Ireland Day 5...

We moved from Cork to Dingle today. We were surprized this morning with a visit from Mairtin De Cogain. For those that dont know him, he is an Irish performer that lives in the states, and is originally from Cork. I have met him several times at Paddy Malones in Jefferson City at performances sponsoed by the pub. It was nice to see him, and he was generous enough to pose for a picture with M. and I.

Dan - Missy - Mairtin

Allen was feeling a little under the weather. Along the road we remembered a traditional remedy that  might provide some relief... what can we say... we aren't doctors.

 

Nothing like a little Jameson to cure what ails ya. 

As we arrived in Dingle we decided to take a quick stop at Inch Beach for a quick photo shoot. The weather wasn't perfect beach weather, but it was beautiful either way. 

Dan selfie with M. in the background.

Had dinner at Lord Bakers. A fine restaurant in Dingle. M. noticed the disclaimer on the side of my beer bottle. I thought I'd share it with you.

I love these people.

We spent the evening at a traditional music night, and then returned to the hotel. We were tired and had been headed to bed until we realized that there was a wedding reception at the hotel. Simply put... we crashed the wedding and made some new friends.

Dingle day 2 is looking like great fun. Keep reading and I'll keep writing.

- ND

Day 4...

Another day in Cork. Today we visited the English Market. What a cool place. The winding hallways have vendors lining the route, and they have everything you could ever want. We had a picnic planned for the afternoon, so we did some shopping to provision ourselves before driving to Fort Charles. M. and I got some wonderful prepared sandwiches and a variety of breads, cheeses and crackers.

M. at the English Market.

The rains came as we started our tour at Fort Charles, so we decided to finish the tour and head to town for a quick picnic in a park. As it turned out we found a great public square to eat and people-watch. It was perfect, and by lunch the sky had cleared.

After our picnic we drove back to Cork, and had a quick rest before meeting for dinner. M stayed in for the evening while some of the group headed out to a wonderful restaurant for dinner.

 

Elbow Lane in Cork

As has become custom, we hit a few pubs to close the evening. We hit The Castle for the second night, and again enjoyed the wonderful service and atmosphere provided by Mary and her husband.

 In the snug at The Castle

Tom and I decided to walk back to the hotel. The night was beautiful, and Tom seems to always be looking for a good picture. We did manage to get some photos, but even better we got a great story out of it.

Tom's near perfect sense of direction may have been slightly addled by some whiskey earlier in the evening. I don't say that because mine was any better, but simply because that is where our adventure started. I think I'll save the story for a post of its own because it will take some telling to get it right.

That's all for now. Keep reading and I'll keep writing.

-ND

Day 3...

We traveled from Kilkenny to Cork today. Having not been in the southern part of Ireland, I didn't know what to expect of the landscape. I'm finding it in contrast with the terrain I remember in the north. The southern part of Ireland is filled with rolling hills and farm fields. There are occasionally grazing herds of cow and sheep, but mostly farming. The harvest seems primarily to be grains. Wheat and corn typically. We traveled the longer road that routed us along the sea, and the views were incredible.

This is a shot from Charles Fort in Kinsale

In the afternoon we took a tour of the Old Jameson Distillery. I enjoyed the tour, and now have a better understanding of the distilling process. It is nice to know that a significant portion of the white oak that Jameson uses to age its whiskey is harvested in Missouri. Any time we get a shout out for the home state it's a good thing. The free samples at the end of the tour were appreciated.

The water wheel used in the Jameson grist mill.

In the evening we had dinner at a nice local restaurant. I had my first fish of the trip, and because I had neglected it for so long, I had a medley of fish options all on one plate. There was salmon, monk fish and cod all in different preparations. I enjoyed my fish with a salad and potato leek soup. All were wonderful.

As has become custom, we ended the evening with a tour of the local pubs. There are many, and we visited a few. We enjoyed some time in the snug at The Castle pub. 

More adventures are planned for day 4. Keep reading and I'll keep writing.

- ND

Day 2...

The morning weather must have known that we would have outdoor activities planned. The near perfect cloudless sky soon became gray and the rains came. This wasn't the misty rain I'm used to here, but a driving rain that wet us to our cores.

We were not deterred from our visit to the Rock of Cashel, and spent some time soaking in the ruins and the Irish rain.

 

Stone carvings at the Rock of Cashel

Ruins of the church at the Rock of Cashel.

After the Rock of Cashel we moved on to Waterford to have lunch and a tour of the Waterford Crystal manufacturing plant. The tour was very cool. We were able to walk through the plant as the craftsmen were making product, and saw all of the steps of production. I love watching things being made so it was a really exciting opportunity to see craftsmen at work.

Glass blowing and forming.

We had a nice lunch at The Reg in Waterford before heading back toward Kilkenny for our evening pub crawl. We had a lovely day, and I'm looking forward to heading to Cork tomorrow.

Thanks for reading.

-ND

Day 1 Part 2...

After a rest at the Hotel, we spent the evening in Kilkenny searching for a pint and some entertainment. We went to The Field, which is known as the keeper of the worlds largest hurley. Legend has it that the hurley was once owned by Finn MacCool. I'll leave it to the reader to decide.

M. relaxing outside The Field   

Fin MacCool's hurley (hanging from the ceiling).

We had dinner at the hotel, and enjoyed a few beverages at the hotel bar. Day one was wonderful.

Keep reading, and I'll keep posting. Much more to see and do.

-ND

Day 1 Part 1...

We had a great time on day 1. Most of the day was in Kilkenny or in transit, with the activities centered on pubs and music. Now that we have a home base for two days, we will be doing some sightseeing and of course, visiting some more pubs.

We stopped at the Irish National Stud and Gardens which was interesting and beautiful. We admired the horses and gardens, and had a coffee. After the evening in Dublin, the coffee hit the spot.

Our day began with a stop at Morrissey's. Quite an established pub, and filled with character, and characters. We stood on the sidewalk and enjoyed a quick pint before moving down the road to Kilkenny.

I'll update more as I can today. Keep reading and I'll keep posting.

-ND

Tour Pre-Party Was A Success...

We are now officially assembled as a group. Today, the last of our group arrived in Dublin. We picked them up at the airport on the way toward Kilkenny. Everyone else arrived at least a day early, and while to tour wasn't officially started, we certainly got things going.

Our Sunday evening was spent in a mini pub crawl in the vicinity of Temple Bar. Although the weather was disagreeable, M. spent a moment posing for a picture outside our first stop. (Pay no attention to the photo-bomber. It is just our guide who clearly isn't shy.)

We met some fine fellows at the Foggy Dew. Ironically, two fine Irishman named Allen and Dan spent some time with us after the Irish Football match.

Dan-Allen-Dan-Allen...

After the Foggy Dew we took a short walk to the Stags Head. A fine public house, but slightly crowded when we arrived. We had a bite to eat, and a few pints.

Before dinner we made one final stop at the Bankers Bar. The highlight of the visit was Allen belting out an Irish song. It's too much of a story to type now, but Allen rose to the occasion when challenged to sing Irish songs in an Irish bar. They didn't know who they were  challenging.

This was the best shot I got of the pub. It was late enough in the evening that I no longer was shooting scenery, more portrait stuff.

Finally, at the recommendation of Allen, we stopped in for a late dinner at a fine Italian restaurant. It was as good as described. In keeping with the consumption of beers in harmony with their surroundings, I finished the night with something different.

This morning we started touring, and I have a bunch more to post but need a quick nap before dinner. We had a nice lunch in Kilkenny today, and another music session. Perhaps I'll have an update later.

Keep reading, and I'll keep posting.  Slainte!

Dublin...

The second worst part of the adventure is over. We survived the travel from home to Dublin without incident. The flight on Aer Lingus was wonderful. There were only a few travel delays, and they made little difference due to our arrival time. Most importantly, our baggage was taking a revolving tour of the carousal as the Irish gentleman from customs stamped our visas. (How anyone is that chipper at 5:15am in the morning will always be a mystery to me) So basically we traveled completely unscathed.

Our first stop is the Trinity hotel. We are hours away from a check-in, but sitting in the lobby gives me time to write a quick post and post up a few more pics. The staff at the front desk provided M. and I with a card for a complementary breakfast. I'm sure a little food help me get some rest, but until I have a room I'm not sure I want anything to eat. I will probably pass out immediatly after eating, and me sleeping in the lobby will surely knock one star off the Trinity Hotel's rating.

 The Trinity Hotel Lobby

While we haven't officially done anythig yet, I can't help but be excited for the adventures of the next few weeks. We are going to do and see so much. To be doing everything in the company of friends just heightens an already incredible experience.

That's all for now. Keep reading and I'll keep posting.

The Adventure Begins...

Missy and I are making the long anticipated trip back to Ireland. This time we will be exploring the south of Ireland. Again the trip is under the direction of our friend and guide Allen Tatman. Unlike 2011 when he served as guide, this is a small group, and hopefully for our leader much less like herding cats.

The last time M. and I started this journey, the fine people at United Airlines caused a two day delay in our departure. This time they had us in the air only minutes after they promised. We appreciate that they are making an effort to keep their promises this time.

St. Louis to Chicago on a regional.

 

 Tucked in to the cozy cabin.

  

Hello Chicago! 

 

Thanks Air France for the Lounge.

   

Hopefully by the next post we will have arrived in Dublin. Keep looking and I'll keep posting. See you all soon.

-ND