August 24, 2011- DUBLIN
Another early start on our way to visit Ulster American Folk Park, which traces the story of the emigrants to the Appalachians known as Scotch Irish. Had the original homesteads and persons dressed in period costumes and talking about how things were done in the past. It was some what interesting and could have spent a lot of time here since the park was quite big. We headed through it pretty quickly and then off to lunch before we had to catch the bus back and head for Dublin.
It was a nice drive to Dublin, very scenic and we arrived at our hotel the Burlington at around 5:00 PM. The hotel was nice and in a decent location in the city. We had a little time to relax and then get ready for dinner and a show at the Merry Ploughboy Pub which was on the outskirts of Dublin. The dinner was OK, but the night was a lot of fun. The show was a traditional Irish band and included some step dancing, music, singing and comedy. They got the audience to participate and sing along as well. They ended the evening with a glass of traditional Irish coffee. It is a must go to when in Dublin. The show was over by 11:30 PM.
August 25, 2011- Dublin and Kilmainham Goal
Today we had our guided city tour of Dublin with some local stops for photos and a tour of the Kilmainham Goal (jail) where the leaders of the 1916 Rebellion were imprisoned and shot. Our local guide in Dublin was not as good as the other guides we had and to be honest, I wish we skipped it altogether because included in the CIE pricing were tickets for the hop-on/hop-off bus in Dublin that would have been better to do for the whole day. We toured the jail and it was interesting, but too long, approx 1 hour. I think at this point we were all anxious to do some exploring in Dublin on our own. Finally by 12:15 PM we had the rest of the day to ourselves so off we went for our first stop to the Guinness Store. We opted out of the tour and headed to the famous Gravity Bar on the 7th floor that over looked all of Dublin. Great views, very crowed and lively bar. We had our complimentary pint of Guinness, took some fabulous photos of the views, grabbed a quick bite to eat and then headed on the double decker hop-on/hop-off bus. This is a great way to see the city and I highly recommend this as oppose to doing a tour. You get a commentary from the bus driver of every place they stop and what to see there and you can use the pass all day long. Our pass was included in the price of our CIE tour and was a 2 day pass which cost 16 Euro per person. Well worth it! Be sure to go to the top of the bus for the open air seats, better viewing.
We stopped at the shopping district on Griffin Street, which was bustling with crowds of people everywhere, lots of fun to window shop, lots of activities and music and street entertainers. We then walked to Dublin Castle which we really enjoyed and they had wonderful and unique sand sculptures on display on the grounds. Also went to Trinity College and were running out of time so we did not get to view the book of Kells, but I understand it is amazing, so do make time for a viewing, sorry we missed it. The Book of Kells is one of Dublin's most popular and significant visitor attractions. Dating back to around 800 AD, it is considered to be one of the most beautiful religious manuscripts in the world. We then hopped back on the bus which took us to the Georgian Townhouses where the famous decorative Doors of Dublin are on the homes residing there. Really very pretty and colorful, great photo stop! We also past a Spud Festive on the way. Yes, potatoes are still very popular in Ireland......
For dinner we ate at the lovely Bank Restaurant on College Green. This site has been occupied since Viking times, they are located in the oldest region of the city in close proximity to the viking Parliament.
In July 2nd of 1892 the Belfast Bank acquired this property from the British Mutual and was turned into a restaurant/pub. See link for photos. http://www.bankoncollegegreen.com/?page_id=45. The building was beautiful, however the food was mediocre and the pricing quite expensive. So I would suggest going for a cup of coffee or a drink, just to see the building, but skip the dining, really nothing special. After dinner, back to hotel to relax for another big day!
August 26, 2011- Blarney Castle and Killarney
On our way to Blarney Castle we when through 6 different Counties. It was a beautiful drive. Made a photo stop at the Rock of Cashel -(The Rock of Cashel was the traditional seat of the kings of Munster for several hundred years prior to the Norman invasion. Few remnants of the early structures survive; the majority of buildings on the current site date from the 12th and 13th centuries. Cashel is reputed to be the site of the conversion of the King of Munster by St. Patrick in the 5th century. The picturesque complex has a character of its own and is one of the most remarkable collections of Celtic art and medieval architecture to be found anywhere in Europe). The Rock of Cashel looked nice and would have liked to taken the tour, but a visit was not included in our tour, just the photo stop.
Next stop Blarney Castle. Now I don't know if it was the fact that it was a gorgeous warm sunny day or the Castle was really exceptional but we really enjoyed everything about Blarney Castle. If you go plan to spend the day, since the grounds are large and beautiful as well. We were all very excited about exploring these famous Castle ruins so we gingerly climbed the very narrow and spiral stone stairway to the top where you get to kiss the famous stone and as legend has it once kissed, the stone bestows the gift of eloquence. Once upon a time, visitors had to be held by the ankles and lowered head first over the battlements. Today, they are more cautious of the safety of visitors. The Stone itself is still set in the wall below the battlements. To kiss it, one has to lean backwards (holding on to an iron railing) from the parapet walk. The excitement for me was not kissing the stone, but the exploring of the ruins. I love old castle ruins and this one did not disappoint. Lots of interesting rooms and areas that I found intriguing. And the view from up top was incredible. After exploring the castle we had free time to walk the grounds and visit Blarney House and take photos of the incredibly shaped HUGH trees and the beautiful gardens. As I mentioned, plan to stay for the day, pack a picnic lunch and relax on the grounds, I wish I could have stayed longer.
After our wonderful visit to Blarney Castle we headed to our hotel in Killarney- Killaney Towers. The hotel was OK nothing to write home about, but the location was wonderful. The town was adorable, so as soon as we got off the bus and check into our room, off we went to go shopping. Had dinner at the hotel when we returned, not so good, buffet style. Then we went to a pub for some local music and entertainment. The pub was packed so we had to sit all the way in the back, we never got to see the entertainment and barely heard them, oh well, it was fun anyway and the Guinness was good! :)
August 27, 2011 Ring of Kerry
Up early to cover the famous Ring of Kerry which is over 120 miles of gorgeous scenery including beaches, cliffs and rolling green hills. County Kerry is famous throughout the world for its natural beauty, and the Ring of Kerry is the most common tourist route for seeing it. There are relatively few historic sites along the route, though those that are there are worth seeing. One stop that we made was a sheep dog demonstration with local farmer Brendan Ferris where we witnessed the herding of sheep. It was amazing, the dogs were so well trained and even the sheep where comical. I loved the whole demonstration and felt it was one of my favorite things while in Ireland.
Another stop was the Skellig Experience- These Skellig islands are world-famous. Skellig Michael is known throughout the world of archaeology as the site of a well-preserved monastic outpost of the Early Christian period – now designated a World Heritage Site; Small Skellig is equally renowned in matters of ornithology as the home of some 27,000 pairs of gannets and puffins. A wisp of cloud often adorning the peaks of these pinnacles creates a volcanic impression! But there is nothing volcanic about these Skelligs rocks; they are created of the same 350–million-year-old Devonian Sandstone that runs right through the backbone of Kerry - from the county’s south-western headlands to the shores of Killarney's lakes. Unfortunately it is not longer safe to boat to these Islands so a video and information center near by can be visited. Arrived back to hotel early enough for some shopping in Killarney, dinner at hotel.
No comments:
Post a Comment