Photos:
Our Overland Route
Takeoff from London, Heathrow (BA Concorde - lower right)
The Irish Alphabet
Dromoland Castle
February 24, 2019 ~ Shannon-Cliffs of Moher-Limerick-Dromoland
Upon arrival at Shannon Airport, we traveled via Lahinch to the Lahinch Golf Course. Lahinch comes from the Irish name for peninsula as it has water on three sides. Originally it was developed as an ideal respite for the legendary “Black Watch Regiment” of the British Army. Today it is considered one of the finest links courses in the world. We then stop to explore and admire the majestic Cliffs of Moher, which rise up 700 feet from the rugged Atlantic Ocean. This amazing sight will forever be etched in your mind after today. We then arrive at the very majestic Dromoland Castle. Built in the 16th century, Dromoland Castle is the ancestral seat of the O’Briens who are one of the few native Gaelic families of royal blood. We checked into the Five Star Deluxe property Dromoland Castle which offered cycling, horseback riding, fishing or leisure walks through the romantic gardens followed by a gourmet dinner in the elegant Dromoland Castle dining room.
February 25, 2019 ~ Adare-Killarney
We enjoyed a traditional Irish breakfast before traveling south to Killarney, in County Kerry, a lively hub of activity with many restaurants and singing pubs. Then, The Killarney Royal Hotel for Tea & Scones. We had a delightful walk through Killarney National Park & Muckross House Estates. Muckross House is a magnificent Victorian mansion and one of Ireland's leading stately homes. A walk through the period-furnished rooms revealed the lifestyle of the landed gentry, while in other portions of the home, we experienced the working conditions of the servants employed on the estate. The gardens are enhanced by the natural setting of the mountains and lakes of Killarney. Rolling grasslands lead to an expanse of mature rhododendrons, punctuated by boles of Scots pine. Dinner and overnight Killarney was at the five star Killarney Park Hotel.
February 26, 2019 ~ Killarney-Dingle
After breakfast, we departed for the spectacular Dingle Peninsula. The journey began with some of the most magnificent scenery in all of Ireland. The little town of Dingle is straight out of a storybook. The fishing boats in the harbor and tiny brightly painted pubs portray a time that has continued to stand still. The population of 1500 people has only 52 pubs. Worth the wait is the native seafood chowder served up at lunchtime with freshly baked brown bread. Harrington's Family Restaurant located on the main street: Strand Street, Dingle , Co Kerry ~ is famous for the best Fish & Chips: harringtonsdingle@gmail.com
The Dingle Distillery http://www.dingledistillery.ie/
is not in the business of creating megabrands. Their scale is modest, their approach to rekindle the tradition of independent distilling in Ireland. Two hundred years ago, this small island had over a hundred officially recognized distilleries; by the turn of this century there were two. When the first spirit trickled from the stills here in November 2012, it represented a milestone in the history of distilling in Ireland, and now the unique Dingle Whiskey continually matures in the mild, moist climate of Ireland’s south-west coast while those first spirits are bottled into a magnificent single malt whiskey. You can also enjoy the fruits of their labors in the form of Dingle Original Gin and Dingle Distillery Vodka.
We continued on to Slea Head. Along the way, we saw beehive-style huts, originally inhabited by 12th century monks, which overlook the rugged Blasket Islands. The awe-inspiring beauty of this particular area is unmatched. There is no other landscape in western Europe with the density and variety of archaeological monuments as found on the Dingle Peninsula. Leaving Dingle, we traveled through the small town of Tralee, made famous in song and noted for its “Rose of Tralee” Festival each year. We returned to Killarney with an overnight at The Killarney Park Hotel.
Not to be missed and famous for it's Fish & Chips is Quinlans Seafood Bar at 77 High Street, Killarney, Ireland, Tel. +353 64 662 0666. Quinlan's is unique in Ireland as it serves Fresh Fish and Shellfish from its own boats, landed daily in County Kerry. Quinlan's Killarney, tempt diners with fresh seasonal fish and seafood in a casually elegant setting. Fresh Hake, Cod, Haddock, Whiting and Plaice, from Dingle bay are available throughout the year and each day a range of specials depending on what and has been landed that morning is available.
February 27, 2019 ~ Killarney-Blarney-Cork
An Irish breakfast was followed by a leisurely departure from Killarney. Our journey took us east over the Kerry and Cork Mountains to Macroom. This is the main market town for the Gaelic speaking region to the west. Macroom Castle dates from the 13th century and was the seat of the McCarthys of Muskerry. Oliver Cromwell granted it to Admiral Sir William Penn whose namesake son spent much of his childhood here and later founded the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Then, on to the picturesque town of Blarney, is the home of Blarney Castle and the Blarney stone. According to legend, it bequeaths the “gift of eloquence” to all who kiss it. (See photo above of Bill kissing the Blarney Stone). On to the historical woolen mills or stop in Christy’s Pub for a Pint! Departing Blarney we traveled to Cork City. Driving into Cork City, we were treated to a panoramic tour before reaching our final destination, the five-star Hayfield Manor. A sanctuary in the city, the Hayfield Manor is set among two acres of park-like grounds. It offers a unique look at a bygone era with its cozy well-appointed ambiance.
February 28, 2019 ~ Thursday Cork-Cashel-Kildare-Dublin
We departed Cork after breakfast - traveling northeast. We stoped for a photo opportunity in County Tipperary at the historic Rock of Cashel. The Rock of Cashel is a stone fort poised 200 feet above the town. Built in the 5th century, it is said to be the site where St. Patrick illustrated the sacred trinity to the Kings of Munster using the modest shamrock. On through Kildare, home of the famous Irish National Stud, where horse breeding and racing is an art. Our final stop today was the 1,000-year old Dublin. The night was spent at the five-star Westbury Hotel near "pedestrianized" Grafton Street with its many shops and restaurants.
THE CLIFFS OF MOHER
The Cliffs of Moher was voted Ireland’s favorite visitor attraction in 2019, and is situated in County Clare along the wild Atlantic Way. The Cliffs of Moher have majestically faced the Atlantic for over 350 million years and their beauty is incomparable – it is Ireland’s most visited tourist attraction!
An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The Cliffs rise to 702 feet at their highest point and range for 5 miles over the Atlantic ocean. The sheer scale and dramatic impact of the cliffs never ceases to amaze and delight in equal measure
A Haven for Wildlife: The Cliffs are a special protected area (SPA) for seabirds with over 20 species represented. We welcome over 30,000 breeding pairs annually including guillemots, razorbills, kittiwakes, peregrine falcons and the ever popular cute puffins. The Cliffs are also home to many rare flora including Cat’s Eat and Sea Pink.
Burren and Cliffs of Moher Geopark: The Cliffs are part of the UNESCO Global Geopark, a special region with outstanding geology
https://www.cliffsofmoher.ie/
The Slea Head Drive
Slí Cheann Sléibhe is a circular route, forming part of the Wild Atlantic Way, beginning and ending in Dingle, that takes in a large number of attractions and stunning views on the western end of the peninsula. The route is clearly labelled by road signs throughout its length. To properly enjoy the Drive, a half-day should be set aside for the journey.
The Conor Pass is the highest mountain pass in Ireland, and provides the most dramatic and scenic way of entering or leaving Dingle. This narrow, twisting road runs between the town of Dingle and Kilmore Cross on the north side of the peninsula, where roads fork to Cloghane/Brandon or Castlegregory.
https://www.dingle-peninsula.ie/attractions-on-the-dingle-peninsula-co-kerry/outdoor-attractions/the-slea-head-drive-sli-cheann-sleibhe.html
A Word About Limericks
Limericks are short, humorous, (and frequently rude) clever, witty and funny little poems.
The limerick dates back to Ireland in the 14th century and are believed to have originated
in the old Irish town of Limerick.
A limerick is a form of verse in five-line, predominantly anapestic meter with a strict rhyme
scheme of AABBA, in which the first, second and fifth line rhyme, while the third and fourth
lines are shorter and share a different rhyme.
The limerick packs laughs anatomical
Into space that is quite economical.
But the good ones I've seen
So seldom are clean
And the clean ones so seldom are comical.
The limerick form was popularized by Edward Lear in his first Book of Nonsense (1846) and a later work, More Nonsense, Pictures, Rhymes, Botany, etc. (1872). Lear wrote 212 limericks, mostly considered nonsense literature. It was customary at the time for limericks to accompany an absurd illustration of the same subject, and for the final line of the limerick to be a variant of the first line ending in the same word, but with slight differences that create a nonsensical, circular effect.
The humor is not in the "punch line" ending but rather in the tension between meaning and its lack.
Variations:
There was a young man from Japan
Whose limericks never would scan.
And when they asked why,
He said "I do try!
But when I get to the last line I try to fit in as many words as I can."
Other parodies deliberately break the rhyme scheme, like the following example, attributed to W.S. Gilbert:
There was an old man of St. Bees,
Who was stung in the arm by a wasp,
When asked, "Does it hurt?"
He replied, "No, it doesn't,
I'm so glad it wasn't a hornet.
The British wordplay and recreational mathematics expert Leigh Mercer (1893–1977) devised the following mathematical limerick:
12 + 144 + 20 + 3 4 7 + (5 × 11) = 9 2 + 0
This is read as follows:
A dozen, a gross, and a score
Plus three times the square root of four
Divided by seven
Plus five times eleven
Is nine squared and not a bit more.
This is NOT a limerick:
There was a girl, from Boston, Mass.
Who stood in the water up to her ankles.
This will rhyme when the tide come in.
Irish Drinking Prayer
May winds blow,
And Barley grow.
May Guinness flow in rivers.
May we drink our fill,
From vat and still,
But not destroy our livers...
Slainte!
An Irish Toast
Here’s to cheating, stealing, fighting, and drinking....
If you cheat, may you cheat death.
If you steal, may you steal a woman’s heart.
If you fight, may you fight for a brother.
And if you drink, may you drink with me.
MURPHY'S LAW
* Celibacy is not hereditary.
* Beauty is only skin deep - Ugly goes to the bone.
* Never argue with a fool - People might not know the difference.
* Friends come and go - But enemies accumulate.
* The other queue always moves faster.
* Anything you try to fix will take longer and cost more than you thought.
* The chance of a slice of bread falling butter-side down is directly proportional to the cost of the carpet.
* Never sleep with anyone crazier than yourself.
* The repairman will never have seen a model quite like yours before.
* A shortcut is the longest distance between two points.
* Anything good in life is either illegal, immoral or fattening.
* The light at the end of the tunnel is the headlamp of an oncoming train.
* Murphy's Golden Rule: Whoever has the gold makes the rules.
* In order to get a load, you must first prove you don't need it.
* * * MURPHY WAS AN OPTIMIST * * *
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