Travel Tour to Ireland & Back to Home in USA

[FriedaKateM]

Hi to all...Recently, from August 23 to September 3, 2017, Returned home @ 02:30 in the AM. Treated per my son & daughter-in-law, we flew from United States Dulles airport to Ireland, on a "red eye" flight, which means that it was overnight. What a trip! I did have much difficulty in sleeping, as the vibrations, & the noise of the aircraft was hard to take. We finally arrived at the airport in Dublin the next day. I did enjoy watching out the window, while we flew up the coast of US at night...could see the lights outlining the towns/cities. Also was able to see (I think!) Newfoundland below. Upon entering Ireland, of course, we had to go through security & also customs. Our arrangements (as set ahead of time) meant that we had a short, slightly older, Irish fellow who told us he'd take us to our hotel. He was quite talkative, but kept saying "Aw right??" We got into this black van, to sit back on elderly seats. This venture had been explained to us in the literature, that the "taxi" or vehicle would be luxurious. :shocked: Eventually we pulled up at the Dunboyne Castle Hotel in the outskirts. A pleasant 2 days & nights there...attempting to catch up on sleep, & also meeting up with the rest of our tour group. From Dunboyne, we got onto our red seated coach, all 33 of us, plus our driver/guide Austin. He was quite nice, & very knowledgeable in regard to local tales &/or history. This 1st day we went on to Malahide Castle near to Dublin area. As I have descended from the Talbot family who lived at Malahide for over 800 years, I was quite thrilled to be able to see it in person. The castle was much bigger than I had previously thought, as only saw it in pictures. We had to wear these little green boxes with ear buds in ear, so as to be able to hear the guide at the castle. I of course advised that I was also related to the Talbots, who as a family, were quite wealthy. And here it was, that I also wondered "why" some of that "wealth" did not trickle down to me. Inside the gallery where there were lots of paintings on the walls, and a balcony where the minstrels used to play, I just stood there & stared. No pictures allowed as they would cause damage to paintings. I was pleased to see Oliver Cromwell on the wall. Also liked the spiral staircase from one level to another. One thing I noticed here at Malahide, which carried through to other attractions...upon leaving, one had to exit through the gift shop. I will continue this odyssey (in writing another day). Joan

[Alastair]

Re: Travel Tour to Ireland & Back to Home in USA

Sounds like you are enjoying your trip Joan.. what's the food been like?

Look forward to hearing about the rest of the tour.

Alastair

[FriedaKateM]

Re: Travel Tour to Ireland & Back to Home in USA

Another Hail to all...I very much doubt IF this elderly brain will be able to make word pictures of our Irish trip, i.e., from Aug. 23-Sept. 3rd. Some of the best parts have slipped out of my memory!! One of the most wondrous parts of Ireland was actually the Dingle peninsula, which juts out into the Atlantic Ocean. Again, note that we were traveling in a large comfortable bus. All the roads on Dingle were as wide as the bus. Of course the secondary driver, whose name I cannot remember, was of course, quite talented in that we had no collisions during this particular part of the trip. I do remember passing by the Atlantic shore, where, believe it or not, there were surfers out there bobbing around on their surfboards! I just knew that the Atlantic was verrrry chilly, & although the beaches were beautifully tan in coloration, I certainly would not have dipped a toe into the surf! My remembrance of this section of the trip is of going wildly around loops in the one road, which was the only one I could see. Of course, we had earlier in that day, paused at an Irish clothing shop, way out on another road, previous to our getting onto Dingle peninsula. I had purchased nothing at this place, as had to keep an eye on my pocketbook, but earlier on, we had been to Blarney, where I did purchase a lovely woolen scarf, in pink, & varied other color patterns of plaid. It is long enough to be looped around my neck, in the new fashion. My son, upon urging from his wife, & his mother, purchased one of those caps, that I want to call some kind of "Humphrey" caps, also in plaid wool. We encouraged him to buy it, but he didn't wear it on the rest of the trip. When at Blarney Castle, I had gone to the Woolen Mill, instead of going out on a long walk to Blarney Castle. (Which is where I bought the scarf!) Of course, while I love my family members, I tend to like slightly different views and or things from them. Upon wondering if they had gone to Blarney Castle, to "kiss" the Blarney Stone, I walked out quite a distance to a nice park bench, some goodly way from the castle. Noted here, a bunch of knitters-gone-wild had obviously knitted sweaters for the trees along that pathway. Quite colorful! So, in effect, that is where I sat, & watched the touristy bunch walking around. Lots of kids & families of varied assortments. I did take a picture of Blarney Castle from that distance. I am amazed that I was physically able to get that far, let alone climbing up spiral stone staircase to kiss that stone!! Years previously, I had a high school teacher, whom my dad had known when he, as a small child, lived out in the country at Verona, Ohio. Her name was Sue Snorf, & she & I had corresponded for several years, while I was working as a kindergarten teacher at the bases in England where we lived...in East Suffolk. (yes, I digress...) Anyway, I had met Susie down in London, having taken the train down from Suffolk. We actually did find each other at Liverpool Street Station. Anyway, we had "painted London red" so to speak. Went to see a play The World of Susie Wong, ate at a lovely restaurant, & went back to Russell Square, to her hotel...where she slept in the one bed in her room, & I slept on a chaise lounge. Also did a bus tour of London. Took her back then to our base for a few days, to see my father & mother. I remember walking in Hyde Park w/Susie, & her telling me about her experience of "kissing the Blarney stone", having a man holding onto you, & your leaning over backwards, to kiss the Blarney Stone! After hearing that at my young age, I certainly didn't wish to do so at my elder age now. (going back to the thread)...I had gone out there, almost to the castle, thinking that I'd meet up with my kids, but they didn't appear. Soooo...walked back quite achingly & found that yet again, in order to get out of the park, had to walk through the GIFT SHOP!! My narrative may not go exactly as we actually went around Ireland, as again my memory plays games with me at times. We finally did get to the town of Dingle, & again walked all over. Ate at a pub, which of course, served an odd vegetable soup, nothing like the American idea of veg soup...i.e., theirs is blended, looking like a thick squash soup. Some of their soups were better than others. But it seems we "averaged" about one of these veg soups at least every other day. Maybe it's because we were on an organized "tour", with a certain company??!! I will return to the town of Dingle when I write another saga about this lovely trip!! Thanks for "listening", Joan

[Glesgalass]

Re: Travel Tour to Ireland & Back to Home in USA

Joan, Can I just mention that your post would be a lot easier to read if you break it up into paragraphs with double line spacing in between :-)

Elda

PS Some people blend their soup and others don't. Personally I like it chunky.

[FriedaKateM]

Re: Travel Tour to Ireland & Back to Home in USA

Sorry Elda, but I never dreamed people would have problems in reading my travels as above.

When we were in Dingle, I observed sort of a tableau, i.e. a person whom I believed to be a male gypsy/or traveler, with a donkey standing close, two very furry dogs, a
young girl sitting near,and even 2 canaries in cages behind the trio. I did take a picture of them, but can't post it here. (For some reason, I have no luck in posting any
pics, or sending in emails) Dingle was quite popuar with tourists, as the sidewalks & shops were all very crowded. Purchased a tee shirt there, with a puffin pictured on it.

The Dingle Peninsula was much my favorite place to see, other than my experience at Malahide Castle, home of my ancestors. We went to visit The National Stud, near to
the town of Kilkenny, and for some reason, I wasn't too interested in seeing all these racing horses, & hearing about all the great horses' "children" who had won so many races. It was okay, but not "my cup of tea". In all of these adventure, there was MUCH walking involved, & as I am a senior citizen, it was quite wearing. Had no difficulties in sleeping at night in the hotels. Kilkenny was a town that had a large castle, & we did eat there, taking a walking tour with a guide. This was called The Medieval Mile! Their streets were exceedingly narrow, & very up & down, with bricks or slabs that were uneven. ( I do have a fear of falling down in these kind of walks.)

Mainly, I enjoyed myself in sitting around watching the tourists & the native Irish people going about their business. A group of us women got together finally, & forged on to get back to the bus, where we could sit in comfort. I believe that I was the oldest woman in the group, but there was a fellow who was older than me, by at least three years or more. Eventually, we came to the town of Waterford, which is known worldwide for its crystal. Toured the Waterford Crystal factory/& showroom, where we again were funneled out through the gift shop. I could not afford to purchase crystal, so sat out in front talking with others of our group. Oh, yes, we did another walking tour in Waterford, with a local guide. He was quite informative, but due to my senior brain I didn't retain very much local history. Do remember that they had a replica of an old Viking ship, which was quite nice. I talked with a few local folks, while walking around, & did purchase a tiny figure (a cat) in Belleek china to bring home. Cannot remember IF I ate lunch there, or NOT!

We went on the bus then to a town called New Ross, where our president John F. Kennedy's forbearers evidently came from. He had evidently gone there at some time during his presidency. This was also where there was a replica of a "famine ship", with much historical information given, for the reasons behind so many people emigrating to the USA. They had a potato famine, all the potatoes died, which caused the Irish peasants to starve. The ship we observed was called The Dunbrody, & some of the folks on the tour went down into the hold. I couldn't do so, as the steps were like a ladder. I sat up on deck & watched the seagulls overhead. Soon, we went over to the historical displays nearby, & again were funneled out into the gift shop. IF I haven't said it previously, we were told that the two means economically of keeping themselves in Ireland were TOURISM & AGRARIANISM. When I saw two other people on our tour eating ice cream cones, I immediately bought one. (under NO circumstances do I ever eat ice cream, as I become addicted!) However, I went back immediately & got one...mint with chocolate chips. Best Tasting I've ever had!! Think will stop for now, but will return with more. Joan

[FriedaKateM]

Re: Travel Tour to Ireland & Back to Home in USA

Reason for the above: I posted a link to a video of the Cliffs of Moher.

However, upon clicking on that link, it took one to the fellow/company who had originally posted it. I will continue to try to post something re: Ireland. Joan

Here's another link to the Cliffs of Moher. It was very like this video for my experience there. I went out to the walk up, & actually viewed the Cliffs from the safety of a wall. I had to stand on tiptoes & was able to look at the Cliffs from that vantage point. My son & his wife went on, & I then went back to the visitor center, & purchased a CD by Mary Black. Talked with others of my tour group, while sitting around & watching ALL the other tourists. Looks good from afar. Joan

[Glesgalass]

Re: Travel Tour to Ireland & Back to Home in USA

Now that's a lot easier to read Joan :D

Elda

[FriedaKateM]

Re: Travel Tour to Ireland & Back to Home in USA

<After lunch, I traveled further north to Malahide, which is another seaside town with a castle at its heart. The perfectly-preserved Malahide Castle was occupied by the Talbot family for 800 years up to 1975.

At the entrance, there’s a portrait of the last Talbots who lived here. There’s Lord Milo who died in 1973 and his sister Rose who sold the castle to Dublin City Council in 1976.

The castle stands as testament to the life that they, and their ancestors, lived. The impressive oak room has walls that are inlaid with carved oak panels that are more than 500 years old. The drawing room is painted in a shade that was created especially for it and is to this day known as Malahide Orange.

A guide pointed out the fireguards that were used to protect the ladies’ thick makeup from melting. Apparently, this is where the phrases “saving face” and “losing face” come from. When servants would see makeup melting, they would rush over with a fireguard and say: “My lady, you are losing face. May I save your face?”

I was most struck by the family bedrooms. They are furnished with children’s toys, dressing tables, wash stands, and personal items that make the era come truly alive.

I loved the gardens, too. Lord Milo was a keen botanist who traveled the world collecting specimens. The gardens are his living legacy.>

This is a bit I copied out of an online Irish magazine. I will post it's name shortly on here. I do think this piece gives a good description of my ancestors' Malahide Castle, which of course, is outside of Dublin town. I need to go back & find the magazine's title. Thanks, Joan The name of the magazine is Irish America. Ta!

[FriedaKateM]

Re: Travel Tour to Ireland &amp; Back to Home in USA

HI, all again....just thought I would add to the above Irish trip, with some personal bits! I am "on" myheritage.com in the process still, & likely always, of figuring out my genealogy. Living here in Hamilton, Ohio, I work as a volunteer at a shelter, called Animal Adoption Foundation. I was assisting some new folks to the center, who were "looking" at the dogs. I heard the man say something, & quickly asked where he came from. I had noticed a different intonation in his voice. Ultimately, he told me that he was Irish. We stood & talked about Ireland in general, & also his experiences there. It was quite a blessing for me to share some of my genealogical insights with him. Of course, he knew who the Talbots were, & about their castle @ Malahide.

Lately, I have been rather "stretched" in taking care of myself & two kitties, getting out in the cold & getting groceries, & also feed us all. My newest cat is now a teen-ager, & she is quite active. She sounds like horses running through my home, & runs very fast throughout. She is a black tortoiseshell young cat, pretty, but also pretty smart, which makes it hard to keep up with her hi-jinks! My other cat is an older dilute tortoiseshell, with assorted gray, tan, white coat. I occasionally see my daughter, but all 7 of my grand-kids are extremely busy, & I don't see them much. Did see my great-grandson, who is 2 yrs old recently, & he again gets into a great deal of his own hi-jinks!!! All of the above is WHY I haven't been ON Here for awhile. Hope you all are doing very well, & will try to keep up here. Joan

[Alastair]

Re: Travel Tour to Ireland &amp; Back to Home in USA

Hi Joan... I can see you are very busy indeed but sorry you don't see as much of your family as you'd obviously like. How old are the grand kids? Perhaps you need to tempt them with something to get them to visit more <grin>

Alastair

[FriedaKateM]

Re: Travel Tour to Ireland &amp; Back to Home in USA

Hey, Alastair, In the main, my grandkids are ranging in age from 35, 22, 19, to 17, 16, 13, & then my great grandson is now 3 yrs. old. Altogether, I have 7 grandkids, & the one great grandson. Sooooo, one is in med school, one is at University of Alabama, one works in Dayton/Kettering Ohio. One is going to College in vicinity of Columbus, Ohio. One still in high school, & one, 13 is still in grade school. Looks like I just might have forgotten one, but that's the difficulty of being older in general!!! HA! Take care, all of you out there. Joan (So that's why I rarely see them.)

[Alastair]

Re: Travel Tour to Ireland &amp; Back to Home in USA

You certainly have your own clan there Joan for sure... Quite a gap in ages one bring 35 and then regular after that starting with the 22 year old and now onto grand kids. And that isn't including your own kids either. Enough for a football team I would say <grin>

Mind we have some great children's stories on the site for the 3 year old!

Alastair