Ireland in the Fall

Our Final Day

Fri, 3 Nov 2006 00:00:00 -0500

We were blessed with more blue sky mild weather on our final day in the Co. Clare area. We used the day to do some last-minute errands and shopping, visiting Ennis and ending up at the Shannon Great Southern Airport hotel so we would be poised for an early flight home on Saturday morning. Our photos today recall some of the highlights of staying at Dromoland Castle -- from left, top, John at dinner, fresh fruit at the breakfast buffet, an assortment of Irish cheeses and pastries; second row, from left, one of the suits of armor in the reception area, the harpist playing in the dining room, and a final photo of me with our car, preparing to depart.
Thanks for following our Blog - do hope you enjoyed it!

Co. Clare

Thu, 2 Nov 2006 12:10:46 -0500

It is a very special treat to spend two days and nights at Dromoland Castle and we are savoring every moment of it, thanks to the bonus of beautiful sunny weather. The photos above show the castle entrance and the two of us standing outside of our room window. The photo lower left shows the view from the side of the castle overlooking the golf course and lake. Today was so lovely that the lake was like glass - showing reflections of the trees in its waters.
In the afternoon, we did a quick tour of West Clare and checked on the progress of the Cliffs of Moher visitor centre (photo bottom, left) and saw Doolin’s newest hotel, The Hotel Doolin (photos bottom center and right). The exterior of the hotel is like a village street, with various shops including a tourist office, and the upper level is devoted to guest rooms. The public areas, like the lobby below, are very modern. Full reports will follow on my main web site after we return home.

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Dingle to Clare

Wed, 1 Nov 2006 00:00:00 -0500

Another gorgeous spring-like day, with temperatures in the high 50’s and clear blue skies. We snapped some photos along our route, to take advantage of the fine weather - (top row, from left) the famous South Pole Inn at Annascaul, and two scenes along N 86 between Dingle and Tralee on the north side of the DIngle Peninsula.
After driving through Tralee, we approached Castleisland and a major slow-down in traffic. As we wended our way slowly into the town, we saw the reason for the congestion - a major Horse Fair (on All Saints Day) right in the center of the town. John snapped the four photos (bottom row) from his passenger side of the car, to share the fair with you. There was music and great camaraderie on the streets, and we regretted that we had to move on. It is an annual event well worth planning to attend on a future visit, but for today, it was an unexpected surprise for us.
Once we got through the town (and it took over an hour!), we moved with no delays via Newcastlewest and Adare to Limerick and then on to Newmarket-on-Fergus for check in to Dromoland Castle. We had been scheduled to stay at the castle last year but had to cancel due to my prolonged illness. Now, at last, after a year, we are at Dromoland - and in beautiful weather!

Hallowe’en in Dingle

Tue, 31 Oct 2006 00:00:00 -0500

We spent Hallowe’en in glorious sunshine and blue skies, driving over the Connor Pass, up to Brandon Point, and other Dingle Peninsula favorites, as well as spending time in the town (including doing our laundry at the local launderette, a much-needed task). The photos above (top right and left) show Main Street, Dingle, and a view of Dingle from the harbour.
In the evening, we had dinner at a local restaurant (Fenton’s) which had rarely-offered choices on its “value menu” including fresh oysters as an appetizer and rack of lamb as a main course. But the highlight was seeing all the local Dingle children coming in, dressed in their Hallowe’en costumes, and asking “trick or treat.” I took the three photos above (lower row) to share a taste of an Irish Hallowe’en with you.

Dingle Town & Peninsula

Mon, 30 Oct 2006 00:00:00 -0500

After our tour, we treated ourselves to three days at Greenmount House in Dingle Town (photo upper left). It is a top class guesthouse, set high on a hillside overlooking the town (see the view from our bedroom window (photo, upper right). The owners, Mary and John Curran (photo lower left), serve the most scrumptious and varied home-cooked breakfasts in the country - they have won dozens of awards. There barely is enough room on their walls for all of the award plaques! Our two remaining photos above show Mary’s prize winning scones, and part of the breakfast buffet.
The day’s weather was mixed, with some cloud and sun, and we traveled out to Slea Head and Ballyferriter, but spent most of our time walking the streets to Dingle to see new shops, restaurants, and more, etc.
The photo collage below shows some of the interesting and varied shopfronts of Dingle Town:

More of Dingle to come...

Killarney to Shannon & Home for Our Group

Sun, 29 Oct 2006 11:59:38 -0500

It was a cloudy morning but it was sunny on our bus as we drove from Killarney to Shannon. We reminisced and recalled all of the places we saw and things we did during the past week, and Pat Hanrahan, our CIE Tours driver/guide, sang ‘Danny Boy” as a parting song. Our picture above shows our entire group, assembled on the steps of the Great Southern Hotel in Killarney.
After the group departed from Shannon, John and I rented a Dan Dooley car and headed back south to DIngle Town on the DIngle Peninsula. The skies cleared occasionally, to give us a hint of sun for most of the route. It was an easy drive, on a holiday weekend Sunday with light commercial traffic (no trucks!) and we arrived in DIngle in just over three hours, with no stops. Now we are settling in to Greenmount House and hope to explore the peninsula for the next three days. Right now, we are really tired after a very busy and enjoyable week with a busload of great people. Thanks to all of you who have posted “Comments” on this Blog - and please continue to do so, as we travel around now on our own for the next week.
In case anyone wonders what our CIE Tours bus looked like, the photo below shows our tour bus which was a most comfortable way to travel around Ireland. Incidentally, the bus costs 250,000 euro and is a 2006 model. Only the best will do for our tours! We’ll have more in a few days....

Killarney, Kenmare and a mini-Ring of Kerry

Sat, 28 Oct 2006 12:08:37 -0400

Our weather today was a typically Irish day - cloudy with a few showers and a few peaks of sun. The remarkable thing is that it is very warm for October - temps in the low 60’s and calm. Really good weather for driving around and especially for walking around the two delightful towns of Kenmare and Killarney. We also stopped to see (and take pictures of) the most scenic points in the Killarney area - Aghadoe Heights, the Gap of Dunloe, Molls Gap, and Ladies View.
As usual, our photos tell it all. Above from left top: Laurel & Bill Zona of NY at Aghadoe Heights; Wally McDonald finds a police badge from his hometown of Cazenovia NY at Moriarty’s shop near the Gap of Dunloe; Mike Hammond & Lee Martin shop at Moriarty’s; second row, from left: some of our men congregate outside of Moriarty’s while the women shop; Tracey Costello of NY send an email home at the Kenmare Post Office; our driver/guide Pat Hanrahan takes photos of our tour members at Ladies View.
More photos below: from top left, Mike & Eileen Curran of NH at Ladies View; Rosalie Reass and Mary Lang, both of of NY, focus their cameras at Ladies View; and Madeline Dickerson and Theresa Dillon, both of NY, pose at Ladies View. Remaining photos (in lower row) show scenes from our finale dinner/entertainment at Kate Kearney’s Cottage:

Adare via Blarney to Killarney

Fri, 27 Oct 2006 15:57:36 -0400

A rainy morning greeted us as we set out from Adare to Blarney, but weather was just cloudy as we visited the Blarney Stone and Blarney Woollen Mills - for shopping at their Annual Sale. The drive from Cork to Kerry over the mountains was ominously rainy, but as soon as we approached Killarney, the blue skies returned on the horizon. Our photos report on a great day - (top (from left) shopping at Blarney - Richard and Jeanine David from NY, Paula & Sarah Colley from MO and IA, and Theresa Dillon of NY browses the gardening books. Second row, from left, the “six friends” from NY - the Tracys, McDonalds and Carrolls enjoy an outdoor lunch at Blarney; Madeleine Egan of SC and Mary Robinson of FL admire the roses at Muckross House gardens; and John Egan of SC and Laurel & Bill Zona of NY pose in the gardens.
Below (left and center) we see scenes from our horse-drawn jaunting car rides in Killarney, and (right) John & Carol O’Hagan of NY celebrate their 44th wedding anniverary.

Drumcolliher, Adare & Bunratty

Thu, 26 Oct 2006 13:46:48 -0400

A beautiful sunny day greeted us today and stayed with us throughout our travels - first to the Irish Dresden Factory at Drumcolliher, then to the village of Adare, and finally to Bunratty Castle & Folk Park. Our pictures tell the rest - Top row, visit to the Irish Dresden factory, from left, Sabine Saar explains the pottery process to Marie Smith of CA and Rosalie Reass of NY; Mary Dodig of NY watches the painter; Joe Tracy and Mike Hammond of NY and Mike Curran of NH follow the pottery process. Bottom row, Laurel & Bill Zona check their email at the Adare Library; the “four friends” at an Adare cottage - Joan Bornkessel of CO, Mary Timm of NY, Pat Locker of NY, and Barbara Bontempo of CO; and Mary and Charlie Robinson of FL at St. John’s Castle, Limerick City.

From left, above, two sets of Mothers/Daughters at King John’s Castle, Limerick - Sarah & Paula Colley from IA and MO and Tracy Costello and Eileen Kitson from NY; Madeleine & John Egan of SC at a Bunratty cottage; Mike & Eileen Curran of NH at Bunratty Castle; Sal Mastropaolo, Marco Paolillo, Roe & Anna Mastropaolo of NY at Bunratty Folk Park; Sal Mastropaolo of NY and John O’Hagan of NY at Bunratty Folk Park with farmyard friends, a rooster and chicken; Rhoda Gough of NY and Carol O’Hagan of NY take a photo of the thatcher; and our driver/guide Pat Hanrahan met at the end of the day by his wife Jackie and son Gearoid.
We welcomed all the Blog “Comments” and read them aloud on the bus - so please keep them coming!

Galway to Adare

Wed, 25 Oct 2006 13:29:50 -0400

Today was a “typical Irish day” - plenty of cloud and rain! But there was “sunshine” on our coach (thanks to the good humor and singing of our driver/guide, Pat Hanrahan) and at the many indoor stops we made with lots of fun activities. Our pictures recount our story. From left, top, Marco Paolillo and Roe Mastropaolo of NY at Dun Guiare Castle, Kinvara; Madeline Dickerson and Theresa Dillon of NY enjoying tea & scones at Whitethorn, Ballyvaughan; (bottom) Bruce Lague of CA taking a photo in the Burren; and Madeleine & John Egan of SC at the Corkscrew Hill. Photos below (from left): Jimmie & Marie Smith of CA shop at the Cliffs of Moher; Rhoda Gough and Marge Miller of NY enjoy a snack on the bus; (bottom) Paula & Sarah Colley from MO and IA test the seats on board the flying boat at Foynes: and Bill Stewart and Mary Lang of NY join (seated) John and Carol O’Hagan of NY for an Irish Coffee at the Foynes Flying Boat Museum.

Connemara

Tue, 24 Oct 2006 13:11:42 -0400

A bright and sunny morning greeted us as we set out from Galway City into Connemara. Our photos tell the story of our day as it unfolded over the awesome Connemara mountain, lake and bogland scenery - a mixture of sun, clouds, rain and a rainbow! Photos are (from left, top) four “old friends” reunited - Joan Bornkessel of CO, Mary Timm of NY, Barbara Bontempo of CO, and Pat Locker of NY; and a pose at Kylemore Abbey for Eileen and Mike Curran of NH and Lee Martin and Mike Hammond of NY; bottom row, on board the catamaran cruise for Charlie Robinson of FL, Mike and Laurel Zona of NY; photographers Mary Lang of NY and Mary Dodig of NY at Leenane; and Richard and Jeanine David of NY at the Maam Valley.
We were all delighted by the many “Comments” posted on this Blog and we read out the messages for all on the bus. Please keep them coming!

From Shannon to Galway City

Mon, 23 Oct 2006 11:19:44 -0400

Much to the surprise of the national weatherman who had predicted rain, today got off to a dry start, to greet our arriving passengers, even though it was still dark at around 7 a.m. when our three flights (from New York, Boston and Atlanta) all landed within a half-hour of each other. We rounded everyone up quickly and drove over to the Great Southern Hotel for a full Irish breakfast. By 9:30 a.m., we set out in bright sun and blue skies for Galway, arriving by 11 a.m. Since the weather was so favorable, we did a quick run out to Salthill to see Galway Bay (it was a real Kodak moment, with all the photographers disembarking from the bus to take pictures - see photo lower right, and non-photographers disembarking just to breathe the bracing sea air, see photo of Bernie & Kathy Carroll, Joe & Marian Tracy and Wally & Sally McDonald, upper left). We stopped at Galway Cathedral (photo upper right) for a quick visit on the way back into the city. Then we headed to the Great Southern Hotel to wait for our rooms and spend the rest of the day at leisure (see photo lower left of view from the Great Southern of Eyre Square and the city skyline).
At 4:45 p.m., we assembled in the hotel lobby and 20 of us boarded the bus for the short ride to the Cobblestone Cafe for our baking class. Kate Wright greeted us with coffee, tea or wine to settle us in as she explained the methods and ingredients for baking Irish brown bread and scones. The baking (and the aromas) were delicious. Photos below show Kate’s “hands on” baking demonstration and Sal Mastropaolo lending a hand in the stirring of the batter).

The Start of our Tour....

Sat, 23 Sep 2006 10:35:52 -0400

Today John and I arrived safely and swiftly at Shannon Airport. Our flight from New York was hastened by tail winds of 100 miles per hour which brought us in ahead of schedule. After collecting our bags and clearing customs, we went out to the Arrivals Hall, and then crossed the street over to the Great Southern Hotel. Our room was ready and we had a very good sleep. Now we are back at the airport, taking advantage of their free wireless connections.
This is the day that our 5th Annual West of Ireland Coastal Tour departs the USA for Shannon, Ireland. John and I will be waiting at Shannon tomorrow morning (October 23rd) to greet each flight arrival (some will come from New York and others will fly in from Boston, Atlanta and Los Angeles). Once we all have met in the Arrivals Hall at Shannon, we will cross the street and enjoy a “Welcome Breakfast” at the Shannon Airport Hotel. Then, we’ll board our CIE Tours motorcoach for the drive to Galway.
Each day of our tour, we will post a report of our travels, along with on-the-scene photos. Please join us every day!