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Post Info TOPIC: Irish Spring: Mar/April 2011


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Irish Spring: Mar/April 2011


We arrived back in Porland Oregon about 10:15 PM after a wonderful 2 weeks in Ireland.  This part of the trip report will be just some thoughts about the trip and Ireland in general while it is still fresh in my mind.

The Rhodys, primroses,  spring pansies,  and especially the daffodils were in full bloom every where we went.smile  Of course there was an abundance of the yellow flowered evergreen bushes that we call "scotch broom".  The low land areas were really green, and the higher elevation was brownish.  They reported the coldest winter in 60 years, and many plants and shrubs that usually survive a normal Irish winter did not.

The  state of the Irish economy was the most noticeable aspect of this trip...for me anyway.  I guess I am somewhat sensitive to this issue, as we have been through it in our tourism dependant business here in the Pacific Northwest.  And now, with gas prices at $4.00/gallon here, and maybe going higher, we are very concerned with the impact on our business this summer.  In Ireland, the gas price for us averaged 1.49 Euros/litre.  This computes to 8.15/gallon in US dollars if I figured it correctly.  The impact of the price of gas in Ireland isn't as big an issue as such....the cars get very good milage, and it is a relatively small country compared to ours.  The bigger impact for them is the state of the US economy and how it has reduced the numbers of visitors.  Kenmare, for example has 70% of it's visitors from North America, and they have been esp. hard hit.  It has been a very slow winter and shoulder season for them as well as most of the rest of Ireland, in terms of U.S. and British tourists.  They are, however cautiously optomistic as the bookings for mid May on thru June and then into the summer are looking very promising according to those I talked to.  

The B&B owner/operators that I visited with are  holding their own.  They say that many B&B who are not as well established, or are in a less desirable location aren't faring so good.  The 3 B&B owners I visited with are doing ok...but are having to work harder to maintain their profit margins.  Many would have hired part time help in better times, and now are working longer hours and doing it all themselves.

Of course the impact is closure of some businesses.  I noticed some pubs in Kenmare that I am pretty sure were open 5 years ago, now closed.  Some pubs have discontinued food.  Some restaurants were still on their winter schedule....only open Thurs-Sunday.  It is all about volume of customers vrs. labor costs.  While lodging is less expensive due to the recession, food prices at pubs and restaurants didn't appear to me to be lower.  It seems to me that pub grub is actually 1-3 Euros higher now than in 09 when we were there.  As for fine dining, it is rather expensive.  About the best you can do on early-bird menus is 20 Euros for a 2 course, and 25 Euros for a 3 course, and regular menu prices in the 25 to 30 Euro range not uncommon.  Maybe I didn't research this as much because we usually opt for pub grub.  We did just 1 mid-high range meal in 14 days.

The car rental worked out great (so far...I haven't gotten my credit card bill yet!)  I had prepaid for a Hertz 4-door midsize Opel Vectra Manual transmission.  We opted for CDW but no SCDW.  Instead, I got a excess insurance thru insurance4carhire.com for about $80.00.  They did let me know there would be a 1600 Euro hold on my card.  We had no mishaps, and when we turned the car in, he looked it over and printed out a slip from his hand-held device that said we owed "0" and handed it to me.  I had to ask for my original paper work 3 times before he reluctantly gave it back.  When we got the car, we were able to present our pre-paid voucher  at the regular Hertz counter, and no high pressure from the agent, except to offer us a automatic for 12 Euros a day more.  I told him that I could manage quite well with a manual, since the first 3 vehicles I owned were manual and I had driven over 500,000 miles!  He seemed shocked that I wasn't willing to take him up on his offer....guess it would have been a good deal, since many have stated that an automatic is almost double the cost of a manual in most cases.  I was convinced the the standard would get better fuel economy.  We ended up driven 1,404 K. in eleven days.  More time and miles than I wanted, but part of that was due to the self cater, and going out on day trips from there.

We didn't fare well with traditional music.cry  Too tired in Dublin to stay out late enough or travel far enough to find it.  Should have gone to Cobblestone the 2nd night.  Kilkenny was just ok...a couple of guys playing guitar and banjo in Kytelers.  Of course, we knew ahead of time that our 7 nights in Millstreet would yield no music, and wasn't willing to drive very far after a pint or 2.  In Kenmare, found only 1 place, Foley's the 1st night....a soloist on guitar, but had some great vocals.  The 2nd night (Fri.) nothing.  Then the last night in Bunratty, we weren't willing to stay out that late due to getting rested up for 2 long haul flights the next day.

Over all a good trip....no broken bones this time!smile  The other couple we traveled with was great....we got along well, and pretty sure we would, since we have been friends for years.  The cost of the rental car and self cater was split equally, so that made the trip more economical.

Will start my day by day report after my head clears and I get caught up with everything after being away for 2 weeks.....stay tuned!   Dan 



-- Edited by murphy on Tuesday 12th of April 2011 12:38:06 AM

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Welcome Back, Dan!

I am glad to hear that the blooms were out for you. It can be hit or miss in late MArch and early April.

It is definitely more difficult to find the Trad music in the off-season.

Yes, the economic downturn is rough on business in Ireland. I have noticed a larger number of busineses & lodgings up for sale than I have in other years.

Looking forward to the rest of your reports!

Slan Beo,

Bit



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Dan,

Thanks for starting your trip report. We are looking forward to the rest. Guess we shouldn't complain here about the petrol prices. But our cars don't seem to get the good gas mileage that the ones over there do. Wonder why? I guess Americans want their bigger is better vehicles.

Trad is always "hit or miss" especially early on. So are restaurant openings. I emailed a restaurant recently in Kenmare to see if they were doing lunch in another month or so and they replied "depends on if anyone is around."
So it is subject to circumstances.

Michele



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Michele,

It is a dilemma for both the tourist and the tourism businesses. Here in our area, the business people say they aren't open normal hours because there are no tourists. The tourist say they aren't coming, because no one is open! So it can be a "catch 22" Guess it is just a symptom of the times with the recession and all. Some positive news on the global economic and political fronts would go a long way toward some optimism for everyone involved.

I hope I am not scaring anyone about going to Ireland....that is not my intent. Ireland is still number one on my list despite the situations here and there. The Irish are an optimistic and opportunist society....just look what they have been through the past 800 years! So you have to hand it to them and also the 60 or so million US citizens that claim some Irish heritage....a lot of successful people in that group!smile

Dan



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Ireland has the problem that the "Celtic Tiger" development money from the EU (European Union) was less than well managed. Lots of money went into development of far too much building work in the wrong places. Lets face it the majority of developers are going to aim at fancy hotels rather than social housing and the accommodation sector was and is flooded. Then some American bank collapsed causing a domino effect which sent the world economy into free fall. Whilst some economies like the US and UK half hid the nasties by devaluing their currencies the countries who had seen European development cash and are tied to the Euro had no such escape. Ireland has many "Zombie" hotels which are owned by the Banks and receivers offering rooms at break even prices rather than having them empty which is great for people wanting a cheap room but has an adverse effect on the older family run Hotels, Guesthouses and B&B's who are loosing custom on the basis of price. Oil prices are part of the problem when it comes to transport cost world wide, Ireland though has the problem of paying for all those fancy new roads which make it so easy to get between the major towns and this money has to come from revenue. Hence the Tax portion of fuel prices is artificially high as is the justification of high rates of road Vehicle tax, (up to E1500 per year for a 3ltr+ pre 2008 car).

I for one am a little tired of the world press running Ireland into a deeper hole than we have already got ourselves into. We are not a 3rd world economy, in fact we at at the cutting edge of many new technologies. We are also one of the friendliest easy going nations that any tourist from anywhere could visit. I rest my case before I start going off on a rant.

Tony.

 

PS. Glad you ad a good time, hurry back.



-- Edited by tony2phones on Wednesday 13th of April 2011 04:54:35 AM

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Tony,

The world press loves bad news. The only time you hear about Northern Ireland is when there is a bomb or terrorist killing. The only time you hear about the Republic of Ireland is on St. Patrick's Day and when the economy tanks. The world press has their own agenda. We just sit back and watch the show.

I agree that Ireland (north and south) has a lot going for it. The Irish are very resilient and will bounce back. They have been through much worse in the past.

Michele

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Michele,

Amen to that. If I didn't think Ireland had alot going for it I wouldn't be going there. As far as there economy I plan on helping them as much as I can on this coming trip.

Frank

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Welcome back, Dan!

I'm dying to find out what you thought of my favorite haunt.    confuse confuse

How did your research go?  Did you get to meet with Sean Radley?

And, equally important -- did you find a suitable Murphy's Pub???? biggrin biggrin

Bob



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Bob,

I am going to keep you in suspense!   You are going to have to wade thru several days of my trip report to get answers to your questions on your April 14 post!biggrin

Dan  

 



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Michele,

I just submitted a lengthly post on day 1 trip report  I used the "click here box on the bottom....and it vanished into cyber land!  If you find it floating around somewhere, add it to the proper place....hoping I don't have to do it over!   Dan



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Dan,

Oh, no! That has happened to me before too. I once composed a very long reply with lots of links and info and POOF it all disappeared. Now when I am going to post something like that I copy it before hitting the "post" button. That way I don't have to redo it all.

Sorry about that. It is the nature of the Internet. We humans like to think we are in control and then the machines show us who is really in charge.

Michele

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Dan,

Welcome home! Sorry you weren't able to find the trad that you were looking for. As others have said, its difficult during the off season many times. I look forward to hearing your more detailed trip reports.

(BTW, many of the yellow flowering bushes in Ireland on hillsides are technically gorse and not Scotch broom, though there are broom plants in Ireland as well. It can be hard to tell one from the other until you get up close.)

Tony,

For more than a year, we have been encouraging people to consider more than just price when choosing a hotel in Ireland. The zombie hotel issue is quite serious, but those holding the properties (developers or receivers or banks) don't want to have to pay back those tax breaks they got when they built the properties. They have to keep the doors open for seven years, or else...

If you're interested in hearing how a couple of the family-operated accommodations are handling it, you are welcome to listen to this episode of our podacst, in which we interviewed two family hotel operators (Joe O'Flynn, proprietor of Rathsallagh Country House, and Brian Bourke, proprietor of Glenlo Abbey Hotel).   http://engagingireland.com/blog/2010/10/10/ep-23-interview-with-joe-oflynn-and-brian-bourke/ 



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One more try on the first segment of my trip report:

Friday March 25

 I was lucky to have a noon release at school since we had to stay till 6PM the night before for parent teacher conf.  Sometimes schedules do have a way of working out!  Earlier that morning, I had put up lettering on the reader board of our business that we would be closed till April 11, so our our late after noon departure for Portland Oregon was going smoothly, until about 10 miles out I realized that I had left my Irish cell phone (mobile; as they call it over there) on the kitchen counter.  So back we went to retrieve it.

We had a friend who does volunteer chauffeuring for his church congregation, so we enlisted his services to ride with us, and to bring our car home from Portland, and then to pick us back up when we returned.  It worked out well, since we had a 10:15PM scheduled arrival back in Portland, a 3 hour drive which got us home and to sleep about 2AM, then up at 5:30AM to go back to work.  The 3 hour nap in the car on the way home from Portland was a God-send!

Saturday March 26

We had a 4:15 AM wake up call at Portland Airport Howard Johnsons, and took the shuttle over to go thru the routine to be ready for a 7:00 AM, 4 1/2 hour flight to JFK.  We did remember to get our passport validated this time, since we once again elected to do carry-on luggage only.  I have this morbid fear of arriving without my luggage, so this prevents "Murphy's Law" from exerting itself early on, in a trip.  So many people are doing this, that the overhead bins are really stuffed, but did find room for our 21" rollerbags.  All 4 legs of the flights were full to the max!  We also each take a lap top bag (minus the laptop) as our personal item to stow under the seat in front.  I carry a pair of fleece mocs in it, so I can kick out of my hiking shoes (I pack my 2nd set of lighter shoes in my roller bag) and it is much more comfortable for the plane rides.  We also carry one set of clothes, underwear, and socks in the pers. item bag....just in case the overheads are full, and they take your primary bag off and stow it with the checked luggage underneath.  (It hasn't happened to us....yet.)

The flight was uneventful to JFK, and another couple, long time friends, were to meet us at there after flying out of Phoenix.  They didn't have the luxury of a non stop into JFK like we did, but had to go thru Detroit, which made me nervous esp. in March.  But the weather Gods smiled on us and a voice mail was waiting on my cell phone when we arrived in terminal 4.  I called them, and they were waiting for us in terminal 2, so we bussed  from terminal 4 to 2, to meet them since we were all scheduled to depart that evening out of terminal 2.   It was about 2:30PM when we arrived and was scheduled to board about 7:30PM, so had a nice 5 hour layover.  We had expensive airport burgers and fries, and then settled into the lounge area to get a last charge on our cell phone and play a couple of 4-handed games of rummy to pass the time.

I took my new toy, a "Verizon" iphone along.  I had it set up on airplane mode and data roaming turned off before we taxied out of JFK, so I wouldn't incur (hopefully) any huge roaming bills while gone.  I had purchased the Irishfireside podcast, and  Kate's pod cast, but just ran out of time to get it all downloaded with only 4-5 days with the new phone.  I also purchased Rick Steves (do I dare say this on this web sight!?) Ireland 2011 book, as my first book to put on my new iphone. (incidently, I had Michele's paper back version too, in case you were wondering)smile  They came in handy several times on the trip for advice, directions, and maps. Also got a Dublininyourpocket ap, Delta ap, tripadvisor ap, wi-fi-finder ap, trail kilkenny ap, Pints in Dublin ap.  Had plenty to play with during downtime and some valuable information available with this handy machine.  The Delta ap even popped up with the flight information all on it's own....really a valuable tool, in the event that there would have been any last minute flight changes.  It is amazing how much that little phone can do, and I'm sure I haven't even scratched the surface yet.  The "movie taking" feature was great....I took 30 some clips in Ireland and wished I had taken more.  They are crystal clear.

After a lengthy boarding process onto what was suppose to be a 767, and turned out to be a 757 cattle car (another sneaky little change the airlines seem to pull these days) and a long taxi, we finally lifted off at 9:05PM.  We settled in and I put on my head set and started playing some of the 139 Irish tunes I had installed on the ipod portion of the iphone, while we waited for the evening meal to be served after reaching altitude.  We ate our chicken and rice meal...not great, but edible, and took a couple of tylenol PM for sleep aid.  I managed to get in about 4-5 hours of often interrupted sleep...my wife less...she doesn't do so well sleeping on a plane.  It was a short night at anyrate, and the first light of dawn woke me as it filtered into my window seat.  There was a solid cloud layer over Ireland, and after several minutes of descent, we slipped below it and the first view of the green fields of Ireland are always awe inspiring.  We flew right by a castle at about 2000 feet altitude somewhere northwest of Dublin, according to my "pilot" calculations.  I would give just about anything to be in the ****pit during a landing at Dublin in a big heavy!

It was a 7hour 45min flight arriving about 8AM.  We unloaded in the beautiful new Terminal 2, and walked over to the old terminal, walked out the main door, I believe on the north side, and it looked pretty much as I remembered it from 5 years ago.  We crossed over a couple of lanes to the outside lane where the various busses and taxies were staging.  We had wanted to take the airlink bus downtown, using the 3 day rambler pass, but the driver couldn't sell us one, only a one way or return for downtown.  He said a lady in a yellow coat should be out there selling what we wanted.  We waited for a while, and no one showed up.  We asked the airport security guard, and he said that since the time had just changed that morning, she must have forgotten to change her clock.  We finally ended up getting the aircoach bus instead,  for 12 Euros return that would drop us at Trinity College gate.  The ride downtown was quick on a Sunday morning, not much traffic.  Immediately started recognizing land marks, monuments, statues, and buildings from using google street view.  From what I had seen on "street view" it felt almost like I had already been there!

With the  indecision and delay at the airport bus area, it cost us about a half hour of precious Ireland vacation time, and we realized that it was already 10 AM, and we wanted to be back at the Trinity gate for the 11Am Historical Dublin Walking Tour.  It was about a 15 minute walk to the hotel, but we needed to do something with our luggage.  So we towed our roller bags down to the O'Callaghan Mont Clare, and as luck would have it, they did have one of our rooms ready to occupy at 10:15AM!smile  We dropped the luggage, freshened up a bit, got organized for the stuff we needed for all day (I carried the only backback, and it wasn't terrible heavy!) and we headed back to Trinity.  We met our guide who was a history major at Trinity, a slightly older version with a little grey hair showing up, but a good guide and a tour well worth the 12 Euros/person (10 Euros Sr. rate).  He started with a quite a bit of history about Trinity College and how it fit in with what had happened in Dublin over the years.  From there went to the huge pillar building that once was a govt. bldg. and was now a bank.  From there to Dublin Castle, and on to ChristChurch Cathedral.  It ended on the far end of Temple Bar.  It was a good way to start our day in Dublin to combat jet-lag out in the brisk fresh 40 degree air on a mostly sunny day.  However, it was time for some caffeine.  We stopped in at a coffee shop for a latte, price 2.45 Euro, figures out about the same as a 16 oz double would cost here in the states. 

Of course we had long since wore off the breakfast bar and banana that Delta gave us for breakfast, so we headed over to Leo Burdocks for fish and chips.  Both couples ordered 1 order of fish and chips and then an extra side of fish, figuring to share the fries. Cost:14.90 Euros each couple.  I had heard some great things about Leo Budocks fish, but not too much about the fries.  The fish was just ok, the fries undercooked and mushy.  Not impressed!  Of course, Leo's is take-away, so we took our fish and chips, wrapped in plain white paper and in a brown bag, over to the lawn of Christ Church Cathedral, spread our rain coat/jackets on the ground and had a picnic with several other mostly tourists, and some pigeons.  The pigeons didn't even seem to mind the soggy fries, as they were getting generous offerings from just about everybody.

From that vantage point, we couldn't help but notice there was a pub on the other side of the street, and an outside beergarden.  Of course, after all the fish and fries and walking, we had built up a powerful thirst, so we took Lonny and Grace over to the Bull and Castle Pub for their first taste of Guinness.  It was heavenly....for me, Lonny said it was just "ok" (he's use to German beer!) and Grace took one sip of Lonny's and promptly reaffirmed that she had made the the right choice with her glass of White Zin.  Of course, my wife' fav Irish beer is Smithwicks, which she finally admitted did taste better in Ireland!

Upon completion of this first of many pub missions, we decided that it was only 30 minutes till the 3:15 Evensong at CCC. So back to the other side of the street and into one of more beautiful cathedrals I've been in.  We walked around the interior admiring it all, and then noticed that the Choir and Clergy was forming up for a processional.  It was Anglican or Episcopal service, and  we slipped over to the area where the congregation was congregating and still managed a front row seat!  Imagine that! a front row seat....in Church!!!biggrin  I wanted to be able to see and hear everything.

And we were not disappointed.  The 18 voice mixed choir was decked out in Red and White robes, the Clergy in colorful robes, and the pipe organ and violinist started the ceremony and finished it.  Awesome!  The choir was quite good, singing a good amount of the program un-accompanied which is a mark of a well trained choir.  The service consisted of gospel readings, lessons, anthems, and hymns, which the congregation was encouraged to join in on with the aid of a printed program.  And we did.  This service, along with Monday's Evensong over at St. Patricks, was going to have to make for the fact that we missed Mass on this particular weekend. 

We were dismissed at 4:30, and had to proceed immediately on the 15-20 minute walk to the Guinness Storehouse, in order to arrive in time to be thru the gates for the 5:00 deadline for the last tour of the day.  Well, it was really just a self guided affair, mostly just a big advertisement for Guiness that you paid 15 Euros for (11 Euros Sr.)  The best part, of course was the pint afterwards, 8 stories up in the Gravity Bar which offered a brilliant sun-shiny view of the Dublin skyline.  Would have to say it was a must-do, and worth the price....if the weather is good... but not every one would probably agree with me!  Only in Ireland can you go from beer to church to beer on a Sunday afternoon and we didn't even feel one bit guilty about it!biggrin

We killed about an hour and a half there, and Lonny had his arm twistedwink into finishing Grace's Guinness....she drank about a 1/3 pint...but alas; no convertcry  Joyce finished all of hers, but claimed Smithwicks is still king.

We caught the city bus for the 15 minute ride back down to Trinity.  We went back to the Hotel to move our luggage to our room and to freshen up.  Decided we would meet L & G in 1 hour to go out for a bite to eat and get some bottled water.  Took showers, changed clothes and was feeling better, but still pretty exhaused.  If I figured correctly, from 4:15 AM in Portland Oregon to that point, it had been over 30 hours.  We knocked on their door, and G was sacked out cross-ways on the bottom of the bed and L had one eye closed and one on the TV.  He said they were not going anywhere!

So DW and I went over to Foley's for a bowl of Potato and leek soup with brown bread and yes, another pint!  There was 1 man playing guitar and doing some semi-trad, but not worth sticking around for, so hit the door, down the street, located a Centra Convenience, store,  bought our gallon of bottled water and headed for the hotel.  We were "lights out" by 9:30 PM and had a much needed restful first night of sleep in Ireland. 

The Mont Clare was reserved in advance getting in on the internet special of only 55 Euros a night/couple, and while the rooms are smallish, it met every need we had for a hotel in Dublin, clean, quiet, pleasant staff, great location with, bfast in house or nearby,  coffee shops and pubs nearby, and wouldn't hesitate to stay there again.

More to come on Day 2 in Dublin!     Dan 

 

 

 

 

 

  



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Dan

Sounds like you had a good trip. I like your 1st day plan - no driving after a long flight from North America, some sightseeing and a few pints thrown in to get into 'Ireland mode' before a restful 1st night. I look forward to the rest of your report.

Stewart



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Bob,

I've decided to end the suspense!smile  It was a cruel thing to do to you, especially since you have been so helpful on this forum.  We really liked the Millstreet area.  Great small town!  The only thing that would have made it better would be some Trad music, but came to realize that location doesn't even make that much difference during the shoulder season.  We managed to get to "Polmeroy's Pub" every evening (the lady at the drug store said it was the best one).  We started feeling like  locals in a very short time.  They all had a good laugh at my expense, when I asked Mrs. Polmeroy for a spoon so I could get all the (frosting-as my Brother calls it) out of the bottom of the Guinness Pint!  She had to tell everyone that came in:  " That Yank asked for a dessert spoon in order to get the last remnants of the foam!"  What a great time!

You couldn't ask for a nicer self catering house than the Buckley's.  Enjoyed it very much.  Experimented with "Irish" cooking, and come to love the turnips....very mild, almost taste like cooked sweet carrots, and also the mushy peas.....they compliment about any meal!  We did our own bacon and cabbage, tried Irish beef in meatballs/spag, and Irish Chicken in Chicken Enchaladas.  Like having a washer, and dryer, but they both, esp the dryer seemed to take a lot longer than ours here in the states.

 

As for our main mission, geneology...we made some progress on some fronts.  We got a good look at the micro-film that was available in the Dublin Library.  Even then, there were some big spots on many pages that were not legible...no new information.  Went to the library in Cork, and they pinpointed for us, 2 plots of land that a  Denis Murphy was leasing at the time of the Griffiths Evaluation in 1851.  They were able to locate those plots on a sat. map of the area.  Of the 2 plots of land, one had a dwelling at that time, but none today.  We bought photocopies of these various maps and took them with us.  At Banteer (the closest town to the plots) we found a young couple hanging soccer posters, and we approached them, showed them the maps, asking about the land.  They gave us directions out there, and we were able to find both plots.  What we know is that Denis Murphy leased them.  What we don't know...if it was the same Denis Murphy that we are interested in.  Everytime we would ask the experts about geneology, and they would ask what the family name was, we would tell them, and they would just about cave-in with a look of exasperation!....Murphy is the most common surname in Ireland, I guess.  We also got a tidbit of information in a letter from one of our 4th or5th cousins that indicated that there was a Denis Murphy from and married in the town of Aghabullouge, slightly NE of Macroom, and was suppose to have left there with 4 children also.  Evelyn, the Dromtarriff Church secretary suggested we follow up on that lead to see if it was our family or a different Denis Murphy family.  We checked on this lead at the Mallow Heritage Center, who said that the Parish Church of Aghabullouge definitely would not give access to any records, that we would have to go thru Mallow Hert. Center....for a family search costing 60 Euros, taking min 2 weeks.  Said we could order this search over the internet using paypal....so....decided to give up on that lead for now.  Will probably try to do some research on our own before eventually using the Mallow service.

 

We ran into a dead end at the Dromtariffe Church.  No one in the congregation came forward....and claimed us!  She said it had just been too many years.  The secretary was very nice, and helpful, and comes from a family background that includes.....you guessed it....Murphys!   She said no one in their Murphy part of the family had made any effort in  geneology research, but she indicated that someday soon, she would start doing so herself.  I still have hope that someday, someone there in Ireland will dig up a connection to us from that side of the pond.  Evelyn indicated that Timothy, the 94 year old contact provided by Sean Radley, came up empty too.  He did indicate that the townland noted in the baptismal records no longer exists, but thinks it has been divided up into 2 newer townlands that exist today.    Did talk to Sean on the phone, and he didn't really have any further geneology advice for us at that point of time in our trip.  Mentioned that he had visited with you and told me about the doll.

Found out from Mrs Polmeroy that there was a retired Priest from Millstreet, that had been in Nebraska 37 years, and had returned to Millstreet just 3 years ago.  I made contact with him, but he said he had been away too long to have any viable contacts for me

We did get to look at the actual book with the baptismal entry, but we think that is was a rare opportunity, and felt fortunate that we were able to do so....maybe the Evelyn/Murphy connection was the difference.  She was so gracious, and spent about an hour with us.  She provided a list of all the grave inscriptions in the old Dromtarriffe Cemetary, that we located on the Sat. map when in Cork...no one in our family knew it existed.  We weren't able to read several of the grave markers, and some had toppled over forward.  The printed list filled in some of the blanks.  Spent about 3 hours at the cemetary on Sunday after Mass, looking at every grave stone.  Found 4 Murphy's grave stones, but none that connected directly with our family.  Did see the simple stone marker that indicated there was a mass grave right inside the main gate of the cemetary where the 400 people burned in the original Dromtariffe church at the hands of Cromwell's army.  There was 3 circular plots, about 20 feet in diameter, outlined with a series of 12inch rocks....probably designated three mass burial pits.

As for Murphy Pubs?  Only remember seeing one, the one in Killarney.  Our friends did the ROK, but they never spotted the "Dan Murphy Bar" as they passed Sneem.  Oh well, there will be next time.....so many pubs....so little time!biggrin

More to follow....Dan



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Dan,

Loved your quote:

"Only in Ireland can you go from beer to church to beer on a Sunday afternoon and we didn't even feel one bit guilty about it!"

It gave me a good laugh. I'm with your wife...Smithwick's is my favorite too. And asking for a spoon for the Guinness foam. LOL! It's not a milkshake.

I have to admire you stamina on the first day. You would have left me in the dust. I'm wilting on the vine by the time I arrive. I have tried both staying up the whole day and napping. Napping and then getting up for dinner is better for me. It doesn't prevent me from sleeping through the night and I wake up the second day with the birds ready to go.

Michele









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Thank you -- You were KILLING me!!!!  biggrin biggrin

I'm always apprehensive about how my SPECIFIC recommendations will be received, as everyone's tastes and travel styles are different.  When it comes to Millstreet, in particular, I have such strong feelings about the area that I often 'Second Guess' my own objectivity ... confuse confuse confuse

Sorry that your Research bore such limited fruit.  I feel your pain -- we ran out of time, ourselves, this last trip and made NO further progress.  The Church Secretary in Millstreet is ALSO a gem (though that doesn't help YOU).  She has actually shown us SEVERAL volumes of Church Records -- including Baptismal listings for MOST of my wife's Grandfather's siblings.

We actually ate lunch in Murpy's (in Dingle) and I spotted two others while out and about.  Have never seen an Emprimo pub (NO suprise THERE!!!) nor even a Bob's evileye  in all my travels ...

Agree with Michele -- that first day would have worn me out, too!

Looking forward to the rest of your report -- now that my anxiety level has been 'ratcheted back' ... biggrin biggrin

Bob



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Bob, your welcome.  My conscience is now clear!  No, I didn't see any Emprimo or Bob pubs, but if I should happen to find one, I would contact you immediatelysmile

Day 2:   Monday March 28

Even though I slept good,  I was up and going by 6:00AM!  So I got up showered, and wrote in my journal.  I couldn't begin to do justice to a trip report if I didn't write daily in my travel journal.  I got a "moleskine" journal back in 06, and now have all three Ireland trips documented in it.  Looks like 1/3 of the pages are still empty, so will get one or two more trips out of it.  Walked over to the Cafe di Napoli.  It is a great little Italian coffee/breakfast/lunch spot.  Just step out of the front door of the Mont Clare, make a left, go about 1 block to a busy intersection, cross it and go about 1 more block on the right hand side.  Someone on another web sight said it was noted for its high quality espresso, and they were right!  Also had yummy pastries, and the ham and cheese croissant was just right for a breakfast sandwich.  They also did a nice variety of paninis for the lunch crowd, but we didn't happen to be in the area at lunch time.  It was quite busy compared to the other 2-3 coffee shops nearby, and this street was extremely busy at rush hour....pedestrians heading to work....100's of them!.  Lots of these  'locals'  came by the hotel with a cup with "Napoli's" logo on it.  When you want something good in Ireland, just observe what the locals are doing, eating, drinking etc!  Took 2 small lattes back to the hotel room after scoping out the breakfast offerings.

Lonny and Grace were up and going by 7:30, and we all walked back to Cafe di Napoli for breakfast...and more espresso.  Walked to the bus stop area to catch the Dublin City bus to Kilmainham Goal.  We wanted to get there in time to get our tickets for the 1st guided tour of the day.  Caught the 9AM bus which put us within a 5 minute walk of the Goal.  Stepped inside and bought our Heritage Passes, 16 Euros each.  Joined the 9:30AM tour.  Excellent tour and exhibit....a definite "not to miss" in Dublin. 

Took the city bus back to O'Connell Street.  Walked over the bridge, and  up O'Connell street to see all the statues, the General Post Office....yes there are bullet holes!  I managed to find a Tesco to get my sim card for my Ireland mobile phone.  I wasn't 100% sure it was unlocked, even though 02 finally sent me the unlock code which I had entered at home.  I asked the Tesco rep. if she had a test sim card to see if it was unlocked.  She did not.  She said once she opened the pkg....it was mine.   She   suggested I go next door to Vodophone to see if they could test it.  They did, and indeed it was unlocked.  I thanked them for the service, then went back to Tesco to get my 10 Euro sim card.  By buying this, it also included a special for 10 additional Euros worth of time.  It worked great. 

We decided by now it was lunch time, so went to Carr and O'Connell Bachelor's Walk, near the bridge, and ordered soup, toasties (like a grilled cheese sand with meat or tuna) and of course some adult foamy beverages to wash it all down.  While waiting for our food, I managed to call all the important family members for all 4 of us to let them know we had arrived and were safe.  Checked my balance, and after 5-6 calls, we had used a whole .40!  It was a very economical plan, and would advise travelers to think about Tesco if they are interested in purchasing a phone or minutes.

Meandered over towards Trinity to see the Book of Kells. Not too many in line...maybe waited 10 minutes to actually get up to see the highly decorated and ornate pages of Holy Scripture.  It was very impressive.  

Did some window and actual shopping afterwards....mostly just looky-loos....too early in the trip to start buying  much stuff.  Did find a rubber grip cover for my new iphone so it wasn't so slippery, at the "2 Euro" Store, Ireland's answer to the dollar store.  Also found a credit card size magnifying glass for geneology research.  Time to stock up on AA batteries, as both of our cameras used them...we had opted not to use the rechargeables.  I had bought a power converter at JFK...and it burnt up the first time we tried to use it.  It was suppose to be for UK and Ireland.  I did get a refund upon our return to NY.  Was happy not have to try to recharge camera batteries.  The disposables were kind of pricy, 4 for 3.99 Euros, but at least we had batteries.  Our friends didn't fare so well with their cameras they had charging and battery issues.

By this time, it was getting close to 5PM (time flies when you are having fun) so headed over to St. Patricks on foot for the 5:30 Evensong.  It was a little farther than we thought....almost back over in  the Guinness Storehouse neighborhood.  But, we didn't mind...the weather was grand, mid 50's and sunshine, just light/med jacket weather.  We were told on another websight that the St. Patricks choir was all male, men and boys, but the one on duty that day was not.  It was a mixed choir, but had some rather young girls in it...maybe 3-4 in the 12 year old range.  The pipe organ had undergone a huge expensive retro a few years back from a famous pipe organ builder, I believe from England.  The pipe organ music was much more impressive than the choral music.  It was an 18 voice choir, but only had 6 men, so wasn't quite as balanced....a little soprano heavy.  But it was way worth it, because  I don't think I have ever heard a pipe organ of that quality, with such volume in the low register....It made the old church rumble.  Never-the-less we enjoyed it (well I did at least....I think one Evensong would have been enough for the rest of them!)  But that is one of the hazards of having a tour guide who loves music.

Debated about catching a bus back downtown, but decided that the evening schedule didn't have that many busses running, so rather that wait over 15 minutes at the bus stop, we took off walking. 

Went straight to O'Neill Pub for dinner.  It had been suggested by many on various websights, and since my Great Grandmother's maiden name was O'Neill, it just felt like the right place to go.  They had a great carvery evening meal....and had not tried that yet in 3 trips to Ireland.  We were not disappointed.  Got our first taste of the Irish Turnips....yum!  I also had not ordered lamb in Ireland, and the chef said the lamb shank was their most popular meat entre.  So, I did it and wow....was it good!  They did have trad music, so stayed for that.  It was a harmonica, guitar, bondron, and accordian.  They were pretty good, but not like the young crowd, all playing the jigs and reels that we enjoyed so much in NW Ireland 2 years ago. 

By 10:30, we were all in, so headed back to the Mont Clare.  And so ended day 2 in Dublin.  We had wanted to see the 4 National Museums, but they are closed on Mondays...there will be a next timebiggrin

Dan



-- Edited by murphy on Friday 22nd of April 2011 01:23:44 PM

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Dan,

I'm really enjoying reading about your trip day-by-day. It kind of feels like I'm right there with you, because I can picture it all in my head! LOL The following is going to be  a list of very random thoughts regarding what you've share thus far:

We (my husband and I) apparently travel in a very similar manner to you (based on what you've described so far). That first day when we land early in the morning, we hit the ground running and don't stop until after dinner. If I try to take a nap that first day, I'm done for. It'll be four days into the trip before I'm right again! 

We've attended Evensong at Christchurch. Really lovely. It's very good acoustics for a choir. Haven't attended one at St. Patrick's, but we might have to look into that. Sounds like a great experience, too. 

Did you go to O'Neill's Victorian Pub on Pearse Stree or the "other" O'Neill's on Suffolk? Actually, I don't think O'Neill's Victorian has a carvery, but I know the other does, so I'm guessing that's where you went. (Don't you love it when people answer their own questions?) I think the carvery is a great experience for people traveling to Ireland, but I don't think most people know what to expect (the word doesn't bring any images to mind). It can be quite a large meal, but it's nice for a Sunday dinner or something like that.

Kilmainham Gaol is a really interesting tour. Glad you got to see it. Sorry you didn't get to the museums, though. The Natural History museum finally opened again recently after being closed for several years. Can't wait to drop in there one of these visits to Dublin... Heard from a friend in Kildare that many of the rooms in the National Gallery have been dismantled, because the paintings are being restored or cleaned, so this may not be the best time to visit there anyway. 

I'm sorry you couldn't convince the women on your trip that Guinness is the next best thing to Mother's milk. LOL  I like a Smithwick's now and then, but I can't pass up a pint (or two) of Guinness. It just tastes better in Ireland!

You got a really good deal on the Mont Clare bookings. I looked at it for our trip in June, but the cheapest room was 160 Euro. 

We are big fans of the Moleskine journals, as well! And we have made several other converts since we bought our first ones 8 years or so ago. :)

Look forward to hearing more of your adventures as you venture out of the big city and into the countryside...



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Kate,

It is interesting to hear that your travel style is similar to ours.  This was suppose to be our SLOW and RELAXED trip to Ireland, but lo and behold....it didn't seem to work out that way.smile

Yes, it was the O'Neill's on Suffolk street.  The carvery was a very good deal, and a welcome change from regular pub grub.

You do need to try St. Patrick's for evensong, if nothing more than for the pipe organ.  I wonder, with an instrument like that,  those big cathedrals might have a concert series a few times thru the year.  It might be wise to contact them by email before visiting to see what might be on the schedule.

As for the Mont Clare, I was afraid it might be on the "Zombie List" based on the price we were able to attain.  At 160 Euros, I doubt that it is.

More musical tales to relay on Day 3 in Ireland...stay tuned!   Dan 



-- Edited by murphy on Friday 22nd of April 2011 10:24:09 PM

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Day 3 Tuesday Mar 29

Got up a little later this AM, but still before 7AM.  Made the 2 block journey and brought back a couple  of lattes.  Packed up our luggage for the pending check-out.  Our 4-some went back down to Cafe de Napoli for breakfast sandwiches.  Actually tried a Panini (grilled sandwich) and it was quite good for breakfast.

Headed back to the Hotel, and was window shopping along the way and spotted the store front for the Ireland National Conservatory of Music.  The light was on inside, and the door unlocked.  We stopped in.  Since I am a music teacher, and Lonny a former music teacher, we just had to check it out.  It was something that I should have researched beforehand.  There were multiple private music studios inside, and a concert hall.  They had 2 Steinway Concert Grand pianos, 1 on the stage, and one backstage.  One of the executive directors met us near the door, and offered an impromptu tour.  Some musicians from the Dublin Symphony taught there, and the students numbered in the hundreds.  We had missed a concert held there the night before.  These concerts generally are free admission.  They are basically recitals for the studio teacher's students.  If you plan to be in Dublin, are interested in this type of activity, I am sure an email contact and/or websight could be found on google.

We didn't have to be checked out till 11, but had a reservation for 10 to pick up the rental car.  We had thought about taking the train back to Dublin for 1 day later in the week from Millstreet to do Geneology while L & G were doing a day trip.  We had some time to kill, so thought we would have time to get to the Nat'l library to see if we needed a readers card.  It was just a few blocks south of the Hotel.  We found the Geneology department, and told them we wanted to come back one day next week.  They talked us into calling Hertz to delay our car appointment, and do some research.  L&G decided to go to the National Art Gallery which we had passed on our way to the Library.  We agreed to meet in one hour.

The Geneology Dept was very helpful, and soon found the micro film that had the baptismal records....but we had already found that on the internet (Kerry and Dublin Archdiocese are the first to have this done).  We then started looking for marriage records for Denis and Mary.  Didn't have any luck.  Also tried to find their baptism records but no luck either.  We noticed that big spots on the microfilm was not readable.  Upon further consultation with the geneology people, we were convinced that a trip to the National Arhives would be futile...the dates for the material contained there was too recent for our 1855 time-frame.  We determined at that point we would not be coming back to Dublin by train.  They advised us to check the library in Cork City next.

Went back to the Mont Clare, and checked out.  We headed back down to Trinity College; actually about 3 blocks NW of the gate, to catch the Aircoach back to the Dublin Airport, since we had purchased return tickets.

The car rental process was pretty painless, since we had prepaid.  At the Hertz desk in Terminal 1,they didn't high pressure us about SCDW since I had purchased excess insurance from insurance4carhire.com about a week before we left.  They noted on our paperwork that there would be a 1600 Euro hold on our credit card.  He did try to sell us a 12 Euro/day upgrade to an automatic.  We said thanks, but no thanks, collected our paperwork and keys, and made the 10 minute trek to the car rental lots located to the Northeast, out directly in front of new Terminal 2.

Checked over our 4 door Opel Vectra, and took several photos of the 8-9  small dings here and there on the car.  Our luggage all fit in nicely, we checked out the tyres, glass, roof, and all the interior controls of the car, adjusted the mirrors, finally found the push ring on the shift lever to get it into reverse, took one lap around the parking lot, and headed out on a 1400K drive!

It's amazing how fast it comes back to the driver, but I think the passenger side occupant (dw) is every bit as terrified at this point as she was the first time!  The back seat occupants had never been in a car that drove on the left side, and it was very quiet back there!

We headed towards Kilkenny, starting out on the M50, and then jumped off on the N7 towards Naas, Newbridge, and Kildare enroute to Portlaoise.  Got lost in Portlaoise....wouldn't be a normal trip to Ireland if you didn't get lost a few times!  Got back on the road heading south on the N8 and finally found the Rock of Dunmase.  Michele had suggested this stop, and as usual she was right on target!  We really enjoyed the hour or so that we spent there, and our friends were impressed with how old the ruins were, and still standing.  It was a fantastic view of the country side of County Laoise.  Headed south again, and then on the N77 on in to Kilkenny.  It was about 5 PM.  Called Phil and Rhoda at Rosquil House B&B (a lodging suggestion from Michele!) and they guided us in because, yes we were lost once again!  We weren't that far away but was turned around in directions.  Checked in at Rosquil, and what a beautiful B&B.  Phil and Rhoda filled us in on all the restaurant/pub options for our evening meal, and of course where there might be trad music. 

We decided to try Langstons for dinner.  DW, L, and G all opted for Irish beef hamburgers/fries, and I opted for the grill platter.  It was my 2nd opportunity for lamb....chops as well as grilled chicken, sausage, bacon, liver, egg, potato, broc, and carrots.  It was a sampler platter, for 18 Euros and thought it was an excellent value and very tasty!  The 1/3 lb. burgers were gigantic, and they said that Irish beef is as tasty as every body claims.

Walked down to Kytelers Inn and Pub to hear music.  The musicians consisted of 2 men, one playing a very accomplished banjo, and the other guitar.  Kytelers is really an old pub, and the decor was great.  The music was scheduled earlier than normal; 7-9 PM  Went down the street to Dunnes for bottled water, batteries, and a bottle of Baily's Irish Cream....to lighten the coffee in the morning!  Took a cab back to Rosquils for only 6 Euros, and turned in quite early considering it was a music night at the pub.

Dan 



-- Edited by murphy on Saturday 23rd of April 2011 12:12:10 AM



-- Edited by murphy on Saturday 23rd of April 2011 12:15:47 AM

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Dan,

Very enjoyable trip report. I feel like I'm along enjoying the Guinness and Irish lamb and beef. Glad to hear you enjoyed the Rock of Dunamase and Rosquil.

Michele

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Wed Mar 30

We really enjoyed the breakfasts at Rosquil House.  Rhoda served up plums in rose sauce, pears in wine sauce along with fresh fruit, 3 kinds of homemade bread with homemade pineapple/rhubarb jam, and hot or cold cereal, and that was just the "appetizer" for the main course!  There were 3-4 menu choices  besides the "Full Irish", but I opted for the smoked salmon omlette.  It was fantastic  The report from our table mates was that the mushroom/cheese omlette was equally tasty.  We asked  Phil and Rhoda's for permission to bring our "Baily's" to the breakfast table (to lighten the coffee!) and they didn't mind.

Headed downtown to check the schedule for the Smithwicks brewery tour.  The Wed tour was not available due to lack of tourists during the shoulder season.  However there was one scheduled for Thursday  at 12:30.  This was going to cause a later than planned for departure from Kilkenny, but we all thought it would be worth it.  We then headed over to Kilkenny Castle.  We watched the 20 minute video, then joined the 45 minute guided tour, using our heritage pass.  The interior was mangificent!  We had been in several castles, but this was our first in a castle where the interior had been fully restored.  A "not-to-miss" attraction in Kilkenny!  After the tour we went across the street to the old castle stable area which now houses the Kilkenny Design Center.  We really enjoyed the pottery and especially the jewlery design, manufacture, and restoration techniques.

Since we didn't have a brewery tour today, we elected to drive the 8 K back north to Dunsmore Cave, which we had passed by coming into Kilkenny the evening before.  I wasn't really crazy about a cave tour, but since the majority in our group wanted to go, I decided to go, and was glad I did....some very interesting historical aspects and artifacts were recovered there.  It would be a great rainy day "out of the weather" activity if in need of something to do while in the Kilkenny area, or on the way in.  It does require some walking and a lot of steps, so keep that in mind if you have mobility issues.  We spent about 90 minutes there.

From there we headed back towards Kilkenny, but took the ring road around the south/east side....a great timesaver!  Next stop was Jerpoint Abbey.  With our heritage card, we were given about a 45 minute tour and presentation....a small tour group of 6--as was the case on most of this trip.  Well worthwhile stop at a 11th century Monestery.

From there we drove over to Inistioge to see the "Woodstock Gardens"  Not a blooming type of garden, but many older trees and shrubs.  It was started in the 1700's, and the older Monkey trees were quite spectacular.  There were other species of fir trees, including the tallest tree, a Calif. redwood.  Lonny's hip had started bothering him by this stage of the trip, and we could plainly see that we wouldn't be able to cover the entire 50 acres...but as luck would have it, one of the park attendants came along in a motorized buggy like a golf cart, offering us a ride/tour, and we got to see the entire garden.  That made it an enjoyable outing...and allowed enough time to make one more stop at a lay-by (irish term for scenic pull-off-spot), and get photos of Gunmore Castle on the way back to Kilkenny.

Back to Rosquil house to get ready for evening meal and music in Kilkenny.  We liked the looks of the pub grub at Kytelers the night before, so decided to return there.  The same 2 musicians were playing again from 7-9, so they serenaded us as we ate.  I tried their bacon and cabbage, Lonny had roast leg of lamb, and the gals had fish and chips.  It was typical and good...for pub grub....enhanced by the interior decor....dating waaay back, and of course we had the "black stuff"!  We ordered one order of banafi pie and my first taste of "sticky toffee pudding" to share.   The sticky toffee was really good, but banafi is still my favorite.

Called a cab for the return trip to Rosquil.  Had a "Baily's" night cap with our friends, then retired for the night.  The weather report for that day was mostly sunny, high temps in the 50's, with some periods of brief early morning clouds and showers.  All in all, good weather for early April in Ireland.

Dan 

 

 

 



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Dan,

Glad to hear you had your first taste of sticky toffee pudding. It is my favorite. But like you my husband prefers banoffee.

I hope you told Rhoda that I recommended you stay there? That description of breakfast is making me hungry.

Michele



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Michele,

Thought that you had been to Ireland again! but then realized that it was an old post from November.  Aren't you due to go again on one of your bi-yearly research trips?

We did mention Irelandyes and you to Rhoda and Mary in Bunratty.  They say you are just as wonderful in person as you are on the web sightsmile

Is there a good recipe floating around out there for sticky toffee?

Dan



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Take your pick from these

http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/search?keywords=%22sticky+toffee+pudding%22&x=0&y=0



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Thanks Tony!  They sound yummy!  Dan



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Thursday March 31

This was the first day that I felt like I had finally defeated jet-lag.  You pretty much run on adrenaline the first few days, and then I finally settle down and get a good night of rest.  Had to try the  smoked salmon omlette once again....it was really good.

We checked out of Rosquil House, and headed to a downtown parking lot near the Newcross Mkt.  It was just a block south of St. Mary's Catholic Cathedral, which we visited before we toured St. Canice's Cathedral (Irish Anglican).  St. Mary's was built with some of the fortunes that were accumulated by the Smithwicks Brewery owners, as we were to find out later in the day at the Brewery tour.

From St. Mary's, we walked to St. Canices.  We went inside and purchased the combination cathedral/round tower tour(12 Euros).  We were told by St. Canice staff, that there were only 2 round towers in Ireland that you could actually go up in.  It was starting to get windy, and there was some question that we could even go up.  The lady walked outside to check the wind, then decided to let us go....guess we had that look in our eyes!  And what a scene from the top.  One of the highlights of the trip!  I took my iphone up, and managed to get a great 360 degree movie of the entire city of Kilkenny.  That little iphone takes awesome photos and movies...the clarity I could not believe.  The cable to attach the iphone to the big screen TV arrived in the mail today, so will be watching it in this manner....soon!

It was really windy on top, but there was sunny clear skies, and  we had a good view of Smithwicks brewer right below as they were loading 100's of kegs on lorrys.  It was 122 steps up in a circular staircase, with wood landings about every 10 foot or so.  I had my backback on, and as the tower got more narrow, I had trouble with clearance.  I would suggest not taking a backpack up.

Purchased our tickets for the 12:30 Brewery tour, which was being delayed to 1:00PM.  We had time for a quick tour of the Roth House, just a stone's throw away on the opposite side of the street.  The house was ok....not as splendid as Muckross or Kilkenny Castle...but something to do to kill time.  The Roth House garden was in early spring stages....so not that impressive, but may be more so, by summer.

Soon it was time for our brewery tour.  We knew by this time that this late hour for the tour was probably going to cause us to miss Cahir Castle and the Swiss Cottage on the way to Millstreet, but many times in Ireland you just have to make choices....you can always go back!

I can't say enough about the quality of tour that the Smithwicks staff puts on.  It is the most complete and informative tour that we have been on in 3 trips to Ireland.  The historical perspective was the most interesting.  The Franciscan Monks started brewing beer here in the 12th century.  What makes Smithwicks unique in flavor, is the water.  It truly is a "red" beer, and the hardness and minerals in the water are due to the limestone formations, as the rainwater passes through, gathers flavors from the rocks and ends up in the aquifer.  The Monks knew this, as they started a similar brewery in Munich Germany, and also in England...all with the same limestone formations, and all 3 red beers in all 3 cities taste similar, and are attributed to the same order of Franciscan Monks.  It is amazing that they had their act together on beer making over 900 years ago!

The Smithwicks people take their brewing seriously.  They have a state-of-the-art tasting room, one of the most important aspects of the process.  Next to the tasting room, is the chapel, and the spritual side of the process is addressed here.  Often times, to this day, brewery workers will stop at the chapel for some quiet prayer and reflection during break time in their work day.

Of course, Guinness bought out Smithwicks, and then some European beverage giant bought out Guinness.  It, however is being left alone by the corporate big shots, and they are able to continue the great tradition that has brought so much prosperity and jobs to Kilkenny.

In fact, during the famine, the region of South East Ireland wasn't as hard hit, and they think that Smithwicks brewery had a big part in it.  They bought all the grain and products needed from the farmers, as well providing  the actual brewery jobs.  The owners decided to build St. Mary's Church during this harsh economic time, and this created still more jobs, and income, and the affects of famine wasn't as bad in this region.

Of course the tasting is an important part of this tour.smile  The tour groups are held to 12 or 13 in size.  When it came time for the tasting, the tour guide filled all 13 pints 1/2 full, and then proceeded to top them off with about a 3 second shot of beer in each glass.  It seemed like an eternity to get them all filled at this rate, because he must have added beer in this fashion about 15-20 times!  The result was a very compact head, that rose up out of the pint, extending about 1/2 inch above the top rim of the glass.  The anticipation was killing us....and finally it was served after about 15 minutes of enduring the pouring process.  AND....it was heavenly....the only description I can think of since it was a recipe that Monks had developed!biggrin

We departed Kilkenny shortly after 3 pm, and decided we couldn't waste any time if we wanted to take in the Rock of Cahel before it closed at 5PM  Arrived at the Rock about 4:30, and were only able to take a self guided tour, since the last organized tour was over.  We looked over the restoration process on the old murals, and marveled at the huge scaffolding that encompassed one whole side.  We were impressed with  this popular (not-to-miss) tourist attraction, having once again gotten our money's worth out of the Heritage Pass.

As we passed thru Mallow, we stopped for a few essential "self-catering" groceries like milk, bread, cheese, beer etc.  Got into our self cater about 8 PM.  We had called Katherine from Cashel to see about a late arrival, and since they just lived about a half mile down the road from the cottage, she said anytime up till 10 PM was ok with them.  We called her again from the Centra Station in downtown Milstreet, and she met us there and led us out to the house.  It was a couple miles Northwest of town, if I have my directions right.  Noel and Katherine showed us all the particulars of the heating systems, and other important things we needed to know to survive one week there. 

It was a beautiful facility, and we were all happy with it for the price of 270 Euros for the 1st full week of April.  It was an economical way for a four-some to share expenses, and figured it cost about $14.00/person ($28.00/couple) per night.   We had a late dinner of  ham and cheese sandwiches, and were ready to hit the hay after a busy day of touring and driving.  Besides, we needed to be able to get up early to take Lonny and Grace to Cork City for a guided bus  tour of SW Ireland, while we tried  to do some geneology research.

Dan



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Dan:

Wonderful trip report.  Thanks for putting online for us to enjoy.  Certainly wish in retrospect that years ago I had taken the Smithwicks Tour in Kilkenny instead of the Guinness Storehouse tour in Dublin.  The Guinness thing is no tour at all -- you are on your own wandering around the place until you finally have enough of it and go to the gravity bar for your "free" Guinness that you actually paid 15 euros for.  That view was nice, but I was really disappointed that there was no actual tour guide providing historical detail.

Really enjoy Kilkenny -- one of my favorite cities there.

 

Monty



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Dan,
Great report. I have always resisted the Guinness tour but the Smithwicks Brewery sounds very interesting...now I'm thirsty!!

Stewart

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