Cobh

Nothing makes a real overseas vacation complete than at least one person throwing up in the rental car. We were driving from Cobh to Waterford in torrential down pours on a tight road overlooking the ocean when I heard the dreaded words from the back seat, “I think I am going to be sick”. If you know the country roads in Ireland, there is no shoulder, so I cringed as I heard the sound confirming what she had said. For another 2 miles I couldn’t find a place to pull over. When we made it safely to the side of the road, I spent the next 20 in driving rain trying to rinse the floors mats with all the half drank water bottles scattered throughout the car. I begged a nice lady in a small gas station for paper towels and a garbage bag. 30 minutes later we were back on the road and I was soaked up to my waist.

The day was not all bad though. We started out the morning in Cobh (pronounced “Cove” and formerly called Queenstown) grabbing coffee at a small cafe and then headed to another Titanic Museum. I would have to recommend this museum over the Belfast Titanic museum. It is more quaint, realistic and authentic to the story. The museum is housed in the original White Star Line ticket office where the last of the fated passengers purchased tickets and boarded prior to the sinking. During the tour you stand on the same area the passengers stood before processing to the Heartbreak Pier when many travelers spent their final moments on dry land. After the tour we explored Cobh as much as we could despite the bad weather.

We made our way to the Faithlegg Hotel in Waterford where we joined up with the Keough/Walsh/Power clan for our family reunion weekend. The hotel is tied to the Power side of the family and the website does a great job of walking through its history.

Most of the family congregated at Jack Meade’s Pub for happy hour. We all got lost in the gin and hours of storytelling and connecting dots. As the true Irish family we are, we shut down three bars by the wee hours. It was fascinating to meet and greet folks from all over the world to include Australia and Dubai. The history shared last night was amazing rich! Tomorrow begins the main events or the reunion and we will see more family roll in. Almost 100 people have journeyed for this event. My grandmother’s only living sibling of 12 children is here with us this weekend.

Wild Atlantic Way

This one is a tough post because it was our heaviest day of travel with so many things to see and just far too many pictures to post!

We woke around 5:30 am and were fueled up and on the road before 6:30 am. I am actually surprised that they were smiling when we took off! We headed off on the Wild Atlantic Way!

Our first stop was the Cliffs of Moher. It was a little overcast, but better than being rainy and foggy. They pretty much speak for themselves. Pretty intimidating beasts with whipping winds that make you a little leery of the edge. The pictures just do not convey the magnitude of these things.

We intended to take the WAW all the way from Galway to Kinsale but after several hours of driving and hiking the cliffs, the kiddos got road weary so we rerouted to the Blarney Castle for some foot travel to stretch our limbs around 1 pm. We got to take in the sites of Spanish Point, Kilkee, Kilrush, Shannon, and Limerick prior to hitting the Castle. We didn’t get to get any really good pics since there were limited places to pull over and taking pictures is challenging due to the narrow roads and fast movie locals. We just took in the sites to memory while making sure the car stayed on the road!

I always thought that the Blarney Stone was some sort of rock on the ground but I learned tonight that executing this task was more daunting than I realized. After climbing almost 130 steps up a cramped spiral staircase, we crossed a walkway that dropped off on both sides only to lay down and look upside down through a grate to our potential drop below. Pretty sure I held my breath the whole time. I have never made it down stairs that fast in my life.

We made it by dinner to Cobh where we will stay tonight. Cobh was the last port call of the Titanic before it began its fated journey across the Atlantic. This town is so quaint and packs a lot of history including the sinking of the Lusitania in 1915 during the 1st World War.

The hotel we chose to stay at itself dates back to 1854. There is too much history to type out so check out the Commodore Hotel directly to read about its rich history. The hotel decor is true to its original design and uses a regular old fashioned key to unlock the door. Dinner tonight was at the Titanic Bar on the harbor.

If I can give a word of advice on lodging, you have to be willing to appreciate the uniqueness of the hotels. You will not be staying in modern hotels with all the fancy amenities. You have to learn to enjoy the quirkiness. Crooked doors, creaky floors, etc but full of character. In most cases we only spent time in the hotels to sleep, except in the rare case the kids wanted to swim for a bit. So be willing to accept less than perfect to be able to stay in the mix and heart of these towns!

Tomorrow after exploring Cobh, we will depart for Waterford which is the home of my grandmother’s family and the site of our reunion weekend!

Planning Our Next Itinerary

Most of you know that in 7 months, the kids and I will be heading to Ireland for a family reunion and to meet up with a few friends in our path of travel.

I am fortunate my friend Jen decided to marry an Irish lad this past year. While they were home for Christmas break, they came by and helped me lay out my plans over some gin and tonic. Conor was a wealth of knowledge on how to make the most of our 12 day trip. Of course this itinerary is only our guideline and subject to change based on our whims.

We plan to fly into Dublin and stay downtown so we can foot hike around the city. I’m sure The Temple Bar will hit our list of must stops. They have the largest collection of whiskey in Ireland. St Patrick’s Cathedral and a hike up Wicklow Mountains also top the list.

After two days in Dublin we will head to Belfast for two days with a stop at the Titanic Museum. My son is a huge fan of Titanic. He has been entranced with books detailing the ship’s construction, it’s journey and its ultimate demise since he first learned to read.

From Belfast we will traverse the countryside and it’s scenery for several hours to Sligo, which is situated between Donegal and Galway. It’s a combination of literary legacies, a surfing hotspot and jagged mountain peaks that helped to inspire the writings of William Butler Yeats.

After departing Sligo, our next stop is Galway. We have a friend in Galway with a horse farm along the beach so we plan to take a ride along the shore. There is so much to see and take in in Galway that we may take a few days to rest here. Who hasn’t wanted to be a Galway Girl for a few days?

We will drop south of Galway to hit the Cliffs of Moher for some incredible views before we cut Southeast for our final part of the week.

Our next destination will take us to Kinsale, Cobh and Cork. Kinsale is known for its yachting, sea angling, and golf, but also for being the gourmet hub of Ireland for foodies. Right up my alley! I plan to fill my belly quite well as this stop.

Once known as Queenstown, Cobh was the final port call of the RMS Titanic when it set out on its maiden and final voyage across the Atlantic. It is also the departure point for over 2.5 million Irish people who emigrated to North America between 1848 and 1950, including the Keough’s and the Moriarty’s. See, this is how you all ended up with me!

We can’t leave Ireland without partaking in a little tradition so we will check out the Blarney Castle and kiss the old Blarney Stone to seal up our Gift of Gab.

We will finish out the trip with a 3 day visit to Waterford, which is where my grandmother’s family originated. During the Keough reunion will get a personal tour of the area with specific focus on our heritage, old family homes, burial sites, etc. We will be staying at the Faithlegg House, old castle style, for a dinner and reception to meet our relatives from across the globe. This is such an amazing opportunity for the kids to meet their relatives and trace their heritage to a different sort of home.

From Waterford we make our way back to Dublin for a flight out the following morning back to the States. We will catch a few more sights here before we head home. Along the way we plan to get in some hiking, tour some castles, enjoy the local beverages, and maybe even squeeze in some falconry! Sleep is overrated. There is so much to do here that we will catch up on that on the flight home.

I’d welcome any feedback or suggestions for our travels from those who have experienced Ireland firsthand!