All this, by way of an apology for having been more-or-less, 'Here Today and Gone Tomorrow", for the last few months:

Firstly, it has been a mad, crazy past few months, such that I began to believe that June would NEVER come around !

LAST year, we had the house re-roofed, only days before our departure and the associated chaos made me swear that I would NEVER -- EVER -- undertake such an ill-advised, ill-timed and idioticly intense endeaver, forevermore. 

So,  THIS year, we just completed re-piping the entire house, complete with gutting and rebuilding BOTH bathrooms !   

And, while I was intelligent enough to leave the tub, shower and other assorted plumbing duties to the hired professionals, I am too cheap, too fussy, too OCD to just let them do it all -- Sooo ... I finished the walls, re-tiled the floors AND re-wired all the electrical circuitry, 'mine own self' --   , while working around the contractor's schedule so as to not slow THEM up .

So, YEAH, I really do NEED this trip!    :

Departing MCO @ 11:57 Am on Jet Blue, Friday 12 June.  Arriving JFK @ 2:32 PM

Departing JFK on Aer Lingus @ 6:30 PM and arriving SNN @ 5:50 AM, Local Time

Renting from Dan Dooley, a Ford Focus Manual trans (or equivilent) until mid-day on 28 June for $495.28, charged in US Dollars, through their US office in New Jersey, so NO Foreign Transaction Fee!!  .  Am using a Bank of America WORLD MasterCard, and waiving the CDW and Theft Insurance.  Only charge anticipated upon arrival is a $1000 'HOLD', and the initial full tank of fuel.  We shall SEE  

Driving from SNN, more-or-less directly to Millstreet, where we have a two week, Self-Catering rental secured here:  http://www.millstreet.ie/Links/dooneen/dooneen.html

Got the place for 270 Euro per week, so 540 Euro, inclusive of heat and electricity.  It is about 3/4 of a mile from the center of town, and only a few hundred yards from the Award Winning Millstreet Train Station, so we (or just the Mrs. if she gets bored while I'm doing my research) can catch a quick train into Killarney (30 minutes), or Cork city, Cobh, or even Dublin. 

Lots to see and do in Millstreet, though:  http://www.millstreet.ie/ 

Also, I am determined to visit here:  http://www.abandonedireland.com/MountLeader.html   AND:

http://www.themodernantiquarian.com/site/11242/city_of_shrone.html#folklore


Like I said -- lots to see and do.

On Friday, 26 June, we're booked into the SAS Radisson  http://www.radissonblu.ie/cs/radisson-booking/showHotels.jsp?language=en&hotelcode=gwyza&rooms=1&adults_room1=1&children_room1=0 

in Athlone, for 109 Euro, B&B.  I've a request in for River (and therefor, Castle) view. We're FINALLY going to do the Lough Derg Scenic Drive and visit Clonmacnoice, Clonfert and Birr, enroute.  Maybe take a boat ride on the Shannon, or one of the Loughs, but PRIMARILY, we're making the journey for the 8:30 performance by John Spillane,         http://johnspillane.com/           at the Passionfruit Theater  

http://www.passionfruittheatre.com/   (20 Euro each -- Pre-paid)


Saturday, we'll make our way to Ennis and a hoped for Meet Up with Dude and the Grands.   I've booked us into the Queen's Hotel   

http://www.queenshotelennis.com/  where we scored a Special of 79 Euro (excluding breakfast.  It's next door to Cruise's Pub, so I'm hoping for some good tunes on the night -- either there, or across the street at the King's Pub.   

Flying out of SNN at 1:15 PM Sunday, arriving BOS @ 3:10 PM.  Depart there @ 8:10 PM and arrive back at MCO @ 11:11 PM.

Plan to spend the night at an as yet, undetermined hotel and then do the 2-2.5 hour drive back home on Monday AM.

Then, it's BACK to Work on Tuesday       

And back to planning Trip # 12, as well !  


Bob