PaddyKraska
Registered User
Posts: 11
(2/16/03 2:17 pm)
 
Feb 5th, 2003- Kilkea & Athy- Pt 1

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Day 2- Up early, check out the grounds and castle some more, see the sites in Castledermot. (great ruins) I wanted to go to a horse race, but the only one scheduled is on Sunday, so no go on that. We booked a B&B in Athy for the nite, so I can do some family research in Athy. Probably just knock around and enjoy!
So much for up early!! I don’t think we woke up once before 8a- and we are both very early risers back in the US. We threw some clothes on and hustled to the restaurant for our Irish breakfast- once again sitting with a gorgeous view of the gardens & sun, sun, sun!! The breakfast was wonderful, even if Jeff wouldn’t eat the black & white puddings. (My other side has a similar sausage called kishka- poor people know how to use everything they can!) About the castle. There was only 1 other couple there (in a 30 room hotel). I truly believe next time if I wanted to stay there we could get an even better deal. The help was pleasant, but most of them are not from the area, and the girls at the front desk couldn’t answer one question I had about the history of the castle. We had worried about the quality of the coffee, but everywhere we went, it was wonderful! We bundled up, and went out so I could show Jeff the stuff I had found the nite before. After hitting the golf club (snooty w**ch there) for postcards & a cap for my dad, we found the coolest run down cemetery with the graves of the last Fitzgerald’s that lived there. That was the Earl & his two sisters, the one my mother remembered. We walked down to the little stone bridge where my mom used to play and saw all the other wonderful things my mom had told me about. At the very beginning of our walk, my jacket was off!! The weather was just prime.
We got packed up, paid for dinner etc & waited out front for the cab- just sitting in front of the castle was cool!! When we were checking out, someone else was enquiring on a room and got quoted $245 e pp a night!! (With our package upgrade it only cost us $105 e pp- the cost of a Marriott in the states!) Pat from Athy cabs picked us up- the day before I had talked to him about trying to find a friend of my mothers that she hadn’t heard from in a few years (she presumed he was dead). He didn’t know of him, but stopped at a little house where an older lady (93) lived that he thought might inow. Just walked right up to her door and told her what we were doing! She invited us in for a chat, but really didn’t know about my moms’ friend. We headed back to Athy, and stashed our stuff in Pats’ office and went poking around. I had some Irish punts left over from when my mom was there last, so we went to the little local Bank of Ireland to try and exchange them (no go, only at the central bank in Dublin), but while I was there I asked about the friend, and the lady referred us to a Noel Reddy who worked there, but was at lunch. So we went next door to Leincster Arms (b&b right in the town square) for a lovely carvery lunch. Quick note- I had no clue what a carvery lunch was, but its like a buffet, but you pay for a specific meal that they dole out cafeteria style- every time we had one that plate was piled to the tip top! After that we went and saw Noel Reddy, who was just an Irish gem!! He remembered my mothers family and knew of my moms’ friend. He was pleased as punch to talk to us, and was an incredible amount of fun to talk to! He referred us to Frank O’Brian who ran a pub in the evenings right next door for more local tidbits.

DRobert831
Unregistered User
(2/18/03 8:38 am)
 
I agree with Michele : MORE PLEASE!

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Please continue with your wonderful trip commentary. We leave on March 30th and I can't get enough Ireland stories. Yours is awesome! Okay, okay, what happened on day 3? We're waiting...
Diane R.

PaddyKraska
Registered User
Posts: 12
(2/18/03 3:07 pm)

Daily

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LOL, you're in trouble!! This is only part 1 of day 2!!!
Tonite I'll finish day 2-
Thanks for the encouragement-
Paddy