2006- Ireland

So far, our trip to Ireland has been our favorite vacation destination. I truly loved the Irish people and their country is beautiful.

Picture overload...sorry

Day 1- Arrival- The Irish people quoted this saying to us our entire trip.


Day 2
Our first night we were in Bunratty. We went to old folk park and went to a traditional Celi (an Irish square dance ) dinner show.

Day 3
The next day we traveled to County Clare. Our first stop was The cliffs of Moher. My pictures do no justice..
We saw these people walking near the edge of the cliffs and thought they were crazy!!!
After jumping over a wall, and CRAWLING to the edge of the cliff, I realized I am one of those stupid crazy people.
Stopped at Rathbaun Farm for a little sheep shearing and scones.
Peat fires....smell kind of weird at first but i quickly got used to it.
We ended our day in Clifden. We took a very scenic walk after dinner around 10 at night...which by the picture doesn't look very late. We took the Sky Road which runs on top of the city. Me and Chadd got scared when he went up a wrong path and came face to face with some hikers in tents.
Day 4-
Kylemore Abbey- an Irish Benedictine monastery founded in 1920.

After a day of traveling, shopping and eating, we ended the day by stopping in Drumcliff on Sligo Bay to visit the grave of poet W.B.Yeats, and his wife George.
Day 5
We spent the day driving along the coast of Donegal Bay. We also stopped at the famous Belleek Factory. I wasn't too impressed as I really could care less about pottery or china. We visited Creevykeel, a court tomb. Here we are standing in the ritual pit.
I feel sorry for those who need to use the restrooms in October-April...see below for restroom sign.

Our hotel was located In Bunderan and it was beautiful.


Day 6
Traveling to Belfast, in North Ireland. Derry had alot of painted murals on the sides of buildings. Most of them are very political. There are a few that memorialize special people or events.

Depicting Bloody Sunday...
Battle of Bogside...

Sinking of the Titanic....This statue was very moving. During the Great Potatoe Famine in 1845, families had to be split up. This statue shows the father and child being separated from mother and child as they both go their separate ways to start new lives until they could meet again if possible once famine had ended.


Giants Causeway- result of weird volcanic eruptions.. But the myth that I like is that a Giant had built a walkway to Scotland to fight his enemy. The giant fell asleep and when the Scottish enemy saw that the Irish did not arrive, he crossed the bridge looking for him. To protect the Irish man, his wife laid a blanket over him so he could pretend that he was actually their baby son. When the Scottish saw how big the Irish baby was, he assumed the father to be even more gigantic. The Scottish then fled home in terror, ripping up the Causeway in case he was followed by the Irish.

Day 7
Started driving towards Dublin.
We stopped at the Boyne Valley Center where we learned all about passage graves that date around the Bronze age. These large mounds were sets for rituals and burials. Surrounding the outer mounds, megalithic art work is found on the stones. The position of the openings line up perfectly to shine light into the burial chambers during the Winter solstice so its also believed they used these mounds as calendars.


We arrived in the evening into Dublin.

Day 8
Dublin- capital of Ireland
We began the day taking a city tour of Dublin.
We went to Trinity College and viewed the Book of Kells. This is a manuscript of the four Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Created over 1000 years ago by Irish monks, the book is lavishly decorated in Latin, and is very beautiful with bright colors.We were not allowed to photograph the display.

Ireland loves their status and Dublin had their fair share.
James Joyce...
Oscar Wilde
Molly Malone....or as the Irish call her "Tart with a Cart"

That night we ended the evening at a dinner show.

Day 9
We left Dublin and headed to Kilkenny.
We stopped at a farm house in Ballyknocken and we were treated to a cooking demonstration on how to back scones....can you guess who helped cook?


Our tour group

Yep...chadd once again got volunteered to help out

The finished product...they were excellent! .....especially with fresh creme and preserves
We made it to Kilkenny. After a bite to eat, we went and checked out the Kilkenney Castle.
Day 10
Went to the Waterford Factory



NY Times Square New Years ball
Kissing the Blarney Stone

Ended the day in County Cork. We went to the last port of call for the Titanic. This was also the place where thousands of the Irish imigrated to America.


This is a statue of Annie Moore, the first Irish immigrant to be processed at Ellis Island.Day 11
Went to Garinish Island and walked around the gardens and looked at seals hanging out on the shore.


We then traveled the "Ring of Kerry".
Made it to Kilarney. That evening we went to a folk theater performance and i fell asleep through the whole thing! It was so boring. Actually, pretty much everyone on our bus fell asleep.

Day 12
We traveled on the Dingle Penuinsuala

We did a T and C for Tom Cruise. This is the site of the movie "Far and Away"
The rest of the day was our leisure in Kilarney. We went to the movies.

Day 13
Before leaving Kilarney, we took a jaunting buggy ride. It was so fun.


We ended the day in Limerick and went to Knappogue Castle for a farewell dinner.
Well, the journey had to come to an end. We spent the rest of the evening together as a group and saying good bye to everyone.


Our tour guide and bus driver.