ireland
° Irish Ferries ° Blarney Castle ° Killarney ° Limerick
° Tramore ° Tralee UNESCO World Heritage Sites
Quick notes. More later.
Each country we have visited has delightful characteristics found only in that country, and none more so than Ireland.
In addition to being positive that there were elves hiding under every leaf, the language itself is musical; absolutely everyone speaks with a splendid lilt so that it seems as they are singing all of the time. Until visiting Ireland, I never connected Ireland with the roots of so much of the music from the Southern United States: fiddles and clomping are right out of Ireland. All of the Irish we met were welcoming, warm and wonderful (this was also true of Japan . . . but the Japanese, of course, do not have those lilting voices).
Blarney Castle
Blarney Castle is one of the best known castles probably in all the world. It was built in 1200 AD near Cork and is now partially collapsed. Some of the castle's rooms are accessible and at the top of the castle lies the Blarney Stone. When we were in Ireland in 2004, it was still possible to climb the narrow worn steps to reach and kiss the Blarney Stone. It actually was quite moving to do so . . . both somewhat scary given the drop below, but also magical given that those who kiss the stone are given the gift of eloquence.
Dublin
Dublin is Ireland's capital, pulsing with students, residents, tourists and traffic. We did not have sufficient time to take the Literary Pub Tour, and will definitely return to do so. Excellent museums, restaurants, high-end shops, and much more. Trinity College's Old Library holds the Book of Kells which dates from the 8th century and the Book of Durrow which dates from the 7th century . . . which is also something we missed, although I have seen an exhibition of the Book of Kells in San Francisco. An exquisite and elegant piece of work.
Killarney
A sprite, vibrant small town, with attractive shops and many walking tours from the town through Ireland's incredibly beautiful countryside almost year-round. Walks range from guided to non-guided and from short and easy to long and difficult. Killarney's shopowners are enthusiastic and welcoming people. This enthusiasm is reflected in their successive awards for Ireland's Tidy Towns and Europe's Entente Florale.
Limerick
Tramore
Stayed at the lovely Majestic Hotel in Tramore, the South East's leading holiday resort. Within walking distance of the Majestic are pubs with live music, a small carnival in the park with ferris wheels, etc., and race courses. Tramore is in County Waterford, the home of Waterford Crystal. The view from the hotel is lovely. The food excellent.
Tralee
This lovely town—the largest in County Kerry— is in the shelter of Tralee Bay, with a panoramic of sea and mountains stretching to the West. It is close to the Lakes of Killarney, the exquisite Ring of Kerry, andthe Dingle Peninsula. The town has a medieval past, which is represented at the Kerry County Musuem, and it is home to the annual Rose of Tralee Festival.
I think that travel comes from some deep urge to see the world, like the urge that brings up a worm in an Irish bog to see the moon when it is full.
UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Ireland
- Archaeological Ensemble of the Bend of the Boyne (1993)
- Skellig Michael (1996)
Changes in Latitude, Changes in Attitude