2024 Ireland/Scotland

April 2024

Going over the water to see my Moms side of family (O’Reilly) homeland. Michael O’Reilly arrived NYC May 10, 1869.
Checking out some brews and distilleries too. Read more

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Traveler 2024 Ireland/Scotland
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- Apr 14, 2024, 11:07pm
- ⛅ 73 °F
- Altitude: 587 ft
- United States Texas Tarrant County Minters Chapel Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport 32.89655, -97.0443532°53’48” N 97°2’40” W
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Day 1
Leaving for Ireland
April 14 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 73 °F
Our flight supposed to leave at 7pm, now delayed to 8:45, with three gate changes already. We haven’t even gotten to DFW Airport yet. Thank you AA. At least we are direct flight with no switching.
Donald and Lindsey taking us to the airport. Stopped at Babes Chicken in Burleson for yummy lunch, it had been a long time, still so good.
At DFW, what else to do when you have three hours wait?Read more
Traveler Have a great trip.
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Good choice! Hope you have tons of fun! [DM]
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Never can go wrong with Rick Steves! 💜 [Linda Goss]
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Traveler 2024 Ireland/Scotland
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- Apr 15, 2024, 11:24am
- 🌬 45 °F
- Altitude: 207 ft
- Ireland Leinster Coultry Dublin Airport 53.424072, -6.25506753°25’27” N 6°15’18” W
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Day 2
Dublin, Ireland
April 15 in Ireland ⋅ 🌬 45 °F
Just landed in Dublin. Six hours ahead of Texas time, so y’all be waking up about 5:24 am. Slept off and on, but oh my this seat is a plate of lead. 4575 miles DFW to Dublin.
FYI don’t order keto meal on plane.
Just some photos thru Dublin as we traverse from airport to hotel.
Our hotel here is Clayton Hotel, fine looking building and grounds behind the buses.
Dinner tonight upstairs at Nancy Hands Pub. Charcuterie, beef stew, fish and chips. Lots of Guinness and for me a lovely Bushmills decaf Irish Coffee with real cream not Redi Whip.Read more
Traveler Irish coffee here we come !
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Traveler The menu on board is not real appealing.
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Traveler Hope you adjust quickly to the time change. Have an extra Irish coffee for me.
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Traveler 2024 Ireland/Scotland
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- Apr 16, 2024, 8:40am
- ⛅ 46 °F
- Altitude: 49 ft
- Ireland Leinster Dublin City Ballsbridge 53.330353, -6.23326253°19’49” N 6°13’60” W
Day 3
Bus Tour Dublin
April 16 in Ireland ⋅ ⛅ 46 °F
Bus tour with local guide around Dublin.
Cool crisp sunny Dublin morning.
Occasionally spurts of rain.
Our local guide provided quite interesting history and events of Ireland.
Guinness family has been quite philanthropic over the years with housing for employees, a pint after blood donation (replaced iron in blood), and a pint after mothers give birth (mother’s milk). These perks no longer exist. The Guinness served in Ireland is superior to that shipped, yet I see no difference to me. 😝 still I drank a pint for “me mum”. She always had one each St Patrick’s Day.
My “mums” family name of Reilly/O’Reilly is the most common Irish surname.Read more
Traveler Great history lesson and architecture. How’s the jet lag?
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Traveler Not bad, bed at 8:30 last night, up at 6:00 this morning, all good
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Traveler Lots of history, love it!
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Great photos! [Diane Pressley]
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Traveler 2024 Ireland/Scotland
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- Apr 16, 2024, 11:07am
- ☁️ 46 °F
- Altitude: 1,024 ft
- Ireland Leinster County Wicklow Bahana Long Hill 53.139755, -6.17122253°8’23” N 6°10’16” W
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Day 3
Dublin to Glengdalough
April 16 in Ireland ⋅ ☁️ 46 °F
Late morning drive out to the country to Glendalough where Irish Saint Kevin established Monastery in sixth century. Kevin came to Glendalough to follow his dream which was to find God in solitude and prayer.
Beautiful rolling hills below Wicklow mountains with sheep/lamb/mutton farms most of which is exported. Irish eat imported lamb from Australia as Irish is too expensive.Read more
Traveler Great photos, love the compositions and descriptions.
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Traveler Fantastic view and capture!
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Traveler Really? Don’t eat their own? Farmers must be doing quite well.
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Traveler 2024 Ireland/Scotland
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- Apr 16, 2024, 3:19pm
- ☁️ 54 °F
- Altitude: 128 ft
- Ireland Leinster Dublin City The Coombe 53.341568, -6.28571253°20’30” N 6°17’9” W
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Day 3
Guiness and Jameson
April 16 in Ireland ⋅ ☁️ 54 °F
Finished our day in Dublin with visits to Guinness Storehouse and Jameson (Irish “gemeson”) Whiskey.
Traveler Knew you’d get there !
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Traveler We were lost for an hour trying to walk and map, lol, finally taxi.
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Traveler I’d have 1 or 3 of those! Yum!
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Traveler Today I had 1/2 pint Guinness, Irish coffee, Jameson chocolate orange Old Fashioned- way over my limit , lol. Could be a long two weeks of consumption.
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Traveler Haha you can do it!
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Traveler Trying!!!!
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Traveler 2024 Ireland/Scotland
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- Apr 17, 2024, 8:42am
- ☁️ 43 °F
- Altitude: 108 ft
- Ireland Leinster Dublin City Portobello 53.329941, -6.2628353°19’48” N 6°15’46” W
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Day 4
Irish National Stud & Gardens
April 17 in Ireland ⋅ ☁️ 43 °F
This morning left Dublin and headed to Kildare. Home of thoroughbred national stud farm. Irish horses are strong boned quality horse due to limestone calcium. Amazing history and breeding au natural , no AI, to preserve stud bloodlines until his demise. Totally self funded by stud fees etc without any taxes coming in. Separate quarters for studs, honeymoon suit for covering, and maternity ward for mares. Over 250 foals born per year. Invincible Spirit foals may go at auction for over a million dollars.
Then walked about the Irish garden St Fiachra site and the Japanese garden.

Irish Trivia:
*0% unemployment
* immigration now closed due to taking in 100,000 Ukraine refugees
*Ireland is the size of South Carolina
*Guiness harp is left facing and the Irish Ntl is right facing
*Pubs serve tea and most Irish drink an average of nine cups a day
*Agriculture as in sheep/cows is number one exported product with sheep going to France and beef to USA
Number 2… ?
Number 3 is tourism
*Crack means “fun” in Ireland so an evening of fun, not illegal drugs.

Excited to have a quick side trip to the medieval city (walled city) of Kilkenny in county Kilkenny which is the area my great-great grandfather Michael O’Reilly/Reilly immigrated from. Couple of pictures of Butler castle.Read more
Traveler Going back to your roots, cool !
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Traveler Lots of info in this post! Interesting stuff!
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Traveler You should frame this one!
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Traveler 2024 Ireland/Scotland
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- Apr 17, 2024, 2:26pm
- ☁️ 54 °F
- Altitude: 72 ft
- Ireland Leinster County Kilkenny Ferrybank Johns River 52.258965, -7.10732552°15’32” N 7°6’26” W
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Day 4
Afternoon at Waterford
April 17 in Ireland ⋅ ☁️ 54 °F
This afternoon we arrived Waterford, the oldest city in Ireland founded by the Vikings in 914 AD. It is a SE seaport on the River Suir.
Waterford Crystal began in 1783. We toured the factory area and learned of the process from glassblowing, to sculpting, cutting, and etching. Pretty fascinating craft. Apprentices train eight years to become master crafters.
This evening Dick, Manju , and I scouted out to walking along the river and town looking for dinner. The last few days I have clocked over 10,000 steps and average of five miles, so getting our walking in.Read more
Traveler Very cool
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Traveler I love glass blowing.
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Traveler Beautiful
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Traveler 2024 Ireland/Scotland
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- Apr 18, 2024, 9:27am
- ⛅ 48 °F
- Altitude: 453 ft
- Ireland Munster Waterford Gorteen 52.051334, -7.66244552°3’5” N 7°39’45” W
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Day 5
Cork & Blarney Castle/Stone
April 18 in Ireland ⋅ ⛅ 48 °F
Left Waterford for Killarney today. Stop overlooking Celtic Sea at Cork. 40 Shades of Green , I’ve never heard the Johnny Cash song 🎶 but it is at least 40.
Happy 82nd Birthday Dick with coffee in bed, the Pillory, kissing the Blarney Stone, and Scone & Coffee in a horse stable. Tonight a local lamb dinner.Read more
Traveler 🎉 Happy Birthday Dick ! Celebrate long and often 🎉
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Traveler Great capture !
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Traveler Lovely image. I can feel and smell the green.
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Traveler Have you spotted macro , turn phone upside down, slo mo, lol.
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Traveler 2024 Ireland/Scotland
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- Apr 18, 2024, 2:08pm
- ☁️ 55 °F
- Altitude: 180 ft
- Ireland Munster Cork Lissardagh Cummer River 51.866852, -8.89526251°52’1” N 8°53’43” W
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Day 5
Killarney & Muckross Farms
April 18 in Ireland ⋅ ☁️ 55 °F
Headed from East Ireland to West, now on the Atlantic side. This evening we were taken to a farm which does things pre-electric from the 1930’s. We saw the hand driven, or donkey/draft horse driven machines, butter making, peat bricks, thatched roofs. Then served a traditional dinner with bread and lamb stew. Music provided by Sheila and Biddy, with song and instrument.
Happy Birthday was song by all to Dick and another girl by the name of April.Read more
Happy 82nd Bday Dick! Looks like a great way to spend one's birthday. Sure looks like you all are having a super time! [Linda Goss]
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Traveler Looks like he got his bangs trimmed 😜
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Traveler It looks like I had imagined it to be, lush and green.
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Traveler Very much
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Traveler So pretty 😍
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Traveler 2024 Ireland/Scotland
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- Apr 19, 2024, 9:23am
- ☁️ 50 °F
- Altitude: 33 ft
- Ireland Munster Co Kerry Killorglin 52.106407, -9.78169752°6’23” N 9°46’54” W
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Day 6
Morning at Ring of Kerry
April 19 in Ireland ⋅ ☁️ 50 °F
Driving tour around Ring of Kerry Iveragh Peninsula the center peninsula,between Dingle and Barea. Today is perfect slightly cloudy, now sunny day.
Saw Skellig Micheal Island where movies have been filmed as well as many on Ring of Kerry itself.
At the southern point of the R of K, the Statue of Liberty sits due west across the Atlantic Ocean.
Past some ruins of towns / homes abandoned during the potato famine starting in 1845.
I missed the Leprechaun 🍀 at the crossing.Read more
Thanks for taking us along on your trip via these beautiful pictures. [Kay]
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Traveler Very cool!
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Traveler Love the Puck!
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