With the pandemic largely in the rear view mirror, Cathy and I joined other world travelers to visit another bucket list country.
Those who’ve not visited Ireland may have a misconception of Irish weather. It doesn’t rain every day, just an average of 150 days each year producing as much as 118 inches of total rainfall. How else would it be so green? One week we were fortunate. It only rained twice, once for three days and then four days. The sun made occasional appearances (sometimes more than once in a day).
Like many, I’ve a connection to Ireland. EPIC, the name of a world class Irish Emigration museum, stands for Every Person Is Connected. Though I’m confident some in my family possess lineage to Ireland (an often-told family story is the Garmon name came from O’Garmon), a more direct connection is via my wife’s birth mother coming from the Cullen family in Wicklow County Ireland. We looked forward to exploring that bit of geography. The map below illustrates the route for Ireland: Traditions of the Emerald Isle and overnight locations.
The image below provides a link to a short video Lisa compiled from our journey through the Emerald Isle. I thank her for her contribution to this blog.
Enjoy our adventures by viewing the daily blogs below. For those who don’t follow me on Instagram, I started each day’s entry below with content from that day’s Instagram post. You are also welcome to view the Ireland 2023 photo album documenting our trip.
April 20, 2023 – Overnight transatlantic to Dublin
We chose to arrive a day early. Rachel drove us to the airport bestowing us with a gift bag containing treats, hand sanitizers and other items.
I experienced RIC’s intensive TSA screening for the first time. Perhaps due to equipment calibration issues, the scanner showed a hot (bright red) spot right at my crotch. Only because I didn’t want to leave my carry-on items on the belt, did I not agree to having the inspection be done in a private screening area. The extent of the full body examination led me to conclude a cavity search may have been incorporated had I succumbed to a private screening.
The flight to ATL was uneventful, but we left RIC over 20 minutes late forcing Cathy and I to sprint from Terminal A to E. Only because of ATL’s Plane Train did we have enough time to grab food to go. Both flights were totally full necessitating checking our bags (which made the sprint more bearable). At the E (International) concourse, we met Cathy’s cousin Lisa and her friend Betti. In one of those “only in America coincidences”, Lisa had the opportunity to meet her daughter who was flying out that afternoon. They enjoyed lunch together in Terminal B.
Day 1 (April 21, 2023 – Dublin)
Pictures from our first day in Ireland. Nothing like a red eye to start the day. After fortifying with coffee, we made our way to Trinity College to see a campus tour and the Book of Fells exhibit.
These images are by my phone during our walk. I’ve others taken with my digital SLR but y’all will have to wait until I upload the images to see them.
We consumed two breakfasts today (first on the airplane – eating T-Rex style off the comically small seat tray), and the hotel – (where we closed out that day’s breakfast buffet)
Nothing like a red eye to make for a long day. Immigration & baggage claim was uneventful. The cab ride for the four of us (including Lisa and her friend Betti) came to around €45. Though the hotel didn’t have rooms available (of course), we weren’t charged for breakfast. Our only scheduled activity was an afternoon tour of Trinity College and a visit to their Book of Kells exhibit (on Betti’s bucket list). Mirren, the college’s tour guide did a great job inserting relevant collegiate humor into what might have been a dry topic.
On the way to Trinity, we stopped by the Gaiety Theater purchasing tickets for the Saturday evening performance of An Inspector Calls. The show’s 7:30 start time coupled with a 30-minute walk from the hotel means we’ll miss some of the tour’s welcome dinner the next evening. After dinner at Lennan’s Yard, we adjourned for the evening.
Day 2 (April 22, 2023 – Dublin)
Today was typical Irish weather (precipitation). Naturally we spent time inside.
You might notice a theme.
We leave the hotel shortly for tonight’s performance of An Inspector Calls at the Gaiety Theater.
Rainy in the 40’s and 50’s
I woke shortly after 6 to get a shot of the US flag at the embassy. Discovered one of Ireland’s green cylindrical mailboxes. Too bad the sun wasn’t shining. Regardless, I enjoyed pleasant walk before breakfast
Cathy and I met Lisa and Betti in the hotel dining room for a repeat of yesterday’s buffet. We had previously bought the Guinness Storehouse tickets and just needed to walk through St. Steven’s Green to reach the hop on hop off bus. Conveniently around the time we boarded, the rain started in earnest. What a great day for indoor activities. We rode the entire loop. Unfortunately, we were forced to change buses at the first stop and then needed to wait for about 20 minutes before the second bus started.
Fortunately, the delay didn’t prevent us from getting into the Guinness Storehouse (just arriving about 30 minutes late). An accurate way to describe the Guinness Storehouse is to consider it Willy Wonka’s factory for making beer (the entire process from growing the ingredients to processing them including manufacturing the barrels and machinery). Seven floors of diversions with the top three devoted to purchasing and consuming. Thankfully, one floor offered three dining options. We enjoyed our pints with Irish victuals.
A cab ride (in the rain) took us to Dublinia. Our primary interest was the Viking exhibits. Though reasonably curated, I wouldn’t recommend it (neither did Rick Steves). I think the National Museum of Ireland – Natural History has a better Viking Exhibit (and is free).
We took another cab (in the rain) back to the hotel to prepare for our evening
The tour officially began with the Welcome Dinner. We’d already informed the Tour Director we would miss the dinner to attend a play. In the brief introduction and orientation, we learned of the Glendalough excursion being cancelled due to low numbers. Lisa and I quickly sprinted to the concierge to find another tour in Glendalough tomorrow. For €40 per person, we booked an all-day trip (to be described the next day)
We left the hotel about 6:30 PM for the walk to the Gaiety Theater for a performance of An Inspector Calls. Lisa impulsively purchased the tickets. In a twist on a murder mystery, the story dramatizes the dangers of casual capitalism’s cruelty, complacency and hypocrisy.
Day 3 (April 23, 2023 – Dublin)
I missed yesterday’s post. The second image is one I took the previous day. Nothing like burritos after a show.
The sharp-eyed readers may notice that Cathy has a new kid. Not certain how it will fit into carryon luggage.
Having a lovely time in Ireland. We have been improvising since the first day.
Took a cab to Red Rover tour pickup @ Trinity College
Our first stop was the Sheep dog exhibition and lamb experience at the Cullen farm
We then traveled to Glendalough for a walk about in the Monastic City ruins and upper lake. A short coach ride later brought us to Kilkenny.
Our guide walked us around the exterior of Kilkenny Castle and through town before releasing us for our own pursuits. Afterwards, we enjoyed lunch at Kytelers Inn. The original owner of this Inn was Dame Alice le Kyteler. She gained notoriety where her enemies accused her of witchcraft and had her burned at the stake.
We then walked up to St. Canice’s Cathedral and Round Tower (but didn’t go up the Round Tower). Because of services, we didn’t enter the cathedral. The nearby Black Abbey was founded in 1225.
During our ride back to Dublin the coach stopped for diesel (I’d expected the driver to have done that before the day or during the multi-hour downtime in Kilkenny – especially since he needed to move the bus from the drop off location). The joys of logistics.
We learned today the fields of yellow flowers are rapeseed which reminded me of Prince Edward Island’s dandelions. The rapeseeds are made into canola oil
Day 4 (April 24, 2023 – Dublin to Cork)
40 and rainy
Our first full day with the GoAhead tour group
On the drive to Kilkenny the tour director described Ireland’s canal network being created and then ultimately put out of business because of rail service.
Early in the ride, our Tour Director Cathal summarized the ancient Irish myth Children of Lir about a kings children being turned into swans for 300 years. Cathal described it as an allegory to Ireland being a colony.
We enjoyed an informative self-guided tour of Kilkenny Castle. Nice since we didn’t tour the castle interior yesterday. We had about 90 minutes after the tour for lunch at Pennyfeather Café. The cool, damp weather provided me ample motivation to order grilled cheese and cappuccino. I appreciated Rick Steves dining recommendation. We walked back to the bus right in time for the 1:00 PM departure to the Rock of Cashel. Ireland is frequently noted as a small island (about the size of Indiana), which means everything seems to require only a one or two hour drive.
Just before we reached the Rock of Cashel, the bus pulled off for a view of our destination. The tour director emphatically stated not to cross the road’s yellow lines in search of a better picture. I got to pull out my long telephoto lens for the first time this trip. After hauling around five pounds of equipment, I felt somewhat gratified having put it to use. Unfortunately, the skies opened right as we walked up to the site largely preventing most shots. The local guide did his best he could trying to find places out of the wind or rain (not easy in the absence of a roof or while outside). As we walked back to the bus the rain briefly changed to flichshneachta (Irish for sleet). My second GoAhead tour in a row where I experienced graupel.
On the ride to the hotel (which Cathal described several times as very nice) the tour director brought out a bag of Bailey fudge. He said during the morning ride that serving Bailey’s fudge at 10:00 was a Cork tradition. Alas the bag ran out just before he got to the last row (where I was seated). Looking at the housing and businesses I realized how much nicer Ireland appears than did Eastern Europe (to me in 2018). We checked into the Garryvoe Hotel just before dinner. I ate chicken and mashed potatoes with cooked carrots. Earlyish night back in the room by 9
Day 5 (April 25, 2023 – Cork (sort of)
Hello from Hibernia.
Cathy and I are watching the white horses (we call them whitecaps) after a long day.
The first two images are from the hotel.
The third is from Cobh (pronounced “cove”).
The last is from Blarney Castle. Only one of us kissed the stone and it wasn’t me.
Walking along be beach struck me with the remoteness of Garryvoe’s location. While not as removed as the Timberline, Garryvoe’s services were similar. Hopefully we experience no redrum during our stay.
We took a relatively short ride to the Blarney Castle. Ireland is graced with what appears to be thousands of castles. Their construction spans hundreds of years with each exemplifying of whomever rules that part of Ireland at the time. According to legend, kissing the Blarney Stone endows the kisser with the gift of gab (great eloquence or skill at flattery). Lisa and I walked up to the top of the castle. While I didn’t make out with the Blarney Stone, I took pictures of one who did. After a walk down a twisty spiral staircase (past the murder hole), we walked through the Poison Garden. It was cool seeing mandrake outside of a Harry Potter film. We concluded our adventure in Blarney with lunch at the Blarney Woollen Mills.
The short bus ride from Blarney Castle to Cork was diverted in downtown Cork, forcing the coach driver to drop us off at an unplanned location and pick us up somewhere else. Needless to say, we got in lots of steps (Betti recorded 12,000 – 16,000 each day). Cork has a very walkable inner city with pedestrianized streets surrounded by hundreds of (mostly) local shops. I learned U2’s first paid gig took place in the Arcadia Ballroom in Cork.
Rush hour traffic got us back to the Garryvoe close to 7:00 PM. Our plans to sip hot cocoa with Bailey’s in the lounge were thwarted due to the lounge being closed. We diverted to the Lighthouse Bistro for a light dinner where Cathy and Lisa enjoyed their hot cocoa and Baileys. Considering the quick food service, the meals we ordered were great. None were iconic Irish dishes.
Day 6 (April 26, 2023 – Cork (sort of)
Greetings from western Ireland.
We started the day near Cork, travelled to Killarney via the Muckross House and then to Tralee with a stop on the Lakes of Killarney (which included a water coach).
Having a great time.
45 & cloudy with 80% chance of rain
Off right after breakfast for the Muckross House. The description makes me think of the Biltmore. We learned Ireland is one of Europe’s least forested countries. On that topic, the number of fireplaces and stoves in the Muckross House no doubt consumed enormous quantities of coal, peat and/or timber. As consistent with every paid exhibit, Muckross House dumped us into the gift shop. We escaped before the credit card could be put to use. Not certain if the lack of room signage, general darkness, the curation or what, but Muckross’ interior wasn’t particularly compelling. I found the gardens and pens with Irish deer more interesting.
We stopped for lunch in Killarney. I learned the other day the word “kil” is Irish for church. Like every other Irish town of size, Killarney has a very nice commercial district. Though not as pedestrianized as Cork, Killarney’s CBD offered much for dining and retail experiences. Best of all, I noticed very few (international) chain establishments (at least names I recognized). Despite just over an hour break, we were able to sit for a nice lunch at the Laurels Pub & Restaurant. Betti, Cathy and Lisa spent time afterwards in Quills Woollen Market next door where Betti acquired a nice green wool sweater.
Afterwards we took a boat ride on Lough Leane. I personally enjoyed the time outside (sort of) over continuing the retail experience. Our boat pilot took us past the nest of a white-tailed eagle. 100 pairs were reintroduced in 2007 years ago. Alas, no white-tailed eagles were seen on our tour. We returned to Ross Castle quay for our coach ride to the Rose Hotel in Tralee.
Day 7 (April 27, 2023 Tralee)
May the Force be with Steven Crusher Casey.
We started the day at Aghadoe in county Kerry. That’s the same lake we boated on yesterday.
The sharp eyed may recognize an island.
The last is of a tavern in Sneem (birthplace of the Crusher).
Tomorrow we visit the cliffs of insanity (to drop another movie reference).
50 and mostly cloudy (rain predicted)
After buffet breakfast, we headed back to Killarney for Jaunting Cars (horse drawn carriages). The carriage’s driver mentioned the last two Star Wars movies were filmed in the area. The coach briefly stopped at the Aghadoe overlook for a view of the Killarney valley. I am struck by how clean the Irish countryside, households, yards and streets are. Makes me wonder if Ireland has a national HOA to ensure everything is tidy. The craggy hillsides and valleys remind me of Appalachia, but with fewer trees. The manner in which many needed to leave Ireland no doubt contributed to where they chose to live. Writing these notes on a twisty winding road is nearly impossible. Don’t know how sailors wrote in their logs.
Today’s history lesson was less than previous days. Mostly about who settled or lived in the communities we passed through. Learned rhododendron is the Irish equivalent of Kudzu. The Irish have as much success controlling this invasive plant as the southeast US does with Kudzu.
While the day travelling the Ring of Kerry didn’t involve long walks, the tour made up for it with at least a half dozen photography and bathroom stops. We stopped for lunch at the Red Fox Inn. Demonstrating their marketing savvy, the establishment had trays of Irish Coffee setups available for purchase (at €7.50). Cathy and I opted for the soup and half sandwich. The tour director emphasized to not cross the street into the bog or risk becoming another bog man.
We viewed Skellig Michael in the distance. Skellig Michael is the site of a Monastic Settlement dating back to the 6th century. Some may recall the island as the location of Luke Skywalker’s Island Sanctuary on the planet Ahch-To. May the force be with you.
During our journey around the Ring of Kerry, we briefly stopped in Sneem – Birthplace of Steven (Crusher) Casey. A bit of research revealed that Irish peat is just hundreds of years old. While not nearly the age of fossil fuels such as coal or oil, burning it contributes to carbon levels. For that reason, Ireland restricts peat burning to limited personal use and at some point, never.
Despite my extensive research for dinner, we chose to eat at the Rose hotel. The rain, a mile walk (one way), and long day on the road made the decision easier. I enjoyed fish for perhaps the third day in a row. Our waitperson Louise was fabulous. She even let us split the check
Day 8 (April 28, 2023 Tralee)
Peter Boyle comes to Dunguaire castle
The coastal fog reduced the Cliffs of Insanity to the haze of annoyance.
Thankfully the Burren redeemed Irish weather.
After a brief stop at Monks Tavern we ended the day Dunguaire Castle for the Castle Banquet Dinner. Peter Boyle’s doppelganger entertained us during dinner.
We learned yesterday that today’s itinerary includes the Cliffs of Insanity (of a Princess Bride). Some might know them as the Cliffs of Moher. Western Ireland (at least the part we visited) boasts many wind turbines. Cathal mentioned early in the tour wind generates 1/3 of Ireland’s electricity Though not as densely placed as in some parts of the US, wind turbines no doubt disrupt the view residents and visitors enjoyed for many years.
Today’s history lesson started with Ireland’s contribution to WWI. We learned England reneging on their promise for Irish self-rule led to Sinn Féin. We were told the walking tour of Galway won’t happen today because of time. Cathal said it will take place tomorrow. Not certain how with the Aran Islands excursion leaving in the morning.
We briefly stopped in Adare for a bio break. Only enough time to pop into the church next door to the Tourist Information (TI) center and then walk up the street to view thatch roofed buildings. Cathal informed us that some Irish refer to bicyclists as “Mamils” – Middle Aged Men in Lycra.
On the art front we were told the Puca statue of Irish mythological creature was deemed too scary to be installed in in Ennistymon, Co Clare.
Coastal fog totally obscured the Cliffs of Moher. 100 yards inshore the skies were clear and no fog. The Burren (perhaps five miles down the coast) provided better views. It felt like walking across an alpine meadow.
Day 9 (April 29, 2023 Galway)
On the Aran Islands excursion we encountered another tour outfit. The fact they operate right across the street from Ti Joe Watty (the pub where we had lunch) raised doubts.
Following a diversion to the seven churches (which started around 600 AD), we ended at Dun Aonghasa (which is ironically across from the Cliffs of Moher). Clearly the fog lifted today.
Our started early with a walking tour of Galway (perhaps best described as Galway in 30 minutes). Galway is perhaps the first city of size I’ve seen that has the river fall line right at the sea. We began at the Spanish Arch which is one of the last remaining pieces of Galway’s historical city walls. From there we meandered through the Latin Quarter (quiet at 8:30 in the morning). In fact, this is when the streets permit cars as the evening throngs can be shoulder to shoulder (which we experienced later that evening). We ended at The Browne Doorway (a doorway from the mansion of 1627) in Eyre Square.
We took the ferry to Inis More from Rossaveel. After debarking and deconsessioning, we walked up to Ti Jo Watty for a prearranged lunch. I continued my seafood theme indulging in fish and chips. Thankfully I stuck with water as I was confident a beer would have made the walk up to Dun Aonghasa uncomfortable. In addition to a 300-foot elevation gain in less than a mile, the top third was uneven walking across stones of varying heights.
I chose to end the day on Inis More at Bayview in Kilronan to indulge in some carbonated malt beverage therapy. Many of the rest of the tour pursued retail therapy. I got to visit with Louise the cat who appeared well fed by Bayview’s patrons.
Our dinner options opened up nicely when we were given the option to be dropped off in central Galway. Of course, the first two establishments I’d researched were unavailable without reservations. I knew Saturday evening would be a challenge. After being turned away from about a half dozen establishments, we ended up at Woozza. Dining al fresco was a great way to end the day. The canopy above kept us dry. The thought of a mile walk in the rain made it easy to opt for a cab.
Day 10 (April 30, 2023 Galway )
Today marks our last official full day of the Traditions of the Emerald Isle tour.
To whet our appetite for our next two days in Dublin, we stopped by Teeling Distillery.
Because we couldn’t stay the afternoon (and Irish whiskey is most definitely an acquired taste), we briefly visited the National Museum of Archeology.
Eight days of Irish culture prompted a search for a different type of culture. Eddie Rockets chocolate milkshake hit the spot.
Returning to Irish culture, our subsequent walk up Grafton brought us to the Molly Malone Statue (described by some as the Trollop with the scallops).
We’ll be winding down our posts this week, but I hope you’ve been entertained.
Today’s history lesson largely centered on the troubles. I’d forgotten about the Northern Ireland Catholics emulating MLK’s non-violent approach.
Driving across Ireland struck me in that a largely agricultural (about 64% per my research) country shows little in the way of visible crops. The closest is grass for feeding livestock, but you rarely see that crop in the grocer’s produce section. Lots of fields with cattle or sheep, but little in the way of crops for people.
Unlike southern and west Ireland, the Galway to Dublin M6 struck me as remarkably straight. The general lack of people no doubt made routing the highway easier. I suspect eminent domain is tricky in Ireland.
The tour of the Teeling Distillery provided us insight on the process of making Irish whiskey. Who could have imagined one of the three laws required Irish Whiskey be made in Ireland? After the included tasting, we transitioned to the gift shop where we extended our contribution to the Irish economy.
A U-Turn in Dublin: Right after the Teeling distillery tour, we hopped on the bus just as the skies opened. I’m not certain of the theological aspects, but I’m confident our tour mates still in the distillery appreciated Noel turning the bus around in the middle of a block in downtown Dublin so they didn’t need to dash across the street in a downpour.
The coach dropped us near Trinity College to fill our last few hours in Dublin. We considered the National Museum of Ireland – Natural History to be a far better Viking exhibit with demonstrably better curation possessing vastly improved signage than Dublinia (which I would expect for a national museum). After about 90 minutes, we were museumed out and sought out sustenance. Similar to the prior day, the restaurants were too crowded, or we didn’t like the menu. Eddie Rockets was the perfect non-Irish location. I enjoyed my burger and milkshake confident dinner would include seafood (it did). It seemed like every tour guide or taxi driver in Dublin mentioned Molly Malone. Each time that occurred, I looked, but didn’t see her. Ultimately, we reached the corner of St. Andrews and Suffolk spotting the Trollop with the Scallops (some say the tart with the cart). Turns out Facebook blocked her image as violating their policy. This was despite the fact the statue has been on Ireland’s streets since 1988 and was no doubt included in tens of thousands of FB posts.
Day 11 (May 1, 2023 Dublin)
Today Cathy and I set off on our own extending our visit to Hibernia a few more days. The impetuous was to spend more time at things mentioned or briefly visited.
First we needed to navigate from the airport hotel to the Morrison. Our early arrival provided the opportunity to walk along the river Liffey past the Ha’penny Bridge to Epic. The Irish Emigration Museum is perhaps the best curated and executed museum I’ve visited. The stamped passport illustrates its breadth.
Fortuitously the sun came out at the end of the day illuminating the Christ Church Cathedral.
Tomorrow we explore more of the south bank and then the musical pub crawl in the evening.
Unlike prior days, today offered little in the way of down time to scribble notes and no bus time to do so. The cabbie to the Morrison had a different response to our question on where do they go for holiday. Everyone else said to Spain. He said Italy (I didn’t remember the city or region). The fact some of the Morrison’s rooms on the second floor (three up from street level) are accessed via a few steps from the hallway (suggest a repurposed building, but my research indicated the Morrison was built in the late 90’s as a hotel) I declined an offer to pay 50 euros for an early room opting instead to leave our bags and walk down to EPIC. The front desk clerk kindly offered us a 10% coupon discount coupon to Epic which we gladly accepted. Even with the tour prepaid, I’m dreading the credit card bill.
On the way to EPIC, we spotted a few scullers getting in some practice. Though Dublin is nowhere close to the population of London or Paris, the contrast to towns such as Cobh or Galway is striking. I’m glad our room isn’t on the river side, so we weren’t serenaded by horns and sirens. The Morris is directly across the river from Temple Bar which has a lot of (sometimes noisy) late-night activities.
We walked up O’Connell for lunch, stopping in a fairly ordinary pub. The food and atmosphere was nothing special. The Guinness was fine.
Needing to fill an hour before returning to the hotel, we walked through part of the near south bank ending up in Temple Bar. The crowds, noise and trash greatly diminished the appeal. Perhaps it will be more pleasant the next morning.
A positive feature of doing things at our own pace is we weren’t on the clock. In fact, we put our feet up for a while before I went on my pre-dinner walk about. The Morrison Grill continued Ireland’s positive impression of hotel dining. The complimentary glass of prosecco no doubt influenced our decision to dine on the property.
Ireland 5/2/23
We returned to the National Museum of Ireland – Natural History to spend time at exhibits we didn’t see on our earlier visit. I decided that Bog people are quite creepy.
Today’s to do list included stopping by Swenys Pharmacy mentioned in James Joyce’s Ulysses. This quaint, former pharmacy sells secondhand books & crafts. We found it entertaining, but rather cramped. We enjoyed the volunteer’s Irish song.
Bewley’s Oriental Café was more a coffee and pastry shop. Guess that way they turn the tables quicker. The wait staff wear a bandoleer of equipment and move nonstop. My primary interest was the stained glass which didn’t hit the mark for me. Perhaps two weeks on the road dulled my senses.
Our evening at the Musical Pub Crawl started just a couple of blocks from the hotel (a good thing because I left my phone with the tickets in the room safe). Bianca and Steven were talented entertainers. They blended instrumentals with singing Gaelic (and English) . The sets included traditional (Trad) pieces and some written in the past 20 years. Both sang some Acapella (they called it Al Pacino – no kidding). All in all, a very entertaining and informative night. Learned Ireland created three musical instruments: the harp, Bodhrán and Uilleann pipes. Unlike Scottish bagpipes, the Uilleann is inflated by the arm and not the lungs.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read my blog. As with many travel journals, its never complete and may be updated.
Jon