Whew! It's been a busy week, and since I've been told I'm full of excuses by many people, here are some for my lack of posts: 1) We got back to the hotel very late and I was tired; 2) The only place I could connect was in the uncomfortable lobby; 3) The hotel (or B&B) had a weak connection; and 4) The hotel (I'm talking to you Tower Hotel, Derry) charged way too much for it. By that I mean they wanted reimbursed for what I feel is a right. Anyway, here we go--oldest entry first.
8/20/2011
Another Zoo
Today we went to a place called Fota Wildlife Park near Cork. Although it was the second zoo we’ve seen on this trip, all of us liked it better than Dublin Zoo. The animals seemed to be freer to roam, and while it was smaller, I think we got a better look at them here. Jason got an ostrich to follow him and flap its wings by flapping his arms at him, and it was funny to hear the gibbons hoot at the ducks and get them to honk back. It was one of the weirdest things I’ve ever heard. The most interesting part was when we were walking down the path and a woman from an Irish healthcare company (Vhi) approached and asked, “Can I ask you some questions about your medical coverage?” I said, “Yes, but as Americans I’m afraid our answers will be useless to you.” She laughed, and while the boys played with the trinkets they were giving out we all compared and contrasted the Irish and American health care systems. Fascinating!
Baby Giraffe
Ostrich and giraffes
Bison
For dinner this evening we were invited to have a traditional dinner at our distant cousin’s home. Her name is Anne Murray (not the Canadian singer), and she and her mother made us Irish ham and cabbage. It was delicious and with desert (apple pie), I was a little bloated. I think her mom spoiled the kids a bit, but since she reminded me a bit of my own grandmother, I let her do it. It was also a surprise to find out that Anne worked at the Irish (Cork County) equivalent of the DMV. I asked her if she had any spare license plates (guess what—I collect them, too), but she didn’t. Some other boys came by and showed us how they played hurling.
Knockanore Church
Cows on the family farm
Present location: 52.249954, -7.119935
8/21/2011
Beach bums
We explored the coastal and beach areas near Youghal today. We saw the Youghal lighthouse first and then a beach that the boys really enjoyed. We drove up to another beach and looked around a bit, but we had to be back early to make it to the Murray family reunion.
Youghal lighthouse--see the Irish palms?
Boys at the beach
Pappy and the boys
The reunion started at 2 pm and was held at a huge old farmhouse on a working farm. There was a lot of food and it was great. It was interesting to talk to some of our distant cousins, too.
I really liked this town. It was pretty small at about 5000 people, but there was a lot packed into it to see. Three days was just enough to see most of it, but I get the feeling we still missed something.
Present location: 52.249954, -7.119935
8/22/2011
Birthday boy
This was a long day that began with the Ring of Kerry. The scenery was incredible from the mountain peaks and along the shoreline. The only drawback was navigating the narrow roads when a huge tourbus is coming at you. I did OK, but it was a draining drive. Luckily the buses stop running about 4 pm.
Muckross House, Killarney Nat'l Park
Here we are in a jaunty cart--that's what they're called
Lake view, Killarney Nat'l Park
Coastal view, County Kerry
One of the last things we saw today was the Skellig Overlook. There were some good views of the coast and of Skellig and Puffin Islands.
Skellig overlook, County Kerry
Today is also my dad’s 71st birthday. I think he’s doing what he likes—travel and family history.
Birthday boy
Present location: 52.052068, -9.448757
8/23/2011
My dad said there is a song called “Rose of Tralee,” but since I’m not into Irish folk tunes like he is, I’ve never heard of it until now. Anyway, Tralee was the first stop today and there is a huge festival here revolving around a national beauty contest called—you guessed it—the Rose of Tralee. It’s been on TV for the past few days too, but we were here in the morning and didn’t see any of that. We did see a lot of street vendors from all over the world, including a couple from the US whose booth was called the “Mad Yanks.” I told them that I thought we were the mad Yanks, but I think they guard their name as vigorously as Disney does.
Foynes is the next town we visited today and its claim to fame is that it is home to the Flying Boat Museum. As a port town, Foynes was the final stop in the transatlantic flights from Newfoundland to Europe. It was interesting to learn about how they flew and what the plane was like compared to today’s planes. Even more interesting (to me) was the claim that it is the birthplace of Irish coffee.
Replica of the Flying Boat
Inside the plane
I'm glad they aren't flying me home!
Impressive as our last stop at the coast was, it paled compared to the Cliffs of Moher. There was a lot to see here and we got some great pictures. I only wish we’d have had more time because there were a lot of trails to get various views of the cliffs.
Cliffs of Moher
Cliffs of Moher
Tower on the cliffs
We got to Galway at about 7:00 pm and instead of the dinner at the hotel we went to a pub down the street. It started raining pretty hard when we were there. I hope it lets up for tomorrow.
Present location: 53.27606, -9.048250
8/24/2011
We took a walk around Galway this morning, but it was early (9 am) and not everything was open. It was also still raining pretty hard, so we hit the road.
Galway street
Eyre Square, Galway
Jason and Kyle at the Oscar Wide (and his brother) statue
Along the way, there was a scenic route in County Donegal and we took some pictures there. We also found out during luch today that the winner of the Rose of Tralee pageant was Tara Talbot from Australia. Turns out she's part Filipino, and when Fe hears something like that it makes her proud. Makes me feel good too, because I've always told Fe, "Olive skin makes good kin." That's when she usually punches me in the arm.
Coastal View with mansion in the left (background)
Coastal View
Another highlight on the trip today was the Beltany Stone Circle. This was built in the late Bronze Age (1400-800 BC) and was probably used in religious rituals. Although not as impressive as Stonehenge, you could touch the stones and walk within the circle.
Stone circle
Stone circle
Kyle and Jason (in his not-quite-Stone-Age hat)
After this, we crossed into Northern Ireland. There wasn’t much to it; we just crossed the River Finn and the signs changed from metric to English—no passport stamp :( . There was another change too: every town along the A5 had a Union Jack and Northern Ireland flag flying. Maybe I’m wrong, but it seemed a not-so-subtle reminder that this area was British and proud of it.
The Tower Hotel in Derry is our accommodation tonight—internet is available, but I won’t pay £8.95 (about $14.75) for one night! Who cares if they put chocolate on the pillow?!?
Derry is the only completely walled city in Ireland and I hope we get some time to explore it more tomorrow. If you are in favor of union with Great Britain, it’s called Londonderry. If you prefer to be part of the Irish republic, it’s just Derry. You can see some murals for “Free Derry” on the apartment buildings from the wall. Now I know what it feels like to step into an argument that’s about 400 years old.
Present location: 54.996106, -7.322967
8/25/2011
Today started with a morning walk on the wall around Derry. We certainly didn’t do the whole thing, but it would be a pretty good way to get around if I lived here. Once again though, not much was open, and we had to move on. I know I’ve said it before—there’s a lot of history here—I just can’t see all of it.
Cannon along the wall
Shipquay Gate
Magazine Gate
Mural
View of Derry from the wall
Next was a drive along the northern coast: Dunluce Castle (a ruin), and Giant’s Causeway. The Causeway is something the boys had been looking forward to for awhile, and I think this was the highlight of the trip for them.
Dunluce Castle
Dunluce Castle
The boys at Giant's Causeway
Giant's Causeway--Scotland is faintly visible in the background
Jason in the basalt formations
We got to our hotel in Antrim a bit earlier than we expected. Another nice hotel (my dad’s a good travel agent), with FREE internet. After surfing and checking e-mails a bit, we went to dinner in Antrim and walked around a bit. Got some ice cream and talked to the server about the town. Talking to locals is part of the fun on any vacation, but I think the Northern Irish accent is a bit harder to understand.
Present location: 54.743142, -6.233411
