Shadow

I got back from my 9th trip to Ireland this past Sunday night..it was a sucessful trip...I say that because I go to see my mother (mainly) and one of the two friends with me (N & V) V had a meeting in Sligo to visit an IT school and her meeting went well.
My visit with my mom was as good as can be expected (she's difficult) and she was happy with my time with her so that is a good thing.
I've been going to Ireland since 1970...several years before my mom moved back there...I met 2 girls on that trip and we've stayed in touch every since...so, now I have friends to visit with that are my age and so, my friends (N & V) got to enjoy some time in Irish homes which is great!
Anyway, here are some of my thoughts and experiences of our trip....
Sunday, Oct. 16 LAX-DUB on Aer Lingus....
We do not like the "mess" at LAX where you have to lug your luggage to the security area and then you are moved again to another security area!
Aer Lingus....I really like Aer Lingus...3rd trip with them. But, big dissapointment:no screens on this plane (St. Kilcolmon, I think). St. Keeva on the way home did so that was good!
The beef and vegetables for dinner was very good! All the food has been great...sorry, I really enjoyed the food...also, love the tea and coffee service with FA's coming down the aisle with tea or coffee containers....
I got to meet Dawn from this Fodors Forum!!
We knew from here that we would be on the same flights going and coming!! She actually found me on the flight...we got to talk a little while in the air...she and her husband were on their first trip to Ireland-very nice folks!! I can tell that Dawn has never met a stranger!! I knew they'd do just fine in Ireland!
Arrived in Dublin and took taxi to Kilronan House. We really liked Kilronan House. Alex (a young French man) brought us tea in the sitting room and then showed us to our room-a nice triple room-ensuite). After settling in we walked the about 4 long blocks to St. Stephens Green and then through there to Grafton Street. We took the Hop on/Hop Off bus for awhile getting off and walking our way to Temple Bar for dinner at Gallegher's Boxy House.

Gallegher's became a favorite Restaurant-cute place, go early as it gets busy later and there is Trad. music played in the early evening (live, but in the background).
After dinner we began the shopping oddessey....Christmas will be here before you know it and why not Christmas gifts from Ireland....there are still a FEW things I've not given yet as gifts!
The walk to Kilronan House from Grafton Steet took us about 20 minutes....it could have taken 15 if walking fast or 30 if going slower....
After a good nights sleep we wake to have a wonderful breakfast....fresh fruit, pancakes, french toast or traditional Irish.
Juice and that great Irish tea! And, my favorite: brown bread.
We head off to take the Hop on/Hop off bus again (good for 24 hours) to the Guiness Storehouse and to the Kilmainham Gaol. Youhave to walk a little to get to the Gaol from the drop off point. Very interesting Gaol.
We head off to the Westbury for Afternoon Tea. Beautiful Hotel steps away from Grafton Street. We waited about 5 mintutes to be seated. Once seated and our tea and sandwiches, scones and desserts delivered we were left alone and never seen to again. Its a very nice hotel and the food was good but it would have been nice to be checked on again. However, we were having a wonderful time just enjoying the beautiful place, great food and good friendship in a beautiful city!
Next: more shopping! N & V both had long lists of gifts to buy and I'm a sucker for shopping too....I bought about 6 long wool scarves (made in Ireland) for gifts.
Dinner this night was at Farringtons in Temple Bar (lasagne and Chips 10 euro, soup 4 euro). I just love the endulgence of lasage and chips-only in Ireland!
More to come...

Shadow

Wed: we take a taxi to Blanchard's Town so V can meet with a IT administrator at the school there. N and I shop at the mall (are you surprised?) Blanchard's Town is a surburb of Dublin and well know for the mall and surrounding stores-very much like the malls and furniture and home stores we have here in the States. I would never have gone here had V not had the meeting but found it enjoyable shopping at stores we do not haveunnes, Marks and Spencer, Roches, etc.
Thur. we taxi to airport to pick up rental car. We rent through Hertz and are on our way to Roscommon around 1:30.
This is basically my 2nd time driving on the left....usually my dh does it.
I was a bit aprehensive about driving out of Dublin aiport but it was not too bad...you do need a navigator no matter what.
We stopped in a pub restaurant in a small town on the way to Co. Roscommon.
N loves the soup in Ireland and she had it almost everywhere we went and she was never disappointed. Makes a great inexpensive lunch served with brown bread-soon, we were all ordering it.
Made it to Ballaghaderreen, Co. Roscommon and had a small family reunion with my sister who had flown in from Texas, my mom and myself. We had a nice dinner at Durkins with V & N and a few other local friends.
Shadow

Shadow

Our Days in Ballaghaderreen

Now I am going to be more general, give some highlights not "day to day".

For those of you traveling to Ireland wanting to see "real Irish life" I encourage you to stay in a small town that is not touristy-that is where you will see how the Irish really live. However, I know that its hard for "first-timers" to do this-the attraction to see the touristy places is too strong and I understand that.

As I mentioned earlier, I met 2 girls from Ballaghaderreen on my first trip there and we've kept in touch ever since. Its great coming back to Ballaghaderreen and interacting with them and their families.

ONE OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF OUR TRIP

One of those friends "G" mother had us over for tea and we were enthralled with her scone making so she invited us back for another day to give us a private scone making lesson! Now, this woman will be 90 years YOUNG in April and raised 9 children. She is still cooking on her Aga stove she bought in the 1940's!

We had tea and scones and cake at G's house the night before and her sister dropped in and said their mom was so excited to be giving us this lesson-it has given her something to look forward to. Also, a local priest dropped in for tea as well. This was so much fun for us because, it seems where we live everyone is in bed by 9:00pm and it was 9:00-11:00 that we were there and folks were just dropping in! (I LOVE that!).
Its fun sitting in her big comfy kitchen having scones and tea and chatting. N & V love this (and of course, so do I).

The scone making day comes and N is assigned to actually be the scone maker,
V is taking the notes for the recipe and I'm the picture-taker. We are loving it-a real scone recipe from a real Irish mother/grandmother (and past cook for the local rectory of priests).

After the scones are made (and this women makes them every single day-they own a little store and she makes them for the workers and for family and for whoever might drop by to say hi)we get to sit down to tea and these wonderful scones and some Clare Jam (from the Doolin Jam Co.).....we can't wait to get home and try the recipe! Yum!!

We also did some visiting with my mom to her friends and I love that the tea kettle gets going and biscuits (cookies) are brought out and cakes...
its just so "civilized" and comfy, and friendly.....I really love it....gee, I am now pulling out all my tea stuff and I hope to do the same here....however, its just not the same.....oh well, maybe I'll start a trend?

That is why all the walking we did in Dublin paid off....we were sitting down to tea and biscuits alot!!! My favorite biscuits (Digestives) are the McVitties brand and they are the Caramel ones...they just came out with them this year and so far I have only found them at Dunne's stores....omg are they good-better imho than just the chocolate ones. I don't even consider the plain ones! I brought back 6 packages of the Caramel ones.....









Let me tell you that the walking we did in Dublin paid off because we ate

Shadow

Opps-to finish off that last sentence..."we ate lots of Digestives!)

More of Ballaghaderreen

Our days were filled with visiting, shopping, V keeping in touch with her students on the internet, shopping, and drinking lots of tea! I laid flowers on my fathers and grandparents graves. I spent time visiting with my mother.

BOOK RELEASE PARTY

I found out that an author (Cathy Thorn) from Oregon had written a book "They put the Flag a Flyin'" about the Co. Roscommon Volunteers (during the 1920's)and my family knew some of the names mentioned in the book. There was a party to thank the people who had helped her write the book (given information, etc.) and I knew one of those people. So, we went to Roscommon town to attend the party. That was fun!
The author and her family were all there and they sang!! Cathy herself sang as did her husband and his brother....it was really a special time and our old-family friend was there and was he surprised to see me there! It was something very different for us to do and we were glad we went...all with signed copies of the book, of course!

Sligo

After the book-release party in Roscommon Town we drove the 45 minutes back to Ballaghaderreen and called my friend B in Sligo. We took a few minutes to get ready and off we went to Co. Sligo.

When we arrived my friends and I were treated to a beautiful dinner in the dining room with B and her husband T and their son S. B & T raised 5 children and only S is still home. B had prepared a lovely dinner of lamb (from one of their own lambs), mushy peas, potatoes au grautin, broiled potatoes and carrots. She also had 2 freshly made apple tarts (pies).

Again, it was a highlight of the trip...sitting with the family having a lovely, unrushed, dinner with an Irish family-V & N were thrilled. After dinner we were taken to their favorite pub and listened to some great music. It was a Sunday night and apparently, it is a very popular night to go to the pub and listen to music and dance. And, the ladies still dance with the ladies if the men aren't dancing. It was a very fun night.

Returning back to my friends home I slept in a room that the view was out the back and seeing the beautiful countryside was so very relaxing.....it was a great day!

Melissa5

Shadow, I love your trip report, and I adore the 90-year-old lady who made me scones (oops I mean made YOU scones, but I feel like I'm right there with you!)

I'm so glad you shared all the details about the scones and Clare jam with tea, and the soup with bread, and the lovely people. I feel like I've just come home to Ireland too...(and I haven't even been there yet!) Sorry about your dad, glad you got to put flowers on his grave.

Thanks for the report on Kilronan, where I'm considering booking rooms at.

So, when are we all invited to your house for those home-made scones you just learned how to do?

Sher

Hi Shadow. Thank you for your trip report.
Dawn told me she and her husband loved Ireland and I am sure they will go back.
We would like to return for another trip. We only made our first trip there in 2004 and it was wonderful.
You have given us some different ideas of where to go.

Shadow

Melissa-thanks! I *think* you can visit the actual Clare Jam place near Doolin...they sell that jam at our friends store in Ballaghaderreen and I always stock up on it (and yes,I bring lots of glass jars back home) because I think it makes a nice gift. Its really great jam!

Well, regarding those scones...you are in So. Calif. right? I am in the High Desert of Calif. and I met Dawn on our flights and I think there are others from So. Calif who love Ireland....it would be fun to have an "I love Ireland" get-together at some point (after your trip of course!) and share our pictures and stories!! I could make those scones! Just a thought anyway....

Sher-you know Dawn? She's great!! Thanks for the nice comments on my trip report....yes, Ireland is addicting....
I still have lots of places that I have not been to yet...next trip!
More on the rest of my trip later....
Shadow

Shadow

More of Sligo Town

Great town! Lots of shopping! We did not have time to do it justice but we did have fun in a gourmet food store and bought a bottle of "clotted cream" to bring back (me and all my glass bottles!). While B, N and I were shopping V was at the Sligo Institute of Technology (I think that's the name!) meeting with an administrator and discussing education..the similarities and differences.....and, making baby steps into creating an exchange program for our Jr. College students here in the desert and the IT students from Sligo (what a difference that would be for everyone).
I bought more digestives (caramel) at the Dunnes Store there.
When V was done B took us to her local pottery shop that is a very, very old homestead in Breeogue, Sligo. They were closed but not to worry....she went next door to the owner and she came out and we all bought a few things-lovely pottery (and I'm not usually crazy about pottery). I am really using by new Breeogue pottery butter dish alot (with those scones!) lol..
It was getting on towards evening and we had to make the drive back to Ballaghaderreen so we headed back to B's house where she served us some of her fabulous apple tart and tea. Now, it was dark and I did not want to make the drive in the dark but oh well.....
"Mind the sign for Ballymote" they said....we minded it allright....went past it not once but twice...ugh. We went a long way before we could turn around...don't know about any of you other "Ireland visitor drivers" but it takes me awhile to feel comfortable turning around..esp. when its dark and you always have someone behind you!!!
Man, that sign was small!!
So, finally we made the turn and got Petrol in Ballymote.
"The funny thing about Petrol" and "our dark and lonely" road next....gotta go vote!
Shadow

Shadow

I saw the Petrol pumps out in front of a little store (you know the kind you buy ice cream and maybe biscuits-more of a News Agent type store) and a little pub. I get out of the car and go into the little store to pay for the petrol but no, its in the pub that I need to go. I go into the pub and its just all men...very quiet in there....the man behind the counter says he'll be right out and pump the gas for me....he does and N and V take pictures because its so "cute" getting gas pumped in front of the pub.
Well, we drive what seems a long way and I'm thinking we should be back in Ballaghaderreen by now...we're on a very dark road.....we pass a graveyard....so now I say "its time to start telling ghost stories!!". N and V are a bit freaked by this time.

I remember sitting with my Uncle Jim (who himself died in 1993) on my first couple of trips to Ireland and sitting in front of his turf fire listening to him telling ghost stories....like the one of him riding his bike (as he did just about every day of his life as an adult) to the local pub and having just passed the graveyard feeling something or somebody (here's where the spooky music plays...) hop on the bike! This probably happened AFTER visiting the pub, don't ya think???? lol....now he and my dad are both buried in that cemetary....
Anyway, we finally do make it to Ballaghaderreen and it was the right road....we decided that the dark really does make things look different!!!

Back in Ballaghaderreen we decide we are hungy and its 9:00 pm....not much open for food...and, my mother wants to join us....we have found out that if you can get to a Chineese Rest. in Ireland they are usually open later than the other restaurants...so, Chineese it is...but, my mother won't touch the stuff (not that she's ever tried it...I was in HS before I ever ate Chineese food-and that was with friends...). My mother has a bowl of ice cream since she's already had dinner and enjoys the ice cream.
A nice end to another nice day in Ireland....we fall asleep to a good rain.

Shadow

Back to Ballaghaderreen...
We spent the next 2 days visiting with my mom and doing some more house visits with friends....one couple in particular who are friends of my mom's live in the same house they have lived in since they first married and they are both in their upper 70's or so. We are immediately brought the tea, biscuits and cakes and we sit and visit in front of the turf fire.....I can't help but think how fortunate we are to be there and get this experience...its what I am used to on my trips to Ballagh....and, my friends realize its special too.
We get back in the car and go to our next visit: my cousin, a priest. We bring him a pie from Benny's Deli in Castlerea where we had lunch...very nice newer restaurant with some great desserts! We get to look around his church...he offers us tea but this time we decline....we are "tea'd out" for the moment (but just the moment because we LOVE the tea!). We have a nice chit chat but don't stay long...Fr. had done a funeral that day and was tired..we had a nice visit.

The next day is our last day in Ballaghaderreen...I spent as much time with my mother as possible....however, she is sending me home with an antique clock and the only way I can bring it home is to put it in a tall bag that N lends me and it sits with me upright on the flight home.....for 10.5 hours! Its one of a very few "heirlooms" I have of my mother's so it is worth it.

N and V do some more last minute shopping (one sees a cute toy for granddaughter, one sees a nice bracelet for herself and they both have to buy another carry-on type suitcase for all the purchases!!). I go with my mom to her favorite little pub "Hanleys" and there is no one inside but Mrs. Hanley herself...my mother has been friends with her for years....my mother does not drink so Mrs. Hanley makes us both tea and brings out the biscuit tin....we stay about 45 minutes and have a nice visit....

My mother does not have much to do...she lives in a motel now and gets all her meals there....so I introduce her to the Dr. Phil Show-he comes on at 11:00 in the day there....I think she'll enjoy him. Will give her something to watch but the news anyway.

We have one last dinner at my mom's favorite restaruant (OK, one of the few restaurants) Durkins. We all sit for while and have a long chat....my mother is very difficult, controlling and sometimes not very nice at all...but, I get a little sad, I never know if this is the last time I'll see her...weird, isn't it...she drives me crazy but I'm getting sad leaving.....

N V and I spend the night trying very hard to fit all our stuff in....even after buying new carry-ons they are stuffed to the gills...me too, and we still have 3 more days left to (only 2 to really shop).

We have a final breakfast with my mom,
I sit in the room with her for awhile and talk. Its time to leave. She comes out to see us off....I am sad, shed a few tears in the car and so do my friends! That makes me feel better-they know how my mom is but were so good to her (and she to them actually!). I drive back towards Dublin.

Shadow

Gosh, by the time you are really feeling good about driving on the left its time to turn the car in!! lol!!

One thing we found out:its hard to find a petro station near the Dublin Airport (any one know of one?). Yes, there is one at the airport, but you'd have to drive in and then out again...guess that's not too bad...will do that next time if I have to....)

We bring the car back to Hertz but we need a taxi to get back to the guesthouse...and we have so much luggage now that we could not walk with the luggage to get that taxi...yeah, I know "travel light!!". Well, Christmas shopping should be much easier now is all I can say!!! (I hope so anyway).

So, N & V take off in search of a cab-not just any cab mind you....it must be a bigger one...I have to stay with the car because you cannot "check out" until the car is empty. In about 15 or 20 minutes they come back with a suv/van type taxi. We load up and get to talking to the driver...of course, I am always the appointed "sit up front with the driver" person...anyway, he is very nice and we really like him. Actually, all the drivers we had were great. This guy was just especially nice. We like him so much that we ask him to pick us up on Sunday morning-departure day (and, we'll need that size again so why not?). He does not like to fly and I tell him about Ambien...it worked so well for me.
I think he'll be checking it out....he really hates to fly and I'm not crazy about it but must do it...so, sleeping most of the time works great for me!

We get back to Kilronan House and feel like its our "Dublin-Home away from Home". Back to our cozy 3 bed room and Katie, who works there brings us tea into the room. Ah, you gotta love it...right up to the room....no room service charge, just a nice pot of hot tea....I love Ireland!

Shadow

Its evening by the time we head out but its a beautiful Fall evening in Dublin.
Again, I think, I am so fortunate to be here..to be on this trip with 2 great friends, to be seeing new things, to be alive and in such a fun city....to be out and about.....that is so much of what is me....have you experienced that?

Its a feeling of excitement of what's ahead, what could be, of whats to come....a feeling of promise. Maybe I can't explain it but at that moment it just feels good to be alive....and somewhere different. I am happy.

We walk all around Dublin...a very walkable city by day and night. Lots of people out and about-I love it!

We end up at Bewley's for dinner-very nice! I would love to bring my husband to the upstaris fish restaurant-he loves fish. Lots of groups out for dinner-I enjoy seeing people having fun.
N is our gourmet coffee person and she's been wanting to go to Bewley's each night. As it turns out, the coffee is a bit strong for her (though she does like it stong) and finds she likes the coffee better at Cafe Sol (I think that's the name) where we have a nice lunch of soup the next day. I also have a boxed Asian Salad that is fabulous.

We make the walk back to Kilronan House and sleep soundly after a long day. How time flies, only 2 more days left!

SiobhanP

It is Cafe SOl. Its one of a few coffee chains in Dublin. Nice for a pit stop . What did you think of the inside of Bewleys. They spent a few months decotating to bring it back to its old style spelendor. I believe they tried to use similar style wall paper like the original and it costs a fortune. I am glad it did not turn into a clothing store or a starbucks.

chatham

Shadow, I don't know how I've missed your trip report. It's great, thank you. Joan

Shadow

Siobhan-we thought Bewley's was beautiful...a very nice place for a lovely meal. Will also try the restaurant upstairs next time.

Yes, Cafe SOL had great coffee and soup and that Asian Salad (pre-packaged) was to die for!!

I will have more of my trip report later....
Shadow

Shadow

Joan-thanks! I am an Ireland lover through and through....its in my blood since both folks were born there....so, maybe I am biased but I also have a positive attitude (most of the time).
I just love Ireland!
Shadow

Shadow

BELFAST

Now its Friday (Oct. 28) and we leave on Sunday. Its hard to believe how fast time has flown.

We get up as early as we can and head down to the wonderful breakfast (and dining room) at Kilronan House. We call for a taxi to take us to Connolly Station for our train ride to Belfast.
I was hoping to get there for the 9:35 train but we don't make it to the station until 9:30 or so, so we buy tickets for the 11:00 train.
The train is very nice and we settle in for a beautiful ride through the countryside seeing Drogheda, Dundalk, Newry, Portadown and finally Belfast.

First thing we do is hit the ATM at the station because we now need pounds (sterling) not euro. Then, how to get to central Belfast? We're told there is a free bus (if you've taken the train as we have) and as we're asking where to catch that bus a very nice local couple tell us that the bus that we see coming our way would take us for free if we show our train tickets. Great...in a few minutes we're in central Belfast and we walk a block and we're in front of City Hall. We go half a block and we're at the Belfast Welcome Center. We see the table where you can book a Black Taxi Tour and do it. Our driver Paddy arrives in about 20 minutes and off we go.

Paddy is great...he takes us to the Shankhill and Falls Road areas...we see the murals and the memorial gardens...we ask lots of questions...we try to understand...we feel the sadness but see the progress and have hope for the future....
We walk around a bit and have a late lunch. I want to see the Crown Pub. Since its around 4:30 on a Friday afternoon we don't stay long-its full of folks off from work enjoying their Friday evening. We walk around a bit more and around 6:00pm the stores are closing and I had not done my homework good enough to know what else we could do with the little time we had-our train back to Dublin was at 8:00pm. V and N seemed to be ready to be back at the train station-they did not want to miss that 8:00pm train!! So, we got a cab to take us to the train station.
Our day in Belfast was short but we did what we set out to do...we wanted to see the "troubled" areas, we wanted to hear and try to understand what went on and why. I plan to go back and take the tour again and learn more.
I love train travel and I plan on taking that train again next time in Dublin!
One more day in Dublin left
Shadow

chatham

Shadow, I also like train travel. I took the Belfast train to Dundalk one year and took a cab to Carlingford. We stayed in Carlingford for 5 days . From Carlingford we could get buses to Newry. I'd like to explore that part of Ireland more. Shadow I've rented two movies that I found so moving about The Troubles. They are fairly new. One Is Omagh and the other is The Boxer. They were both so well made and so very sad. I rented them from Netflix. Loving your report. Joan

Shadow

Hi Joan! Yes, train travel is so relaxing...
Thanks for the info. on those movies, I have been thinking about renting a few such as Michael Collins, etc. I've seen it before but seeing it again after being in Dublin and Kilmainham Gaol and Belfast seems like a good idea.
Thanks for the names of those movies!
Shadow

chatham

Shadow, I've rented Michael Collins three times. Give those 3 a try. Joan