Redheads On The Emerald Isle

Our last day in Ireland couldn't have gone better. It was, as they say often in Ireland, "perfect." We began the morning in the seaside town of Dingle, where we took a boat ride to visit a Dingle staple citizen, Fungi the dolphin. We were told that if we did not see him, the trip was refunded. Thankfully, that was not the case. Once Captain Mike tracked him down, we got at least half an hour of watching him. He swam close to the boat, ducked in and out of the water, and blew water. It was our first boat trip out into the ocean and our first time seeing a dolphin. After watching him, Captain Mike took us around to see one of the natural scenery that borders the Atlantic Ocean. The water was so blue and clear that I was tempted to jump in, even if it was apparently 55°F. Our last big activity of the day and the trip was a visit to the Cliffs of Moher. It is the most visited natural attraction in Ireland, and it is clear why. The steep stroll is well worth it when you get t...

Our new digs for the close of day 5 in Ireland allows us to not only look out onto the ocean but also hear the sounds of cattle roaming the hills of a nearby farm.  I'm pretty sure this resembles my eternal resting place. Today started with us finishing our list from yesterday, a stop at the Gap of Dunloe. The Gap of Dunloe is a narrow mountain pass forged between the MacGillycuddy Reeks and Purple Mountain by glacial flows. Because we weren't allowed to drive from the start of the Gap to view the pass, we decided on a jaunting car (horse-drawn carriage) and not trek the 8-mile round trip. Pretty sure we both were feeling the effects of the 127 steps we ascended and descended for the gift of eloquence at Blarney. Besides our driver said the equine-powered cars had been taking visitors to the gap for 200 years. Pretty sure that was part of the sales pitch. Sally (horse), John (driver), Katie and I trotted, and walked when not coaxed, down to the Gap.  Passing in front of ...

We began our 4th day in Ireland with an excursion through the narrow back streets of the city of Cork (which, incidentally, the size of the city itself took us by surprise) and paid a visit to Cork City Gaol. In case, like me before planning this trip, the word Gaol is unfamiliar to you, it apparently means prison. It was hauntingly beautiful, and all the stories inside were fascinating. We learned about prisoners that stayed varied lengths of time in there, days to months to years, with various charges, some with only one and some that had racked up some 200. We even learned the story of Countess Markievicz, a revolutionary woman that was once imprisoned there. At the end of our tour, there was a wonderfully done multimedia video presentation in a room that looked like it was once a multi-story tower of some sort. It gave some of the evolution of the prison, and the end presented videos of actors depicting some of the prisoners we learned about. They urge the viewers to remember them,...

"Blarney is more than flattery. It is flattery sweetened by humor and flavored by wit." -John O'Connor Power Today mom and I kissed the Blarney Stone at Blarney Castle. Blarney Castle in County Cork looms the sky in the middle of all these vast beauties of gardens and trails that are almost as much of a site to see as the castle itself. However, the castle is the home to the famous Blarney Stone. Legend has it that kissing this stone will give you the gift of eloquence (if you don't know much about this legend,  here  is a link with some more info). Mom and I were both aware it was going to be a climb to get to the top of the castle where the stone is, and that we would have to be in the same position as is in the link in order to kiss it. However, we did not realize until our recent escapades how fond Irish castles were of tiny, steep spiral staircases that could be the demise of any human. The people of medieval Ireland must have had leg muscles as tough as the st...

Ireland is the vacation place for golfers and in that light, I am keeping score of my driving. Yesterday was two horn honks and one missed round-a-bout turn.  Today, was still one missed round-a-bout but no horn honking. It's good when your score goes down. Today, our first full day in Ireland, was a visit to Limerick to see King John's Castle and St. Mary's Cathedral. The passion of the Irish is evident in their history, their persistence to be their own people with their own culture. And who doesn't love a good story of blood, decapitation, and dead bodies drug from their graves and hung by their heels, only to be found three years later?  The cathedral played a part in the Irish fight for independence, so it was a on today's tour. Incidentally, there were dead bodies in that tour as well, entombed in the cathedral.  We ate at the oldest pub in Limerick, Katie Daley's, and you can venture a guess as to why. And, ended the evening with ice cream and listeni...

Today was arrival day!  We arrived in Shannon ahead of schedule with sleep gunk still drying in our eyes and our complimentary blankets in tow. It was 6 am here, about midnight at home. This means that by lunch today, we were up for a total of 24 hours. However, our eyes wide with adrenaline, we trekked on to a really fun start to our trip. We started with Bunratty Castle, which was so amazing. Lots of ornate rooms, restored to it's former glory along with a folk park of restored period houses, cafes, and shops. Despite the spiral staircases that made us question our life choices, the castle was beautifully done and fun to explore. Of course, if mom and I are involved, we just might try to throw cattle in there... And we did! I found a fair... What they call an agricultural show with a cattle show and the kicker was they had a shorthorn show! This might be the biggest culture shock for me yet. Showing, cattle, and agricultural shows/fairs are so different than at home. It was ...