Ireland Day 7 - 30th Nov. 2004

The Return of Nile Sweeny

Doolin to Quin via Ennis
Ireland Weather: Mostly Cloudy - Low 50's

^ Quin Friary at Sunset ^

Nile Sweeny greeted us the previous evening when we arrived at the Doonagore Farmhouse B&B with the words “we’ve got a fresh kitten which I’ll show you after breakfast”.

He was a sweet little boy who enjoyed playing with me, David, Laura, and anyone who would pay attention to him. And sure enough, as soon as I was finished with breakfast I was treated to a view of a fresh kitten eating her breakfast.

Nile was in our room the moment the doors were open, and he stayed with us until we left. He took a particular liking to Laura’s camera and shot several very blurry photos – one very clear photo of his disapproving mother.

We headed south on the R478 road back to Lehinch to pick up the N85 towards Ennis, and on the way we thought it might be fun to poke our fingers in the Atlantic…so we turned off and headed to Derreen/Liscannor…and on out to the farthest point the road would take us.

We got out, slipped on some Atlantic Goo, took some pictures, I got my shoes flooded by a large wave, and on we went to Ennis.

^ Laura doing the Goo Dance ^

Ennis is a very nice medium-sized town with a lovely shopping district. We took several hours there to look around for last minute things we needed to purchase (Laura got some shirts – I got some whiskey).

On the way into Ennis, we noticed that some children had done some redecorating of the roundabouts in town. Some type of liquid detergent appeared to have provided a very interesting look to one fountain in a roundabout, while a traffic cone on the a statue’s head provided another.

We ate a later lunch at a café/pub. The beef chili was delicious, but tasted very much like Hungarian Goulasch – lots of paprika and large chunks of beef over rice.

We moved on to Quin and got there before dark (for a change) so we puttered around the town looking for signs to the Ardsollus Farmhouse B&B. We turned left once where we should have gone straight, but that led us to the Quin Friary. There were cows grazing all over the grounds of the Friary and it gave it a very pastoral feel. The weather had changed to very pleasant throughout the day, and by late afternoon, we had a beautiful blue sky peppered with pink clouds and a wonderful sunset.

^ Quin Friary with current occupants ^

We took several pictures, and headed out of town to the B&B.

We took a recommendation from our host to go see Knappogue Castle (before it got totally dark) and we managed to get the last rays of light, and only a few pictures, but it was very pleasant…then we went back to the B&B.

We unloaded the car to re-distribute our things for our flight in the morning, and got a recommendation from our host for dinner – The Monk’s Well in Quin.

We got back into Quin as a fog was rolling in, and Dave and I thought perhaps the friary would look nice if it were lit up. It was, and it did, and we didn’t have our cameras…so we ditched everyone and hauled ass back to the B&B (5km or so) and then back to Quin again.

The pictures were definitely worth the effort, and provided us with a very memorable evening.

^ Quin Friary in the Fog ^

Unfortunately, the Monk’s Well had run out of food…so we were left with two choices – drive into Ennis (10km away) and try and find a late seating for dinner, or we could eat junk food and whatever else we could scrounge from the convenience store.

We got some more Kinder Eggs, bread, tortilla chips and salsa, nutella, cheese, etc. and asked the guy at the Monk’s Well if we could eat it there…he welcomed us in and we ordered some beers and ciders. It wasn’t much to eat, but David and I played a game of 301 on the dart board. It’s not important that I lost…just that I was able to share that with a friend.

Overall it was a very pleasant evening, and when we ended up back at the B&B around 10:00pm, the fog was very thick and lovely.

Ardsollus Farm is a horse farm, and the Hannon’s have won numerous trophies for equestrian activities…and out the front door of the house is a main paddock…beyond that paddock are three enormous oak trees that were slightly backlit by the full moon.

You couldn’t make them out completely with the naked eye, but you could tell they were there.

I wanted to take a long exposure image of them and see if the moon would perhaps backlight them enough so that the full tree would be visible.

^ Moonlit Foggy Trees at Ardsollus Farmhouse, Quin ^

I tried 1, 2, 3, 6 and 10 minutes…on the longer exposures the stars moved quite a bit…the 3 minute exposure had them moving just slightly so that you almost can’t tell.

Ireland Day 6 - 29th Nov. 2004

Yes, it's that f'ing flat in Urbana

Moycullen to Doolin via The Burren and The Cliffs of Moher
Ireland Weather: Overcast/Cloudy - Mid 40's

We left Moycullen again this grey morning at approximately 9:45am. Backtracking along the N59 to Galway and on to the N6 to Oranmore where we’d pick up the N18 and eventually the N67 in Kilcolgan.

There was a break in the clouds as we came upon Dunguaire Castle just east of Kinvarra, so we got out, walked around, got back in the car and trucked on.

We took the N67 to the far side of Ballyvaghan, where we headed south through The Burren on the R480 road.

The Burren is a very unusual place. Covered in grey limestone, it is full of small crevices (some not so small) where interesting plants grow. Some 70% of Ireland’s wildflowers and other flora can be found here.

^ The Burren ^

It was very cold and overcast, which made photography difficult, but it was very interesting to see it.

Further on down the road, we took a right turn and just before a sharp left turn, I told David to stop the car. I had caught a glimpse of what looked to be petroglyphs on some stones a few feet back. We parked and got out, and everyone looked and wondered how old they were.

There were three visible horsemen with pointed hats/helmets and flowing capes. There were also clearly visible reins on the horses. – quite interesting.

^ Ancient (or really old) Chalk Drawings along the R480 ^

The R480 joined the R476 road a few kilometers south, where we headed west towards Kilfenora.

On the way to Kilfenora, we saw an old castle tower rise up out of the grey…we pulled into the driveway (the postman had just finished his deliveries) and walked around for a few minutes.

When those few minutes had passed, we piled back into Ol’ Blue and headed out…or not. The gate had automatically closed behind us, and there was no other way out.

We were stuck for several minutes when a local farmer drove by and said, “Stuck are ya?”

Me: “We are at that. Do you think you could help us?”

Farmer: “It’ll cost you money.”

He then proceeded to type in the magic keycode on the opener (2-8-8-2) and open sesame…we were free!. I handed him all the change I had in my pocket – €2 – and said, “It might not get you the whole pint, but it’ll take you most of the way.”

“That’ll do.” Was his only response, and he was off on his way…as were we.

The only thing worth mentioning in Kelfenora is Vaughan’s Pub. Great roast pork and hot tea, and the guy working the place was very entertaining. He asked where we were from and what we were doing in the middle of Ireland…we told him why we were there, and when we told him we were from Central Illinois south of Chicago, he asked what it’s like.

Me: “If you stand on a curb, you can see 30 miles”

Him: “Jeezus, it’s that fucking flat?”

All of us (in unison and sadly): “Yes, it is.”

He recommended O’Connor’s pub in Doolin when we got there, and he also mentioned that the weather we were having in November was clearer than most days in June…so we were very lucky indeed.

We followed the R481 road (still the same road, but now with a different number) towards Ennistimon and drove into Lehinch on the N85/N67 road. From there we took the R478 north along the coast towards the Cliffs of Moher and Doolin.

The Cliffs of Moher are naturally formed and stand 200+ meters high over the edge of the Atlantic Ocean. There’s a nice warm visitor’s center (thank goodness) and you only have to pay €4 for parking. There are steps up to the right (paved, marked, safe) to O’Brien’s tower…Laura and I went to the left.

^ The Cliffs of Moher with O'Brien's Tower on the edge ^

We had a good hike in breezy conditions out muddy trails and had a grand time. We really needed the hour or so we got so that we could be alone and enjoy something just between the two of us. Besides, the one thing you can't see from O'Brien's Tower is O'Brien's Tower.

Dave was a little upset with us for skipping off like that, but he eventually forgave us…I think.

We finished up at the Cliffs and headed to the Doonagore B&B – right on the coast. Laura and I finally got a room with a pleasant view and took a few moments to clean up. Our hosts gave another recommendation for O’Connor’s and so we headed back to the nearest ATM (15km away in Lehinch) where we also found Kinder Eggs (the Germans call them Kinder Uberasschung Eier - Children's Surprise Eggs), then to O’Connor’s for some food.

O’Connor’s had the best fish and chips I’ve ever eaten in my life. It was good, hot and there was lots of it. Also, because O’Connor’s didn’t have my preferred Smithwick’s (pronounced Smithick’s) Ale, I had to settle on the best Guinness of my life.

Later in the evening, there was a session of local musicians playing traditional Irish music – called a ‘Trad Session’. It was very enjoyable and we left there at about 11:15pm.

All in all, a very good day.

Ireland Day 5 - 28th Nov. 2004

Liverpool 2 - Arsenal 1

Moycullen to Moycullen via the Connemara Peninsula
Ireland Weather: Mostly Sunny - Mid 50's

We woke up a little later than usual because we had an easy day – all we had to do was drive to Kylemore Abbey and see the Connemara Peninsula. We headed out on the N59 road towards Oghterard at approximately 9:30am under perfectly clear blue skies.

About 10km up the road, we saw a small sign that said ‘Aughnanure Castle’ So we went to see what it was all about. We got to the parking lot and it said ‘closed until Spring of 2005’.

^ Aughnanure Castle ^

We decided we’d get out and walk around to see what we could see anyway – perhaps the little stream would afford us a pleasant view. As we walked along, the caretaker happened to be taking her dog for a stroll and asked us if we’d like to go inside.

No sooner had the synapses fired than we said YES! PLEASE!!. And at a paltry €2.75 each, we had the whole castle to ourselves for almost 45 minutes. The only caveat was that we had to close the gate when we left (assuming the caretaker wasn’t there). She returned and revealed an interesting side of her dog to us – it loves to chase (and chew) rocks.

^ The whole crew (plus rock chewer) at Aughnanure Castle ^

We thanked her for everything and headed out for Kylemore. David had gotten to see his castle.

The N59 takes you to Maam-Cross…where they did quite a bit of filming for the John Wayne movie ‘The Quiet Man’. They even have a sign that directs you to The Quiet Man Bridge.

15km past Maam-Cross, we headed north on the R344 road towards Kylemore…driving through The Twelve Bens – twelve mountains all named Ben something…Benbaun, Bencullagh, etc. At one point in the drive, we managed to see a complete rainbow in front of sunlit mountains with perfect little cottage houses on one side, and directly in front of us was a shepherd and his flock crossing the road…very picturesque.

Kylemore is approximately 7km west of the junction between the R344 and the N59 on the north end of the loop, and it’s now a nunnery. For €5, you can walk through 4 rooms…but the real attractions are the grounds and gardens.

^ Kylemore Abbey ^

We walked through the entire place and headed back to the cafeteria for a bite to eat. Laura and I shared a bowl of Irish stew and some turkey sandwiches and some hot tea…all for about €15.

We jumped back on the N59 and headed home to Moycullen by way of Clifden. We stopped in several spots for photos along the way – the highlight being Recess…2 or 3 km past the R344 turnoff north back to Kylemore.

There is a long lake (Glencollagh) and at the turnout there’s a statue of a Viking looking man with the inscription ‘Built in 1999 by Joyces Craft Shop for No Apparent Reason’ And behind it there’s a plaque that reads ‘On this site in 1867, Nothing Happened’.

Beautiful sunset across a very glassy lake.

We stopped off in Oughterard to do some light shopping because things were open. I bought a nice trekking backpack and David bought himself a sweater.

On the way back to Moycullen, we decided to stop off at Hurney’s and have a beer before dinner. We walked into this small 20 x 20 foot bar with yellow walls and across the room was the mouth of hell…a coal fire that was burning VERY hot.

That caught our immediate attention. What caught our attention shortly thereafter was the fact that not only were the walls covered with Liverpool Football Club paraphernalia, but on the television in the corner was a game – broadcast live from Liverpool, England – Liverpool were tied 1-1 with Arsenal of London with 3 minutes to play in regulation.

Deep into the three minutes of injury time, Neil Mellor – just activated from the youth squad to help cover for injured forwards – kicked the ball with the outside of his right foot from 30 yards out on the right side of the penalty area. The ball made a long slow curve to the lower left corner of the goal…edging past the outstretched fingertips of Jens Lehmann – the Arsenal goalkeeper.

Liverpool erupted. So did Hurney’s Pub in Tullkine. It was Mellor’s first goal at the top level, and you could see in the faces of the Arsenal players that they knew the game was over…30 seconds later, the final whistle sounded and confirmed that fact.

David had never seen a live goal scored in a soccer match – much less one as dramatic as this…unfortunately, he STILL hasn’t seen one: he was in the men’s room at the time.

We ordered a round of beers and ciders (we didn’t want to take our lives in our hands by disturbing the bartender during the final moments of the match), and I told him how great it was to walk into the only pub in town and see that it’s a haven for Liverpool supporters…the team I’ve supported since my first trip to England in the mid 1980’s.

After drinking our beers, we followed the bartender’s recommendation and went back into Moycullen to The Forge for dinner. We found a table right away and had a very pleasant meal. I had BBQ Fat on-the-bone, everyone else had something edible.

It was my favorite day on the trip. We called it a night at approximately 10:00pm and went back to Portarra Lodge for the evening – we had bought some snacks and we knew the fire would be there waiting for us in the great/common room.

I went to sleep early and stayed asleep until the alarm went off at 7:15am.

^ Sunset on the Connemara Peninsula ^

Ireland Day 4 - 27th Nov. 2004

Those guys did everything!

Birr Castle and Gardens ~ then on to Moycullen via Galway
Ireland Weather: Partly Sunny - Low 50's

…and HOLY COW what a shower! If I hadn’t turned the water pressure down, I’m not sure I’d still have all my skin.

This morning we woke to a crisp day with some clouds and after another large breakfast we went to visit the Birr Castle gardens and Demesne (French for Domain)…135 acres of spectacular gardens with over 1000 varieties of plants on the grounds. It also straddles the county line between Offaly and Tiperrary (I was the first into County Offaly).

^ Elevated Formal Garden at Birr Castle ^

At Birr, the family’s former greatness includes an enormous telescope (The Leviathan) that made Birr the center of astronomy for many decades beginning in the 1840’s – the largest mirror had a diameter of 6 feet!

Other inventions reported (by the guy at the desk) to have come out of Birr Castle are:

• The Incandescent Light Bulb - one year prior to Edison...although a cursory glance at a history book indicates that it was invented in England by a man name Swan and the patent was ultimately purchased by Edison, but we simply oohed and ahhed like good little boys and girls listening to the man’s story.

• The Turbine Engine – installed in 1879, a turbine driven by the waterwheel on the river running through the property provided the castle and the town of Birr with electrical power until the 1950’s. The Parsons family was granted a patent for a ‘leaf arrester’ to prevent leaves from clogging the flow of the water into the turbine house in 1901.

• The earliest suspension bridge in Ireland – built on the castle grounds in 1826.

• The steam ship Turbinia – a 104 foot long boat with a width of 9 feet had a steam turbine engine that propelled it at a speed of 34 knots (40mph) – and this was done in the North Sea! Achieving 2,000 horsepower at its peak, it had 3 shafts with 3 propellers each. The initial runs had only one axel with one propeller – yet it still achieved 20 knots.

• Artificial diamonds – although the methods Charles Parsons described didn’t actually work for him in 25 years of trying, they provided the basis for current methods that have been applied successfully for some time.

The major things the Earl(s) of Rosse – the Parsons family – are known for are Astronomy (William Parsons) , Photography and Botany (Mary Parsons) and Steam Turbine Technology (Charles Parsons).

Sometime in the late 1700’s, boxwood hedges (buxus sempervirens) were planted in the formal garden. Some of them are still alive today and are over 10 meters tall…the Guinness book of records lists them as the oldest and the tallest on earth.

^ Giant Boxwood Hedge ^

They have all manner of trees – Magnolia – Giant Sequoia – Coastal Redwood – etc. While Birr may not have the textbook ‘ideal’ conditions for every species, the environment is supportive enough to allow most to thrive.

At Birr, we asked the man at the counter for a lunch suggestion. He said, “If you were to ask me to lunch, I’d like to be taken to The Riverbank on the road to Galway”…and that’s exactly where we went.

We finally found the restaurant and had a very pleasant meal. The manager was from Galway and suggested we get drinks and dinner at a restaurant on Quay Street called, appropriately, The Quays.

So we took the R489 road to Portumna, then the N65 road to the N6 and then followed the N6 all the way through Galway (through its umpteen roundabouts) to the N59 towards Oughterard and Moycullen.

Once in Moycullen, we needed to follow local roads to Tullkine and find Hurney’s pub. 100m past Hurney’s we take a right and the instructions given to me over the phone were ‘go until you give up hope, then go a little further…be persistent…we’re here!”

The Portarra Lodge B&B was absolutely wonderful, and very business like. The lady expected two people – Mark and David. Not two rooms - one for Mark and one for David. We worked it out and there was no major hassle, so we headed back into Galway for an evening of food and drink at The Quays.

The Lonely Planet guide to Ireland describes The Quays as a ‘cavernous bar with many nooks and crannies’. It GROSSLY understated the facts. It also failed to mention that a simple fish and chips dinner would cost €20…where it cost a maximum of 12 anywhere else in the country. It was filling however and I don’t know what we’d have done if they hadn’t served beer.

On our way out, we saw a VERY large man leaving – we used him as a fullback in order to make our exit…and on the journey, we heard a woman shout to her friend “…look at that fella, he’s a big fucker!”

That phrase found a place in some of our conversations from then on.

A good night’s sleep was exactly what everyone needed, because the next day would be very scenic and fun.

^ Treaty Stone ~ handshakes through the hole sealed treaties in times past ^

Ireland Day 3 - 26th Nov. 2004

Minty Beef-Gum

Cappoquin to Birr via Waterford and Kilkenny
Ireland Weather: Mostly Sunny - Low 50's

We woke up on day 3 and couldn’t believe our luck – beautiful weather! It was so sunny and perfect we wanted to take advantage. After another wonderful breakfast (pancakes!) we took our host’s suggestion and went along the R669 road to the Knockmealdown Mountains to get a nice view. Laura drove all day, and we managed to take the proper roads to get to a dead end at the end of a sheep farm.

The view was nice enough, so we all jumped out and looked around for about 30 minutes. The terrain was very beautiful – grasses and moss had smoothed everything over with a lush green and the sheep roamed freely over the countryside. Their spray-painted bottoms revealed intricate neon colored tartans, which somehow coded the name of the farmer to whom they belonged.

After that, it was on to Waterford following local roads from Newcastle to Ballynamult (had to ask a Guinness truck driver for directions) and then the R671 do the main road N72 to Dungarvan. From there, the N25 takes you straight into Waterford and the crystal factory is on the south side of town. The crystal factory was interesting; we were able to see men making parts to chandeliers, putting handles on pitchers, blowing tall vases and finally cutting patterns into the crystal. They do all of these procedures by hand and eye…the chandelier make has an s-shaped mold to make the arms, and most molds are made from beech wood, due to it’s slow burn rate.

^ Crystal Cutter - Waterford Factory Floor ^

We bought some trinkets and had them shipped home, but the Waterford Factory Shop was a tremendous let down.

We decided to take advantage of the shopping to be had in Waterford town and spent the afternoon there.

We ate lunch at a pub called The Gingerman just off the main pedestrian zone. Laura and I had a beef stew with potatoes that was delicious. Josh shared a bite of Laura’s and chewed on it for what felt like 5 minutes. It managed to fuse itself with Josh’s mint-flavored chewing gum and ultimately he was forced to give up the fight and spit it out.

It was a very entertaining time for all.

We found good books in the bookshop, and an even better road atlas.

After Waterford, we drove up the N9 road to the N10 and ultimately to Kilkenny. Kilkenny is supposed to be an Ireland Heritage town – which means ‘quaint’. Good shops, nice old castle, etc.

We got there at night – just AFTER they closed the castle for the evening. We looked around and got the hell out of Dodge. We had a long way to drive to make it to Birr, and we needed to get on the road.

I had tried several times to call our B&B – The Ring Farmhouse – throughout the early evening, but had no success. We stopped in along the N77 to Durrow to make another phone call attempt. Dave had success and we were not pressured to be there by any specific time, so we decided to try and grab a quick bite to eat.

We went to the Castle Hotel in Durrow where Laura and Dave ordered soup; I ordered some fries and a beer (something quick and easy for the three of us).

The staff made special accommodation for us because they served us immediately even though there was a party of 8 ahead of us. If any of you ever read this, thank you very much!!

We still had a fair distance to travel, so we hopped on the N8 towards Portlaoise (thinking the larger roads would be better for us at night) and over to Rosecrea along the N7. In Rosecrea we headed north along the N62 road towards Birr.

When we finally got to Birr, we had to hunt around for The Ring Farmhouse…including a very brief visit with a man who gave us directions…his blind rescue dog knew we were there before we did.

The B&B signs are fair, but their distance assumptions may be off by as much as 50%. The sign for The Ring indicated 1.7km. We went approximately 5 minutes up that road before we found it – and that is a conservative estimate.

Good night’s sleep in a decent bed…

Ireland Day 2 - 25th Nov. 2004

Best View in Ireland

Dingle to Cappoquin via the Ring of Kerry
Ireland Weather: 100% Shitty - Upper 40's (got nice late though)

Leaving Dingle at approximately 9:00am, we were concerned about the potential conditions of the road…and there were only two ways out of there – the way we came in, and a smaller road. We decided to take a chance on the smaller road and were not disappointed. It was actually in much better condition than the larger national road. Furthermore, the R561 afforded us some remarkable views as we drove along the perimeter of Dingle Bay.

The town of Inch has a lovely turn-out where you can see miles of coastline. That small bar of sand protects the harbor of Killorglin, and looks like a very pleasant place to spend a summer afternoon.

Once in Castlemaine, we got on a larger road – the N70 – and followed signs for the Ring of Kerry and a town called Waterville.

^ Seefin - Just outside Castlemaine towards the Ring of Kerry ^

The Ring of Kerry – largely considered one of the most beautiful tourist spots in all of Ireland – was a total scam. Draped in fog, you couldn’t see much further than 50 feet in most places. It was cold, rainy, foggy and all on small bendy roads with oncoming traffic that takes far too many liberties with regards to lane markings.

The highlight of the Ring was seen near a town called Sneem – a sign indicated that it was the location of “The Best View in Ireland”. Unfortunately, you could barely make out the words on the sign due to the relentless fog.

^ Near Castlecove ~ The Ring of Kerry at its most beautiful ^

We did manage to find a nice stop off point in the Kenmare River bay near Castle Cove. We were able to go all the way down to the water and walk out on some interesting rock formations that looked almost identical to felled trees. The pattern on the rock was amazing.

We were lucky we started back to the car when we did, too – the tide was coming in so fast that in the 20 minutes we were down there, the path we took to get out there was covered by roughly 4 inches of water.

After the Ring of Kerry, we needed to get another 140km to Cappoquin via Macroom, Cork, Fermoy and Lismore. We decided to skip lunch (breakfast was VERY filling) and drive on. Besides, we had some snack food and people were digging into that.

At one particularly hairy moment (dark, rain, etc.) I was offered a pringle potato chip. I was driving Ol’ Blue at the time, and I initially didn’t see any harm in stuffing a chip in my mouth. I began to second guess myself about 3 nanoseconds after I looked down to locate the hand that was offering me the chip. Imagine driving 40mph in the rain at night on a curve on the wrong side of the road. Now throw into the mix a delicious potato chip handed to you by the person you trust the most in the world. Finally, park a car on the left side of the road about 50 feet in front of you (lights off – naturally) and cue a tour bus to come around the corner and scare the bejeezus out of you.

I considered myself lucky by only having one tire go off the pavement…and it was only for a moment.

Note to self – no more food or drink while driving the Ring of Kerry in the dark in November of 2004 while it’s rainy.

We got into Macroom on the N22 and found a restaurant on the main drag called Dan Buckley’s – a pub attached to a hotel. Very good food and not too expensive either. We were able to find an Internet café as well so we could let loved ones know that the cell phone I brought didn’t work for anything other than an alarm clock, and that we landed safely and all was well.

The beer in Macroom worked equally as well as the beer in Dingle at Murphy’s…and after the Pringle episode, I needed it.

We piled back into the car (after phoning the B&B to let them know we’d arrive late) and drove off. Good roads all the way, and due to construction we really got to see a lot of Cork…the N22 main road goes straight through downtown Cork. From there we needed the N8 to Fermoy and then we had to find signs for the N72 road to Lismore and Dungarvan.

We had one final stop off – Lismore Castle.

As we were driving along, a fog had begun to roll in. Lismore Castle is a private residence, but it has gardens that are open to the public. Unfortunately they’re not open to the public at 10:00pm, and if they were it would be very very dark, so we had to content ourselves with a view of the castle lit up by floodlights.

^ Lismore Castle ^

There’s a small river (the Blackwater) that runs beneath the castle and through the town of Lismore. It provides a very nice feature for the gardens and helped protect the castle in days gone by. It also provides for a beautiful little stone bridge that affords a wonderful view of the castle and the river surrounded by large trees. Lismore looks like a very nice little town.

Our B&B – Woodlands Farmhouse – was just beyond the town of Cappoquin on a road that headed south. You take that road for approximately 1.5km and you’ll reach an Indian Gothic gate – the only example of this type of architecture in Ireland, and it was built in 1851. Apparently the Pavilion at Brighton (England) was the inspiration this gate which was on the perimeter of an Earl’s estate in Cappoquin. When money ran out, they sold off what they could and divided up the land into parcels.

Had a nice cup of tea on arrival at the B&B and got a good night’s sleep in a very short bed (sleigh style and built for midget Irishmen).

Ireland Day 1 - 24th Nov. 2004

I think I need a new spine…

Urbana to Dingle (via Chicago, Dublin and Shannon)
Ireland Weather: Partly Sunny – upper 50’s

^ Courtyard and Passageways at Askeaton Friary ^

Well, the trip from Urbana to Chicago to Dublin to Shannon was relatively uneventful…for most of us. David had the misfortune of drawing the Ace of Spades right away with regards to his seat. All day he had been talking about getting a window seat so he could lean against it and sleep most of the way to Ireland. This would leave him to wake up refreshed and ready to go once we hit the ground.

Alas, while Fortune smiled on David, Karma did not. He was placed in the window seat – next to Josh. Sarah managed to change to a seat across the aisle from Laura…one row AHEAD of Josh. So David traded seats with Sarah so she and Josh could sit next to each other. This put David on the aisle.

Long story short, aside from being bumped hard and often by casual (and inconsiderate) passersby, the drunkard next to David spilled a full glass of red wine on him and the nitwits behind him used the table attached to Dave’s seat as a surface for the card game War (lots of slapping and slamming in that game). Dave finally got some sleep, and once we landed – and he had an opportunity to change his winey pants – he was a new man!

Everything was worked out ahead of time with the car rental company, so we merely had to catch a shuttle out to the rental pens and pick up our car…a minibus.

The minibus turned out to be a glorified delivery van. What the Blue Mercedes Benz Vito Diesel lacked in style, it equaled in comfort. This 9-person van was obviously the product of a board room meeting where heavy drinking had occurred. Only one of the seats was adjustable in any way – the driver’s seat. However, it fit all of our luggage and passengers, it was automatic transmission and so we removed the front center headrest (for visibility) and we were off.

In the interest of clarity, and sanity, it’s important to know that Irish roads are generally not so good, but they DO have an organized system: Roads numbered N49 and below are major national roads…N50 and higher are minor national roads…R### roads are glorified goat tracks, but generally turned out to be much nicer than most high numbered N roads.

We took the N18 east to Limerick where we changed to the N69 towards Tralee. We wanted the coastal road in the event that we might see something pretty to look at.

Approximately 45km from the airport, we found it.

The Askeaton Friary is a very lovely little ruin of a church that had no roof. We were all alone and allowed to walk around it at our whim. Founded in 1389, it remained in use until 1740.

^ Exterior of Askeaton Friary ^

Afterwards, we jumped back in the car and puttered west down the N69 to Foynes. Foynes had nothing noteworthy other than it was where we had our first meal in Ireland. The Shannon House is a mom-and-pop type of place where they serve food cafeteria style…you simply tell them which of the items you’d like.

I had Chicken Curry – Laura had smoked ham…all of it was delicious and very filling.

The N69 took us southwest directly into Tralee and the signs for Dingle took us through town and spat us out the back side on the N86.

The first 15km on the N86 weren’t too bad – nice scenery, straight roads – very pleasant…it was just a tease. The next 34km would be the longest of our lives. It was very hilly and curvy (3-axis curvy!) and by the end of the day all of us were groaning at the millions of potholes…every one of which David managed to find in ways none of us knew was possible. Needless to say, we were very glad to have reached our destination.

We got to the B&B at approximately 3:15pm. By 3:45, everyone was sleeping. The machismo from other quarters boasted of staying up all afternoon and just going to bed at a reasonable hour…they were the first to sleep. I suggested a brief 2-hour nap and then up for dinner and an early evening. After the fact, everyone was totally on board with that plan.

We had two rooms at the Killfountain Farmhouse, Josh and Sarah took the double room…David, Laura and I stayed in the triple. The bathroom was something to behold in the triple…it was literally so small that you couldn’t stand directly in front of the toilet. And when I got out of the shower the next morning and put my underpinnings on, I had to hold them carefully in my left hand while I brought each foot in turn up to the appropriate opening. My right hand was occupied holding on for dear life.

For our evening meal our first night, the lady of the house suggested Flaherty’s in Dingle. Our first local suggestion couldn’t backfire – unless of course she didn’t know that Flaherty’s doesn’t serve food in any quantities larger than a packet of pork rinds…so we went around the corner to Murphy’s where I had relatively mediocre Fish and Chips. Good news though: the beer works!