Post by Owen on Oct 5, 2014 6:20:14 GMT
1 ~ Country Roads of Ireland ~ June 2012 ~ funster ~ IV tour
This travel tale was written by funster and relates to a Insight Vacations Tour.
It was originally posted on the Insight Vacations forum.
This is compilation of my emails to family and friends from my tour which commenced 4 June 2012. Four years ago I visited Ireland as part of a Britain & Ireland tour but saw nothing of Northern Ireland. I arrived a day early and have included what I did during this extra time as it may be of interest to some.
This travel tale was written by funster and relates to a Insight Vacations Tour.
It was originally posted on the Insight Vacations forum.
This is compilation of my emails to family and friends from my tour which commenced 4 June 2012. Four years ago I visited Ireland as part of a Britain & Ireland tour but saw nothing of Northern Ireland. I arrived a day early and have included what I did during this extra time as it may be of interest to some.
The sight of Ireland from the air is a stunning patchwork of various shades of green. I landed in Dublin (31 hours after taking off from Brisbane) at 2.15pm local time to a chilly 7 degrees. There were a few problems getting to the hotel due to the grand prix road closures (every bridge bar one), but I eventually got into my room about 4.30pm. Fortunately I was able to get about 8 hours of sleep between Singapore and London because I had to get to the Brazen Head (Dublin's oldest pub) by 6.30pm for An Evening of Food, Folklore & Fairies.
Our host had us enthralled with stories many of them true and others almost true. It was a good introduction to the history and culture - he told us tales of Irish life in times past and about the mystical fairies that were used in pagan times to explain the inexplicable. He was also a folk singer and entertained us with ballads explaining the background to us.....and performed a very moving rendition of Danny Boy - no doubt the first of many I'll hear during my stay. It was very light hearted and thoroughly enjoyable and the meal was delicious too. Voted no. 1 Dublin attraction on Trip Advisor.
DAY 1
yesterday's drizzle cleared to a glorious morning so I took off and stretched my legs with a bit of walking in the fresh air and sunshine. My first stop was Dublinia - an experience of Viking and medieval Dublin. It brings history to life with interactive displays and genuine artefacts including a medieval skeleton & a replica of a Viking ship. I'm glad I visited it but had to hightail it to the other side of the Liffey (river) to explore the Jeannie Johnson Famine Ship at 11.00am….another top attraction journeying back in time with an excellent commentary on how the Irish emigrants made the transatlantic passage during the famine years of the mid nineteenth century. We were told stories of several people who travelled aboard the ship and what happened to them once they reached North America. The cramped conditions on the ship were appalling with a couple of hundred people packed in like sardines below decks for the entire 6 week voyage. Tragically many didn't survive these voyages which gave rise to the term 'coffin ships' and I suppose that just highlights how desperate they were to seek a better life.
yesterday's drizzle cleared to a glorious morning so I took off and stretched my legs with a bit of walking in the fresh air and sunshine. My first stop was Dublinia - an experience of Viking and medieval Dublin. It brings history to life with interactive displays and genuine artefacts including a medieval skeleton & a replica of a Viking ship. I'm glad I visited it but had to hightail it to the other side of the Liffey (river) to explore the Jeannie Johnson Famine Ship at 11.00am….another top attraction journeying back in time with an excellent commentary on how the Irish emigrants made the transatlantic passage during the famine years of the mid nineteenth century. We were told stories of several people who travelled aboard the ship and what happened to them once they reached North America. The cramped conditions on the ship were appalling with a couple of hundred people packed in like sardines below decks for the entire 6 week voyage. Tragically many didn't survive these voyages which gave rise to the term 'coffin ships' and I suppose that just highlights how desperate they were to seek a better life.
After that I went to Grafton Street a pedestrian shopping precinct near St Stephen's Green. It was a bank (public) holiday (for the Queen’s Jubilee) and the area was seething with people out and about soaking up the sun - something of a rarity here. The place was buzzing with anticipation as a HUGE charity women's half marathon was being staged in the afternoon and it had attracted people from all over Ireland. Once again there were road closures in place much to the annoyance of the taxi drivers……it also meant our orientation had to be postponed and we will do it at the end of the tour. Many of the marathon participants were gathering in St Stephen's Green an absolutely gorgeous park with beautiful gardens & lawns, fountains, a bandstand and a lake with ducks & swans. It was a fun atmosphere with lots of buskers out and people dressed in all sorts of costumes etc. I even noticed a group of marathon ring-ins - 4 gangly guys dressed as women with electric blue wigs tied up in pigtails. The Irish, it seems take nothing very seriously.
The other attraction that I never made it to see because I was worried about the road closures, was Kilmainham Goal which I have heard is excellent and well worth the visit.
The welcome was a pleasant evening and there is a good mix of Canadians, Americans, Australians and New Zealanders. The included meal, a new innovation was a quite substantial hot buffet. We met out TD, Erica and seems very knowledgeable and well organised. Unfortunately she has not shown her fun/humorous side yet which is a pity but perhaps I speak too soon.
DAY 2
began with an optional tour through the picturesque County Wicklow to Glendalough, a Christian settlement founded by St Kevin in the 6th century. He moved there for solitude and the monastic site is truly beautiful in a valley between two lakes - an idyllic and tranquil setting. The little stone church of St Kevin's and the round tower remain reasonably in tact but the cathedral lies in ruins since the Reformation.
began with an optional tour through the picturesque County Wicklow to Glendalough, a Christian settlement founded by St Kevin in the 6th century. He moved there for solitude and the monastic site is truly beautiful in a valley between two lakes - an idyllic and tranquil setting. The little stone church of St Kevin's and the round tower remain reasonably in tact but the cathedral lies in ruins since the Reformation.
After that we headed north on our way to Belfast passing the Boyne River where William of Orange defeated the grossly outnumbered and outclassed army of King James. Erica told us a lot of history and talked at length about 'the troubles' and how happy the people of Ireland are since the peace treaty of 1997 ended the unrest.
We checked into our hotel, the Europa which was bombed 30 times during ‘the troubles’, but there is no sign of it today and it was very comfortable with lovely soft pillows and a really nice shower.....and importantly, centrally located.
I joined an optional 'pub walk' with a local guide. She showed us a few points of interest and took us to 5 or 6 pubs of historical significance. I was a little disappointed that we merely walked through three of them to have a look and only stopped for a drink at one of them. There was no music or jovial atmosphere like the pubs in Dublin. Afterwards I had some pub grub and returned to the hotel.
DAY 3
Breakfast at 7.00am again this morning then we were off for a city tour with a wonderful local guide. There was much excitement around town as the Olympic Torch was due to pass through in the afternoon. One of the new 'industries' in Belfast is call centres so the Indians may soon be replaced by lovely Irish accents - I hope so. The main industry in Ireland is tourism and they are quite optimistic that the economy is turning the corner albeit with hefty personal taxation.
Breakfast at 7.00am again this morning then we were off for a city tour with a wonderful local guide. There was much excitement around town as the Olympic Torch was due to pass through in the afternoon. One of the new 'industries' in Belfast is call centres so the Indians may soon be replaced by lovely Irish accents - I hope so. The main industry in Ireland is tourism and they are quite optimistic that the economy is turning the corner albeit with hefty personal taxation.
Also included was a visit to the new Titanic Exhibition Centre opened at the end of May. The building is most imposing and is supposed to represent the enormity of the liner but I personally think it looks for all the world like an iceberg. It was 4 stories with cafes and obligatory souvenir shop on the ground floor and the rest taken up with displays including a fantastic virtual tour of the ship, replicas of cabins for the various classes and information on what life was like in Belfast at the time. It tells of the construction of the ship and there are audio accounts by some of the survivors at the hearing and lots of visual displays like the transcripts of the SOS transmissions. I thought it was excellent and interesting to visit on the 100th anniversary.
We were given 2 hours to explore the city and have lunch before setting out to Ballygally. Along the way we stopped at the huge Norman Castle at Carrickfergus where William of Orange landed in Ireland. Our hotel for tonight is Ballygally Castle Hotel overlooking the Irish Sea. We are told that the castle has a ghost and have been encouraged to visit the 'ghost room' to avoid being haunted during the night Eeker
DAY 4
and it was my turn for the front seat for the very scenic coastal drive from Ballygally to Londonderry (or Derry depending on which faction you belong to). Enroute we stopped to explore the Giants Causeway, a very unusual rock formation that disappears into the sea. The area is managed by the National Trust and although there are several variations of legend, the 40,000 or so interlocking hexagonal basalt columns are in fact the result of volcanic eruption. We also passed Dunluce Castle - a medieval castle that lies in ruins on a rocky outcrop. The story goes that during a banquet one night things came to a standstill and it was discovered that the entire kitchen complete with servants (& food)had disappeared into the sea. We are told there are around 10,000 castles in Ireland, many of them fortresses along the coastline.
and it was my turn for the front seat for the very scenic coastal drive from Ballygally to Londonderry (or Derry depending on which faction you belong to). Enroute we stopped to explore the Giants Causeway, a very unusual rock formation that disappears into the sea. The area is managed by the National Trust and although there are several variations of legend, the 40,000 or so interlocking hexagonal basalt columns are in fact the result of volcanic eruption. We also passed Dunluce Castle - a medieval castle that lies in ruins on a rocky outcrop. The story goes that during a banquet one night things came to a standstill and it was discovered that the entire kitchen complete with servants (& food)had disappeared into the sea. We are told there are around 10,000 castles in Ireland, many of them fortresses along the coastline.
Our city guide in Londonderry was an interesting character who has an Irish father and a Chinese mammy. He is a Buddhist and therefore able to give a reasonably objective account of 'the troubles'. From my recollection of what was projected by the media at the time, Londonderry seemed to be at the forefront of the turbulence with most of the violence and destruction reported from there. Things have come a long way, but 15 years on from the signing of the peace treaty, the dividing wall still stands and the feeling is that it will be another 15 years (30 in all) which is a generation, before things will truly begin to return to normal. We drove around in the pouring rain taking in the sights. Following the tour some adventurous souls spent their free time walking along the city walls, crossing the Freedom Bridge and taking photos of various landmarks, meanwhile lack of sleep finally caught up with me and I had a little afternoon nap.
DAY 5
this morning we stopped along the way to observe the intricacies of pottery making - not quite Demi Moore & Patrick Swayze style. The famous Balleek pottery is much finer than any pottery I've ever seen. Some items are actually woven and are very delicate.
this morning we stopped along the way to observe the intricacies of pottery making - not quite Demi Moore & Patrick Swayze style. The famous Balleek pottery is much finer than any pottery I've ever seen. Some items are actually woven and are very delicate.
We also broke the journey to visit Clonalis House which is the ancestral home of the O'Conors who are descendants of the High Kings of Ireland. It is a manor house and the family do the guided tours themselves and are so interesting and quite passionate about the family history which can be traced back to 1100BC - that is just mindblowing.
Made it to Galway this afternoon after our longest day on the bus so far. The driving rain and strong winds were buffeting the coach all day and I'll bet our driver John was glad to put it to bed. The weather cleared in the evening and we're hopeful of good weather tomorrow. Our Galway hotel for the next 2 nights is very new and quite lovely and included a dinner.
DAY 6
the weather was fine which made for a wonderful excursion day exploring the rugged landscape of Connemara featured in the John Wayne movie The Quiet Man.
the weather was fine which made for a wonderful excursion day exploring the rugged landscape of Connemara featured in the John Wayne movie The Quiet Man.
First stop was a tour of a marble works/shopping opportunity....say no more. The drive took us through beautiful green hills and valleys with wild flowers in bloom, trout filled rivers, lakes and quaint little towns with coloured houses & stone bridges. The villages are very well presented with fresh paint and flower baskets in the hope of winning tidy towns awards.
We visited the picture perfect Kylemore Castle/Abbey with its fascinating history spanning 150 years and is currently home to a community of Benedictine nuns from Belgium who came in 1920 after their abbey was destroyed during WWI.
Our journey continued past Killary harbour which is Ireland's only fjord - there were mussel farms for miles.
Our lunch stop at 2.00pm was at the elegant 5 star Ashford Castle set in 350 acres of stunning parklands. Dating back to 1228 the estate was once owned by the Guinness family but has been a hotel since the early 19 hundreds. The dining room was very grand with beautiful crystal chandeliers, period furnishings, tables set with silver cutlery, crisp white linen tablecloths and Wedgewood bone china. The food was exquisite and the waiters very attentive. What a treat!
In the evening we did an optional medieval banquet with entertainment at Dunguire Castle…..most people agreed it was too much food for one day! I had imagined something loud & bawdy but it wasn’t – there was singing and humorous poetry and it was most enjoyable.
DAY 7
we were blessed with more fine weather as we took in a city sights tour of Galway Bay then continued on our way to Killarney. It was another very scenic day crossing the rocky landscape of The Burren - the hillsides of limestone rock set against the green valleys was quite dramatic. We drove through the little town of Lisdoonvarna famous for its music festivals and also annual matchmaking festival organised by The Matchmaker Pub which featured in the movie of the same name. From there we drove through quaint fishing villages and market towns on our way to the spectacular 700foot high Cliffs of Moher where we stopped for a couple of hours to take in the breathtaking views of the Clare Coast.
we were blessed with more fine weather as we took in a city sights tour of Galway Bay then continued on our way to Killarney. It was another very scenic day crossing the rocky landscape of The Burren - the hillsides of limestone rock set against the green valleys was quite dramatic. We drove through the little town of Lisdoonvarna famous for its music festivals and also annual matchmaking festival organised by The Matchmaker Pub which featured in the movie of the same name. From there we drove through quaint fishing villages and market towns on our way to the spectacular 700foot high Cliffs of Moher where we stopped for a couple of hours to take in the breathtaking views of the Clare Coast.
We then pressed on to Bunratty Castle and folk park, where we had a fairly late lunch stop and explored the castle and site of the original village which has been restored as a ‘living’ tourist attraction. It has thatched cottages, farm animals, shops, pub, school etc showing what rural life was like centuries ago.
We drove through Limerick (who can forget Angela's Ashes?) and saw the beautiful Georgian homes and King John's castle. After that we reached our hotel for the next two nights in Killarney, my favourite place in all of Ireland. It is such a pretty little town with a lively atmosphere. The locals were all decked out in their national colours and began congregating in the pubs to watch a soccer match Ireland vs Croatia....the mood took a nose dive when Croatia led 3 - 1 so we decided there would not be much merriment and retired to our rooms after the included buffet dinner and a wander around town.
DAY 8
fine again today and firstly we went for a jaunting cart ride though the national park....the jarveys (drivers) are a bunch of stand up comedians and it was a great way to start the day.
fine again today and firstly we went for a jaunting cart ride though the national park....the jarveys (drivers) are a bunch of stand up comedians and it was a great way to start the day.
We made an early getaway to beat the crowds for our drive around the Ring of Kerry which really is quite breathtaking scenery. Last time I did it we had a very wet and foggy day and consequently saw nothing, but this time was fabulous and I really enjoyed the panorama around Dingle Bay. We returned in time for a couple of hours of free time to explore Killarney before dinner.
DAY 9
the day did not begin well but fined to a clear day for a drive around the Dingle peninsula on the northern side of the bay from the Ring of Kerry. In my opinion the scenery along the rugged coastline was stunning & probably even better than the more famous Ring of Kerry. We went to Slea Head which is the most westerly point in Europe and was the location for Ryan’s Daughter. We stopped for lunch at the charming little fishing village of Dingle.
the day did not begin well but fined to a clear day for a drive around the Dingle peninsula on the northern side of the bay from the Ring of Kerry. In my opinion the scenery along the rugged coastline was stunning & probably even better than the more famous Ring of Kerry. We went to Slea Head which is the most westerly point in Europe and was the location for Ryan’s Daughter. We stopped for lunch at the charming little fishing village of Dingle.
Throughout the country we've seen a lot of new homes built during the 'Celtic Tiger' (boom times) but many builders have gone broke so there are also many which have never been completed particularly in this area. The banks are not lending money so finished homes are sitting empty and now becoming derelict along with the uncompleted ones - these places are referred to as 'ghost estates' and will probably have to be demolished which seems rather crazy.
From Dingle we headed to Blarney where we had 3 hours to climb the castle, dangle upside down & backwards to kiss the stone and henceforth have 'the gift of the gab'. Some things you only need to do once and the castle looked much taller than I remembered so I chose to walk around it rather than climb up the 200 spiral steps.
Another sign of the times is that the famous Blarney Woollen Mills have sold out/been taken over and a lot of the wares are tacky Chinese imports rather than the lovely genuine Irish crafts they used to sell. Emigration and bankruptcy have taken their toll on Ireland but the natural beauty still remains along with the strength and charm of its people.
DAY 10
was a fine 13 degrees as we set out for a city sights tour of Cork. Frankly I was disappointed as it was quite dirty and dilapidated. I did an optional to the Port of Cobh Heritage Centre where there's a restored Victorian era railway station with exhibits highlighting the role that the Port of Cobh played in major historical events. Between 1848 and 1950, 6 million Irish people emigrated mainly as a result of the potato famine. Convict ships set out for Australia from 1791 to 1853 and in 1915 the passenger ship Lusitania was sunk off the coast by a German submarine with heavy loss of life. And of course 100 years ago it was the last port of call for the ill-fated maiden voyage of Titanic.
was a fine 13 degrees as we set out for a city sights tour of Cork. Frankly I was disappointed as it was quite dirty and dilapidated. I did an optional to the Port of Cobh Heritage Centre where there's a restored Victorian era railway station with exhibits highlighting the role that the Port of Cobh played in major historical events. Between 1848 and 1950, 6 million Irish people emigrated mainly as a result of the potato famine. Convict ships set out for Australia from 1791 to 1853 and in 1915 the passenger ship Lusitania was sunk off the coast by a German submarine with heavy loss of life. And of course 100 years ago it was the last port of call for the ill-fated maiden voyage of Titanic.
We travelled on to our stop for the night, Waterford where a tour of the crystal factory was on the itinerary. The original factory closed 3 years ago and has recently re-opened under the same name but the crystal is mass produced in Poland, Chec Republic and China so is technically not the good quality Irish hand-crafted lead crystal that Waterford is renowned for. There is a shop owned by some of the former workers nearby and there is a small amount of the genuine article still available.
Our included 3 course celebration dinner was a fine affair and afterwards we were taken on an optional walking tour by a local guide who is a rather eccentric history buff and gave a very entertaining commentary. The tour concluded at Doolan's Pub built 800 years ago by the Normans. It had live traditional music and authentic Irish pub atmosphere....the floor had the original flagstones and the beams & support posts were adorned by hundreds of bank notes put there by people from all over the world.
DAY 11
was a HUGE day as we had the set itinerary plus the city sights tour of Dublin which we weren't able do the first day due to the marathon. Our first stop in the morning was Killkenny where we saw the castle and took a mini train ride around the city sights - lots of history there. We had morning tea at the design centre and free time to wander around town and browse the market stalls.
was a HUGE day as we had the set itinerary plus the city sights tour of Dublin which we weren't able do the first day due to the marathon. Our first stop in the morning was Killkenny where we saw the castle and took a mini train ride around the city sights - lots of history there. We had morning tea at the design centre and free time to wander around town and browse the market stalls.
From there we travelled to Kildare where we did a guided tour of the Irish National Stud. I saw Vintage Crop grazing in the 'retirement' paddock - he was the first northern hemisphere horse to win the Melbourne Cup (in 1993). We saw mares with their foals and the stallions. One of the stallions, Invincible Spirit is insured for 60 million euro and his 'services' cost 60,000 euro a pop....that's because his bloodlines are impeccable and some of his offspring are already champions. The grounds of the stud are beautifully maintained with ornamental lakes and pretty gardens. We had lunch there before returning to Dublin for our city sightseeing which was a bit disappointing because it poured raining.
Most of us opted to go to the evening of Irish song, dance and humour to celebrate our last night on tour. I love the Irish dancing and the show was a lot of fun. It's the same show I saw 4 years ago and it was just as good the second time with great music and a comedian who had everyone in stitches.
DAY 12
a free transfer to the airport for my onward flight.
a free transfer to the airport for my onward flight.
The trip was wonderful and the countryside so very green and beautiful.