Our last day in Ireland. Today our plan was to drive from the south coast up to Cork, visit Blarney castle, explore Cork city a little and then make our way back to Rosslare for the night to catch our 8:45 ferry in the morning!
Blarney Castle is one of the things you have to do if you are anywhere near cork, and if you go to Blarney Castle you of course want to kiss the legendary Blarney Stone which according to legend will endow the kisser with gift of eloquence. Yes its touristy, yes there is a line to wait in, but still a good experience. All of us of legal height kissed the stone - Kevin, Kelly, Hunter and Noah, although I am not sure the eloquence has kicked in yet...
After Blarney Castle, we decided to stop in for a short walk around downtown Cork. Here are a few nice shots but in general Kelly and I were pretty underwhelmed with Cork city. Funny enough in Cork we ran across the 'Idaho Cafe'.
After a scenic but somewhat long drive back early evening to Rosslare, we enjoyed our last dinner together on the emerald isle with the sun setting....
Today, with some sadness we left Killarney, and headed to the south coast of Ireland to the Kinsale area. I actually booked us in at a B&B hotel called the Blue Horizon near a small village called Garrettstown right on the coast. The weather continued to treat us well as the day was sunny giving us an opportunity for another beach day at the beautiful beach at Garrettstown just down the hill from where we were staying.
That evening we headed into the colorful town of Kinsale for a stroll and dinner. This is a great town just to wander around and explore the streets and shops. Although much easier to do without kids we still made our somewhat regular search for the local ice cream shop!
The Blue Horizon B&B was our stay for the night. It has spectacular views, great hosts, a bar - everything you would want. Check out the views from our room! Check out one of our favorite pics from the trip - the attempted family shot with Kelly casually holding Preston's shirt as he tries to escape.
Our day started early with a 9 am pre-booked Jarvey Ride in Killarney Park to Ross Castle with Killarney Jaunting Cars.
The Jarvey ride took us to Ross Castle on the edge of the lake inside the park.
After our jarvey ride we went and picked up some food for a picnic and headed south into the park in search of a good picnic spot. We first drove down to a place called 'Lady's view' which of course had a nice view but little picnic spots. We then drove back north and stopped at Muckross House and Gardens again still inside the park. Muckross house is a manor house on the lake that is now a public garden. We picked a nice spot on the lawn between the house and the lake.
After lunch we headed back to our hotel for Preston's afternoon nap. After waking we drop up to a high point near Aghadoe church ruins and gives great views of the lake and park:
This evening was our second date night of the trip. I had pre-booked a babysitter and the plan was to do dinner and go to a show called Celtic steps. We had a nice dinner at a restaurant called the Smoke House. From there we proceeded to the Celtic Steps show arriving just as it started. It was Irish singing, music and dancing at its finest. Highly recommended!
Before leaving Dublin today we wanted to swing by and see St. Patrick's Cathedral which was also very close to where we stayed. Being Sunday, it was not open for tours but just walking the grounds and listening to the bells was amazing.
After departing Dublin our next stop was the southwest of Ireland - specifically Killarney in County Kerry. This would be our longest drive of the trip so the car was stocked with snacks, and computers, DVD's, Ipads were fully charged. Nonetheless we were only on the road for less than 30 minutes when Abbie decided she had to go to the bathroom. No big deal - we made great time the rest of the drive and got to our next hotel by about mid afternoon. After getting settled in our rooms we headed into Killarney town to stroll around and find a place to eat.
A full day in Dublin!
We met up with the Facchini family again in the morning and went to the Dublin Zoo. Their son Rocco was also turning 4 so we celebrated his birthday with lunch & cake inside the Zoo.
Since we were in Dublin, I couldn't leave without going to the Guinness factory, so that was our outing for the afternoon after returning from the Zoo.... kids included! Your ticket includes a free pour from the bar, but only on the adult tickets:) The kids got soft drinks.
In the evening I booked a babysitter in advance for a Saturday night out. The Facchini's (Christine and Pete) were also with us for the evening. We went to the oldest pub in Ireland - The Brazen Head (dating back to 1198!) for a dinner event that included traditional Irish food, Irish storytelling and music. Kelly and I are now an expert in such topics as Irish Fary's! After dinner we walked back to the Temple Bar district and listened to live music and drank beer in an Irish Pub until it was time to relieve the babysitter at Midnight.
A great day in Dublin Ireland!
We drove into Dublin today in pouring rain but thankfully it stopped just after we arrived! Staying at a great location right in downtown Dublin. Its a really nice 3 bedroom extended stay apartment which is great for our family.
We are a 15 minute walk from the Temple Bar area of Dublin so we decided to walk down there. It was a little stressful with the kids on the narrow sidewalks and throngs of people. Here are a few photos of HaPenny Bridge, Temple Bar District, and Trinity College
Our friends, The Facchini family (also Americans living in Wales) were also going to be in Dublin at the same time at a place very near to us. Tonight we met them for dinner in the Temple Bar district. The kids all together had a great time.
After departing Wexford we made a stop at a Park area called Glendalough in the Wicklow Mountains on the way North to Dublin. There is a 5th century monastery site founded by St. Kevin! The Irish name for the site is called Gleann Da Locha meaning Glen of the Two Lakes. In the 5th century a monk named St. Kevin chose this secluded setting around a Bronze Age tomb for his home. For 7 years he fasted, prayed, and slept on the hard ground and ate only what he could catch or find. His self deprivation and fervor gained attention from passing hunters and peddlers and soon similarly devout followers found their way here.
The site is very popular and quite crowded. The guide book says to visit early or late, and I would concur. While the weather was not great, the low clouds added to the mystique of the place.
Kevin in front of St. Kevin's Church
Pictures from the grounds. There were lots o really cool old Celtic crosses in the graveyard.
Today in the morning we took the kids to the Irish National Heritage Museum, where they learned all about the history of Ireland from the stone age through medieval times.
The weather cleared in the afternoon so after Preston had a nap we headed over to a beautiful blue flag beach on the Irish Sea named Curracloe beach about 8 miles north of Wexford town.
Car is jam packed... but everyone is excited!
Here is the planned route:
After a drive to Pembroke Docks, and a Ferry Ride, we end up in Wexford Town just a short 10 miles from the port for the first couple nights
