Live from Ireland blog - Sept. 2-12
 

After getting oodles of great information from these forums, we're off on our first trip to Ireland! I'll be Live Blogging our trip each day with new stories about where we've been and what we've seen including photos if anyone is interested in following along. It will be a live trip report of sorts : )

A full trip report with details aimed at helping other travelers will be shared here after we return.

Just follow along at the link below!

www.maggiemphoto.wordpress.com

(Our itinerary includes stops in Doolin, Dingle, Kenmare, Kilkenny and Dublin.)

I'm in!

Sounds wonderful...and definitely include photos, always interested!

Sounding good already!

Maggie; Keep the great story and pictures coming! I too have seen that same view from the plane twice and can't get enough of it. You will probably fall in love with Ireland just like my husband and I did in 09' and 2010. Have a great time. b.

Have a great time in Ireland. I was just reading about it the other day on <a href="http://www.americanprofile.com/articles/category/travel-destinations/">travel destinations</a> and it made me really want to go so I did more research and ended up on this page.

Lahinch is one of my fav places in Ireland.

Great beginning! I hope you have time to get us the rest after DAY 2! You have me laughing!

Well friends, that was an epic failure in live blogging. My first bit of advice to those planning future trips to the wonderful island of Ireland...don't count on the internet connection!!

Between weak connections and my computure's distaste for foreign IP addresses that was the shortest blog series ever. But I'm back and I'm connected and I'm ready to share our stories. So, if you'll give me a second chance, our first post is now up and the series has been renamed "Prerecorded from Ireland!"

The blog will be a story-telling venture, and I'll be sure to use this thread a bit later on to share accomodation/food/attraction/budget notes for those in the planning process.

I cant' wait to hear the rest. I enjoy your humor! We leave on 9/30 so hurry up!

Thanks for continuing. (Yous was fecking lucky not to get stopped by the guardai on the way home after your adventures in the Dingle pub.)

I remember when I went to live in Ireland 45 years ago, I was at first stunned by the casual use of the f word, but somehow it doesn't sound so bad when it rhymes with pecking (or looking in some parts).

Have any of your hosts at B&Bs asked if you wanted to be "knocked up in the morning"? Have you had to borrow a "rubber" when you were writing in your notebook and made an error? (One of my fellow faculty member delighted in using terms that had double meanings, one for an innocent American and one for an Irishman. He always said things with a twinkle in his eye.)

Irishface - agree completely that is sheds its offensive punch with the "e" or "oo". I much prefer it that way. Sad to say no one mentioned being knocked up or needing to borrow a rubber :) That would have made my day.

Lucky with guarda indeed...and lucky for a lack of traffic! But for the record the wrong-way driving was not a result of too many pints...just our inability to navigate Dingle in general. Just realized it might have sounded like we were drunkenly endangering ourselves and the Irish public!

maggie;
I can't seem to find your new "prerecorded from Ireland" story, where should I look? I loved your day 1 and I am anxious to read more. becky

No problem Becky - link is below. The link is just to the main page of my blog so it will always go to the most recent post, but if you scroll down a bit you'll find that last few posts. If that doesn't work, there is an "Ireland" category under the category drop down on the right side of the page. Glad you're enjoying it : )

http://maggiemphoto.wordpress.com/

Maggie; I loved the story and pictures from your "adventure" in Dingle. I can not believe you stayed at Pax House also! We were there 2 day in October 2010 and just loved it.

Keep the story and photos coming, I will be watching for them.

becky

Finally got the next one ready - takes forever to go through the photos! This one details our drive around Slea Head if anyone is planning to make the drive you might like it.

We started around 9:30 in the morning and made it back to Dingle around 4 p.m. Could have gone much faster but we made lots of stops and in general had too much fun.

When you pass Paddy O'Shea's pub early on in the trip (its listed in the guide books) there's a small road directly before the parking lot that leads down to a lovely beach - recommend it for a nice walk!

http://maggiemphoto.wordpress.com/20...-day-4-dingle/

Maggie, this is such a wonderful report!!!! Today I knew enough not to eat or drink while reading it. The other day I had yoghurt coming out my nose as I was laughing so hard(sorry for TMI).

I loved your pictures of the road around Slea Head. Did you go through the place where a little stream runs over the road?

The flowers in the hedges are fucshia. It was stunning to see these hedges for the first time as in New England fucshia only grows in hanging pots and lasts but a season.

The creepy church gate story was great as was the peeing effort in the middle of nowhere. (Been there, done that--more times than anyone cares to hear.)

As to your larking about: and why would one want to be serious when one can have some laughs (in your case many laughs)?

Thanks, and please don't make us wait so long for the next installment!!!

Ha! I've gotten a lot of emails this week about food and beverages coming out of people's noses...maybe I should start posting a warning : ) Glad you're having a laugh!

We did cross the little stream - it was really moving after all the rain too. I loved the fuchias. Good to know that's what it was. The hydrangeas where amazing too - they don't grow like that in St. Louis!

Should be more tonight...

Love, Love, Love your pictures and story. We did the almost the same stops last October and had about the same type of rain. I too was curious about the "Jesus on the side of the road" statues. Wish we would have stopped at that lovely church also, creepy feeling or not. Can't wait for more!! Becky

Going to enjoy the reading now, thanks so much for posting!