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PART 3 - Last one! Living in Ireland - experiences, trips (Birr, Cashel, Dingle & Castletown) and life in general

PART 3 - Last one! Living in Ireland - experiences, trips (Birr, Cashel, Dingle & Castletown) and life in general

Old Aug 19th, 2007, 07:40 PM
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PART 3 - Last one! Living in Ireland - experiences, trips (Birr, Cashel, Dingle & Castletown) and life in general

Well, it’s my final writing in my “living in Ireland” posts. We left a few days ago and I’m finally finishing up my trip reports before the details escape me any further. I thought I’d be ready to be home, but truth be told, I would have been comfortable staying a few more weeks. Yes, the rain was awful. But overall, it was an extremely pleasant experience – I met some very nice people, I learned a few new things and I will miss the simplicity that is quickly vanishing forever in the States, it seems.

THE MOST IMPORTANT THING THAT IRELAND HAS TAUGHT ME:
To be more energy conscious. I’m an Environmental Science major – so you’d think I’d know this. But I’m appalled now at how many plastic bags I have used and wasted from shopping in the U.S. My reusable Tesco bags came back with me, and I am vowing to always bring my own bags when shopping from now on. It’s an inexcusable habit that Americans, including myself, have grown used to. The chances of our government following in the environmentally-conscious footsteps of countries like Ireland, Australia, etc. re: plastic bag legislation are slim on a mass scale, so hopefully as an individual I will make a difference.

And I also have a new perspective on laundry. Don’t get me wrong – I love my American washer & dryer now that I’m back home! But then again I may eventually put up a clothes line in the back yard. Years ago, this was a common sight in households across the nation. It’s now become more of a symbol for “redneck” people, but why? I’d forgotten the smell of air-dried laundry, like when my mom used to change our sheets straight from off the clothesline.


I WILL MISS:
The French Paradox. That Club brand soda with the little specks of orange. Jaffa Cakes for sure. Aero bubbles. The trains (most of all, the trains!) Country 106.8FM. Walking a lot. Howth. Blackrock Shopping Centre. Seeing the daily progress of the Lansdowne Rugby Stadium. People using their turn signals.

I WILL NOT MISS:
Chips with everything. Bad coffee everywhere. Turning on water heaters. Showers at B&Bs. The lack of baby changing facilities all across Ireland. Rain. Did I mention rain? Bathroom sinks with the separate faucets (why does all of Europe do that?). The stupid automatic/manual mixed cars that do indeed drive like an automatic, but behave like they want to be a manual.

I FOUND IT AMUSING THAT:
At my husband's farewell party for work, they served chocolate cake and… Whisky. Straight up Bushmills whisky. Not mixed with something, not diluted. In little plastic cups. In the U.S., alcohol – if any, at a work-related function – would be something wimpy like Champagne mixed with orange juice. Go Ireland!

MY TIPS FOR TOURING IRELAND:
1) Driving. So many people talk about how they got lost while driving in remote areas of Ireland. It’s possible in city centre, yes. But I’m not really sure how it’s possible elsewhere – there simple aren’t that many roads! And if you do get lost, worst case scenario is that you usually end up dead-ending to some fabulous view or nature scene. My advice: if you get confused with directions - turn around! Suddenly the signs will be marked for the route you’re needing, when they weren’t marked at all from the original direction you were coming from. Not sure why this is, LOL.
2) Castles. Pay extra for the guided tour, if one is available. The visit will be so much more fulfilling that way.
3) Wake up. When seeing the sights, try to be on the road no later than 9AM, if not earlier. Most tour buses won’t be on the roads yet, nor will all the other tourists. Remember that the earlier you are out there, the chances of a much better experience.



TRIP REPORT – BIRR CASTLE AND ROCK OF CASHEL

We took the train to Limerick on a Friday night and then rented a car and headed out to Birr, less than an hour’s drive away. That was probably the most interesting drive of all! The road became more and more narrow as we went along, and my friend in the backseat was freaking out, LOL. I found Birr to be a very nice place, and it seemed like a bustling type of small town. We stayed at The Stables B&B, just outside of the town centre and within a 1-minute walk of Birr Castle. My friend had no complaints with her room (the rooms were lovely), but our mattress was terrible – I have an awful lower back as it is, so this was not a good combo - as was the water pressure in the shower. Other than that, a beautiful place with a very friendly & helpful owner, and the downstairs sitting area/breakfast room is stunning with original brickwork and beautiful mouldings. We had dinner at Spinner’s, about a 2-minute walk from The Stables, and it was the best meal I had in Ireland. Absolutely delicious and very friendly staff, highly recommend. Saturday morning we began the walk of the Birr castle grounds around 9AM. While the castle itself is not open to the public, there is a fairly large visitor (science discovery) center, and the grounds are open to explore. One could walk for hours along the many paths and sections. I wasn’t expecting much of Birr – it’s not a place you read about often and I only chose it last-minute as a nearby place to our main destination, Rock of Cashel. So, I was extremely surprised at how lovely it is - we pushed our son in the stroller, and spent 3 hours walking around! It was so peaceful. The stream was so clear you could see the tiny trout, the fern garden and waterfall is beautiful, the entire property is an arboretum and also includes interesting features like a walled garden and sculpture. Not to mention the HUGE telescope built by the Earl, the largest in the world back in 1845. Anyway, it’s the most pleasant walk I’ve ever taken. Not terribly exciting for many, I’m sure, but if you’re a lover of nature you would appreciate such fantastic walking grounds.

After that we headed off to Cashel, within an hour’s drive. I meant to stop by Holycross Abbey on the way but forgot, darn. We arrived in Cashel around 1PM and decided to chance the suspicious-looking weather and book a guided tour. Everyone is right – the Rock certainly is imposing when you approach the town. The tour is very informative and was enjoyable, though the experience was a bit lacking for me due to the crowds. I had expected to be there earlier, but the Birr grounds ended up consuming our morning unexpectedly. We would have ventured down to the abbey below The Rock but the rain started coming down, so it was off to check in at Dualla House B&B. Dualla is about 7 minutes outside of Cashel and what a charming place it is. It’s located on a sheepfarm and is definitely the classiest B&B I have stayed at, absolutely beautiful with floral carpets and beautiful antiques, and the owners are so nice as well. Baby was tired, so we opted for Chinese take-away from Cashel and enjoyed hiding from the rain at Dualla House. The next morning I was hopeful that the weather would clear, and we would continue down to Cahir to explore around there. It was not to be however, for it was still completely pouring in the morning, so after a brief drive-by in Cahir, we returned the rental car back in Limerick and headed back to Dublin early, in hopes for a better evening of weather there (fat chance, I know, haha).

Whereupon I took my friend out to Temple Bar for dinner and she chose a restaurant called “From Mexico to Rome”… I should have KNOWN the food would be awful!

Regardless of the weather, a fun weekend enjoyed by all.


TRIP REPORT – DINGLE PENNINSULA

Due to Fodorites voting for Dingle over the Ring of Kerry, I booked our last remaining weekend in Ireland in the Dingle Penninsula. I wasn’t disappointed, thank you!! We took the train to Killarney (a town I wish I could have spent just a little time in), where we picked up our rental car and headed up to the town of Tralee, a short drive away. The only reason I chose Tralee as a stopping point was because it was the only place I could find that wasn’t booked, as it was the Dingle Races weekend and all places were booked solid. So, we stayed at Brook Manor Lodge, a few miles outside of town centre. It’s a lovely place, immaculately clean and friendly owner. Very pricey considering however, and once again the mattress was pretty bad. Excellent family suite room though, with separated rooms ensuite. For dinner we decided on take-away from one of the menus available downstairs in the sitting room, and I headed off to the Tankard restaurant, about 10 minutes away in Fenit. What a place! Even the drive to Fenit was lovely. I so regretted that we did not have a sit-down meal there. It has a beautiful view, and the food is fabulous along with a great wine list. I had called ahead with my order, but knew they didn’t have many take-away requests when the owner said they “would be giving me plates and silverware, but could I return them at some point?” (This would never have happened in the U.S. – someone trusting you to return their dishes!). Food was great and the next morning we had a nice breakfast before heading south again to start the Dingle loop, as I definitely wanted to drive it clock-wise as recommended. First stop-off was Inch Beach, where my son lost a sock but we were lucky enough to find it after a lengthy search! Then a detour out to Annascaul Lake – absolutely so beautiful and serene. It doesn’t seem that many people know this exists, and I felt like we were the only people for miles. Just gorgeous, and be prepared for a tiny rockway of a road through private pastures. We continued on towards Dingle, whereupon it started to rain…. rain… rain. We waited it out during a long lunch at a coffee shop, then after browsing around the town getting soaked for a while, we decided to give in and find our B&B, The Old Pier Restaurant & Guesthouse.

I was nervous about the place, as I had no recommendations on it other than that the restaurant was excellent. It’s quite a distance from the town of Dingle, but what a view! We were THRILLED to stay there. The family suite room was immaculate and nicely decorated, just above the restaurant. The view out front is of the ocean and the domino-effect landscape from the earth’s movement long ago. Brandon Creek is a 12-minute drive away so we stopped by there while it poured. We approached the pier, and my husband and mother-in-law refused to get out of the car in the continuing downpour, but I perceived it to be rather beautiful, and walked down and around the corner regardless of the rain. No one was around, the surf was treacherous and the waves were crashing in and out of the rocks and inlet caves. It was a humbling sight and I watched it intently for a good 5 minutes, appreciating the solid, safe ground that I stood on and awed by the power of the sea from a simple storm. It was both peaceful and violent all at the same time. We then headed back to the hotel, giving up on our Dingle adventures due to the weather.

However, our luck changed around 5PM! The sun peeked through, and I informed everyone that regardless of baby’s schedule, we would be taking up the weather’s opportunity as it became available, so we headed out to do the Slea Head drive. On the way, we stopped by the Gallarus oratory, where we watched the video and then viewed the “church” (hut). This was the best expeirence in Ireland of all. The building is simple, with a doorway on one end and a long narrow window on the opposite side, letting light in. My husband was outside of this window, peering in with baby attached to him in the carrier. The people inside oohed and awed when they looked out the window – seeing baby’s face shining in the sun and peering in at them. And then, they sang to him. In this ancient little church, they sang a Gaelic hymn of sorts – I have no idea what it was – but it was the most beautiful thing. Baby and husband stood transfixed outside the window, while the soft singing poured through the window and around. It was truly a moving moment.

But there was more to come!

We then did the Slea Head drive. We had hoped to stop for dinner somewhere along the way, but EVERY restaurant we passed was pre-booked with reservations, so we kept on going. Due to the weather, the races had long ago been canceled, the tour buses gone home, and there was hardly a soul on the road other than us. The views were spectacular as we drove along the steep cuts in the cliff. As we rounded the bend, we saw the beautiful white crucifixion scene standing among the rocks, and I quickly pulled over at the small “parking” area there to take it all in. I got out of the car (again, husband and mother-in-law opted to stay in the car), turned around, and there was this HUGE rainbow immediately in front of me. I could almost “touch” it, it was so close, and I could see where it “ended” in the water. And it encircled the scene of Jesus on the cross there in white, and it was seriously the most beautiful thing I have seen in my entire life. I feel priveleged to have been there at that exact moment. I could have stood there forever. (This will certainly be a picture that I frame nicely).

We moved along, never passing a car (yay! no driving worries) and gawked at the beautiful scenery. I knew the Old Pier was booked solid with reservations, but my intentions were to get take-away from there and just eat upstairs in our room. I was severely disappointed, however, when the owner informed me that this would be a major imposition due to the fact that it would be very cumbersome on the staff, who he said were already knee-deep in food orders (the restaurant wasn’t even half full at that point, but I did understand I suppose. He was very nice about it.) So, disappointed that I still had yet to experience the Dingle seafood I’d heard about, dinner ended up being chicken wraps at the only convenience store in Ballydavid. And some cheap bottled wine LOL. But who can complain? We had such a lovely experience during our evening tour of the penninsula, with no other tourists to complete with, and a private Gaelic chorus and Jesus rainbow too! we didn’t care.

Sunday morning the weather still looked promising, and I made a bold move to visit the Blasket Islands. I called, booking 3 of us for the 10AM cruise out of Dunquin after the guide assured me they had lifejackets for baby. (The Dunquin boat is much bigger and closer than the smaller, 12-seated boats that run out of Dingle). The brochure makes this look like a very civilized activity, but the reality is that you buy your tickets… and then walk down a VERY VERY steep sidewalk that winds down to the water. Then you are greeted by a Greenpeace-looking rubber raft with a small motor that will THEN take you further out to the larger boat that seats 44 people! This would not be a problem for most, but with baby we were a little apprehensive. We did it though, and it turned out to be just fine. Until we had to reverse the procedure “docking” at the blaskets, where the raft delivers you to a steep, slick slime-covered ramp that you have to hold on to a rope and pull/walk up so as not to slip on the hard rock.

After that process was over with, we were on the Blaskets. There is nothing there (no bathrooms, no cafes, no shade, nothing), and it is glorious. Just pastures and wonderful views. You can view the remanants of the Blasket inhabitants’ homes, but it’s not much to see. (I did find out that the reason there are no trees on the Blaskets are due to the sheep – they’ll eat them. And the only tree growing on the entire island is at the top of the beehive hut!) . When we arrived, there was a large pack of seals on the beach, so I sat on the cliffside for a long time just watching them swim in and out of the water. I marveled at the water, the rocks, the colors. I also marveled at the precarious terrain – while the grass looks very sturdy, once during a slow walk I suddenly went knee-deep into a hole, thankful that I didn’t twist an ankle! The ferries run every hour or so, and we headed back on the next one since we had baby with us. I don’t know why, but I’m so glad I visited the Blaskets. It felt good to finally be on a boat after living on an island surrounded by water. I could have walked around the island for the entire 4-hours they say it takes, it was so serene and unspoiled there. I may have to read Pieg Sayer's book now, as I'm curious.

And that was that. The second we got back in the car, rain started rolling in. I wanted to press on and go north, doing Connor’s Pass and the upper part of the Penninsula, but I was out-voted as my husband and mother-in-law did not want to get back to Dublin at 10PM, since there weren’t many trains running that day. All in all a fabulous experience! Dingle is beautiful. I’m so glad we ended up not staying in town after all, having to “settle” for the Old Pier in Ballydavid. My only regret is that I missed a meal there.


TRIP REPORT (SORT OF) – LAST ONE! CASTLETOWN HOUSE AND CARTON HOUSE

During our stay in Ireland, I read the book “Aristocrats” by Stella Tillyard, as I had heard it to be a good historical novel documenting high society in Ireland and the UK from the mid 1700-1800’s. After reading this, I was determined to see the manor homes mentioned in the book before I left Ireland for good. So, on my second-to-last day I rented a car and dragged my mother-in-law and son for the 30-minute drive outside of Dublin to the town of Castletown, and we toured the former residence of Lousia Lennox, Castletown House. It’s recently been renovated, and is a nice, though rather uninspired, tour of the place. My favorite part was the Print Room, and as a sidenote they also have a very good café there. Afterwards we headed up the road 10 minutes to Carton House, now a golf & luxury hotel resort, to see the former residence of Kildare. We only did a drive-by of this one, but it was so nice to put the places with the name, so to speak. If you’re heading to Ireland (or the UK for that matter – I’m now reading Tillyard’s book on George III out of curiosity) and need a good read, I highly recommend “Aristocrats” preceding or during your travels.



THE END!

So that’s it. Our Ireland adventures our over. I’m now in sweltering 105 degree weather surrounded by dead gardens and crunchy, brown grass. My biggest regret is not seeing Co. Donegal, but I simply wasn’t able to squeeze it in with our schedule. Perhaps someday I will return, and if not, I will have the pleasure of many happy memories of the beautiful, green place that is Ireland and its friendly people.

Thanks to everyone on this board who made our travels such a successful adventure.
jumper22 is offline  
Old Aug 19th, 2007, 07:42 PM
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Oops, it's really Part 4.

Also, I read the comments that the trip reports are hard to follow separately, so perhaps I'll create a separate thread putting all the trip reports in one place if it's helpful to people.
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Old Aug 19th, 2007, 09:29 PM
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Jumper,

I've enjoyed your reports and will miss them. I'm glad you made it safely home.

Regards, Joan
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Old Aug 19th, 2007, 11:12 PM
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Jumper - thanks for the reports. It's been fascinating to read your insights on the Irish race! very succinct altogether. I've always enjoyed them.

Sorry you were here for possibly the worst summer in living memory. You seem to have made the most of it though. Best wishes back home to you and the little one.
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Old Aug 20th, 2007, 02:29 AM
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Great stuff, jumper.

You did interesting things, brought a personal perspective to bear on your experiences, and wrote informative and entertaining accounts. Thank you for all that.

Congratulations on surviving Ireland, but do remember that we are still waiting to get you.
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Old Aug 20th, 2007, 04:14 AM
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jumper22:

Nicely done - thank you.

It must be a tad difficult coming back to 105 heat - perhaps you said and I missed it but where do you live?

Cetainly you must put out the clothes line. I don't understand the phrase a "redneck" person. Can you enlighten those of us not from the US?

Sandy
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Old Aug 20th, 2007, 04:51 AM
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Thanks for your wondeerful report! I loved reading about all of it and remembering the places from all of my trips to Ireland and years living there.

I especially was touched by your description of the rainbow and Gallarus hymn to baby. The stories brought tears to my eyes.

Glad you went to Blasket. It was one of the most magical days of my week's stay in Dunquin. It also rained for us just as we returned.

I was interested to know that clotheslines were a redneck thing. I have always used a clothesline and do not consider myself a redneck. Not only do your clothes smell wonderful (no dryer sheet can replicate the smell of sheets fresh off the line), and last longer, but it will lower your electric bill considerably. Also I recently read that sunshine is one of the best bacteria killers there is!
(sorry about this, but clotheslines are a personal hobbyhorse of mine.) My mother knew about ecology and the environment long before they were buzzwords.

I hope that you will post some of your pictures and let us know the site so we can view them.
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Old Aug 20th, 2007, 12:54 PM
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Absolutely delightful. I hope you will return to Ireland again in the future. It is nice to hear you liked Dualla House. It is a very special place to stay.
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Old Aug 24th, 2007, 02:45 AM
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Thank you Jumper! I have enjoyed reading along!
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Old Aug 24th, 2007, 03:36 AM
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I've really enjoyed it too jumper. Thanks for writing. This move to Ireland is something we're considering making in the next few years and it was good to see it through someone else's eyes.

And you're right about the bags. We've gotten some nice folding/snapshut cloth shopping bags from Ireland when we were there last. Even better, these huge, flat square bottom, sort of burlap-ish material shopping bags from Australia with big wooden ring handles. They hold like 6 2-liter soda bottles without a strain. The store employees here in Memphis always go on and on about the bags. They hold so much more than plastic bags, never cut into your hands and never fall over. So, being environmentally mindful can actually turn to be a better solution anyway. Hope you come back and convince everyone else! Welcome home.
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Old Aug 26th, 2007, 07:34 PM
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I live in good ole' Nashville, Tennessee. I cannot believe I complained about the Dublin weather. It's so hot here and awful because of the intense drought. I would take milder temps and rain any day, over this! It is very sad for the farmers, especially.

Re: the clothesline, perhaps the term "redneck" wasn't the correct phrase (and perhaps not very appropriate LOL). What I meant was, that in this day & age, at least in America, there are so many residential subdivisions with homeowner & property regulations (i.e. clotheslines are an eyesore and therefore not allowed) that it seems the presence of a clothesline in most mainstream areas is all but extinct. I live in the country, with all sorts of levels of housing out here, and I still never see a clothesline out. I think it's just more convenient to use the dryer for most.

Clifton – one thing people don’t realize is how EXPENSIVE Ireland is, even without an exchange rate to deal with, so do keep that in mind if you seriously contemplate moving there. It’s nice to be back in the US where I can buy practically an entire wardrobe for the same price as what 4 shirts at Marks & Spencer cost me


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