Not such a long way to Tipperary

Every now and then you get an itch you just have to scratch. When we were in Maine, it was Caribou, Maine. Turned out to be the middle of nowhere except for NOAA, and no visitors were allowed 😔. In Ireland that itch was Tipperary. How many times over the years has the phrase “it’s a long way to Tipperary “ fallen casually from our lips? We looked at the map, saw it was within reasonable driving distance, and it was a sunny day… so why not? The first clue should have been when I consulted Fodor’s Guide to Ireland and it was listed nowhere. Undeterred, I picked up a brochure from the Kinsale tourist bureau. Most of the stuff listed was for Tipperary County, not the city/town. Surely there must be some hidden gems. We arrived around lunchtime and had a look around. Let’s just say that the WWII tune “It’s a long way to Tipperary “ may have put Tipperary on the map but it has taken to falling off ever since. After lunch at one of only 3 places open for service, we stumbled upon the Maid of Erin, a statue commemorating the execution of 3 Irish Nationals in 1867 and currently standing on the site where in 1920 the British burned down the homes of 2 prominent IRA leaders of one of the most active IRA units during the war of independence. The cold, somber vibe around town was reminiscent of Northern Ireland. The shopkeeper where we bought a bottle of water for the return trip was very congenial, but you could tell that they don’t get many strangers or tourists around here. Curiosity satisfied, we beat feet back to Kinsale to enjoy the remainder of our time there.Read more