Final Thoughts . . .

Advice and Suggestions:

During the summer months there are about 18 hours of daylight. It’s only truly dark after about 10-10:30PM. This is great for traveling!

Windows open directly to the outside (no screens) since mosquitoes aren’t an issue here. J

Failte Ireland Tourist Aid Sites are invaluable in helping find lodging, plotting routes, offering advice, etc.

Public transportation (buses, trains) are plentiful and easy to access. Consider them a viable option to renting a car.

Euros are used in the Republic of Ireland and Sterling in Northern Ireland. Businesses are not willing or set up to exchange money. Make sure you do that before crossing over.

ATMs are the best way to access cash. Easy, readily available, and less costly to use as compared to banks or currency exchange sites.

Renting a car and driving is doable, but the learning curve is steep. It took about 3 days to fully acclimate to the changes. Designate one person as the driver and one as the navigator. Both jobs take some getting used to.

Street signs are hit and miss – especially in villages and small towns. If they are present they are attached directly to a building about half way up, not on a street sign.

Round-abouts - - they are everywhere! The key is to remember always drive left and yield to traffic to the right before entering the roundabout. Watch out for the small roundabouts which are basically just a white circle painted on the road. They are easy to miss and caused us a few gray hairs due to near misses.


If you plan to drive at all, buy a Michelin Map before you leave the USA. They are very detailed so-o-o much better than any map you will get from your car rental agency. You can find them at major bookstores (ie. Barnes and Noble).

Consider using B&Bs for lodging. Costs are comparable to or cheaper than hotels AND you get tips, advice, and a personal and memorable connection.

Invest in good luggage. Flying internationally and living out of a suitcase for an extended period of time involves a lot of wear and tear. Luggage with 4 wheels is especially easy to manage.

Watch your weight limit on luggage (50 lb. max) – ‘nuff said.

Negotiate a price with your cab driver before you get in the cab. Dublin cab drivers are notorious for taking advantage of tourists.

VAT (Value Added Tax) – read up on this before your trip. Be sure to get paperwork and forms at each place you buy. Forms must be stamped by Customs before you leave the country in order to get the tax refund. It can take from 2 -6 months for the refund to be processed. Consider using one of the companies that will do this all for you - - for a fee.

Melatonin made a huge difference in managing jet lag. You can pick it up at any pharmacy in the vitamin section. The chewable type is most convenient.

Don’t consider a trip to Ireland complete without visiting Northern Ireland. The sights are breathtaking, the people welcoming, and the activities numerous.

 Recommendations and Contact Information:

These are inns, B&Bs, or hotels we would highly recommend based on our experience.

West County Hotel - Ennis, County Clare

    Telephone: +353 65 68 28 421

    Email: info@westcountyhotel.com

    Website: www.westcountyhotel.com

 

Camp Junction House Bed & Breakfast - Dingle Peninsula, County Kerry

     Proprietor: John Doyle

    Telephone: 066 7130848      Mobile: 087 2430704

    Email: johndoyle@campjunctionhouse.com

    Web: www.campjunctionhouse.com

The Victoria Hotel – Eyre Square – Galway, County Galway

     Telephone: +353 (0) 91 567433

     Email: victoriahotel@eircom.net

     Web: www.victoriahotelgalway.com

Hotel Westport - Newport Road - Westport, County Mayo

     Telephone: +353 (0) 98 25122
  
     Email: reservations@hotelwesport.ie

     Web: www.hotelwestport.ie

The Bridges Bed & Breakfast – Donegal Town, County Donegal

     Proprietors: Bernie and Steve McGrory

     Telephone: (074) 97 21082

     Email: thebridgesguesthouse@gmail.com

The Cuan Guest Inn – Strangford Village, County Down, Northern Ireland

     Proprietors: Caroline and Peter McErlean

     Telephone: 028 4488 1222      International Dial: +4428 2288 1222

     Email: info@thecuan.com

     Web: www.thecuan.com

The Central Hotel – Exchequer Street – Dublin

      Telephone: +353 1 679 7302

      Email: info@centralhotel.ie

      Web: www.centralhoteldublin.com

If you would like to learn more about the mission and work of the St. Patrick Centre in Downpatrick, Northern Ireland, here is contact information:

St. Patrick Centre

      Director: Dr. Tim Campbell

    Address: 53a Lower Market Street

                  Downpatrick, County Down

                  Northern Ireland  BT30 6LZ

    Telephone: +44 (0) 28 4461 9000

    Email: director@saintpatrickcentre.com

    Web: www.saintpatrickcentre.com

Friday, June 24 - Back Across the Pond

After packing and re-packing we were ready to roll. (As I’ve mentioned earlier, I was seriously worried about the weight limit for my luggage. At the start of our trip, I had to repack in Minneapolis at the ticket counter and move a few things to my carry on for the trip over because my suitcase was 3 pounds over the 50 pound limit - - and that was before my souvenir shopping!).

When we arrived at the airport I asked one of the Aer Lingus staff to weigh my bag in case I had to repack. Thankfully he was a very understanding sort and after marking my bag with a “heavy” tag, went ahead passed the bag through. We quickly moved through security. Our flight was on time and as we took off, I couldn’t help but feel grateful for the wonderful opportunity we had to visit this very special place. Ireland will forever hold a special place in my heart. I am already looking forward to visiting again!

Once we arrived in Chicago, it was off to get into line to go through security, to another line for customs/US preclearance, and yet another trot through security. On my second round of security, I was pulled aside as something suspicious was seen in my purse by the scanner. The security official asked me if I had crystals or liquids in my purse (since I had everything but the kitchen sink in there – I couldn’t be sure!). He ended up searching my purse and pulled out the offending article – a large rock. (These are the moments that make Will roll his eyes and shake his head.) He gave me a bit of a look, then asked me if I was going to use it to start a fire (what?!) or as a weapon (hardly!). I told the security officer the rock was from a beach walk I had taken and I wanted to bring it back as a memento, paint a shamrock on it and give it to my husband to use as a paper weight (lucky Will!J). After taking the time to warn me about the dangers of carrying a large rock on a plane, he passed me through (meanwhile, an elderly woman was one aisle over going through the body scanner – I’m sure she was singled out because of the significant danger she posed). Honestly, sometimes this security thing lacks just plain common sense.

Meghan had an earlier flight out from Chicago than we did, so after we saw her off we waited for our flight, due to take off at 9:00. It arrived on time and I was very happy to see it – it had been a lo-o-o-ong day. As we were getting ready to board - Bad News - - the maintenance staff had discovered a crack on the windshield of the cockpit and needed to make a quick repair – 20 minute delay at the most. Well, the 20 minute delay stretched to half an hour when an announcement was made that the plane would be taken out of service and another plane coming in from San Francisco at 11:30 would be assigned for our flight to Minneapolis. Sigh. Around 11:00 an announcement was made that the plane coming in from San Francisco was smaller than our original plane and volunteers were needed to take a later flight. To compensate for the inconvenience, United was offering $400 in flight vouchers per ticket for 13 individuals willing to be bumped. Since the later flight was leaving at 12:30, Will and I were at the point of “What’s one more hour in an already long day?” and we jumped at the chance to make $800 thinking it will pay for a few trips home for Meghan when she moves to Pennsylvania later this summer. We finally boarded at 12:30, had an uneventful flight to Minneapolis where our luggage was waiting for us (yay!!) and Brendan at the ready to pick us up at the airport. Out Celtic Adventure 2011 had come to an end and the Irish Travelers were home at last.

Sláinte agus saol fada agat!

(Health and long life to you!)

Thursday, June 23 - Dublin's Delights

I discovered last night that the location of our hotel is a bit of a double-edged sword. The great location right in the heart of things guarantees a lot of action, accessibility, and a lively night life. It also guarantees a lot of noise late into the night. I’m trying to figure out how things can be so busy on a Wednesday night?! I would have expected it on a Friday or Saturday night, but having activity outside our window until almost 3AM last night came as a bit of a surprise.

Everyone had different agendas for sightseeing today, so the girls went their separate ways and Will and I decided to do a walking tour of the city. With so much so close to the hotel, it was easy to do. One of the nearby streets was once home to the local music hall where George Frederic Handel first performed the Messiah in 1742 to a packed house of 700. Ladies that attended the performance were urged to attend without wearing “hoop” skirts and gentlemen were urged to attend without their swords so there would be more room. It made me glad that I don’t have to maneuver down streets with hoop skirts and I think Will would be thrilled not to have to lug a sword around on his belt loop all day long!

We started our tour at Dublin Castle, just a few blocks away. I was a bit surprised to see that in order to access the castle you need to walk through a few parking lots – not quite what I imagined. Once on the castle grounds, we were treated to a beautifully preserved castle. The gardens were in an inner courtyard and at the very center was a low circular area of lawn which had a swirled pattern of brick work. It looked a bit like a labyrinth or prayer path, but was freeform and not at all symmetrical. Today, Dublin Castle is surrounded by government buildings and is used for government functions. Built in 1204, it has been beautifully preserved.

An interesting story related to Dublin Castle has to do with the Irish Crown Jewels which were stolen from the castle in 1907. The Crown Jewels included a royal set of the Order of St. Patrick from 1783 and included rubies, emeralds, and Brazilian diamonds. The mystery begins in 1903 when the jewels were transferred to a safe which was to be placed in a newly constructed vault. There was a slight problem though – the new safe was too large to fit through the doorway of the vault! The commanding officer of Dublin Castle, a man by the name of Arthur Vicars, decided to store the jewels in his office instead(!). Seven keys were made to the office and two for the safe. Vicars was known to regularly get drunk on overnight duty and he once woke to find the jewels around his neck! The jewels were discovered missing on July 6, 1907. Vicars claimed innocence and refused to resign his position. He publicly accused his second in command, Francis Shackleton of the theft (Francis was the brother of explorer Ernest Shackleton). In a public inquiry Shackleton was exonerated and Vicars was found guilty of “not exercising due vigilance”. He did not serve any jail time, but was shot dead by the IRA on April 14, 1921 in an unrelated incident. The case remains unsolved to this day.

Next we walked a short distance to St. Patrick’s Cathedral.

 

The cathedral was once the residence of Jonathan Swift, author of “Gulliver’s Travels” and Dean of the cathedral from 1713-1745. St. Patrick’s Cathedral stands next to the site of the famous well where tradition has it that St. Patrick baptized converts on his way to Dublin. A small stone memorial marks the site of the well. The cathedral continues to be used as a place of worship to this day.

 

We continued our tour with a visit to St. Stephen’s Green – my absolute favorite part of our walk! St. Stephens is a 22 acre park in the heart of Dublin. It was opened in 1664, but was privately owned by upper class residents in the area. It wasn’t until 1877 that the park was redesigned and opened to everyone. Arthur Guinness, of Guinness beer fame, funded the purchase and redesign.

The park has tons of flowerbeds, trees, a fountain and a lake, and is dotted with memorials to famous Dubliners such as James Joyce, WB Yeats, and Arthur Guinness.

In one corner of the park there is a bronze statue to Theobald Wolfe Tone, leader of the 1798 rebellion. On either side of his statue a number monoliths are erected which has given way to the nickname “Tonehenge”. There is also a monument dedicated to the victims of the Great Famine of 1845-1850.

Another corner of the park has a statue representing the Three Fates which was a gift from the German people in thanks for Irish help to refugees after World War II.

The flowers are beautiful and one corner of the park has a garden for the blind where signs are posted in Braille and flowers and plants are easily reached. The lake attracts many different kinds of birds. The pigeons are particularly fearless and come close to catch any crumbs that may drop.

One of my favorite spots in the park was just inside the gate where a small cottage was situated. It looked like something out of a storybook, but was obviously in use.

From St. Stephen’s Green we took a walking tour of the Georgian area of Dublin then headed back to our hotel via Trinity College and Grafton Street. Later in the afternoon I met up with Meghan and Molly and we did a little last-minute shopping on Grafton Street before heading back to the hotel to meet up with Will and Tom at the Library Bar.

On a tip from our hotel concierge we headed out to dinner at O’Neills – a popular and traditional Irish pub for our last meal in Ireland. It was so popular in fact we weren’t able to find an empty table! Although disappointed, we headed back out along Grafton Street and came upon what looked to be a small café called Bewleys. Turns out it was much larger than it looked and we were able to get a table right away. The food was delicious and we had a wonderful time visiting. We decided to do a last call at the Library before heading off to bed. It’s hard to believe we head home tomorrow. It’s been the trip of a lifetime.

Wednesday, June 22 - Good-bye to Northern Ireland

We started our day today with The Best Breakfast EVER! Peter McErlean is well-known in the area for his culinary skills and he didn’t fail us! In addition to the delicious breakfast, we were treated to the wit and wisdom of Colman Rooney – the angel in disguise who let us into the inn the evening before. When we came into the dining room for breakfast, Colman had an American flag on our table. He said he likes to do that for visitors from abroad. It’s those little touches that have made our stay at the Cuan so memorable. Colman is the official greeter, entertainer, and jack-of-all-trades of the inn. He has many interesting stories and anecdotes to share. Today, everyone was all abuzz with the recent Masters win by local favorite son, Rory McElroy. Rory is well-known in these parts and lives just a short distance away. Colman shared lots of information about the history of the inn and local area with us. When he heard we were headed to Downpatrick after breakfast, he told us to be sure to visit St. Patrick’s gravesite. Then he told us that his great-grandfather was buried not more than a meter from St. Patrick. It seems that when efforts were being made to emphasize St. Patrick’s gravesite, they did not want to move any of the people already buried in the vicinity. Consequently, Colman’s great-grandfather’s gravesite was incorporated as part of the St. Patrick memorial. Although he has no special connection to St. Patrick, it appears so since the gravesite is part of the memorial. It’s one of those wonderful idiosyncrasies that happen from time to time in Ireland.

As we were checking out and saying our good-byes to Colman, Peter, Caroline, and the rest of the staff who made us feel so welcome - Good News! Meghan happened to find our missing room key in her purse! This was a BIG surprise to all of us since none of us remembered handing the key off to Meghan. I was glad that we didn’t have to put the Cuan staff through the inconvenience of copying another key for the room.

Next, we headed off to Downpatrick, about 25 km up narrow, winding, but scenic roads to meet Tim Campbell for a tour of the St. Patrick Centre. It was great to see Tim again and the center was most impressive. It has a world-class interpretative exhibit, interactive displays, and an I-Max presentation which tells the story of St. Patrick and the arrival of Christianity in Ireland. The center also has art galleries showing artwork and metalwork from local schools and artists. Aside from promoting the mission of St. Patrick, the center also has a strong focus on peace initiatives and education of young people. The PR material for the center states “The goal of the St. Patrick Centre is to educate people of Saint Patrick’s vision for reconciliation and familiarize them with the unspoiled beauty and preserved culture of Northern Ireland introducing the history and truth of a legend.” As part of the center’s community relations and education program, St. Patrick and symbolism is used to explore themes of difference, diversity, and stereotypes. The center and its permanent exhibit is the only one of its kind to detail the life and journey of St. Patrick and use his example as a starting point for developing positive community relations and reconciliation work in Northern Ireland. There is a Minnesota Chapter of the Friends of St. Patrick which is very active. It was through this organization that Meghan was selected to participate in the St. Patrick Centre Young Ambassador program two years ago where she spent three weeks in Downpatrick and Northern Ireland learning about the culture, history, traditions, gifts, and reconciliation work of the St. Patrick Centre and other organizations. What a blessing to be able to see this wonderful center in person and learn more about its mission of reconciliation and inclusivity. It is initiatives like this which will be the impetus for positive change not only in Ireland, but around the world.

The Centre also has beautiful gardens and a wooded pathway leading up to the grave of St. Patrick. The gardens were in full bloom and a sight to behold!

St. Patrick’s grave was simple, but beautiful . . . and true to his word, Colman’s great-grandfather’s grave was right at the foot of St. Patrick’s – part of the marked off gravesite. It was fun to know the story behind the small grave next to St. Patrick!

 
                           

After our good-byes to Tim and the Centre, we began our drive south along the coast to Dublin. Will could hardly wait to turn the car over to Dan Dooley Rentals! Most of our journey to Dublin was on the M1 Motorway – a double lane high speed road, much like our freeways. The drive was much easier than the country lanes, but not nearly as scenic. All was going well until we discovered we really didn’t know how to get to Dan Dooley’s car rental. As we got closer to the airport, we pulled over. Will rummaged through the luggage trying to find the rental paperwork and I searched maps and books for directions. I finally found a phone number and we got detailed directions to the rental agency. I’ve never seen a happier guy than William W. Davy as he pulled into the dealership with the car all in one piece and turned over the keys! As he was completing the paperwork and ordering a cab for our journey to the hotel, I said a prayer of thanksgiving to Blessed Mary for safe travels the past few weeks. I figure over the course of the past two weeks or so, I’ve said at least 15 decades of the rosary with all the silent prayers I’ve offered up!
 
                           

  Our cab driver Tommy arrived and drove us from the car rental site to our hotel in downtown Dublin. The Central Hotel lives up to its name – it is located in the heart of Dublin just a few blocks from Trinity College, Dublin Castle, Temple Bar, and Grafton Street with lots of shopping, restaurants, and pubs. The hotel itself dates back to 1887 and has been beautifully updated and lovingly cared for. The hotel is also home to the popular Library Bar which is tucked away on the second floor of the hotel. The bar has an old-fashioned feel to it and is furnished in a traditional style with sofas and wing backed chairs. The fireplaces and large windows looking out onto the street give it a bit of a feeling of being in the comfortable home of a good friend - a great place to meet and visit. 

Once we unpacked and settled in, it was time for dinner. With all of the great restaurants and cafes near us it was tough deciding which to try. After some discussion, we unanimously decided on - - McDonalds! We were all hankering for some plain old American fast food. There was a McDonalds located a few blocks away and man – did those hamburger and fries taste good! We’ve been so spoiled with all the delicious sea food and Irish cuisine, that we hadn’t had a fast food fix since we arrived. It was a treat to have something familiar, but we’ll continue to take advantage of local cuisine. We returned to the hotel and met up with Tom and Molly in the Library Bar. Tom and Molly traveled from Tralee earlier in the day to meet us and spend the last few days in Ireland with us. A bit later in the evening Mary and Ann joined us – it was great to see them again and everyone had a wonderful time catching up with one another.

As much as I don’t want to think about it, our departure day is drawing near. This leaves me wondering about our luggage and how much our suitcases will be able to hold without going over the weight limit. Seeing as how I was already 3 pounds over the limit before we arrived, I’m a bit concerned that I am really going to be in trouble for the trip back home. I fall asleep thinking about suitcases . . . how much they can hold/weigh, and what I can leave behind and/or wear on the plane (insert mental picture of each of us wearing two pairs of pants, shirt, two sweaters, and a jacket) . . .

Tuesday, June 21 - On the Rocks and On the Ropes

The alarm clock woke us bright and early and we were boarding the bus stop in front of the inn at 7AM. The driver was very helpful and gave us the information we needed to transfer to another bus in Downpatrick which would take us the rest of the way into downtown Belfast. The public transportation system in Ireland is really quite amazing. Between train and bus service, it’s easy to get all around the country. A lot of people visiting Ireland choose not to rent a car and just use trains and buses. Our bus out of Downpatrick was an express, so we were in downtown Belfast in plenty of time to catch our tour bus through Allen’s Tours. The tour started at 9:30 and our first stop was Carrickfergus Castle which is located just north of Belfast on Belfast Lough.

The castle was built in 1180 and is one of the best preserved castles in Ireland. It is noted as being the place where King William III first set foot in Ireland in 1690. Unfortunately, our schedule didn’t allow time for a guided tour of the castle, but we were able to walk through part of the castle before re-boarding the bus and heading to our next stop the (drum roll) Carrick a Rede rope bridge. This 65 foot rope bridge, described as “death defying” in tourist guides, connects a very tiny island to the mainland. For those who have the nerve to cross the bridge, the views from the island are spectacular. The bridge is 80 feet high over a chasm of rough sea water between the island and mainland.

After asking who planned to cross the rope bridge, our bus driver spent most of the drive to the site giving us a pep talk on how safe the bridge was, how no one had ever fallen off the rope bridge, etc. etc. While well-intentioned, this only served to make anyone who was already nervous about crossing the bridge even more so. I am afraid of heights, so this whole “pep talk” was a bit unnerving for me. When we pulled up to the site, we found it was about a mile walk out to the rope bridge. Although there was a paved trail and steps out to the bridge site, it was tough going as the uphill path at times was almost at a 45 degree angle and being in such great physical condition (ha!), I needed to stop a few times to catch my breath.

When we finally arrived at the bridge, the first thing we saw was a young German couple standing off to the side. The husband/boyfriend was clearly agitated and looked to be on the verge of hyperventilating every time he looked behind him at the bridge. His wife/girlfriend was trying to calm him down and reassure him, but even though I couldn’t understand what she was saying to him, I could tell she was a little annoyed with him. I felt sorry for him since it was obvious he was pretty embarrassed. I decided at that point that no matter how scary this bridge was, I would not be joining him at the side of the trail. To access the bridge you had to climb down a steep ladder of steps set into the side of the hill – this was almost worse than the bridge itself!

I took a deep breath and stepped onto the bridge. It was GREAT!

 
  The view from the bridge was awesome and surprisingly the swaying of the bridge wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. Once over to the island, the views were breathtaking and well worth the trip over the bridge.

After spending some time exploring the island, we headed back across the bridge (even easier this time!) and back on the trail to the bus.

Our next stop was Bushmills Distillery which is famous for making Irish whiskey since 1608. We had just enough time for a quick taste of one of their new concoctions (cranberry flavored whiskey – yuck – I passed!) and a tour of their gift shop.

Next, we headed to Giant’s Causeway – a world heritage site and one of the biggest tourist attractions in Northern Ireland. The causeway is the site of hexagonal shaped basalt stones estimated to be 62 to 65 million years old formed when a volcanic rock flow experienced unusual, rapid, and erratic cooling. The cooling forced the rock to crack forming hexagons and pentagons. The basalt columns – some as high as 30 feet tall - look like pavers making a path to the sea. The rocks are the basis of Irish legends about the fictional giant Finn McCoul (a little like our Paul Bunyan) and how he set the rocks down to make a pathway across the sea – hence the name Giant’s Causeway. We had a great time climbing all over the rock formations and took many pictures of the amazing rock formations. Our tour guide later told us that there is a similar rock formation in Wyoming called Devils Tower National Monument.

After a short ride, we stopped at the ruins of Dunluce Castle, built in the 1200s. Dunluce Castle has been the site of historic battles and a Jackie Chan movie (The Medallion). The castle sits about 100 feet above the ocean on basalt rock isolated from the mainland by a 20 foot drop. This made the castle very difficult to attack. Unfortunately, it also make the castle prone to landslides and in 1639 a piece of the basalt rock broke off under the kitchen portion of the castle and fell into the sea taking with it the entire cooking staff who died. Some of my favorite pictures of the trip are of this castle. The misty, overcast weather today made for a perfect shot of the castle.

We arrived back in Belfast around 7PM. Meghan had made arrangements to meet a friend of hers from her St. Thomas days for dinner and would travel back to the inn later. (I was concerned about leaving her and finding her way back to Strangford on her own, but she emphatically reminded me “Mom! I am 25 years old!”) Will and I decided to head back to the inn – it had been a fun, but busy day and we were looking forward to the comforts of the inn. After we parted ways with Meghan, Will and I headed to the bus center and found out that the last bus to Strangford had left 30 minutes before and the only other bus available that evening was to Portaferry. Not a problem we thought – we can just take the ferry across to Strangford once we get to Portaferry. Our big concern though was – How is Meghan going to get back to the inn?? In our rush to get going that morning, we had left Will’s phone behind at the inn and had no way to let Meghan know she would be missing the last bus! I worried all the way to Portaferry (- what kind of mother would leave her child behind!?). And believe me – I had plenty of time to worry! The bus we had taken to Belfast in the morning – the express bus – took just 30 minutes. We didn’t realize it when we boarded the bus to Portaferry, but we were not on the express bus going back. It took us 1½ hours to get to Portaferry. I was tired, worried, and sick of buses at this point. Will put it best - - as we were riding down a country lane, the bus had to pull over to let a man on horseback pass by. Will leaned over and said “Things that seemed so charming just a week ago, are now just a pain in the a**”. I had to laugh – it was true! We just wanted to get home! We finally arrived at Portaferry and boarded the ferry for the short ride to Strangford. I was imagining how good a hot shower and a glass of Baileys would be – after 14 hours on the go – most of it riding buses . . . when Will discovered he did not have the key! Since the key to our room AND the key to the inn were on the same key ring we were in big trouble. I was reminded of Thomas Paine’s famous words used during the Revolutionary War “These are the times that try men’s souls.” . . . they try men’s marriages as well! As luck would have it, when we reached the inn we met up with an older gentleman who was seeing off a group in front of the inn. He could tell we were in a predicament. When we explained our situation, he told us he worked at the inn and had a key to let us in. He gave us a spare key to our room and was so helpful and friendly, doing everything he could to make sure we were settled in. I can tell you there are angels on earth – one of them resides in Stangford, Northern Ireland and goes by the name of Colman Rooney! When we reached our room, I immediately checked Will’s phone (which we’d left behind) for messages from Meghan and discovered she was in her room – wondering where we were! It seems after her dinner with her friend, she had hopped on an express bus to Downpatrick then taken a cab to Strangford and had arrived about a half hour before we did. Whew! All was well.

Ironically, we found out the next day that violence had broken out in eastern Belfast in the Newtownards area – the same area Will and I were riding through on our bus trip back to the inn. We never saw any of the incidents that were on the news, but it was the first time violence has broken out in over 10 years. Every effort was being made by officials on all sides to quell the unrest. It appeared to be initiated by an unorganized group not affiliated with any political group, but quickly escalated to the point where riot police had to be called in and many arrests were made. Political officials on both sides are working hard to settle things down and are hoping the peace initiatives and progress made thus far will continue despite these unfortunate incidents.

Monday, June 20 - A Castle, An Inn, and a Ferry

After a fantastic traditional Irish breakfast cooked by Bernie, our B&B hostess, we started our day with a tour of Donegal Castle.

Wow! The castle is beautifully restored and has quite a history behind it. The castle dates back to the 1400s when it was built by Red Hugh O’Donnell. During the Nine Year War the O’Donnells were forced to abandon the castle, but before leaving they did their best to destroy as much of the castle as they could – leaving it as unusable to the English as possible. The castle, and Donegal, were given to Sir Basil Brooke who took charge of the area for the English. In addition to repairing the castle, he also added on another wing to the castle – which looked like manor homes of the time in England. He also added windows to the tower and added an additional floor as the model below shows.

This castle is one of my favorites, so far. It has been very well restored and is quite beautiful.

One of the interesting parts of this castle was a room called the garderobe, which is a room we call the bathroom today. The garderobe was a small room which had a wooden seat with a hole in it. Waste would fall down the hole into a chute built into the castle wall and would end up in a pit in the ground below, or go directly into the moat surrounding the castle. As time went on, they modified the design of the chute to be angular since there were issues with enemy forces shooting arrows up the chute (imagine where they landed!) or occasionally a brave soul would make his way through the cesspool of waste to climb up the chute and open a door to let enemy forces into the castle. Whew!!

The spiral steps in this castle were purposely uneven and of varying heights so as to trip an enemy swordsman. The stairs were also designed to ascend to the right because the O’Donnells were right handed and this gave them more room at the turn of the stairs to strike down their enemies. Brilliant thinking!

Close up of steps – This gives you some idea of how thick the steps were – anywhere from 10-14 inches tall. The idea of sword fighting on the steps is hard to imagine – I was having trouble climbing up them without tripping!!

After visiting the castle, we went for a walk down by the bay. I took a picture of a few signs we’ve seen which are pretty common throughout Ireland. I thought the dog sign was particularly descriptive

The ring buoys can be found next to most every waterway. Since they are readily available, I was surprised more weren’t missing. It’s obvious they do go missing from time to time, seeing the warning on the sign.

Donegal Bay was beautiful – the River Eske, which runs through town, empties out into Donegal Bay which flows westward into the Atlantic Ocean.

Next to the bay was a cemetery which also housed the remains of a Franciscan Friary dating back to the 1500s. The ruins of the friary were beautiful and the cemetery’s location at the end of the quay was beautiful.

We headed to the car and began our drive eastward across Northern Ireland toward Downpatrick, south of Belfast. The drive took about 3 hours, with a few stops along the way. Northern Ireland is just as beautiful as the Republic of Ireland. We did notice the roads were wider and easier to navigate, which we appreciated, but other than that no significantly different changes. The homes seem larger, the road signs are in English only with no Gaelic translation and the villages are laid out in a similar manner to those in the Republic. From time to time we see evidence of the divide between Northern Ireland and the Republic - the Union Jack flies instead of the tricolors and in one small town the words "No Surrender" are painted on the side of a wall. However, the welcome from the locals is just as genuine and they are just as willing to help direct lost Americans as those we met in southern Ireland. :)

We checked into our home for the next few days – the Cuan Inn in Strangford. Strangford is located on Strangford Lough (pronounced “lock”) which is a large inlet of the Irish Sea. We are on the western side of the Lough and the town Portaferry is located directly across the lough from us on the Ards Pennisula. Both Strangford and Portaferry are popular tourist destinations noted for their picturesque locations along the lough. There is a car ferry that connects the villages of Strangford and Portaferry and has been in operation for almost four centuries. It takes about 10 minutes to cross the lough by ferry as opposed to almost an hour and a half by car.

Our hosts at the Cuan Inn are Peter and Caroline McErlean. The Cuan (pronounced “cue-in”) translates as “peaceful place”. A perfect spot for weary travelers for the next few days. The Cuan is celebrating its 200^th anniversary this year and has been in business since 1811. The inn is charming, historic, and known for its cuisine. Meghan also chose the Cuan so we would be close to Downpatrick where she did an internship through the St. Patrick Centre as a Young Ambassador two years ago. We met up with Tim Campbell, head of the St. Patrick Centre and Young Ambassador program, for dinner. Tim took us across the lough on the ferry to Portaferry for dinner. We had a wonderful meal and caught up over dinner. After promising to catch up with Tim later in the week we headed back across the lough on the ferry. At this time of night, the tide is coming in and the ferry has to work hard to get across the channel. It’s interesting to watch the tidal current as we cross and see how strong it is. At one point it is able to push the ferry sideways before the ferry powers it way through the current. We also notice one of the boats tied to the pier is called the St. Brendan. I just had to take a picture of that! Brendan is actually a pretty great name for a boat, since St. Brendan is the patron saint of sailors.

                     

When we got back to Strangford we noticed how quiet the village was. This was a definite difference from the Republic of Ireland where many of the villages would just be starting their nightly entertainment. Meghan and I headed back to the inn while Will went for a walk to check out the town. About 45 minutes later Will returned to our room quite annoyed to have been locked out of the inn and unable to access the night manager to let him in. Luckily, the bartender on duty across the square was able to contact the night manager. “What kind of place rolls up the streets at 9PM?” he wondered. This was a definite difference from previous towns we’d stayed in, but I was glad for the quiet – we have a BIG day ahead of us tomorrow. We are taking a bus tour of the northern coast of Ireland including Giant’s Causeway, the Carrick a Rede rope bridge, Bushmills Distillery, and more castles. We’ve decided not to put Will through another day of driving – particularly through Belfast during rush hour – so we will catch the local bus outside the inn at 7AM tomorrow and bus to Belfast to catch our tour.