Ireland

August – September 2024
  • BushRoos
24 years ago I met my gorgeous Irish friend Bernadette. I’ve lost count of the times Bernie has asked me to come and experience her homeland. Finally this is it. Ireland , Bernadette , here I come. Read more
  • BushRoos

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  • Ireland Ireland
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Friendship, Solo travel
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  • Sydney to Dublin

    August 29, 2024 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    It’s been a long time coming and finally I’m making my way to Ireland. There, I get to meet my beautiful Irish friend Bernadette, who grew up in Ireland and then migrated to Australia and became my friend! Yayeee. It’s a long flight journey, one that takes me via Doha on Qatar Airways for 15 hours of flying high.
    Hamad International Airport Doha, Qatar. Sydney, Australia this is how you do international airports. What a gorgeous space, place to land and refresh while you transfer. Amazing. In fact reading up on Qatar, I will stop here next trip. The architecture, the sea, the history, the landscape is fascinating. From Doha to Dublin is a further 7 hours…Stay tuned.
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  • Dublin

    August 31, 2024 in Ireland ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    “All I know is a door into the dark” The Furnace, Seamus Heaney.
    I’m in love with Dublin. Its quirky cobblestone alleyways, its multitudes of quaint drinking establishments, its history , its patriotism, its friendly people, its music and oh its accent dipped in honey and its roguish humour with charm to match! I know this is the beginning of a great love for a country not much bigger than Tasmania. The history of Ireland is not simple. It’s a long conglomeration ( some 7000 years) of Gaelic, Celtic, Religious, British ancestry and tradition. There are stories and songs here that run deep and I look forward to exploring them. I already want to come back! Stories of kings, saints, Vikings , freedom fighters, the suppressed, oppressed, the valiant, the heroic and so much more.Read more

  • Temple Bar
    Even I am drinking it!A pub for revolutionariesFrom religious to irreverent!The SwanGa Penny Irish musicPub CrawlingDon't let the unimpressive exterior fool you. We had a great night here with traditional music.It's all his fault!Stunningly atmospheric church pub.St Mary's Church Pub

    Dublin pubs

    August 31, 2024 in Ireland ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    “An Irishman is never drunk as long as he can hold onto one blade of grass and never fall off the earth.”
    Pubs of Ireland. There are literally hundreds of them dotted around the city centre of Dublin and they continue to play a remarkable role in this country’s history, economy and culture. Revolutions, protests , great plays, novels, poetry, music and songs have been created in them and they are famous and iconic in what was once a traditionally conservative country! The unique atmosphere of these pubs has I’m sure brought Ireland the illustrious accolade of the ‘ world’s most famous drinking city’. Some of these pubs date back centuries and you cannot help but be captivated by their beautiful interiors, ornate woodwork, fancy mirrors, polished brass and Victorian splendour. More than their mesmerising architecture and decor is the witty, lilting, humorous conversations which abound in these gorgeous establishments. Everyone has a story to tell, and a song to sing. You could spend weeks here and not get to every one. If you are into pub crawls then Dublin City could be your life’s work. I’m not joking when I say there is a pub on every corner! Literally there is.Read more

  • The famous Molly Malone
    Sir William Temple who the Temple Bar and district is famed.One of my favourites Shane McGowen The Pogues

    Icons of Ireland

    September 1, 2024 in Ireland ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    “ Like George Bernard Shaw most of the great men and women of the Irish renaissance had to leave Ireland to prove their greatness but at least they were born there. They breathed from infancy it's strange air of realism and mysticism, it's dignity with poverty, it's love of scholarship, it's wit as distinguished from gaiety and never got it quite out of their systems."
    This walk through a gallery of Irish icons in the city of Dublin was painted by a number of artists, living here in Dublin, and allowed me to sample some of this awe inspiring culture. From the well known Irish writers to the little known female writers, iconic artists, musicians, sportsmen, odd balls, revolutionaries and geniuses. It’s the perfect way to explore the cobblestone streets and alleyways and learn about those who lived, played and worked here.
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  • Clogherhead

    September 2, 2024 in Ireland ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    There's nothing more beautiful than the way the ocean refuses to stop kissing the shoreline, no matter how many times it's sent away."
    Walking the coastline of Clogherhead along the Irish Sea. The fishing village of Clogherhead is located on the east coast of Ireland in the County of Louth, approximately 70km north of Dublin. The village is home to the fishing industry with the waters of Clogherhead reputed as being some of the best fishing waters in Ireland. Long walks, eating wild blackberries on the headland, beautiful scenery, cold cold dips into the freezing Irish Sea followed by marshmallow chocolate. Hills of green which roll inta the sea, houses which fall towards the dunes with their coloured doors , peaked windows and songs of summer. Fishing trawlers, giant gulls and seals. It’s a picturesque landscape alright.Read more

  • The Boyne Valley

    September 3, 2024 in Ireland ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    Ancient Temples or Tombs?
    The Boyne Valley, Birthplace of Ireland’s Ancient East, is a place steeped in ancient Neolithic history. Combined with its lush green landscape and deep winding rivers are stories of an ancient past.
    Newgrange is a Stone Age (Neolithic) monument in the Boyne Valley, County Meath, it is a superb relic of Ireland's Ancient East. Newgrange was believed to have been constructed about 5,200 years ago (3,200 B.C.) which makes it older than Stonehenge and the Great Pyramids of Giza. The mound is ringed by 97 large kerbstones, some of which are engraved with symbols called megalithic art; the most striking is the entrance stone ( see photos!)
    I was lucky enough to have a personal private tour of both Newgrange and Knowth as Bernie had worked on the archaeological dig some 30 years ago. Both places have been designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

    The amount of time and labour obvious in the construction of Newgrange and Knowth indicates there existed a well-organised society with extraordinary ability to move large monoliths and tools to decorate them.

    These monuments are built along a bend of the River Boyne known collectively as Brú na Bóinne. Their history and excavation are fascinating.
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  • Trinity College
    University emblemHand carved outer building. Not a single one the same.Prehistoric Male ElkPrehistoric Female ElkMarble Pillars.Inside Engineering and science buildingSphere Within Sphere (Sfera con sfera) is a bronze sculpture by Italian sculptor Arnaldo Pomodoro.The long librarySteps to bookshelvesAncient Irish harp remains

    Trinity College

    September 4, 2024 in Ireland ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    “For Church and Country” Trinity College
    Irelands oldest university and home to the famous reading room and book of Kells. Steeped in history ( what isn’t here)! It was established in the 1500s and the buildings are extraordinary with their Georgian Pillars and ornate hand carvings , marble columns and winding staircases. The university has educated many of Ireland's most famous poets, playwrights and authors, including Oscar Wilde, Abram Stoker and Samuel Beckett to name a few. Such an inspiring place to walk around. The long Library was breathtakingly beautiful and you could smell the wood and the books.Read more

  • Castles and Cathedrals

    September 4, 2024 in Croatia ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C

    Cabra Castle ( Kings court)
    was built in the 1600s and restored to a glorious venue for weddings, parties, long lunches or stay the night. It’s truly magnificent and surrounded by picturesque gardens with tall trees. It was amazing to sit in its glory with a glass of wine and soak it all up.
    The churches and their spires dot the Irish landscape. Their architecture which dates back hundreds of years literally takes one’s breath away.
    I’ve had a short whirlwind trip to this truly amazing country. I’ve enjoyed great hospitality and I’ll definitely plan on coming back again.
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