Don't be sad it's over, be glad it happened!

I'm trying to live up to that saying (adopted from Shelly and Pat's kitchen), but it's hard.  This has been one hell of a trip.

Post script to Doolin:  Had dinner at O'Connor's Pub, the food was remarkable.  Stayed for some live music.  Very traditional, alot of fun.  Reminded me of the 17th's with Danny O'Day and Danny O'Neill. 

O'Connor's Pub - Doolin

Had so much fun at O'Connor's, we decided to stop in McDermott's for a pint and a wee one.  Red Breast this time Kevin E, very nice.

McDermott's Pub - Doolin

Doolin was jumping on a Saturday night.  Sooooo, decided to stop in Fitzpatrick's for a night cap, or two.  Connemara this time Kevin E.  Very smoky, very smooth.

The drive back to Dublin this morning was eerie - - not one single stumble!   Made it back in just about three hours.  So, we had time to hit the City one last time.

Went up to O'Connel Street and the Parnell Square area. Things were closed, but went by the GPO, site of the 1916 Easter Rebellion, visited a few monuments, including the ones to O'Connel and Parnell, saw the Garden of Remembrance, and had one last pint - - for this trip - - in Ireland at The Boar's Head.  No, KevinE, no wee one this time! 

General Post Office

1916 Proclamation - Plaque at GPO

Statue of Irish Hero Cuchulainn - Memorial at GPO

Cuchulainn Plaque - GPO

Jim Larkin and the Dublin Spire

Parnell Monument - Parnell Square Dublin

Inscription

Garden of Remembrance

Children of Lir - Garden of Remembrance

Pretty remarkable the Queen herself laid a wreath at the Garden of Remembrance last May.


And, last but not least ;-) :

Sláinte!

Ti - ming is Everything

As we approached the Shannon Ferry yesterday, the deck hand unhooked the gate and waved us on.  It would have been another 40 minutes or so before the next trip.  Timing is everything.  Today we woke up to pea soup thick fog - - good thing we got here in time yesterday to have sunshine for the Cliffs!

Fog in Doolin

Aille River

There is some folklore about the Dolphins in Ireland.  There is a Dolphin in Doolin and, timing was right, here he is:

Tam also made friends with The Doolin Cow and The Doolin Donkey:

We also solved the ancient Celtic myth of the Iron Dragon.  It's a cell tower!  Seriously, they have WAY better access to Wi-Fi here than in the states.   Once again we landed at another first rate B&B, Nellie Dees in Doolin.  Wonderful hosts, and the house is just superb.  Comfortable, clean and well appointed.

It's back to Dublin tomorrow for our flight on Monday morning.   But, before we leave, we are going to the pubs tonight hear some of the world renown Doolin Music.

Cliffs of Moher

Travel day today, then a couple of hours at the Cliffs.

Beautiful drive north along the west coast.  Used the Shannon Ferry to leave Co. Kerry and enter Co. Clare.

Shannon Ferry - View to Co. Clare

Shannon Ferry

We decided to add a wrinkle to our never ending troubles of getting out of towns.  We stopped in Tralee to exchange some cash.  Needless to say, we are a little tired and I wasn't thinking entirely clearheaded.  The first place we parked seemed a little sketchy.  I noticed one guy watching me get some things out of my computer bag while we were still in the car.  I decided to move the car and we thought it would be a good idea for Tam to go ahead and walk up to the bank on the next street.  When I returned to the car, the same  guy was there, watching me return, and he crossed the street ahead of me walked to an alley just behind the car.  Keys at the ready, I saw him talking to someone around the corner of the alley.  As I drove off, they started walking away.

Now the fun part.  Needless to say, Tam did not have her ID, nor her passport, nor any money.  And, I couldn't get up the street to where she went because of traffic.  So, I decided to go around the block.  Stupid Americans.  "Around the block" is alot different when towns aren't laid out in squares!  So, after parking several "blocks" away from our original spot, I walked up to the bank on the next street......no Tam.  "This is the worst idea we've had." (did I mention that neither of us has a working cell phone?).

What was the street she was on?  No clue.  The search is on, and I'm not sure how the good people of Tralee knew what to make of the large american with a worried look on his face charging through the streets of downtown.  In any event, retraced my steps, and found Tam, with a slightly worried look on her face.  We did our business and got back on the road.

Next stop, Doolin.  Yes, Doolin IS the street Nanny lived on.  The B&B where we are staying is just amazing.  Clean, polished pine wood floors and tile throughout.  And, of course, very welcoming hosts.

Now, the Cliffs of Moher.  What a sight.  To top it off, WE HAD SUN AND NO RAIN!  Yea!

 

We spent a couple of hours on top just soaking it all in.  And, consistent with the entire trip, we went down to the shore in Doolin, and saw the Cliffs from there:

 
Incredible.  I'd say it will be hard to have a better day tomorrow, but this trip has made that impossible.  If the weather holds, we may take a boat trip around the bottom of the Cliffs.  Or, we might just lay comatose in bed for the next 48 hours ;-)  Too much fun. 

Around Every Corner

Tam hit it on the head this morning:  Just when you think nothing could possibly top what you have just seen, you round a corner and BAM, there it is.  You've just seen something equally as amazing.  The only thing, I think, that could stifle the blarney of an Irishman is the beautiful southwest of Ireland.  Sometimes it just leaves you speechless.

Before I forget, and I won't won't elaborate why ( I will say, to the chagrin of my brothers, I'm sure, that Greenore still tops Midleton - - so far), we had dinner and celebration (good craic), at The Laurels in Killarney.  We were directed there by our host, Paddy O'Donoghue, and we were not disappointed.  Owned by the O'Leary family for generations, we met the owner, Con O'Leary, and had a spectacular meal, good company, and great conversations.  It's amazing how seafood tastes just blocks from the ocean!  I could not have spent my birthday in a more comfortable, welcoming and warm place.  Highly recommended.

Now, what did we do today?  Where do I start.  We drove the Ring of Kerry and then we drove through the Black Valley and up and through the the Gap of Dunloe.  In the middle, we visited the Island of Velentia.  Just simply amazing.  Before dinner we walked by St. Mary's.  The church was started in 1842.  The Famine halted construction in 1848 and the site was used to care for children of The Famine.  There is a memorial there to the Unknown Children buried at the site.  It literally sent chills up our spines.  To top it off, the church itself is a Wonder.  I swear my St. Mary's and Tam's St. Mary's could both fit comfortably in the back of this shrine.


Again, I'll leave the pictures to speak for themselves.  Appropriately so, I buried my youth in an old Irish cemetary.  Awesome.

 
I couldn't make this up.  What do you think was one of the first things we saw when we started on the Ring, on my birthday?  A rainbow, can you believe it?  Didn't find the pot o' gold, but sometimes if you look to hard, you miss it ;-) 

Lighthouse on Valentia

Peak of Mt. Geokaun - Valentia Island, Ring of Kerry

Cliffs of Fogher - Valentia

She came, she conquered, she saw!.  As afraid of heights as she is, it didn't stop Tam from walking to the edge on the Cliffs of Fogher.  Can't wait until the Cliffs of Moher!

She even looked down!

We made an offer!  Sorry kids, new summer home

 

River in the Black Valley

Never imagined we would be "trail riding" in our pop can in the mountains in Co. Kerry, but that's what it took to get here!

Gap of Dunloe

Upper Lake from Dunloe Gap

Heading down from Gap of Dunloe

This Irish Spring tastes WAY better than ours!

You'd be smiling too!

Well tomorrow's a travel day. Next stop, Cliffs of Moher.  Don't know what it is, but I have wanted to see these since I was a kid.  Let's see:  mountains, water, cliffs (a larger version of bluffs) cooler weather - - could it be in the DNA?  Things that make you go Hmmmmm...........

Now That's A Mountain

OK, Day 6, and we still can't get out of town without a slight hitch.  Spent a couple of extra minutes on the wrong side of Cork before we got straightened out on the road to Killarney.  Not too bad, we figured it out and didn't have to get a cabby to rescue us.  I'm blaming it on the signs!  Of course, whenever I ask Tam if she saw a sign, she says "No, but did you see that beautiful church?"  (as I'm writing:  "It's true, I'm always distracted!"). 

It was raining most of the day, but what we saw wasn't diminshed.  Of course, I think I have to make a correction.  I was talking to our first cabby, from the airport on day one, about the Wicklow Mts.  He mentioned that what we are used to, they are probably "hills".   Had he spoken with someone from the Southwest, he could have said the same thing.  These are mountains (still hills next to the Rockies), complete with pressure changes and just beautiful. 

We made it to Killarney about noon.  Checked in to just another really nice B&B with extremely friendly owners.  Hopped back in the car and off to the Dingle Peninsula.  Again, will let the pics speak for themselves.  A couple of nice surprises.  First look at the peninsula was Inse (that's "Inch").  60 mph sustained winds:  remnants of Ophelia.

   Next was Dingle.  Had lunch here in Murphy's Pub.

  Next stop was the Dunbeg Fort.  One of the oldest archeological sites in Ireland dating back to 500 B.C.  Bonus:  Tam found a friend - - Roxie the Rottweiller.  Yes, we flew 3000 miles away and she tames a Rot.  The dog was named Roxie at 2 weeks, and grew into her name.  She had a favorite rock she carried around, stuck her head between our legs, and dropped it, confidently waiting for us to throw it so she could run and fetch.

I should have put the next stop first.  It was a "settlement" of 4000 year old Beehive stone huts.  But, after the fort, Tam said "If you've seen one pile of rocks, you've seen them all."   So, down the road we went (I did get a pic!).

It's a good thing we rented a pop can with wheels.  We figured out what the N stands for in front of the road numbers:  "Narrow."  Should be "MFN".

After we finished the Dingle Peninsula, we were on to our second "surprise find" one suggested by Patrick O'Donoghue, our host.  Connor's Pass, which runs high in the mountains between Dingle city and the Brandon Bay.  Breathtaking even in the mist.  But, it seems the rain broke just at the right times for us.  Hmmm, wonder where that came from? 

Connor's Pass toward Brandon Bay

 

Brandon Bay from the Pass

Dingle city from Connor's Pass

Well, as of this writing, I'M STILL IN MY 40's!  Ha.