risotto! - amazing) and some music to round out the evening. Looking forward to Giants Causeway tomorrow!Read more

  • TravelerIreland
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    Day 4

    Myths and Legends

    June 5, 2022 in Northern Ireland ⋅ ⛅ 52 °F

    Another packed day. Sunshine has prevailed all day, so we have been taking advantage of that. A drive through the Catholic neighborhood in Belfast. Saw the Sinn Fein headquarters and a tribute to Bobbie Sands before heading out of town. The Dark Hedges were impressive beech trees with winding branches, made famous in The Game of Thrones. Next was Carrick a Rede Rope bridge. Long hike down to the bridge and long line to wait to cross but worth it - one of our bucket list items. Weather was perfect so no excuse! Rounded out the afternoon with a hike at Giant’s Causeway. Crazy crowded but our driver, Pat, got us in the parking area. Several hundred people joined us, learning the legend of Finn MacCool. Pictures can’t capture the beauty. Ended the day at our next stop in Donegal. The Mill Park Hotel after a drive around Derry and a walk across the Peace Bridge.Read more

  • TravelerIreland
    Day 5

    The most beautiful beaches!

    June 6, 2022 in Ireland ⋅ ⛅ 61 °F

    The benefits of having a driver is we can changed what was planned. Another day of sunshine so we made the best of it by heading to the coast. Donegal is the start of the Wild Atlantic Way. Most popular in the south (where we are heading next week) this part of the WAW is very isolated and sparsely inhabited. With that being said, this is truly God’s country with views and vistas that are some of the most amazing. Pictures can’t capture the true beauty. We started the day early to avoid the crowds at Sleive League Cliffs. A steep hike up to the ridge provided the most amazing views. For a while we were almost alone up on the ridge but headed back to the car for the drive back to civilization- sharp turns on one lane roads with no guard rails. Glad we aren’t driving. As we headed back down the mountain, we saw a farmer cutting and drying his peat. Peat is still used to heat many homes. Watching two old men stacking peat to dry was humbling! Has to be backbreaking process but they do what they have to do to heat their homes. The rest of the day was visiting some of the hundreds of isolated beaches. Wide, hard packed sand, driving on it is quite common, we saw a few trucks with families on holiday. Speaking of holidays, this weekend has been a “bank holiday”. This is similar to our federal holiday schedule (side note: St. Patrick’s Day weekend is a bank holiday here). So it’s been unusually crowded on the roads and restaurants. Rounded out the evening with a stroll through the diamond center of Donegal, dinner and a little pub for some traditional music. Walking back to the hotel at 11pm and the sun was just setting. Great day.
    Tomorrow we head into Sligo and Mayo and to Westport for next two days. Grace OMalley’s home - here we come!
    Almost forgot - a stop in Donegal at Eddie Dougherty’s weaving shop resulted in a few purchases. Eddie was the cutest LOM (little old man) ever! Showed us his set up and we were able to purchase things in his shop. Pretty special to know who made your hat and lap throw.    Read more

  • TravelerIreland
    2
    Day 6

    Exploring Donegal

    June 7, 2022 in Ireland ⋅ ☁️ 61 °F

    We check out of Mill Park Hotel and heading to Glencar Waterfall! It’s become a joke with our guide and driver, Pat, is it an Irish “short walk” or is it truly just a short walk? Many attractions are tucked away and requires a fair amount of walking, some more challenging than others. As many of you know, Larry has had walking challenges over the last few years after tearing his Achilles. The waterfall was truly a short walk, a circle of stairs. Beautiful and serene, tucked in Ben Bulmen mountain area. Visited the remote area of Achill Island. Stunning natural vistas. Had a quick lunch at Kelly’s diner by Dominick Kelly’s Butcher shop in Newport, County Mayo. A quick visit to William Yates gravestone and checked into the Westport Hotel for the next two nights. Westport House, Ashford Castle and Falconry on the schedule tomorrow with lunch at the castle. We are both tired!!!!Read more

  • TravelerIreland
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    11
    Day 7

    Not as We Planned

    June 8, 2022 in Ireland ⋅ 🌧 55 °F

    Started our day off with pouring rain! It was bound to happen…..Walked to the Westport House near our hotel and got the tour about the manor house, originally built by Grace O’Malley. Beautiful, restored house, including dungeon and wine cellar. We were supposed to go to Ashford Castle for lunch but a little GI bug kinda sidetracked that. Larry had it earlier in the week, we were hoping it was something he had eaten. Eileen was the next victim. So Larry went off to the Falconry at the castle with our driver and had a great time. We walked into town, hoping to grab a bite at O’Malleys pub but it was closed. Looks like they are dealing with the same staffing issues we have in the US. Passed a Lidl grocery store on our walk, found diet 7up, some little biscuit cookies and potato sticks. A little TV and early bedtime.
    We were last here in Ireland 15 years ago, so we wanted to highlight the things that are still the same and things that have changed or improved. Certainly the roads are the most dramatic improvement. We were educated by Pat that the more numbers on a road, the smaller, more narrow and possibly unfinished the road is. M and N roads are the highways. The little ones are L for local. So a challenging road would be L34521. About the worse you can get. Major areas are now connected by M and N roads and they are great. Roundabouts and driving on the left are still the way of the land, so next 2 weeks should be interesting as we take the wheel.
    Lordy, ice for a drink is still hard to find. Had major issues with this on last trip, most of the hotel bars will get for you but they give you a funny look, like, “why?”.
    A big difference so far for us is that we have been staying in some very nice hotels with many modern conveniences, including USB ports, but suspect as we transition to B and Bs by Friday, we will see a varied level of modern conveniences.
    Of course, the people are warm and welcoming everywhere we go. They are happy to have tourist back. Many towns were devastated by Covid closures and 1 out of every 2 pubs in neighborhoods closed. It is sad to see boarded up pubs and other businesses. Interesting that 85% of Irish population is vaccinated. We see some mask wearing among locals and tourists. Nothing has been so crowded that we felt uncomfortable. So we hope that continues.    Read more

  • TravelerIreland
    Day 8

    Last Day with Pat!

    June 9, 2022 in Ireland ⋅ ⛅ 59 °F

    We plan to see Connemara, Galway and Cliffs of Moher today. Tomorrow will begin the self driving portion of our trip. To say that we have been spoiled is an understatement. Pat has been a wealth of information and if he doesn’t know something, he finds out. He has been flexible and altered our itinerary to add and delete things, knowing us and our preferences. We plan to have lunch together and then he will leave us at the hotel near Shannon airport. Another driver is to pick us up in the morning and take us to the airport for our rental car. Should be another adventure! Eileen driving and Larry at the map! So plans are forever changing. Car trouble this morning, so we headed to Galway to exchange cars, had a stroll down Quay St. and finally made it to Cliffs of Moher in the later afternoon. As always, it’s a breathtaking place. It’s now very touristy with a shopping area and visitor center. All of that is new since we were last there. Also new is a slate, flagstone like wall that prevents people from getting too close to the edge and discourages people from taking their own lives by jumping. Apparently this has become enough of an issue, that they have a Serenity Room available for anyone who might need it. The wall is obviously a good thing but the views are definitely affected. I’ll go back and look at our pics from 15 yrs ago when it was simply a viewing area instead of this major attraction. Late check in and early check out of hotel in Ennis. Will need to spend more time in this cute little town. On to the next adventure of driving ourselves!Read more

  • TravelerIreland
    Day 9

    Adventures Part 2 - Find Your Way

    June 10, 2022 in Ireland ⋅ ☀️ 57 °F

    After a smooth transition to Shannon Airport, we drove off in an Audi, because they had nothing else to give us! Oh well! It’s very nice but somewhat unique in some of its controls. Certainly takes some getting used to. Oh, and about getting used to things? Eileen starting driving and did fairly well with the left sided driving thing, entering roundabouts. Larry only had the occasional near death experience with a stone wall or two. All was pretty good until we got to our destination for the next 4 days, the town of Dungarvan on the southern coast of the Celtic Sea. What a spectacular gem! It was recommended to us several years ago as a lovely town and great touring spot. HOWEVER, the streets are narrow and we arrived in the middle of the day and we had trouble finding our hotel. Said a few prayers, took a break by the water before plunging back into the street. With some direction from the hotel (Larry actually walked a block to it - we could see it but couldn’t get there!), we found the car park (parking lot). The hotel is restored, very quaint. Met the owner when we checked in. He was delighted that someone had recommended it to us (a travel agent - pre Covid. Thanks Becky) and asked about our home in US. This town reminds us a little of Annapolis. Harbor town. Sailing club. Lots of pubs and restaurants. Lively town center. Then he informs us that we are very lucky to be visiting this weekend - it’s the West Waterford Festival of Food! If you know Larry, you know he was quite pleased. Town will be closed to traffic (yeah) and tents and vendors and food samples galore.
    Spent the afternoon exploring. Toured the Dungarvan Castle (seems every area has one!), visited a few pubs and continue the challenge for best seafood chowder. Seems it is a staple on every menu everywhere you go, from pubs to fancy places, served with brown bread. A contender for best so far was at The Local - a tiny hole in the wall pub with fabulous staff. Larry plans to continue his quest throughout the next few weeks! Side note - we both have recovered from our GI issues and thankful that a pint tastes good! Hoping our driver has stayed well.
    Finished our evening at the hotel pub, some music. Still struggling with the sunset not happening until after 10pm! The last picture was added to highlight another reason this country is wonderful! - please note choice of cream, ice cream or custard with all desserts. What?? That will be happening tomorrow - too full to enjoy it tonight.    Read more

  • TravelerIreland
    Day 11

    The Waterford Greenway

    June 12, 2022 in Ireland ⋅ ⛅ 61 °F

    Saturday ended up being a lazy day (we deserved it!) so we walked around town, had a few pints, got a few groceries and ate! Nothing special, just a chill day. Went to evening Mass at the Friary because we made plans to bike ride the next day. In our stroll, we met a local couple who recommended the Greenway by bike. So off to the bike shop, and decided on an E assist bike, recommended by the guy at shop. He told us we should have no problem doing the 46 kilometers round trip from Dungarvan to Kilmacthomas. That’s half of the trail, we definitely were not going to do 92 kilometers! Mission accomplished! Took us 4 1/2 hrs with one long stop to eat and drink. 46 kilometers! Pretty proud of ourselves. It’s was an incredible trip and a must do for anyone near any of the many Greenways in Ireland. Most were constructed 5-10 years ago, using the old railroad access to creat these bike and walking paths. This one took us along the coast and then into the mountains (thank God for the assist bike!), through farm lands and unspoiled spaces. Ended our bike trip with a ride through the Abbeyside, an upscale neighborhood overlooking the town, with an Abbey that sits right on the water. Peaceful. Strolled through the headstones (Jen and Kelly experienced that when we were all together - cemeteries are so interesting).
    The foods festival finishes up today. We strolled through the square and Larry found the seafood paella he was looking for - it was tasty, not the best he has had, but good.
    Running out of clothes, so laundry is definitely on the schedule for tomorrow. Heading to Kinsale on the south coast and Ardmore, which is supposed to have one of the most beautiful beaches in Ireland. Sun was in and out today, tomorrow is supposed to be more sun! Yeah!!    Read more

  • TravelerIreland
    Day 12

    Kinsale and Ardmore

    June 13, 2022 in Ireland ⋅ ⛅ 61 °F

    After the weekend, we ventured over to explore Kinsale, a small coastal town, maybe 1 1/2 hr drive from Dungarvan. As with all drives, the last 10-20 km is nail biting. Oh well, getting used to the idea. Traveling on weekdays helps though. Certainly less traffic coming toward us! Kinsale is another coastal town, very similar to Annapolis in MD. Narrow, cobble streets, and shops everywhere. Unfortunately, the restaurant we wanted to have lunch at was closed on Monday. So sad, great location and have heard the food is amazing. Second choice was the Cliff House in Ardmore - another beach town. We did not hike the cliffs today but lunch on the patio over looking the cliffs and the water was a nice choice. Driving back down the cliffs? Yeah- can’t describe. Thank goodness it wasn’t the weekend!
    Every good trip that lasts this long requires some chores. Today was laundry day. We’ve been washing some things out by hand but it was time. By the way, Underarmour shirts wash up nice in sink and dry overnight. Got the big washer, so we put everything in together. Oh, laundromat is in the parking lot of the gas station. Yeah. Out in public for anyone driving by…….
    Off to the Beara peninsula to town of Goleen tomorrow. Staying at Herons Cove, our first B and B. Address? The Harbor!    Read more

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