Irish Goodbye
We didn’t really intend to “ghost” on the blog, but as this method of taking off without warning is also known as an Irish Goodbye, it turned out to be quite fitting. This blog has taken far TOO LONG to complete; it may read as such.
Mitch here... and though we’ve been back in Canada for one full year, our adventure has not ended. I may get into that later, but for now we want to recap the Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland stint of our global tour. We've been holding out for the Clam Chowder blog by the Mom's but that seems even less likely to come to fruition... So here goes our latest blog:
We arrived in rainy Belfast from Edinburgh by air and took the bus to city centre. We ran from central station to our AirBnB in the rain but strangely enough, this was the only day it rained during our two weeks on the little island in the northeast Atlantic. We were greeted with hugs and Guinness' from our moms and proceeded to catch up over a nice pasta dinner, as there was no incentive to go out and about in the downpour.
The following day, we wasted little time making the most of our three remaining days. First, we walked to the visitor centre to get hop-on, hop-off bus tickets which would take us to over 20 sights around Belfast. In hindsight, we chose the wrong bus company and for those planning to do a hop-on, you're better off choosing City Sightseeing, NOT Titanic & City Tours. Despite the 3-day ticket and more stops offered, they have half the number of busses as City Sigthseeing, which meant that when the cruise ships came in on day 3, we were S.O.L. trying to"hop-on" to see the rest of the sights.
Fortunately, the first and best "hop-off" was the Titanic museum, where we spent 3 hours of our first day and could've probably spent longer. It's an absolute must and I can confidently say for the 4 of us, it was the highlight of Belfast. On day 3, when we did finally catch another bus, we did not disembark until near home, in fear that we would get stuck at the Belfast Castle or somewhere along the Peace Lines. These are a series of gates that historically would be closed every night in communities where violence between the Irish Nationalists and the Unionists was common.
The Troubles are truly over, but the Peace Lines are some very real remnants of the low level war between those who identified as Irish and those who identified as British. From what I understand, it isn't completely fair to describe the Troubles as conflict between religious groups but the majority of of Irish Nationalists were/are Catholic whereas the Unionists were/are Protestant and it is for this reason that the conflict is often attributed to as a religious conflict. Presently, some of the gates are still closed at night but there are talks of taking many of the walls and gates down. I could go on but instead of delving too deep into it, I encourage you to read up on "The Troubles (1960's)," "The Good Friday Agreement (1998)," and "Brexit (present day)." There is a plethora of jaw-dropping material!
But I digress... back to the highlight of Belfast, the Titanic museum takes the cake and the St George's market was second, in my books. That being said, the highlight of Northern Ireland was the Giant's Causeway. The forecast is unpredictable, but we went with this day trip on our 2nd full day in Northern Ireland and couldn't have asked for better weather. Though the air was brisk through the North Channel (between Northern Ireland and Scotland), we had clear skies and great visibility. Plus, we had a stop at Bushmill's Distillery to warm up with a few Whiskey tasters.
After our fourth and final night in Belfast, we took a train to Dublin. This was the mom's second time to the Irish capital and though they spoke highly of their time downtown (specifically near Temple Bar), we stayed in a neighbourhood called Drimnagh, in the Southwest of Dublin. It was only a 20-minute bus ride to Temple Bar, but we didn't have much luck finding seats in the very popular, Darkey Kelley's, so instead settled for a pub that was showing world cup matches.
It was an early night before an early morning to kickoff our Overland Ireland Tour... The Grand Tour, to be exact.
The group was made up of 14 people (Canadians, Australians, Americans and a couple from Singapore), 2 guides (Ray & Marie) and 2 vans. It was a heck of a loop and I can honestly say that I felt completely satisfied and fulfilled with my Irish experience.
From Berlin, we headed south towards Kinsail stopping first at Rock of Cashel and then at Blarney Castle. Rock of Cashel was the first of several monuments we were to visit and it did not disappoint. Alas, due to my tardiness in this blog post, I have forgotten many of the rich details of this Medieval structure. However, I do recall the St. Patrick's Cross (replica) and its myths:
This wonderful weather was one of the reasons we didn't want to wait in line to kiss the Blarney stone. There were many other things on the grounds to check out, from the magnificent gardens to the views of the castle walls, we took in as many sights on the grounds as time allowed.
The following day, we wasted little time making the most of our three remaining days. First, we walked to the visitor centre to get hop-on, hop-off bus tickets which would take us to over 20 sights around Belfast. In hindsight, we chose the wrong bus company and for those planning to do a hop-on, you're better off choosing City Sightseeing, NOT Titanic & City Tours. Despite the 3-day ticket and more stops offered, they have half the number of busses as City Sigthseeing, which meant that when the cruise ships came in on day 3, we were S.O.L. trying to"hop-on" to see the rest of the sights.
Fortunately, the first and best "hop-off" was the Titanic museum, where we spent 3 hours of our first day and could've probably spent longer. It's an absolute must and I can confidently say for the 4 of us, it was the highlight of Belfast. On day 3, when we did finally catch another bus, we did not disembark until near home, in fear that we would get stuck at the Belfast Castle or somewhere along the Peace Lines. These are a series of gates that historically would be closed every night in communities where violence between the Irish Nationalists and the Unionists was common.
The Troubles are truly over, but the Peace Lines are some very real remnants of the low level war between those who identified as Irish and those who identified as British. From what I understand, it isn't completely fair to describe the Troubles as conflict between religious groups but the majority of of Irish Nationalists were/are Catholic whereas the Unionists were/are Protestant and it is for this reason that the conflict is often attributed to as a religious conflict. Presently, some of the gates are still closed at night but there are talks of taking many of the walls and gates down. I could go on but instead of delving too deep into it, I encourage you to read up on "The Troubles (1960's)," "The Good Friday Agreement (1998)," and "Brexit (present day)." There is a plethora of jaw-dropping material!
But I digress... back to the highlight of Belfast, the Titanic museum takes the cake and the St George's market was second, in my books. That being said, the highlight of Northern Ireland was the Giant's Causeway. The forecast is unpredictable, but we went with this day trip on our 2nd full day in Northern Ireland and couldn't have asked for better weather. Though the air was brisk through the North Channel (between Northern Ireland and Scotland), we had clear skies and great visibility. Plus, we had a stop at Bushmill's Distillery to warm up with a few Whiskey tasters.
After our fourth and final night in Belfast, we took a train to Dublin. This was the mom's second time to the Irish capital and though they spoke highly of their time downtown (specifically near Temple Bar), we stayed in a neighbourhood called Drimnagh, in the Southwest of Dublin. It was only a 20-minute bus ride to Temple Bar, but we didn't have much luck finding seats in the very popular, Darkey Kelley's, so instead settled for a pub that was showing world cup matches.
It was an early night before an early morning to kickoff our Overland Ireland Tour... The Grand Tour, to be exact.
From Berlin, we headed south towards Kinsail stopping first at Rock of Cashel and then at Blarney Castle. Rock of Cashel was the first of several monuments we were to visit and it did not disappoint. Alas, due to my tardiness in this blog post, I have forgotten many of the rich details of this Medieval structure. However, I do recall the St. Patrick's Cross (replica) and its myths:
- If one can hug the cross and touch fingertips around they shall never suffer a hangover again (Unfortunately, no one in our party was tall enough to make contact).
- If one can hop on their right foot nine times around in a counter-clockwise direction, they shall be married within a year (Bryn and I were engaged within a year but we not married until the 17th of August, 2019).
I should say that the weather was unreal with blue skies, sunshine and unusual (for Ireland) heat. It was not only like this for our first day of the tour but it was amazing for the entire week! There were reports of drought and shortages of summer clothes, which is incredibly unusual for Ireland. Apart from the first day or two in Belfast, none of us saw our rain jackets again.
This wonderful weather was one of the reasons we didn't want to wait in line to kiss the Blarney stone. There were many other things on the grounds to check out, from the magnificent gardens to the views of the castle walls, we took in as many sights on the grounds as time allowed.
Our accommodations in Kinsale were unusually nice (apparently). While we stayed in suites in a waterfront hotel, our guides slept in a docked boat in the harbour. This cute town had colourful buildings which hosted pubs, restaurants and shops. It wasn't a big area but due to the streets being formed to the original harbour shape, it proved a little tricky to navigate.
On the next day, we were to drive a portion of one of the most scenic loops in the world: The Ring of Kerry. Because of how narrow and windy it is, only one way travel is permitted in an effort to prevent tour buses or RVs from causing a jam. After taking in some views, we stopped at Inch Beach for a couple of hours. Many of us got suited up to hit the water with longboards, and though the surf was gentle, everyone was able to enjoy a wave ride or more. One our guides used a drone and go pro to capture some action shots, but alas failed to share them...
We spent the next two nights in Dingle, a charming town that lay in a small bay sheltered from the North Atlantic Ocean. The first day, we paired up in sea kayaks to meet the local dolphin, Fungie, and explore some of the dramatic cliff shoreline. Bryn teamed up with Alexis and not quite 20 minutes into the paddle, the two were startled when greeted by Fungie immediately in front of their boat! Fungie has been the only permanent resident dolphin since 1983. As such, the kayak rental company guarantee money back if we didn't see the dolphin. In the evenings, we carried on with the usual strolls, taking in live music, stouts or ciders and more than a couple of clam chowders. Evenings were warm and sunsets were colorful.
The Cliffs of Insanity (aka the Cliffs of Moher) was our next objective. I feel that not everyone in our group heeded the advice for serious hydration while on this "jaunt." It truly was a heatwave in Ireland and sneakily all uphill, as we continually climbed to greater views with each step on a day when we couldn't have asked for better visibility.
More cliffs were on the itinerary for the next day. After the ferry ride, we rented bicycles and proceeded to pedal ourselves across to the easternmost edge of the rock. Even with a flat tire to set ourselves back by nearly an hour, we were able to make it across and have time for a dip in the ocean (via beach not cliff).
We spent only one night in Galway but we arrived early enough on the first day that we were able to fit in a guided tour AND have free time! Having done so many activities in the past few days we mostly used this free time to hang out at our accommodation, trying to stay cool while watching some World Cup soccer/football.
Our last night of the tour was spent in Westport, which if I am not mistaken, served the best clam chowder of the week. Following supper, we found a pub with live music and quenched our thirsts until the night grew dark.
Fortunately, the final day (June 30) was more than just driving back to Dublin. We stopped at Clough Patrick, named after the "Apostle of Ireland," Saint Patrick. Atop the holiest mountain of Ireland sits a sizable chapel, which normally attracts hundreds of thousands of pilgrims each year.
Bryn and I muscled our way up and down the slightly treacherous slope reasonable time. It's hard to believe that many pilgrims climb this barefooted! Parts of the trail were steep pitched on loose shale while other parts were nothing more than a washed-out goat trail.
Apparently, while we were hiking, others were discussing the likelihood that we would descend engaged... Sorry to say, this was not so BUT, as the first female on the tour to make it to the chapel, Bryn won a lovely "Overland Ireland" t-shirt!
The drive back to Dublin seemed quick, as most of us nodded off. Some of the group had continued onto Northern Ireland to round of the tour as a 10-day venture instead of just 1 week.
As we settled into our East Wall accommodation, we made plans for how to celebrate Canada Day in Ireland.
Though, I really did want to visit the Guinness Brewery, I also wanted to meet up with a former Wellingtonian, Tony, who had been living and working in Ireland with his girlfriend, Jen. We agreed to meet at Croke Park to watch a semi-final Hurling match. Hurling might be described as a combination of several more familiar sports, played on a grass pitch, but it is truly unique AND truly amateur. Many of these elite athletes are also stocking the shelves or packaging fish at one of the local markets, so they have a level of pride not always seen in professional leagues.
The game was greatly entertaining but ultimately ended as a draw to be played again next weekend.
While the moms secured a table at their favourite pub in all of Ireland, Bryn and I joined Tony and company for a few drinks not far from the stadium before hoofing it to temple bar (an area highly concentrated with pubs in Dublin). Bernadette and Judy fended off the crowds while we navigated our way through masses of people in the street, over a bridge and finally into Darkey Kelly's, to enjoy Irish sing-a-longs and cold Guinness!
Since it has taken us so long to put together, I have some fond memories of being out at the pubs with the folks on the tour, staying in a wide variety bed and breakfasts, but I am not certain where they fit in on the timeline.
- funky pub with old packaging
- pilot paying for
- Marie
- breakfasts
- beaches (not all for swimming/surfing)
- lamb
- Murphy stout on tap
- bugging the Moms to write a chowder blog
- black velvet band
We arrived in Kelowna on July 2, 2018; drove to Prince George on July 5 to get our belongings out of storage; and started our new physiotherapy jobs in Kamloops on July 9.
Since then, we have adopted (paid heaps for) an amazing Goldendoodle, named Millie; gotten engaged; bought a house; and are now social distancing, as Bryn grows a baby. We've taken on many projects to keep ourselves occupied during this global pandemic, one being the completion of this blog, as suggested by Bern.
What a wonderful trip and once we are able to explore this amazing world, I'd suggest exploring a couple of weeks in Ireland.
We spent the next two nights in Dingle, a charming town that lay in a small bay sheltered from the North Atlantic Ocean. The first day, we paired up in sea kayaks to meet the local dolphin, Fungie, and explore some of the dramatic cliff shoreline. Bryn teamed up with Alexis and not quite 20 minutes into the paddle, the two were startled when greeted by Fungie immediately in front of their boat! Fungie has been the only permanent resident dolphin since 1983. As such, the kayak rental company guarantee money back if we didn't see the dolphin. In the evenings, we carried on with the usual strolls, taking in live music, stouts or ciders and more than a couple of clam chowders. Evenings were warm and sunsets were colorful.
The Cliffs of Insanity (aka the Cliffs of Moher) was our next objective. I feel that not everyone in our group heeded the advice for serious hydration while on this "jaunt." It truly was a heatwave in Ireland and sneakily all uphill, as we continually climbed to greater views with each step on a day when we couldn't have asked for better visibility.
More cliffs were on the itinerary for the next day. After the ferry ride, we rented bicycles and proceeded to pedal ourselves across to the easternmost edge of the rock. Even with a flat tire to set ourselves back by nearly an hour, we were able to make it across and have time for a dip in the ocean (via beach not cliff).
We spent only one night in Galway but we arrived early enough on the first day that we were able to fit in a guided tour AND have free time! Having done so many activities in the past few days we mostly used this free time to hang out at our accommodation, trying to stay cool while watching some World Cup soccer/football.
Our last night of the tour was spent in Westport, which if I am not mistaken, served the best clam chowder of the week. Following supper, we found a pub with live music and quenched our thirsts until the night grew dark.
Fortunately, the final day (June 30) was more than just driving back to Dublin. We stopped at Clough Patrick, named after the "Apostle of Ireland," Saint Patrick. Atop the holiest mountain of Ireland sits a sizable chapel, which normally attracts hundreds of thousands of pilgrims each year.
Bryn and I muscled our way up and down the slightly treacherous slope reasonable time. It's hard to believe that many pilgrims climb this barefooted! Parts of the trail were steep pitched on loose shale while other parts were nothing more than a washed-out goat trail.
Apparently, while we were hiking, others were discussing the likelihood that we would descend engaged... Sorry to say, this was not so BUT, as the first female on the tour to make it to the chapel, Bryn won a lovely "Overland Ireland" t-shirt!
The drive back to Dublin seemed quick, as most of us nodded off. Some of the group had continued onto Northern Ireland to round of the tour as a 10-day venture instead of just 1 week.
As we settled into our East Wall accommodation, we made plans for how to celebrate Canada Day in Ireland.
Though, I really did want to visit the Guinness Brewery, I also wanted to meet up with a former Wellingtonian, Tony, who had been living and working in Ireland with his girlfriend, Jen. We agreed to meet at Croke Park to watch a semi-final Hurling match. Hurling might be described as a combination of several more familiar sports, played on a grass pitch, but it is truly unique AND truly amateur. Many of these elite athletes are also stocking the shelves or packaging fish at one of the local markets, so they have a level of pride not always seen in professional leagues.
The game was greatly entertaining but ultimately ended as a draw to be played again next weekend.
While the moms secured a table at their favourite pub in all of Ireland, Bryn and I joined Tony and company for a few drinks not far from the stadium before hoofing it to temple bar (an area highly concentrated with pubs in Dublin). Bernadette and Judy fended off the crowds while we navigated our way through masses of people in the street, over a bridge and finally into Darkey Kelly's, to enjoy Irish sing-a-longs and cold Guinness!
Since it has taken us so long to put together, I have some fond memories of being out at the pubs with the folks on the tour, staying in a wide variety bed and breakfasts, but I am not certain where they fit in on the timeline.
- funky pub with old packaging
- pilot paying for
- Marie
- breakfasts
- beaches (not all for swimming/surfing)
- lamb
- Murphy stout on tap
- bugging the Moms to write a chowder blog
- black velvet band
We arrived in Kelowna on July 2, 2018; drove to Prince George on July 5 to get our belongings out of storage; and started our new physiotherapy jobs in Kamloops on July 9.
Since then, we have adopted (paid heaps for) an amazing Goldendoodle, named Millie; gotten engaged; bought a house; and are now social distancing, as Bryn grows a baby. We've taken on many projects to keep ourselves occupied during this global pandemic, one being the completion of this blog, as suggested by Bern.
What a wonderful trip and once we are able to explore this amazing world, I'd suggest exploring a couple of weeks in Ireland.
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