Trip Introduction
In September 2014, we visited Ireland. Our 11-day Brendan Vacations guided tour circled the entire island passing from Ireland into Northern Ireland and back again. We enjoyed above average weather, it never rained, and made some good friends while seeing an incredibly beautiful country.
This is another trip where we have limited notes. The commentary is based on vague references in Facebook, named photos grouped in subfolders, 10-year-old memories, and everyone’s friend, Google. Even the itinerary available on Brendan’s website that most closely resembles our tour doesn’t align exactly with our photos.
Wednesday, 09/10/2014 – Heading East
We left in the afternoon on Wednesday to make connections for our overnight flight to Dublin.
Thursday, 09/11/2014 – Day in Dublin
We arrived in Dublin and found the transfer spot at the airport to catch our ride to the hotel. We had a little free time to get settled before the tour activities started with a guided tour of the city stopping at some historically important locations. We visited St. Patrick’s Cathedral and the library at Trinity College. After a welcome dinner with the group, we headed back to the hotel for the night. We were leaving Dublin the next morning so between the travel and an early start, we needed to get to bed.
The entry wall to St. Patrick's Cathedral
Inside St. Patrick's Cathedral
Stained-glass above the entry to St. Patrick's Cathedral
Inside the library of Trinity College
Authors watch from between rows of bookshelves
Friday, 09/12/2014 – South to Ruins and Crystal
After setting our bags out for the porters and an early breakfast, we joined our group on the coach. James grabbed the back seat so he could get pictures out the back window and we sat there all but one day of the tour. The troublemakers found us and dropped out of the seat rotation as the week went along.
As we headed south out of Dublin, the skies became overcast, and the clouds were low as we stopped at the Glendalough Monastic Ruins in County Wicklow. This added to the ambience as we visited the historic graves and structures that housed monks from the 6th century through 1214.
A stone marker stands in the mist
The Glendalough Round Tower
St Kevin's Church at Glendalough
The Round Tower in the low clouds beyond St. Kevin's Church
A path runs through the grass and headstones
The Monastic Ruins have markers of all shapes and sizes
Another intricate marker in the fog
After a couple hours wandering through the ruins and nearby countryside, the coach headed southwest to Waterford where we visited the Christ Church Cathedral before touring the famous Waterford Crystal factory. Watching some of the craftspeople at work gave us a new appreciation for the skill it takes to create their detailed and highly cherished pieces. We ended the day in Kilkenny after both of us had taken naps during the drive.
Inside Christ Church Cathedral
The painted ceiling with detailed trim work
Looking toward the altar in Christ Church Cathedral
A crystal goblet is marked before etching begins
An etched crystal American flag
A beautiful crystal harp frame
A crystal bowl with an etched seashore scene
Saturday, 09/13/2014 – Whiskey and Kisses
We again started the day by leaving our luggage for the porters and breakfast before joining the group on the coach. Saturday’s first stop was the Jameson Whiskey Distillery. We found the tour really interesting, and learned how Jameson uses barrels from other wine or liquor makers to add different flavors into their whiskey. James also enjoyed the tasting room.
We then continued to Blarney and visited the famous Blarney Stone. The famous stone is at the top of the old castle and people stand in line to kiss it so they can be blessed with beautiful speaking. The origins of the saying “Kissed the Blarney Stone” actually implies having beguiling or misleading speech, but that’s less likely to bring the tourists. The climb to the top was cramped using a winding stone stair built when people weren’t as tall or wide, but the views from the top were magnificent.
A large copper tank outside the Jameson Whiskey Distillery
Functional copper tanks inside Jameson's
Approaching Blarney Castle
Getting ready to climb to the top
The safety bars where you lean out to kiss the Blarney Stone
Realizing how high the stone is you kiss
We finished the day in Killarney where we experienced a “Jaunting Car” ride which was actually a horse drawn carriage for 10-12 people. We passed through a park area with some castle ruins on a lake before returning to the hotel. In the evening, we attended a dinner at a local pub with live music.
The Jaunting Cars had one horse power
Castle ruins inside Killarny National Park
A beautiful lake view
Sunset in Killarney National Park
The lake side view of the ruins
Sunday, 09/14/2014 – The Ring of Kerry
We stayed in Killarney a second night, so we were able to sleep in a bit on Sunday. The southwest corner of Ireland has some of the most scenic and pastoral views in the whole country. There is one circular road that runs around the area and how we spent our whole Sunday. The Ring of Kerry offered some incredible views of rivers and lakes, the ocean, and hills with valleys covered in various flowers.
Water runs down a valley in the Ring of Kerry
Fields marked out by rock walls on the side of a hill
Small buildings identify different homesteads
The shoreline of the southwest coast
One of the picturesque valleys we saw
Monday, 09/15/2014 – North Along the Cliffs
On Monday we were on the move again, so it was bags out, breakfast, and the coach. The group headed north along the southwest coast passing through some towns and rural countryside before arriving at the Cliffs of Moher. These very steep cliffs are continually pounded by waves coming in from the Atlantic Ocean which is open all the way to Canada near the opening to Hudson Bay.
We travelled inland from the Cliffs stopping for a traditional tea on a farm. We heard about the everyday activities on the sheep farm along with general information on agriculture in the country. Our day ended in Galway where we, and several other guests, joined our guide in a dinner and show with traditional Irish song and dance.
A well maintained house in Adare
A flower blooming along the walkway in Adare Village
The stone Cliffs of Moher facing west into the Atlantic Ocean
The tour boat gives the cliffs a sense of scale
The cliffs march off into the distance
A narrow path cuts along the top of the cliffs
O'Brien's Tower keeps watch over the western coast
A small pony on the farm
A sheep dog herds the flock into the barn
Well, most of the flock into the barn
Tuesday, 09/16/2014 – Peat, Abbey, and Cows
We took the opportunity on Tuesday to visit Kylemore Abbey. The trip from Galway took us through lowlands near the western coast where peat bogs have built up over many years. Along the way, we stopped at a shop selling items made from famous green tinted Connemara Marble. This was the day we took seats at the front of the coach, and we were able to see the countryside clearly through the front windscreen.
Kylemore Abbey is a walled Victorian era building sitting on the shore of a lake in west central Ireland. The backdrop of a green, tree covered hillside behind the stark white of the building itself makes for stunning imagery. We enjoyed touring the building and grounds, which included a small chapel in the woods.
We then returned to Galway having to deal with farmers moving livestock between fields. We spent the evening walking around town and the rocky shore of the bay.
This square cut path shows where peat was harvested from the bog
Kylemore Abbey sits between the hills and a lake
The bright white stone contrasts with the green trees
Looking up at the hillside behind the abbey
An ornate fireplace inside the abbey
The small chapel in the woods near Kylemore
The cows weren't concerned about oncoming traffic
A flower blooms in a pond near our hotel
Wednesday, 09/17/2014 – Crossing Borders
The coach left early on Wednesday as this was the single day with the most driving. We cut across the country stopping at a few different places along the way. We visited Clonalis House to learn more about the history of landed gentry in rural Ireland. Over lunch, we elected not to go on the river tour in Carrick on Shannon, instead enjoying a bite inside on the cloudy day. Our next stop was in Drumcliffe village where, at St. Columba’s Church of Ireland, the famous Irish poet William Butler Yeats is buried. At some point we crossed from Ireland into Northern Ireland (Great Britain) before ending our day at the walled city of Derry or Londonderry depending on your political affiliations.
The modest St. Columba's Church of Ireland
Ornate swans form the pulls on the church doors
The burial plot of William Butler Yeats
A view of the northern Irish Coast
Thursday, 09/18/2014 – Causeways, Walls, and a Bridge
While not changing hotels, breakfast was early on Thursday so we could take the coach to one of the far north points of the island to see the Giant’s Causeway. This amazing geological feature creates a beautiful landscape of basalt columns rising gradually out of the water.
The ruins of Dunluce Castle stand above ocean cliffs
Basalt blocks at Giant's Causeway
The basalt shafts run down into the ocean
high cliffs of green surround Giant's Causeway
Some of the basalt columns are covered by the hillsides
Lichens and moss cling to the basalt
Weathering of the basalt continues
The stones are well worn where people walk to the water's edge
The tide goes out at the Giant's Cauesway
The shafts reach for the sky
We then returned to Derry where a local guide walked us through the town talking about the history including “The Troubles” of the 1970s, 80s, and 90s. There are some truly amazing sites including the serpentine Peace Bridge.
Wall paintings still exist protesting inequality
This marker stands at the boundary between class neighborhoods
More paintings remembering the violence of The Troubles
A marker on the ancient walls of Derry
A bridge over one of the ancient gates
The top of the wall is still cobblestone
The Peace Bridge in Derry
Friday, 09/19/2014 – Belfast and the Titanic
We woke early on Friday for the bags, breakfast, and coach departure ritual. The tour left Derry and made its way to Belfast where we could see more legacy of the violence that embroiled Northern Ireland late in the 20th century. We also saw Parliament and Queens University on a tour of the city. We checked into our hotel early in the afternoon and took the optional excursion to the Titanic Museum.
Look Kids, Parliament (of Northern Ireland)
Queens University of Belfast
A wall painting commemorates the Titanic near a crane at the Harland and Wolff ship yards
The Titanic Museum matches the height of the prow of the ship
One of the exhibits shows how the first class staterooms were furnished
An anchor chain is coiled in the one of the building corners
In the back of the museum there is a plaza showing the layout of the promenade deck
Saturday, 09/20/2014 – South to Dublin
For one last morning, we set the bags out, ate breakfast, and then gathered at the coach. On the last day of activities with the tour group we headed south back into the country of Ireland. We stopped at the ancient mounds of Knowth in Brú na Bóinne. These neolithic burial mounds date back almost 10,000 years before Christ. Our day ended as we returned to Dublin, seeing a few more sites from the coach. After checking into our hotel, we joined another couple for a pub dinner before saying goodnight.
Two small burial mounds at Brú na Bóinne
The larger mounds of Knowth
This burial mound entrance allows direct sunlight only a few days a year
Stone carved pictograms on the rocks of Knowth
Sunday, 09/21/2014 – Leaving Ireland
We woke Sunday morning and made sure everything was ready for our flight back home. Our transfer got us to the airport three full hours before our flight. That was barely enough. There were very long lines at the counter to check in for our Aer Lingus flight. Then long lines at security were followed by long lines at a TSA checkpoint that meant we would not have to go through security once we landed in the US. However, all those long lines meant we didn’t have time to stop and get anything to drink and they were calling our names as we ran to the plane arriving just before they closed the doors. After that, the trip home was uneventful.
We loved visiting Ireland and rank it in the top 5 or 6 of our Journey trip category. We highly recommend visiting to anyone who asks.