Extra Day in Ireland

After sitting in the plane on the tarmac, taxi-ing around occasionally, Air Canada decided they could not fix the problem after all, and had to fly in a part from England. So after more than 4 hours on the plane, theydeplaned us, and sent us on a bus to an airport hotel. We ate a hearty lunch, got rooms, and have been informed our luggage is remaining in lock-up. They'll feed us supper, give us a wake-up call, bus us back to the airport, and we apparently will be leaving at noon tomorrow. So a plane full of dirty, smelly people should arrive in Toronto, but no word yet about connections onward. Dave's gone out to buy a toothbrush.
Perhaps this will be our last day in Ireland - yesterday wasn't after all!

Kells and Bailieborough

Yesterday we drove from Kilkenny to Kells, where Dave and Myron had a game of golf (again) while Wendy and I looked at the sights and shopped. The sights at Kells include St Colomba's monastery, an old bell tower, an older round tower, and ancient Celtic crosses (one in photo). We also looked around at shops, took in the heritage center, and spent a couple of hours in a pub doing a celtic crossword puzzle and drinking Guiness. After the guys picked us up we carried on to Bailieborough, and spent the night at the Bailie Hotel.

Leslie and Olive McKeague came and spent an hour or so in the pub with us last night. This morning we went over to their place, checked out Leslie's cars (he's getting quite a collection of bubble cars) and then Leslie drove us around the countryside. We saw the old church, went by the old farm (a photo of it taken from across the valley - the house is the building on the left), and saw how the recession has hit Ireland. There are a lot of new housing developments around Bailieborough that are completely built, but only one or two houses occupied. Other developments have just stopped mid-stream. Then we took Leslie and Olive and their boys, as well as Tom and Lila and Florence all out for lunch in Cavan. Was nice to see the relatives.

We are now in the airport hotel in Dublin, have turned in the rental vehicle, and are set to fly out tomorrow morning.

It's been a great trip!

Kilkenny

Yesterday we next drove from Cashel to Kilkenny - an easy drive. We hated the place in Kilkenny I had got via internet (all prior hotels had been great) so changed to a different hotel right downtown (instead of right by the golf course). Much better choice, and worth the loss of the deposit. The drive in downtown Kilkenny on the extremely narrow but very busy cobblestoned streets was a little hairy. After lunch we went to see Kilkenny castle - not so old as other places, but that meant it could be furnished (still having all 4 walls and a roof no doubt helped) and so it looked more home-like. Then Myron and Wendy explored the town, joined later by Dave, and they all had dinner at a tapas place. I stay in the room and avoided food and drink, and feel better for it today.
Myron and Dave got up today and went out to Kilkenny golf course - a very nice parkland course run by very nice people, who gave them a dozen balls because they had a bit of a wait. Wendy and I went to the Kilkenny craft centre. From various write-ups we were expecting more artisans making their wares as we watched, and more little booths where we could talk to the craftspeople, etc., but in spite of our disappointment we still both made purchases. Wendy is currently testing out an Irish hairdresser - we'll see how he does with a haircut!
We're nearing the end of our time in Ireland. We're hoping to finish the time off with decent weather. We've actually been very lucky, and had only little showers most days, and a fair amount of sunshine (for Ireland).

By the way, todays photo is Butler House, by the castle and craft centre. I liked the ivy covered walls. You can apparently stay here if you like.

Kinsale and Cashel

Yesterday we left Blarney and drove to Kinsale - a lovely little fishing village that is the gourmet capital of Ireland. We had lunch at Fishy Fishy, and no prizes for guessing what we ate. The small winding highways through tunnels of trees were very picturesque, but Dave preferred the M8 divided superhighway thingy. We made a couple of wrong turns going through Cork (Ms Garmin did her best, but we turned too quick or too slow), but generally the driving is going well. The gear shift on the left hand side is taking some getting used to, so occasionally we stall out, but so far no one has rear-ended us.

We stayed at the Bishop's Palace at Cashel last night - the photo is of the Rock of Cashel taken from Myron and Wendy's room (they got the good room last night). This morning we went and toured the rock. Ruins of 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th, etc. centuries - fallen into some disrepair since the 17th century, but still very cool. We're now doing e-mail in front of a peat fire, with a tea tray on the table, in the reception area. Very civilized.

Blarney

We are now staying at Blarney Golf Resort - lovely facility, but we are afraid the receiver may already have moved in. Dave and Myron are out golfing. Actually, the course is closed (it needs to dry out from the recent rains) but they saw how disappointed Dave and Myron were when they went for their 8:20 tee time and said they'd let them out if they came back in the afternoon, although they might be required to play the dryest 6 holes 3 times. We'll see what happens there. (Later - they got to play the whole 18, but they had to walk. Wendy caddied for Dave.) They had fun anyway. The scenery is beautiful - it's a parkland course instead of a links course and should be a nice change for them.

This morning we went to see Blarney Castle - Nice old stone castle, lovely grounds. Myron kissed the Blarney stone - too many stairs for me, Dave couldn't tip his head back, and Wendy wanted to disinfect it first, so the rest of us still aren't newly eloquent. Then we walked around the grounds for awhile - and were caught in a rain shower. As Dave was going down a slope to shelter under a tree, he slipped and slid down the slope on his butt. That didn't help his shorts, but we let him come for a Guiness and lunch with us anyhow (after he washed his hands and legs off).

While the guys are golfing I'm taking a rest - trying to avoid actually getting sick with a cold that is threatening.

First Day on our Own

Today we were up and picked up by the bus at 10 am to take us to Shannon Airport (the remainder of the people were going on to Dublin) where we picked up a rental car. This didn't go too smoothly - the first car was too small, the second one was too old and rusty, and we went with the third one. As it ended up we didn't get the automatic requested, so Dave is having to shift gears as well as sit on the wrong side of the car and drive on the wrong side of the road. He has done marvelously so far.

We stopped at Mallow at the Cork Racecourse to watch the races this afternoon - we weren't very successful at picking winners, but the sun was shining, the horses were racing, and the bookies were way more entertaining than the paramutials at home. I wasn't quick enough to take a photo of my horse losing by a nose, so the photo is the third place horse passing the post.

After the races we drove on to Blarney - we are staying at the Blarney Golf Resort. It's a lovely facility in beautiful Irish countryside. We're here two nights and looking forward to them.

Today I do have photos, the top one being the cliffs of Moher and the bottom one being Dave and Myron on the 18th hole at Ballybunion Old course.
Yesterday Dave and Myron golfed at Ballybunion Old golf course. It was a challenging links course, no buggies (power carts) allowed, so Dave and Myron took a caddie to carry their clubs. Following the game Dave said he needed two caddies - one to carry the clubs and one to carry him. But it was a beautiful course along the ocean. While the guys played Ballybunion we went to Tralee (as in "The Rose Of ...") to have lunch and look around. Lovely rose garden! The festival to choose this year's Rose is next week. After picking up the golfers, the bus carried on, and we crossed the Shannon via ferry and drove to Lahinch. We went out for dinner as a group again.
Today we toured the cliffs of Moher (very sharp oceanside cliffs - again quite beautiful). Then we drove on to the edge of the Burren (limestone rock landscape, with the odd bit of grass but no trees or houses - quite bleak, but still beautiful). The guys golfed later today and preceded their game by visiting P. Fowley's bar - the owner is 90, and still pulls the pints, but naps in between in his special spot in the pub. He's been at the pub for 70 years (he lives there too). Now they are out on Lahinch golf course - another oceanside links course. They should be more rested and have a better game today! We're having our anniversary dinner here at Vaughan Lodge tonight.

There's no photo today - because I forgot to take my camera with me. What a day to forget it - the scenery around the Ring of Kerry is absolutely stunning. The first half is largely pastoral - stone fenced or hedge rowed fields up the sides of gentle mountains, quick moving trout streams and so forth. Then we dropped the guys off at Waterview for their golf game. That is where there are views out to the ocean at one side, and across the bay to Dingle peninsula on the other. It was a pretty difficult looking links course, the winds were stiff, and today was one of those days with frequent short rain showers. We don't know how the golf went yet, but I assume the scores were higher than the guys will like. The second half of the Ring is more rugged, with rocks, ocean, beaches, etc. until we stopped at a little seaside village for lunch. Then we went inland and drove back to Kilarney through a mountain pass and valley, with the lakes of Killarney along the bottom of the valley, and rushing rapids, little waterfalls, etc. There's deer in the park and sheep on all the hillsides. Quite lovely. I'm sure you would have enjoyed a photo!
Now it's time to go pick up the men and go out for dinner (as a group). Must run.

We got up early and checked out of our Dublin hotel, in order to catch the tour bus for our post-conference golf tour. There are about 26 people on the tour - 18 golfers and the rest non-golfers.
We drove a few hours out of Dublin, then stopped at Adare Manor where the golfers geared up and started golfing around noon. Unfortunately, today is one of those days that maintain Ireland as the Emerald Isle, and golfing was a little on the damp side. But still fun!
One of the non-golfers decided it was a great day to go fly fishing (he didn't catch anything) and the rest of us went into the little town of Adare to look around. Adare is a lovely little town - in the photo I am standing outside of a little gift shop. (Admittedly not all buildings are thatched stone cottages, but there are quite a few). There are also 3 old abbeys and a manor house in Adare. We looked around the shops -you can tell there is a pricey tourist resort nearby because there were 3 or 4 boutiques that stocked Versace, etc.- and had a white wine before returning to the golf resort to pick up the guys.
We drove on to Killarney, got settled into a very nice hotel, and are about to go out to dinner in Killarney (to the tune of Christmas in Killarney, I guess).

Dublin's Last Day

Yesterday we went on a tour to the Hill of Tara and Newgrange. The Strilchuks wanted to see it, and although we have seen it before, it still impresses me. The Irish countryside looks green and we had a spot of rain just before we arrived at the Hill of Tara, but it cleared up in time for us to enjoy the view. After arriving home from that, we changed and went out to a Soiree at Dublin Castle (very close to our hotel). Great seafood was served - they served 3 kids of salmon, plus one of everything else. We enjoyed our meal, but apparently the late comers ended up without food. Promptness is a virtue, and virtue is its own reward, I guess. After the event we went to a pub with a group - it was way too hot and crowded (as are all pubs with live music it seems), so we abandoned the group and went to a quiet pub where we sat outside and had a Guiness with Pierre, Pierre and Nicole (guess which province they hailed from).
Today Wendy and I did some shopping and Dave and Myron went and had a golf game at a local golf club here in Dublin.
Tonight we have a dinner and dance at the Guiness storehouse. Should be fun. Must run - Myron and Wendy are already waiting for us at the pub.

More Dublin

Today we did a hop on/ hop off bus tour of Dublin. We first hopped off at Kilmainham Gaol. It was orignally built to reflect new ideas in prison management in the late 1700s, and used until 1924 or so. The photo is where they executed, by firing squad, the leaders of the Easter Rising in 1916. After a tour of that jail I know more about the Easter Rising, the civil war following, and then the Troubles after that, than I did before. As well as more about old jails and ideas of how to reform prisoners.
We hopped on the bus again, went through Phoenix Park (this had a part in the stories told in the jail too - two English guys were killed there and Inspector Mallin tracked down the guys and they were executed - by hanging (by the long drop method). After a while we got off on O'Connell Street and searched out a pub for lunch. More Guiness was involved. We hopped on the bus again and drove through more of Dublin (by Trinity College, Georgian Dublin with the bright painted doors, etc.)
Now its time for a nap before Riverdance.

Ireland Trip Begins

We left Saskatoon on Thursday afternoon, and there were no problems with the flights being late or connections missed. Our biggest complaint was the Toronto to Ireland plane was an old, never updated, 747. There was only the one TV screen. This would have been a bigger problem if the entertainment supplied was worth watching - The Fast and The Furious, followed by Galaxy Quest didn't draw my attention. So I got to rest on the way to Ireland.

We arrived at Dublin airport at 8:10 am on Friday, got our baggage (after filing reports for lost luggage, the golf clubs did turn up after all). We made our way to the hotel, dropped our luggage (it was too early to check in) and went out for a full Irish breakfast (including Guinness). After a bit of wandering around (the photo is Dave with Myron and Wendy in St Stephen's Green) we returned to the hotel and checked in. A short nap and a shower refreshed us to go out and wander a bit more (finding more Guiness), then Myron and Wendy and us met Dale Linn and Wendy and we all went out for a seafood dinner. Yum! have to like these island nations and their seafood.

After a night's sleep (finally) we got up, breakfasted, and wandered a little more. We bought lunch at Marks & Spencers food hall and ate it in St Stephens Green, then met our bus tour. It started with Jameson's distillery tour and whiskey tasting, followed by a "musical pub crawl" - 2 musicians (one played the button accordian, the other played a guitar and sang) told us all about Irish music with the appropriate tunes. This took place in two different pubs. (The small photos illustrate this). The bus dropped us at our hotel after 6, we cleaned up and went to the welcome reception at Mansion House (the Lord Mayor of Dublin's digs) until 8:30, then out for a great Italian dinner (with a group of 10, starting with the 6 from last night, plus 2 Ontario couples). On to another pub, then Dave and I came home. The others continued on to one last pub.

Basically, so far we've had a good time eating and drinking!

Preparing to Blog

We are packing and preparing for our trip to Ireland, beginning with the Canadian Bar Association conference in Dublin, Ireland. The conference website is here: http://www.cba.org/CBA/dublin2009/pdf/dublin2009_program.pdf
We depart Saskatoon at 2:15 on Thursday, August 13 and arrive in Dublin the following day at 8:10 am. We'll try to keep you up to date on our travels.