From Kilkenny to Dublin ... and Dublin, of course
Sunday, June 29, 2025
Today, we took a day off, slept in a bit and had a late leisurely breakfast in the hotel dining room. We both had things we wanted to do today so we soon found ourselves back in our room working on various projects.
Jim was lining up the next several days of our journey, confirming hotel bookings, ensuring our rental car could remain with us until we leave Ireland. He also checked out our ferry passage to Wales next week as well as a car rental there. And, of course, a better cabin became available on the Hurtigruten, or freighter cruise down the west coast of Norway. And so he changed our booking for a larger and a better equipped cabin.
Over a lovely afternoon tea, courtesy of our hotel, I said to Jim that the work that he does to ensure happy travels for us is exactly why many people choose to work through a travel agent or find a suitable cruise. He nodded that he understood that but really liked the challenge of doing the work himself. Bravo to this man!!!
I spent the day organizing photos, updating our blog and creating the script for our travel books. I also enjoy doing all those things. So, in the end, Jim is the front-loader and I do the finishing touches. This system has worked for us for years!
Tomorrow morning, we begin our trek back to Dublin. Tomorrow night we will stay in County Kildare in a country hotel and then arrive in Dublin on Tuesday mid day. We have four nights in Dublin which will bring this phase of our holiday to an end. Then, a ferry to Wales and a new adventure begins.
Monday, June 30, 2025
Tomorrow is Canada Day. In spite of the fact that we are not at home, we will be celebrating our Canadian passports for sure. Our day started today with a wonderful conversation with two Irish women who are quite tuned into Canadian politics and were excited to speak with two Canadians about their perceptions. It was a very agreeable conversation. We were amazed at the knowledge they had. Bravo to them!!
We liked the hotel we were at in Kilkenny and thoroughly enjoyed our second and last breakfast there. The buffet was filled with delectable foods. Such choices to make early in the morning. And then we were off on our next adventure. It was quite a day!!
We reflected on the fact that we have almost circumnavigated this entire island. One more night on the road and then four days in Dublin where we began this journey. Today, we were looking forward to a few new places to see.
We started right in Kilkenny at the castle. Truthfully, we are a bit castle-weary and when we saw ten tour busses parked in front of the castle, we quickly made the decision to take some photos outside the castle and in the courtyard but not to venture inside.
We were heading to Avoca next along several narrow and winding roadways. Avoca is home of the Heritage Woolen Mill, the oldest woolen mill in operation in Ireland.
We were just about at Avoca when Jim’s phone rang. It was our hotel in Kilkenny calling to let us know that Jim had left his small suitcase behind. Oh dear … what to do?
We decided to continue our touring and then make our way to the M10 motorway to take us back to Kilkenny, the total opposite direction of our hotel tonight (reservation made and paid for).
With that in mind, we made the best of the rest of the day. The Avoca Woolen Mill was brilliantly maintained in a beautiful and natural setting. Although we were not able wait two hours to take a tour of the operation, we were able to spend substantial time in the gift shop and café, exploring the various blankets, scarves, sweaters and socks that were made in the mill. Beautiful colours and handiwork all round. Remarkably, we were disciplined enough to leave without too many items and headed on to our next stop.
The Glendalough National Park Visitor Centre is a fabulous place to learn about the monastic movement that was introduced to Ireland by St. Patrick. There were photos, models and a very informative movie about the history of monastic life. There were also walking trails that led to the remains of homes, churches and other village buildings.
From Glendalough we travelled into a narrow valley that separated two mountain ranges. The road we travelled began in the valley and gradually rose between the mountain ranges to a place where the mountains merged. The panoramas on the way up were glorious.
All colours of green were represented in the landscape as well as many grey and rusty colours in the rocks. Wildflowers abounded and as we drove higher heather in brilliant purple bloom decorated the roadsides and fields. Happily, there were several places to pull off the road to take photos or simply admire the view. The traffic was also fairly light so no pressure from behind to keep going.
From the top of the mountains we took a circuitous route along several narrow and winding roads to finally get back to the freeway for our return trip to Kilkenny. As we have said a few times, it rains every day in Ireland and today was no exception. Gentle rain fell off and on all along our route. We finally reached our destination, stopped for a short break and left again with the suitcase in hand.
We followed the same path along the motorway again as we headed back south en route to Moyvalley where we were spending the night. Once off the motorway, it felt like a long journey on narrow country roads with loads of traffic (it was about 5 pm). Frequent pull offs were required as larger vehicles, including tractors and other farm equipment occupied more than 50% of the roadway. I was very grateful to finally turn the car off for the last time today and settle into a lovely hotel situated on a stunning golf course in the middle of nowhere.
An early dinner and an evening in our room completed our day. Tomorrow, we head for Dublin with a couple of stops on the way.
Tuesday, July 1, 2025
Happy Canada Day!
We enjoyed a lovely breakfast at Moy Valley, overlooking the wide open spaces of a golf course and receiving exquisite service from the ladies who were working in the dining room. Moy Valley was somewhat more lavish than our usual accommodation and we were a bit reluctant to leave. But leave we must!!
Today we are going to complete our circle tour of Ireland, ending the day in Dublin which is where we began two weeks ago. En route, we have plans to visit two internationally renowned locations as well as enjoying more of the lush, green landscape that Ireland has to offer.
Travelling along the narrow country roads is always a combination of pure delight and pure terror. The landscape varies from totally rural agricultural land, fields of grain, herds of cattle or sheep and some well maintained woodlots. For the most part, the traffic is light which is good because the roads are so narrow and winding that it can be very difficult to see if there is oncoming traffic. And, have I mentioned that there is often no middle line marking and absolutely no shoulders. Trees and grass grow right to edge of the pavement!
Today, the roads were much busier than we have experienced over the last several days. We were on the road earlier this morning and probably were encountering work-a-day traffic. Higher speeds and busier roundabouts made the trip somewhat exciting. But what really made a difference were the number of transport trucks and farm vehicles that were hurtling down the road toward us at full speed. Of course, they knew the roads well, every bump, turn and driveway. But we did not!! We actually pulled over several times into a driveway to allow traffic to pass us, either those who were following us at our slow pace, or those who were racing toward us and we were in their way. It made for an exciting drive!!
We finally escaped the narrow, rural roads and came to a freeway. I have grown to love the freeways. Three lanes, space for everyone, and truly not crowded (except at rush hour in Dublin … but we are not there yet).
We were en route to visit the Irish National Stud farm. What a beautiful place it was. A lovely visitors’ centre, an appealing gift shop, an exquisite Japanese garden and a large café. And that was all before we saw any horses!
We registered for a tour of the equine facility and joined about 20 other people and our guide. We had no idea what was in store but we now know more about breeding horses and raising championship racers than we ever thought was possible. It was actually quite fascinating.
Did you know that all thoroughbred horses have the same birthday, regardless of when they are born. The date varies from country to country. In Ireland, it happens to be January 1.
So, if you are a breeder, you will plan to have colts born soon after January 1 so that in spite of when they were born they will all become a year older on the following January 1. The breeding season runs from March until June and there are horses whose sole role is to impregnated the mares. Four each day (you don’t want to wear them out) under very specific circumstances, including the mare’s interest in the whole operation. Of course, the mares had to be assessed in terms of readiness to breed. So a veterinarian was present to make that determination. There is one male horse, not to be used as a stud, but as a way of determining if the potential mare has any interest at all. This horse’s name was Tommy. He had to wear protective gear to ensure that nothing untoward happened while he was assessing the mare’s interest. Poor Tommy.
But if the stud was successful in impregnating the mare, his owner’s fee for this service ranges from $6000 to $12,500 per successful pregnancy.
Much more detail was provided during our tour but I have shared enough to give you the picture. And we thought we were going to see horses for their beauty. I guess the word ‘stud’ in the name of the facility should have given us a clue.
On a more personal note, I was proud of my accomplishment in that I was able to walk for over a kilometre and keep up with the group. I was using my walker but it has been a very long time since I have had the stamina to walk that distance.
So, enough about horses and studs.
We travelled on, again primarily on freeways, to our next destination, Newgrange. Newgrange is a well known ancient grave site. I am including a quote from ‘google’ that explains it better than I can. Let me set the stage by saying that this structure was built during the Neolithic Period, around 3100 BC.
“Newgrange consists of a large circular mound with an inner stone passageway and cruciform chamber. Burnt and unburnt human bones, and possible grave goods or votive offerings, were found in this chamber. The monument has a striking façade made mostly of white quartz cobblestones, and it is ringed by engraved kerbstones. Many of the larger stones of Newgrange are covered in megalithic art. The mound is also ringed by a stone circle. Some of the material that makes up the monument came from as far as the Mournes and Wicklow Mountains. There is no agreement about its purpose, but it is believed it had religious significance. It is aligned so that the rising sun on the winter solstice shines through a "roofbox" above the entrance and floods the inner chamber.”
Needless to say, it was an ‘awesome’ experience. There are several other similar gravesites in the area but the one we saw was the largest and most accessible. Once again, the visitors’ centre was amazing with its unique design and breadth of knowledge shared.
And so, we continued our journey into Dublin. Along the way we made a list of towns and villages we have seen that have the same names as towns and villages in South-Western Ontario: Donegal, Listowel, Newry, Belfast, Carlow, Donnybrook, Dundalk, Carlisle, Dungannon, and Cookstown. I am sure there are more. There are also three names that stood out to us for other reasons. First came Clara, for our granddaughter. The other two were just odd and funny Knockananna and Balbriggan.
It was rush hour and the roads were congested to say the least. It was a slow and somewhat stressful drive but we made it without incident. Thank goodness Jim is such an expert at GPS planning. We arrived at our hotel, checked in, and had dinner. Then we returned our beloved rental car to the airport and took a taxi back to town. Even the taxi driver relied on Jim’s expertise because the driver was not familiar with our hotel and tried to convince Jim that it was not where Jim said it was. Oh dear …. Finally, we made it back to our ‘home’. We are in Dublin for four days and the Hop On Hop Off bus stops right outside our hotel. Here we come, Dublin!!!
Wednesday, July 2, 2025
The day greeted us with bright sunshine and it remained that way most of the day. A couple of showers intervened but we have learned to expect that.
As planned, we hopped on the hop on hop off bus and toured the city. It was a great way to see so many sites and at least partially get our bearings about how the city is structured. We travelled past 25 different points of interest and got off the bus at St. Patrick’s Cathedral on our second time around. It was, of course, magnificent but so crowded with people that there was not an air of peace within it. We sat for a while, admiring the columns, stained glass windows and the high, high roof but we soon left as that feeling of calm and comfort was not within those walls.
Next, we switched busses and hopped onto another hop on hop off route that took us to the Docklands. It was fascinating to see and to imagine the transformation of the city from the shipbuilding and cargo loading that used to be in this area. Now it is filled with modern skyscrapers occupied by many international organizations such as Facebook, Google, META, and other innovative enterprises that have taken advantage of tax rebates and built magnificent buildings which have ultimately transformed the docklands from a rough part of town to a jewel.
Restaurants, stores, condos etc have followed and much of the wealth in Dublin is now in this area as illustrated by the top-hatted doorman awaiting a guest at this hotel.
Next on our agenda was a visit to the Guinness Factory. What an experience that was. A self-guided tour on seven floors beginning with the history from the birth of this highly successful company right through to modern day techniques, all presented through technology as we moved from floor to floor inside the main building.
One of the stops involved learning how to drink Guinness. We were each given a sample glass of the beer and then instructed how to take and savour the first sip, mainly the foam on the top. The second sip was to be swirled in your mouth to enhance the smooth feel of the beer and enjoy the smooth flavour. Only then are you supposed to enjoy the rest of the glass of beer.
We then proceeded through two more floors of information; the most interesting was the retrospective video of the Guiness advertising over the last 50 years. We did sit and enjoy the ads, especially the ones we recalled.
And then finally, Floor Seven, the floor with the amazing panoramic view around Dublin. And a full glass of Guinness to go with the view.
Overall, the tour took us about 3 ½ hours, far longer than we would have predicted when we arrived.
It was dinnertime and we headed to O’Sheas Merchant, a place highly recommended by our bus driver. Let’s just say that it was not the highlight of the day. The food was mediocre and although there was a musician, he was singing American music. I asked the server if there would be Irish music later in the evening and she said, “He is Irish.” Not what we wanted to hear.
We finished our meal and headed by taxi back to our hotel where we relaxed and enjoyed a good night’s sleep.
Thursday, July 3, 2025
I slept in this morning. I have to admit that it feels like we have been burning the candle at both ends. A bit of extra sleep helped a lot. By the time I got up, Jim had already gone to the laundry and picked up our clean clothes. What a nice way to start the day.
We had two specific things we wanted to do today. First, we had a booking at Trinity College to view the Book of Kells exhibit. We thoroughly enjoyed our stroll across the courtyard of Trinity College,
passing by so many beautiful and elegant old buildings.
The college was founded in 1592 and the buildings reflect that era. Statues of famous Brits adorn the courtyard and the architecture of the buildings is just what you would expect in an age-old university.
We entered the hallowed halls of the Book of Kells presentation and were provided with an audio companion for the self-guided tour. Being self-guided meant that we could set our own pace and stop to reflect on the various features of the book: everything from detail in the writing, hidden figures in the artwork, identifying the use of colour; and the variation in style attributed to a range of scribes involved in the book’s creation. Enlargements of various pages were hung on walls
and the description on the audio tape enlightened us to what to look for in each post. Some people hurried through this part of the tour. Jim and I took our time and immersed ourselves in the process.
Once through the elements of the tour, we were directed to another building – the actual library that houses the real Book of Kells, first published about 800 AD. It was truly awesome to be able to view a manuscript that is more than 1700 years old. It is kept in a glass box, maintained by temperature, humidity and cleanliness of the air around it. Of course, it was not possible to touch it and no photographs are permitted.
When we moved on beyond the Book of Kells, we entered the incredible library of ancient manuscripts that are preserved and protected by Trinity College.
Thousands of books, many of them centuries old, are carefully placed on shelving. Currently, the library is undergoing a major renovation to update the physical environment to better protect and prolong the life of each of these historic documents.
While the library is being updated technologically and environmentally, each book is being cleaned with very delicate equipment and embedded with an electronic code to identify each book. This will enable scholars to request specific books to use in their research and ensure that those books are not removed from this very historic and valuable collection.
It was surprising to us to see the number of visitors to the library, several hundred while we were there. In spite of the numbers of people, there was an awesome hush in the library. There was a sense of awe among all the visitors and we all maintained a respectful silence while we were in the library.
After leaving Trinity College, Jim and I paused for a coffee at a nearby cafe before moving on to our next stop. We needed some moments to digest what we had just experienced. Books, well maintained and still valuable for research after almost 2000 years. Rather breathtaking when you think about it.
Then, we hopped into a taxi to travel to the EPIC, the Irish Emigration Museum. What a fascinating place it was.
We spent about three hours there. Over several hundred years, thousands of Irish people left Ireland due to religious strife, famine, lack of available work, poverty and crimes committed. Irish people ended up all over the world, especially in other English speaking countries – Canada, United States, Australia, New Zealand and various countries in Africa. And many of those people made substantial contributions to the countries where they landed. Scholars, musicians, poets, artists, writers, philosophers, politicians, change-makers, criminals, unmarried pregnant women … the list goes on and on. The museum was divided into twenty different rooms with twenty different themes. Each room, through video, audio and still photos, told a story about the contributions that Irish immigrants made in the countries where they landed. These displays, whether visual, audio or artifacts, were excellent. The name of the museum, EPIC, is an acronym for Every Person Is Connected. Over several generations, the DNA of all these travellers have impacted many lives…. thus Every Person Is Connected.
It was late afternoon and time for a beverage and maybe an early dinner. We took a bus back to the area near Trinity College, looking for a pub that offered food and perhaps some live music. It was a challenge to find such a place at 5 pm. First of all, we learned that establishments called Bars do not serve food, just beverages. What?? So we moved on to Pubs. Pubs do serve food but not generally that early. Just beverages and snacks. We did stop at one well known place called McConnells. It was packed with people. Only one table was to be had. At least 100 people were standing in an alleyway or on the street with a drink in hand. But no food was on offer. Jim scouted out two more places but no food was available at either one.
So we found a place a block down the street that was not a bar but a pub and it was serving food. What a find it was!! It was crowded with happy, friendly and boisterous people. The service was exceptional, the food was delicious, the drinks were interesting and there was music, although the live music did not start until 10 pm. We were long home by that time.
After a leisurely and fun-filled meal, we hopped into a waiting taxi and were happy to arrive at ‘home’. Tomorrow is a new day, our last day in Dublin and in Ireland. I wonder what is on offer for us.
Friday, July 4, 2025
So far the day has been slow and quiet. When this happens, it is because we are tired ... and both have things to attend to. Jim is working on our plans for Wales. Our ferry tomorrow has been merged with a second ferry which will likely impact where we are going to be sitting. Also, the weather forecast is a bit grim. So, a rugged sea is predicted. And I am plugging away with words and photos - blog and photo books. We also have to pack our things into the suitcases. No more car space where we can spread out.
Two things are planned for this afternoon and evening. We cannot leave Dublin without visiting one of the many whiskey distilleries that are in this city. There is a large facility right across the street so that is probably where we will go. And for the evening, including dinner, we are going to a Celtic Dance presentation. A great way to finish our adventure in Dublin.
The tour of the Teeling Distillery was excellent. A very personable and knowledgeable guide named Marc provided a brief history of the Teeling Distillery. It was the first distillery that opened in Dublin in the mid 1700's. Several other distilleries followed it and made Dublin the largest producer of whiskey in the world. Time passed and the bubble burst and gradually all the distilleries closed, mainly influences by prohibition and famine.
But the Teeling family did not give up. Once again in 1987, descendants of the original Teeling, opened another distillery in what is known as the Liberties, a very specific triangular section of the city. Since then, several other distilleries have also opened their doors and more whiskey is produced in this area than anywhere else in the world.
The Teeling DIstillery uses a unique approach to whiskey production, by distilling the beverages three times and then aging them in previously used wine barrels, giving a variety of subtle flavour differences among the whiskeys they produce.
At the end of the tour there was a whiskey tasting, of course, and we got to sample some of the original flavours that the Teeling company produces.
Also, not surprisingly, there was a large 'gift shop', where it was possible to purchase any flavour in any size as a souvenir. We declined the opportunity as it is far too heavy to carry home. I wonder if the LCBO carries the Teeling brand.
After a quick stop at our hotel, we were off to another event. The Celtic Musicians and Dancers put on a show every night at a hotel in the middle of Dublin. We arrived at 6 pm but had to wait until 6:30 to be seated. Soon after we were at a table, our dinner began to appear. First course was an appetizer. I had a serving of prawn salad served with mixed leaves and porter bread.
Jim had something called Celtic black pudding salad with crumbed goat cheese and baked parmaham on a bed with mixed leaves, croutons and onion jam with apple and balsamic dressing.
Moving on to main course, we both chose 24 hour braised beef, a Guinness hotpot served with vegetable and Guinness broth, roast garlic mash, horseradish cream and parsnip crisps on top.
Dessert included the Arlington Assiette trio of desserts: strawberry cheesecake, Bailey's cheesecake, and Guinness mousse. Neither of us added alcohol to our menu. The evening was expensive enough without adding more.
We were seated with other people and engaged in some pleasant conversation until the actual show began at 8 pm. There were several hundred people at this event, from all around the world. It was quite an international crowd. We happened to be sitting beside a mother and daughter from Toronto ... and guess what? The daughter lives only two blocks away from Iain and Elaine and her children attend the same school that Harlow will go to in September. You talk about a small world!!
Finally, the music began. Five men playing a range of instruments kicked off the entertainment. These included a guitar, a banjo, a Gaelic bodhran drum, a high-pitched flute and another instrument we could not identify. They certainly played authentic Celtic music. It was fun to listen to but hard to sit still for. Finally, the dancers came on stage - two young men and two young women, all tall, straight and extremely fit. They performed several dances, each in a different costume. Their speed, highstepping and synchronicity was quite amazing.
They had several members of the audience come up and dance with them. It was quite funny to see the variable success of those brave people. The show ended about 10 pm and we were ready to head for home. Another long and busy day had come to an end and we still had to pack our suitcases and leave the hotel at 6:15 am the next morning. Travelling can be very tiring.
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