Luck of the Irish?

Christian and I have returned from our trip to Ireland. It was truly a vacation that we will never forget. That being said, by all means it was probably one of the most exhausting vacations we have ever been on. I won't go into detail, but lets just say, missing a plane, being a day behind because of it, flat tire hours before we leave for Ireland, getting from Dublin's airport to our hotel while driving on the left side of the street in a monster of a car, which was a stick shift, with no street signs and everything written in Gaelic, returning the rental car because it's too big, another flat tire, this time in the middle of Ireland on the second day of our trip, the tire shop is closed till the morning, and on the flight home mechanical issues with the plane, so we were delayed over five hours.

Other than that, it was simply beautiful!

I took so many photos that I feel that easiest way to view them would be through my ever popular collage method. If you wish to see them closer up, simply click on the collage and it should enlarge.Christian wanted to visit the Guinness factory, where not only did we learn about Arthur Guinness and his 9000 year lease of 45 acres in Dublin for 45 pounds a year! (Smart move!) but Christian learned how to pour the perfect pint. Needless to say I gave Christian my ticket for my glass. We toured the Kilmainham Gaol, a prison that opened it doors in 1796 and held inmates till it closed it's doors in 1924. If it looks familiar to you, it has been used in many motion pictures.A few of the sights along the way. The big picture of the mall above was where Christian and I stopped to use the "facilities" only to learn that there is a charge of 20 cents to relieve yourself.Our tiny little car, which Christian later named the silver bullet. Castles and Cathedrals strune about Ireland's country side.This is Corkscrew Hill. It's a breath taking view from the top, but reaching the top is quite the nail biter. See the road doing a tight switch back? The roads are extremely narrow and the bus drivers are fearless. This is a dangerous combination.

Corkscrew Hill does have a great pay off though. Once you reach the top, and travel a few more kilometers, you arrive at the Cliffs of Moher! Words could hardly capture the essence of such a wonder. The wind gusts are strong enough to knock a small child off their feet. The sound of the waves crashing into the cliff side is so thunderous. Even the salt spray defies gravity, rising hundreds of feet to gently kiss your face as you gaze out into the open vast ocean. We visited the Ashford Castle which was built in 1229! This place is simply jaw dropping. It's huge, and stunning, and truly medieval engineering at it's finest!After leaving the Ashford Castle was were surprised to stumbled upon an old ruin what once was an Abby.One of the shots I'm proud of.

From the ruined Abby to the Kylemore Abby, which to this day still house the Nuns of St. Benedict. Again, the sheer beauty was astounding. Who wouldn't love to live in this setting? Kylemore Cathedral. The stone work was so delicate it looked like lace. Their working garden was a place of true peace and serenity. They grow everything from simple flowers for their table tops, to medicinal herbs, and every vegetable imaginable. This is a sport that I'm sure many of you have never heard of it. It's called Hurling. It's a tough sport with some very interesting rules. Players need to balance a tiny ball on their paddle as they run down field, then they hit the ball like I baseball either to another player who catches it and can only turn to their left in a circle, or they try to score a goal by hitting it into the net. It's very popular. We drove down to the Dingle Peninsula, which is a working fisherman's wharf. The village was so quaint that Christian and I feel in love with it, spending the entire day there.We also took a boat out into the bay, and were greeted by a local celebrity. For 26 years a dolphin has lived within bay. He resides in the small caves in the cliff side, and during the day he swims out and plays in the wake from the boats. We were lucky enough to see him.

Press the play button

One of our last stops was a visit to a limestone cave near Shannon. Crag Cave. Of course I had always heard about the lush rolling green hills, and the ocean front, but never have I heard of caves in Ireland, so I was intrigued. In a way it made me feel like I was home in Oregon.

Like I said, the trip was truly memorable. It had it's moments of frustrations, but over all the wondrous and magical spirit of Ireland took a hold of us and showed us why so many people dream of visiting.