Songdoc’s Irish Midlands Trip Report

During six or seven previous trips we visited Dublin; the Dingle Peninsula; Adare; the Killarney area; Donegal; Wicklow; Galway; and much of the west coast. This time we had five days prior to needing to be in Belfast for business and decided to seek a convenient base from which to explore Kilkenny and the Rock of Cashel—without having to drive too far after landing in Dublin. We chose a self-catering cottage at the Roundwood House—between Mountrath and Kinnity.

Feb. 18, 2010, started in Nashville (amazingly, using American Airlines FF miles) then changed planes in Chicago. We left O’Hare on time but arrived into Dublin about 40 minutes late due to strong head winds. The plane was much smaller than those I’ve flown on previous transatlantic flights—and had none of the bells and whistles. It looked old and tired—just like I felt when I stepped off in Dublin. Thanks to Ambien, I’d mostly slept—but not soundly.

It took more than a half an hour for the luggage to arrive. Then on to Europcar to p/u the car I’d reserved online. The agent mentioned to a trainee that my World Elite MasterCard was the only one that allowed me to waive the CDW insurance. The bill was more than $170 higher than the quote I received online—and that did NOT include the non-negotiable 69 Euro charge to leave with a full tank. I had no idea that I’d have to pay for the full tank—and forfeit any gas that was in the tank upon return. This was all starting to feel like a ripoff to me. I got the agent to remove approximately $50 of the charges and taxes that were supposed to be included—and I was too exhausted to argue about the rest. I’ve since sent an email and included the email I received that stated there would be NO additional charges. Haven’t gotten any response yet. Grrr …

More than 90 minutes after landing, we were finally on the road to our cottage. It was surprisingly bright and sunny—but brrrr… 32 degrees. The drive was approximately 2 hours and was almost all highway and quite easy (but I’ve driven on the “wrong side” many times).

WARNING: to those who think they’re going to bounce off a transatlantic flight ready to drive for hours and/or hit the ground running – after an hour the exhaustion hit me like a brick wall. I managed to stay awake—but only barely. I was not having fun yet.

The Roundwood House setting is picture perfect postcard Ireland. Unfortunately, the heat had not yet been turned on—and it was so cold inside the cottage that we could see our breath. Who cared? I just wanted to sleep! A couple of hours and two strong cups of coffee later we explored the lovely grounds, accompanied by a wonderful, huge furry, very friendly dog.

The property is more than 300 years old and has some out buildings that are definite Kodak moments. Our self-catering cottage (“The Forge” – 250 Euros for 3 nights) was okay—but not up to the level of some of our favorite places. I hate making any disparaging comments because the hosts were so nice—but the couch, chairs, and bed were all exceptionally uncomfortable (and I’m not very fussy). The main house had a lovely sitting room where I could sip tea in front of the fire and use the WiFi.

Back in the cottage there was a very noisy (but gratefully, unseen) animal running and gnawing its way through our rafters. The owner claimed it was only mice—but I know what mice sound like—and if this was a mouse, then it was wearing tap shoes. Not important—but this is not a place I’d choose again.

Drove into Mountrath (less than 5 minutes) to pick up some food at a little market that insisted we must have a pin number to use our credit card. If we’ve ever had a pin number, I’m not aware of it—and have never been asked before. Luckily, we had plenty of Euros left over from our previous trip. We stopped for dinner at Phelan’s, one of only a few places that were open. It wasn’t exactly gourmet dining but we didn’t care.

Mountrath is not what you'd call a tourist mecca. It’s your basic, functional town. It seems its main appeal is its proximity to the Slieve Bloom Mountains and Kilkenny. I don’t mean to seem cruel or jaded, but I’ve visited many wonderful places in Ireland … and this is not on my top twenty list.

Back at the cottage the heat had kicked in – and now it was roasting. We switched the light off at 9 PM and I was asleep about 3 seconds later. When I awoke, I was refreshed, wide awake, and ready to start my day and hit the road!

The only problem is that it was 10:45 PM. One Ambien later I slept until 7:30AM.

After a delicious breakfast in the cottage of porridge with cinnamon and chopped apples, and warm brown wheaten bread with Dubliner cheddar we headed to Kilkenny. The sun was shining and the sky was blue. (Am I really in Ireland?) The AA route planner stated that the drive would be 40 minutes. It actually took an hour—and was an easy drive with only a few short stretches of roads that were uncomfortably narrow.

My main reason to visit Kilkenny was the castle—and we certainly did enjoy the castle—but we LOVED the town. With its medieval roots; narrow, cobblestoned side streets; brightly painted shops; pubs; cathedrals; and the castle, it encompasses so many of the sights and sounds that tourists come to Ireland for. Kilkenny is a shopper’s paradise, as well—and it would have been easy to spend the entire day browsing. I could barely stop snapping photos. It was a wonderful surprise—and this just might be my favorite town in Ireland!

Guided walks were not available during the winter but the very helpful woman in the information office gave us a map and pointed out the highlights. We also found a brochure with discount coupons to many of the attractions. We hit them all: St. Canice’s Cathedral; the Rothe House; the Black Abbey; and the castle. Lunch was at Chez something-or-other next to the Rothe House. It was fine, but nothing special.

We had a wonderful day and felt so lucky to have those blue skies and sunshine. It was nice of the Mother Nature to wait until we were heading back to the cottage before a light rain began falling. As we were approaching Mountrath the ain turned into fat snowflakes. Back at the cottage there was a light dusting of snow on the ground—but the driving was not a problem.

Dinner was in front of the fire. It was a delicious takeout feast we’d picked up at the Dunne’s store (sort of an Irish Super Wal-Mart) in Kilkenny.

We woke the next morning to find a beautiful blanket of snow and were concerned about the roads—but they were perfectly dry. So … we headed to Cashel. Our route planner estimated an hour—and this time it was only off by five minutes. We would have arrived right on time if I hadn’t had to share the road leading into Cashel with hundreds of vintage tractors. We learned this was part of a charity event to raise money for Haiti. I would have gladly made a large contribution if it would have meant not having to share the road with these enormous beats.

Trying to find the Rock of Cashel was maddening. Up till this moment our GPS performed perfectly, but it was uterly oblivious to this popular attraction. There were lots of signs in town that said “Rock of Cashel”—but none of them seemed lead us to the massive ruins—that I could clearly see in the distance! Grrr … We parked, walked through the town, and headed to the tourist office—which was closed. (It’s only open on weekdays in the winter.) Again, Grrr … We stopped in a sandwich shop and were told it was a two minute walk to the Rock. Once we arrived all was forgiven.

The first glimpse of the Rock of Cashel against that backdrop of blue sky was breathtaking. It’s extraordinary—majestic, moving, and begging to have its picture taken—over and over and over again. The setting is quite beautiful as well—and I’m sure the exquisite (albeit, very cold) day added to the beauty. In the distance we could see a group gathering on horseback for a fox hunt. One hundred photos later we left the Rock and enjoyed the views of the countryside as we strolled the Path of the Dead, just beside the Rock.

Lunch at nearby Lawrence’s pub was wonderful: steak & Guinness pie served with “root vegetables”—carrots, turnips, and potatoes. Yum!!! While sipping our tea we had a long, thoroughly enjoyable chat with the friendly bartender/server who showed us historic photographs of the town, displayed on the walls. We hated to leave—but wanted to stroll through town and get back to the cottage before dark. The town of Cashel was fine—but after yesterday’s visit to Kilkenny, it paled in comparison. But seeing the Rock of Cashel was well worth the trip and it was another wonderful day.

The next day was spent driving through the Slieve Bloom Mountains where we walked the “castle trail.” The drive and walk were very nice—but not “spectacular”—although thanks to the mist and lighting, I snapped some of my favorite photos. We stopped at Roscrea (thanks to a suggestion on this forum) and enjoyed the town as well as the castle, a cathedral, a friendly horse, and a pleasant river walk.

The next morning, as we were loading up the car to leave Roundwood House I could barely believe my eyes. Could it be? There was a peacock perched on the window sill!!! It was kind enough to pose for some beautiful photos before we said goodbye.

Next stop: Smarmore Castle just outside of Ardee. We chose this so we wouldn’t have to drive nonstop from Mountrath to Belfast. For 55 Euro each (including breakfast) we booked the Viscount’s room—but didn’t have high expectations of a 6-room castle that was so inexpensive. Surprise: We loved it! The extra 5 Euro for this premium room was well worth it because it included a beautiful 4-poster bed—and the original tower—from 1320! While parts of the property are from the 1300's, the bedrooms and most areas are not centuries old—but are decorated with faux paintings and furniture that made me feel as if I were staying in Versailles. Great fun—especially with the four-poster bed and the marvelous breakfast room with its lovely music. The hosts were exceptionally nice—and we enjoyed that traditional Irish fare—pizza—in the attached Italian restaurant.

Enjoyed a nice walk through Ardee—but wouldn’t make it a special stop. IMHO Smarmore Castle makes a perfect base for visiting Newgrange (which we loved on a previous trip). We would have enjoyed an additional night and didn’t want to leave! But it was time to perform and teach workshops in Belfast at the wonderful Belfast Nashville Music Festival.

As we headed to Belfast we left our beautiful weather behind for several days of biting, bone-chilling rain, snow flurries, and temperatures with highs of 2 or 3 C (low 30’s F). There was lots of road construction and on several occasions our poor GPS was quite sure we were driving ourselves into a field. But the detours were well marked and we had to tell Jeepus to be quiet until we approached Belfast.

FYI, the speed limits and mileage signs in the North are posted in miles--but my car (rented in the Republic) was only in kilometers--so my math got a good workout.

Of course my performances and seminars were utterly brilliant (hehehe) and kept me busy, but we managed to squeeze in some sightseeing, as well. We visited the Saturday morning market at St George’s market—with trad music, and amazing foods. The spectacular City Hall is not to be missed. It has free guided tours and is one of the grandest buildings I’ve ever seen. Took a quick look in the linen hall library—nothing special—although it has renowned resources for tracing ancestry. During a long walk we stopped in the legendary Crown Bar and the Europa Hotel—the most bombed hotel in the world. (37 bombings. What a distinction!)

After 3 days of rain, the weather cleared and we took the fifteen minute drive to Belfast castle. It’s a beautiful building with lovely grounds and views—but it’s not really a castle—but a manor house. The inside was nothing special—four rooms that are not furnished. But the sun returned and we strolled the walking paths with wonderful views. Enjoyed baps (sandwiches), soup, and tea in the bar by a roaring fire.

Queen’s University includes some of the most beautiful buildings anywhere—and I had the honor of performing in the spectacular Great Hall. I felt as if I’d stepped inside a Harry Potter movie. The buildings—especially when lit at night—were exquisite.

A Black Taxi Tour was a highlight but I was shocked to find that in the Shankhill Rd,/Falls Road area most of the political murals have been replaced with “positive” ones depicting historical events and national heroes. I understand wanting to move beyond “the troubles”—but it felt all wrong to erase history; sort of like bulldozing the concentration camps. When I realized the murals had been destroyed, I thought the tour would be a waste—but I found it profoundly moving. I was close to tears several times as we visited the memorials at the sights of the bombings—and the peace wall. Highly recommended.

Our hotel was Madison’s in the Queen’s University/Botanic Gardens area and it was fine—but not luxurious. About $90 U.S. We much preferred this area to staying downtown (which we had done previously). Just wish we’d gotten a non-smoking room. It’s a vibrant sector with lots of restaurants and shops. All the food was good—and seemed more reasonably priced than in the Republic. A highlight was lunch at AM PM next door to Madison's Hotel.

The music festival was a grand success and I got to hear some wonderful music from Irish and American artists. Also managed to see an excellent very Irish drama (“The Absence of Women”) at the Lyric Theater at Queen’s University.

It was a very easy 2-hour drive back to the Dublin airport—all on highways and no traffic. We enjoyed Belfast more on this second visit—possibly because of staying in the University/Botanic Gardens area—and possibly because of the things we did and our expectations.

When I returned my rental car I was shocked to be told that I was being charged for a scratch on the undercarriage. The car had been covered in dents and scratches. This was virtually the only spot that hadn’t been circled as having previous damage. I don’t think I caused the scratch—but even if I did I think it should have been considered normal wear and tear. When I checked the car (after a transatlantic flight) I failed to crouch on the ground and look under the bumper. There was no way to see the damage from a normal standing position. I just wish I'd thought to snap a photo. Anyway ... I’ve filed a claim with my World Elite MasterCard and was left with the feeling that Europcar is a total ripoff. (I’d used them previously with no problem.) Sadly, it made me leave Ireland upset and stressed.

I should mention that we’ve spent considerable time on Northern Ireland’s Antrim Coast and it’s one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen. But we skipped it this time because we’d been there last year—and wanted to concentrate more on England and Wales. So … we bid a sad farewell to Ireland and flew to Bristol for the next leg of our journey. I’ve done separate trip reports for England and for Wales.

Here’s the photo link to copy and paste in your browser:

http://www.kodakgallery.com/gallery/creativeapps/slideShow/Main.jsp?token=614221062506%3A1656474752