Ireland – The Roaming Roths

Waterford/Cheekpoint

The kids and I took advantage of the amazing grounds at Faithlegg this morning and embarked on an early morning falconry excursion. Meet Albert, the Harris Hawk and Nelson, the White Faced Scoop Owl. We learned a lot about the birds themselves and the history of falconry. I would include that all here but figured you can Google the info if you are interested in further details.

Raw meat is used to train the birds to come to us and return to the trees as we trekked through the woods. The hawk watched closely as we moved and stayed very near, as they say, “watching us like a hawk”. We were able to get great slow motion videos that really captured the birds wing span as they landed on our arms.

After we were done “fowling” around, we joined the rest of the family for a 2 mile walking tour from Faithlegg down to Cheekpoint Village which is the area that was home to our family. We definitely took some of the road less traveled.

We stopped at the church cemetery that houses the burial sites of some of the early members of the Keough lineage and family spread holy water and laid flowers at the tombstones.

The cemetery is home to one of the tomb sites of the famous Thomas Francis Meagher. Meagher has four grave sites, none of which house his actual body. Click on the link by Andrew Doherty, our walking guide, to read more about this Irish rebel who fought in the American Civil War and eventually became the first governor of Montana.

The tour eventually led us to the home of Denis and Bridie Keogh, who take us back 5 generations in the Keogh bloodline.

Before we delve into the happy hour and reunion dinner reception, let’s take a quick pause for the reason we are here in Ireland. This beautiful lady is my paternal grandmother, born Anna Louise (Nancy) Keogh. She was the second born of 12 children, only one of which is still living today (Gerry Caulfield pictured below with myself and the kids).

The reunion kicked off with a happy hour in the gardens behind the hotel. Insert random fact here, but oddly enough, whiskey is not the primary liquor of choice here as I expected. Every bar in the country that we visited has an extensive gin menu posted above the bar.

The location for the reunion couldn’t have been more perfect. My cousin Anne did an incredible job of pulling together the perfect evening. It was a rush of new people and old stories. My kids instantly bonded with new cousins and disappeared into the grounds all evening. Our family history is full of stories of power and love and connections to influential parts of world history. Our family has crossed continents in search of a better world and today we all traversed the world to come together. I can’t even begin to explain what a gift this is to give to my children and bring home to my father. As we watched slide shows of old photos of family members past, we all took comfort in the fact that even the memories of this reunion have been captured for our future generations.

The Keogh/Walsh/Power families rallied well into the wee hours again. This was the pinnacle of entire trip and I can say Ireland has given us s all we had hoped for and more and our hearts are full. It is a land blessed with beautiful people and a wealth of culture and history. It was a trip well worth every dime spent.

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!

Eyre Square, Galway

I have officially been able to call myself a “Galway Girl” for two days now. My kids have asked me at least 4 times if Ed Sheeran lives here, but the radio stations love themselves some Ed! Today we found what I had been hunting for in Ireland. The small crowded streets of a medieval town with the tiny restaurants and shops and live music at almost every door step. Nothing super notable in this post, but tons of great shots!

So a fun fact in Ireland, you must wear swim caps in all the pools which the kids were just thrilled about. But their desire to swim far outweighed their pride after a while. Also, pools here are open till 10pm in the hotels but are closed to children after 7pm so be sure to plan accordingly!

Tonight is an early night for us since tomorrow we leave super early for our most adventurous portion of the trip yet. We hit the market on the way home today to pack up on food and supplies. We will pick of the Wild Atlantic Way (WAW) where indicated on the map below by the blue marks. The WAW is a coastal road that runs the entire coastal edge of the west coast of Ireland. As you can see by the red line on the map, the entire WAW starts up north and is a total of 1600 miles end to end. It is a path of a twisting road that hits some of the most scenic points. We hit the road around 6 am and will end our trek on Cobh for the night!

Galway Gang

As of today we have put 330 miles on the car and 20 miles on the feet and have made it to the west coast. Galway sits at the mouth of the River Corrib. The Latin Quarter is busy with boutique stores, cafes, and galleries and portions of the original medieval city walls remain. But Galway, why must you be so cold?! The winds were relentless on the shore up in Salthill. The scenery certainly made up for it! I will apologize in advance for the overload of pictures to follow but this shore was endless and we barely covered half of it in 2 miles.

A full day left us windblown and wet haired from the passing showers but it didn’t deter us. I will say it is odd to us to be on a beach in August with 2 layers and wind breakers and still feeling the chill.

We dropped in at the local aquarium to dodge the rain and met these handsome fellas.

And of course, as a shocker to no one, we ate. Lots of food…and pints. I see a detox and new workout plan in my future when we get back. Here come the obligatory pictures of our food.

We have covered 4 cities in 5 days and are on our 4th hotel. Throughout the entire trip we will spend 1 night or 2 nights per city based on what we want to see. I planned well for this so I would recommend it from a packing perspective if you are moving frequently like we are. We packed about 70% of the clothes we needed for the 12 days. We stowed empty duffel bags in the suitcases so during our two night stays, we prep what we have now called the Go Kit for our next one night stay. These basically house only the clothing for the next day so it’s easy in and out of the hotel. Less times lugging 3 larger suitcases each time. At the halfway point (Galway) we are doing laundry at the hotel and replenishing clothes for remainder of the trip. So when you see our repeat clothing in photos, know that they ARE clean I swear!

We only had a half day in Galway today but are here for another night so will have plenty to share tomorrow!

Sliding into Sligo

We departed super early this morning for Sligo. I would share the photo of how amused Caleb was with my early morning wake up call but he would kill me.

This was our first real venture across the countryside as we headed for just under a 3 hour drive to the west coast of the island. I really am not sure which is more nerve racking…driving in the city or driving on the narrow roads of the country. Sometimes it becomes a choice of either your life or the car’s. I see now why they force the insurance. We had to stop the car every so often to take in the views.

Sligo surrounds the Garavogue River where it meets Sligo Bay. It’s known for its literary heritage of some of the greats such as W.B.Yeats.

I think Sligo has been my favorite stop so far, although I am sure others coming down the road could trump it. Who knows. It’s a quaint town and people here are so friendly. We met a few people at the start of our day and several hours later, they drove past us on the street, hanging out the windows to greet us again as if we had been long term friends.

First stop today was Parke’s Castle. This plantation castle of the early 17th century was restored on sits along the shores of Lough Gill. Eventually the home of Robert Parke and his family, it was once owned by Sir Brian O’Rourke who subsequently was executed at Tyburn, London in 1591 when it was discovered he provided housing to the enemy. This is a great tour if you have the time and the story is these two families and the scenery are incredible.

Next stop was the Sligo Abbey. The abbey was originally built in 1253 and destroyed in 1414 by a fire and eventually ravaged during the Nine Years War and the Irish Confederate War. The friars moved out in the 18th century. The ruins and their burial plots have almost an eerie presence nestled right in the modern town.

After all the exploring we wandering downtown for a while to find food and back to our castle hotel! Time here is short lived! On to Galway tomorrow for 2 days before we start our trek down the Wild Atlantic Way!

Fast and the Furious, Ireland Style

I feel like my first time driving in Ireland probably deserves it’s own post. You can tell Hertz in Dublin is used to tourists since they issued me my own VIP Bracelet!

Someone blared their horn at me when I had to switch lanes last minute at the airport. I responded with an authentic gesture of American gratitude! Good bye Dublin…off to Belfast!

Of course 2 min after I situated myself in the driver’s seat it started to rain. But not just a steady rain. The kind that spits and then pours and then stops, and repeat. My kids thought it was funny listening to me mutter to myself because I just could not endure the stress of handling a car gadget while driving.

City driving was hairy, but if you follow the general flow of cars, you are most times ok! Highway driving is pretty easy as long as you remember the right lane is the “takeover” lane, not the left. Sometimes you find yourself with an angry driver up your rear end while you are gawking at the scenery. Oh, and Ireland loves round abouts. Everywhere. Randomly inserted everywhere. Tractor also drive on the freeway. Actual tractors, doing 30 mph in the left lane. You’ll know you have crossed the border to the UK when you see speed limit signs change back to miles.

You have to watch drifting off the left side of the road. I had some near misses with the front ends of some cars waiting to pull out from the left, and the sound of rumble strips may have drowned out the radio a bit. To be honest, driving from the other side of the car after some time really didn’t feel very different.

The cab driver who dropped me at Hertz said I would pick it up in no time and he was right. In about an hour I had it down. And worst case, if you get confused in the city, you look around quick, hope no one is looking and gun it down a road before anyone notices you cut down the wrong way. I mean not that I tried that but…

A note of warning…they advise you to drive a smaller car because of the narrow roads. Smaller to people here is a bit different. I ordered a midsized for the luggage space and we’ll just say Syd is still traveling with two suitcases as her backseat buddies and Caleb is hugging the dash!

Anyways, we have made it safely to Belfast for the next two days!

DoDublin Tour

Today was a bit rainy in Dublin so we opted to try the bus tour (DoDublin) of Dublin today. I am thankful we did so because the driver really gives so much of the historical context behind the city. Our tour ranged from the famous block of Georgian homes that once housed Oscar Wilde, to portions of the city once completely under water, to the expanse of Phoenix Park, to cathedrals, to the new homes of Google, Amazon and Facebook. From the slums to areas of royalty. Several hours and 31 stops later we realize there is so much to Dublin that warrants a longer visit next time! I would label all of these and give more details, but there is little down time. If you want info on a particular picture just ask!

We also were able to cheer on all the swimmers in the 100th Liffey Swim! Quite chilly to be in these waters but thousands swim this tidal river every year. The water quality was tested yesterday and considered to not be of the best quality bacteria wise. I won’t mention the things floating in the water. I imagine the hospitals to be quite busy tomorrow! But kudos to these troopers!

We absolute loved Dublin but are excited to start our journey tonight to Northern Ireland/UK and begin seeing the countryside!

Dublin Nights

It doesn’t get completely dark here until almost 10 pm which gives ample time to explore the city. We finally grabbed our first real Irish fare and I had my first Irish Guinness at Madigan’s. I know, I know, it’s cliche, but when in Rome…or Dublin.

We visited the Garden of Remembrance, designed by Daithí Hanly and dedicated to the memory of all those who gave their lives in the cause of Irish Freedom.

Just a quick note, people here walk like they drive. To be left of oncoming traffic. I do not. I have walked into more people than I can count while gaping up at the architecture here. You can walk for hours and see the most amazing design and mix of color on buildings throughout the city. I am especially addicted to the window flower boxes and unique lamp posts that are scattered everywhere.

The streets have come alive tonight with live music all over the streets and pouring out of the bars. The people here are so incredibly friendly which works well for this extrovert! We’re signing off to go enjoy the rest of our night!

Center City Dublin

We made it to Dublin! I have to say, I fell in love as soon as the plane turned into the sunrise to land at the airport. The view was amazing.

After a 7 hour flight, the kids have retracted their requests to fly to Australia next summer. Our bodies felt it was 2:40 am when we landed yet the city was just coming alive here. We had been up for almost 24 hours and since we couldn’t check in for another 6 hours, we heading out on foot to site see as if we had slept all night. Our appearance probably said otherwise.

It was a smart move to NOT have my first driving experience in downtown Dublin. Plus the cab driver was entertaining and a wealth of info.

We picked up a few interesting facts during the car ride. Beyond agriculture, Ireland is the European center for IT and Pharma. Cops in Dublin do not carry guns. Street signs are not on the lights, they are on plaques on building walls which is a little challenging when you are trying to navigate.

We had prepaid for the Hop-On Hop Off Bus but the weather was perfect so we opted to tour on foot. You can cover a lot of Dublin’s biggest attractions easily in walking distance.

We stopped by Trinity College and the Book of Kells exhibition. The Book of Kells is a 9th century manuscript that documents the four Gospels of the life of Jesus Christ. The Book of Kells is Ireland’s greatest cultural treasure and the world’s most famous medieval manuscript. The Exhibition provides access to the Long Room that houses 200,000 of Trinity College’s oldest books.

We hit the Dublin Castle and the Christ Church Cathedral. These make my kids look so tiny. Actually most of these buildings do. These places are incredible and likely the least of what we are about to see as we move across the country!

Of course it couldn’t be too early in the morning to hit Temple Bar right? Ok, so maybe 9 am was a little early for a drink. We did take a walk through the cobblestone streets and will swing back through when it’s bustling with live music later.

We do look like complete tourists, but the city is flooded with them so I guess technically we fit in. For now, we are wiped out and sneaking a mini nap to fuel up for tonight and tomorrow. Tomorrow we are tackling St Patrick’s Cathedral, the Guinness Storehouse and Jameson Distillery and whatever else our feet may find. From there we will head for our rental car and take off towards Belfast!