Ready? Days Seven, Eight and Nine of the Emerald Isle---

Can't believe it---Day Seven:

Goodbye to our hosts at the Cillcearn House Bed and Breakfast in Killarney, Tom and Maurisse Kearney!

County Cork is a pretty site for a lark---and a climb to the top of the Blarney Castle to kiss the "Stone of Eloquence." I did, and I hope I live up to the expectations. Thought it would be a big 'ol rock, and it's a stone the size of a cement block---all gray and shiny from all the smoochin'. Had to lie on my back to do it, too.

Went shoppin' at the Blarney Woolen Mills, and I won't bore you with all I bought. Had good-priced Irish goods, and I donated to the cause. Then on to the tiny Italian-looking hillside harbor town of Cobh, the last port of the Titanic before it met its demise. Many immigrants sailed from here during the famine of 1845, probably including my great great grandparents Edmund and Johanna Leamy and their seven children.

The Titanic passengers waited in line by this building before boarding a ferry that took them out to the ship having no idea what was in store for them.

Last stop for the day: Waterford Crystal. This is the first piece made and stamped with the name.

Stayed at Dooley's Hotel in Waterford, and looked for Leamy Street. Found it, thanks to a broguey cabbie who wondered why in the world we'd want to go there. Also, found Leamy House, which is an apartment building on the street. The cabbie dropped us off, and then came back to check on us and that we'd found the street sign. 

Day Eight: Kilkenny Castle and National Stud Farm

Kilkenny Castle is the home of the House of Ormond---don't know if it's any relation to my great great grandmother whose maiden name was Ormond. Probably not, as these people were very very rich. The house looked like Downton Abbey. The Stud Farm pimps their studs to owners of mares for a huge fee, like $85,000 if he gets her pregnant and she produces a foal.

The Stud Farm had a Japanese Garden where we Zenned out.

Off to Dunboyne Castle Hotel to spend our last night with music and song by Bob, a young Irish teen who like to sing Sinatra. We wanted to hear Irish tunes. He was a wee bit miffed.

Day Nine - Bye to Ireland

Airport and parting shot. Next time, I will rent a cottage in  Cashmore in County Waterford where my great grandparents lived before leaving for America.

T'was a grand trip indeed!

Days Five and Six of Ireland

Five:  Off to Connemara where marble is mined---harvested---quarried? Anyway, I bought a black marble necklace with fossils in it here.

Cliffs of Moher (700 ft.) in the background. Looks a bit like Big Sur in California, only tour busses and people from everywhere everywhere. Definitely one of Irelands biggest tourist draws.

An evening of Guinness and a band at Kate Kearney's Cottage in Dunloe Gap. Dandy food, song and dance! (Bought an Irish penny whistle and a stuffed sheep here.)

Day Six: Whew! We're tearin' through Ireland like magical winged faeries.

 Who can do without a ferry ride across the Shannon River? And, with bikers in spandex? Whoopee! One of them is a famous biker named Sean Kelly---not sure which one he is.

Rounded the Dingle Penninsula and went to Slea Head to see the Christian monastic beehive huts. Pretty cool. No hole in the top for the smoke to go out though.

Scrumptious views of the ocean here. Better than Cliffs of Moher, and less crowded. "Ryan's Daughter" and "Far and Away" filmed here. I envy the people who live here and wake up to this view.

Hot dog with onions in Dingle, anyone?

Land of Eire, Day Three:

Off to Kilbeggan in County West Meath to give the distillery (1757) a once over, and of course a taste test. (Ah, deir makin' us inta mornin' driners on dis trip.) Ishkabaha, Irish for whiskey.

Arrived at Westport where we'll stay the next two nights. Quaint little burg on a river with lots of pubs and knickety knackety shops. Our hotel room overlooked the top of a tree, and the key to the door was stubborn as an Irish mule. How would it work after a Guinness or two?

Matt Malloy's provided pub music and Guinness. It is owned by the flute player from the musical group The Chieftans.

Da fourt day:

Took a boat cruise around a fiord near the village of Lenanne where salmon and mussels are raised and harvested. Windy day with sun and rain fighting for dominance. Had a grilled cheese tomato and onion sandwich in Gaynor's Field Restaurant; no Guinness this time, just tea. Pictures of the movie "The Field" on the walls, as it was filmed just down the road.

Westport House, an 18th century mansion, like Downton Abbey. Bells in the basement for the servants to answer. The history is that the original lord of this house had a daughter whom he forbade to go with him on trading (pillaging?) trips, so she cut her hair and dressed like a man to sneak on board. She proved herself a tough broad, and he took her with her on future trips.

OK, so it's a bit commercialized, complete with amusement park for the kids. A tourist attraction's gotta do what it's gotta do to say afloat, you know. 

Dinner at the Clew Bay Hotel. Delicious fresh prawn salad and beef stew, cream puffs for dessert---and off to the pub for Guinness. An upset table, and Kaaren got more Guinness than she ordered all over her jeans and shoes. Worse tragedies could occur than a Guinness bath I suppose.

Back from Ireland

Couldn't get the Wifi to work on vacation, so I'm logging the days one by one. Highlights only. I promise.

Day One - Arrived in Dublin on a rainy Monday morning at 5:30 or so. Had left beautiful sunny skies in Chicago the day before and Kaaren and I wondered: "What have we done?"

But, after a nap at Bewley's hotel in downtown Dublin, the skies cleared and we were off to County Wicklow on the bus with our 40 other tour mates. Went to St. Kevin's Monastery, est. 618, where St. Kevin, a Catholic hermit, is said to have meditated with arms outstretched for so long that a bird nested in his hand.

County Wicklow is where actor Daniel Day Lewis resides in the countryside and rides his motorcycle into the village of Roundwood to visit the local pub, and guess what? No one pays him any mind.

Went to the Abbey Tavern in Howth near Dublin in the evening for a meal of salad, chicken, vegetables, apple crumble, and, of course, Guiness, and entertained by musicians and dancers.

Thought from the hammock: Be happy with who you are, and keep making who you are better.

Music and hog roast in Shullsburg tonight. Should be fun!

Yes, 3 days 'til I'm seein' the green of Ireland!!!!!