June 29th DFW to Dublin
Rich picked us up at 3:30 pm for a 6:50 departure. After checking in we had an hour before boarding and the lounge was right next door to our gate. We left the lounge at 6 pm but boarding was delayed about 20 minutes. The food was very good, strawberry spinach salad, caprese appetizer. I had ravioli and Greg had shrimp. Our seats were facing backwards but it didn’t bother me. Flight was uneventful (the best kind) and the pilot made up time for the delay. We arrived at 9:30 am. Passport control was 2 seconds. Bags were a bit slow coming out but not horrible. We walked out and went to the taxi line. It was a short wait and on our way to our hotel, The Brooks, a smaller hotel in south central Dublin. Cab ride was $35 euros. Our room wasn’t available that early so we stored our suitcases and walked to St Stephen’s Green, the largest of Dublin's parks, donated to Dublin by the Guinness Family. It is a pretty garden area with some flowers but lots of green space and ponds. We walked through, sat a while, then wandered back to the hotel going through a couple of markets enjoying the architecture from the Georgian period, stopping at a store featuring Guinness stuff. Our room was ready so we headed back to the hotel and checked in. Dinner was at Oregans.
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| View out of window on the tarmac in Dublin |
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| Our hotel The Brooks |
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| Entrance to St Stephen's Green |
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| Our first magpie |
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| Buildings were still decorated from Pride Day |
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| Oregans |
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| our dinner at Oregans |
Tues July 1st
We slept in and skipped breakfast. Greg walked to the bank to see if he could exchange 100 euros for change. No luck, customers only but a gentleman was able to exchange $200 for smaller bills. He was about to make a cash deposit and called Greg over and offered to help him out. So, not a total waste of time. We checked out and hailed a cab for the port. Dropped off our bags and instructed to sit and would be called to checkin. 5 min later we were called, picked up our room keys and were on the boat. We finished checkin on the ship which was unusual and then up to the buffet area. As we stepped on the the Quest, it did feel like being home. Greg saved a table upstairs and I went to deck 5 and made our specialty reservations. Good move, later the line was very, very long. We went ahead and ate lunch since we did not have breakfast. After sitting upstairs until it got very crowded, we went down to Mosaics and upgraded from Premium drink (included in our cruise) to Ultimate package. It was $8 a day but with our loyalty level it was $6.36. A no brainer, big difference in the quality of wine and spirits on the 2 levels.
The announcement was made that the rooms were ready but we let the crowd thin out before going upstairs. Room still looks nice, not showing its age at all. We are toward the very, very back with a shower instead of tub/shower combo. Honestly, the step in to the tub is so high and the tub so small, I prefer this bathroom. We met our Butler, Alfie, and room steward is Putu. Putu is from Bali. Suitcases came soon after and we unpacked. We had one premium WiFi included for one device and with our suite and loyalty perks I could purchase a second package for free. Heavens above that we would have to share WiFi!
Muster was at 4:30 in the restaurant. Short and sweet. We then went upstairs to the Living Room for cocktails and watched sail away.
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| First drinks in Living Room |
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| Sunset |
Dinner was In Discoveries Restaurant. I had mussels and shrimp appetizers with pork tenderloin loin for main dish. Greg had escargot and wedge salad along with the pork tenderloin.
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| The included Riesling Wine is actually very good. |
After dinner we went to the Cabaret for the welcoming show. Cruise Director reminds me of Tony from our first Azamara Cruise. The piano player in the Den is a very talented piano player and decent singer. Definitely plays songs the crowd gets into. We stayed in the Den for a couple of songs after the show.
Wed July 2nd Isle of Man
We ordered room service and it arrived in time. Our excursion -Victorian Steam Railway and Castletown met at 8:45 in the Cabernet Lounge. Our guide was Trevor and he did a good job. Isle of Man is a self governed country and a part of the British Isles and has a population of 85,000. They claim they have the longest continuous parliament in history. Iceland claims the oldest parliament, but not continuous. Isle of Man was first settled by the Vikings and Celts. In the 1700’s, Isle of Man’s main economy was smuggling. During both World Wars the island served as an internment of people from enemy countries.
We docked in Douglas. Our excursion was a train trip on the Victorian Steamrail to Castletown, the original capital of the island until 1869. The steam train runs on narrow gauge rails and uses original locomotives and cars. The main attraction in Castletown is the Castle Rushen, originally built for a Viking King. After viewing the castle we found swings to overlook the sea. We stopped here for drinks and Greg got an ice cream cone. We returned to Douglas on the train. Unfortunately we had to wait 45 min to catch the tender back because the harbor was closed to the tenders as the car ferry arrived. If we had known we would have eaten lunch in Douglas.
The Patio cafe was still open so we had a late lunch, I had a hamburger and Greg had nachos.
There was a destination speaker on Belfast in the theater at 5:15. Since this is a new port we decided to attend. The speaker was Professor Thomas Heinrich from New York. It was worth the time to attend. We stopped for martinis in the Den and listened to Felicia on the piano. She plays instrumental only before dinner. It was a bit loud but she is very good. We talked for awhile with a couple from Arizona. Dinner was in Discoveries. Greg had veal schnitzel and I had Tuscan steak. Still not sure what cut of meat it was but very tender and huge. The theater show tonight started with the captains toast. The captain is Captain Dario Guerrieri and loves to talk, and talk! The Assistant Cruise Director, Abby Kurth, presented “Seventies State of Mind” after the toast. She is very talented and we enjoyed the show.
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| Isle of Man |
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| Entrance to train station |
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| our guide |
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| Castle Rushen is one of the best-preserved medieval castles in the British Isles. Built 800 years ago for a Viking king, the castle has been a Civil War fortress and the Island’s Victorian prison. |
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| The "Three Legs of Man" is a symbol representing the Isle of Man, featuring three armored legs arranged in a triskelion pattern, which has been associated with the island since the 13th century. It symbolizes resilience and strength, and is prominently displayed on the Isle of Man's flag and coat of arms. |
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| City Center for Castletown |
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| Screen set up in town square to watch Wimbledon |
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| mailbox |
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| The location of he heron was a "gateway" to the town and the sculpture was a celebration of the nature and wildlife that we are so lucky to have". |
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| His name is Coar ny Hastan and stands 26 foot tall. |
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| Marina in Castletown |
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| Sea Terminal in Douglas |
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| Back in Douglas near the port |
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| I swear it is always low tide in Ireland |
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| Enjoying an ice cream cone before returning to the ship |
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| Leaving Isle of Man |
Thursday July 3rd Belfast
We have an afternoon excursion so we had a lazy morning. Breakfast was in Aqualina, which is for suites only. A nice perk which has been added since last time we sailed with Azamara. We grabbed a bite in the buffet before heading to the pier for our excursion to Hillsborough Castle and Panorama drive through Belfast centre.
Hillsborough Castle has been a large family home of the Hill family since the 1600’s and is now the official home of the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, and a royal residence. Members of the Royal Family stay at Hillsborough when visiting Northern Ireland. Prince Edward was in residence last week. Hillsborough has played an important role in the Peace Process in Northern Ireland since the 1980s. We had a tour of the interior. The house has been restored after being bought by the Royal Historic Palaces and contains many historic paintings and original furnishings. After the inside tour we toured the gardens although it started raining so did linger long. The gardens were very nice. The excursion ended with a drive through Belfast, passing the “ peace walls” which separate the Protestant and Catholic communities. Lots of graffiti on the walls. Our guide Nikki pointed out other buildings of importance.
We returned at 5:15. A quick change of clothes and down to the restaurant. Since it is the Azamazing Evening, they had a buffet available downstairs as well. They called for floor 8 first. The event was held at the Titanic Belfast which opened in 2012, 100 years after the sinking of the Titanic. After a welcoming drink on the top floor which has a staircase replica of the staircase in the Titanic foyer we found our seats and had a photo made with the captain and cruise Director. The entertainment was a 5 piece ensemble and Irish dancers playing, singing and dancing traditional Irish music. Everyone enjoyed the music. It was a quick trip back to the ship. We had a nightcap and listened to Felicia in the Den.
July 4th Belfast
Breakfast was room service this morning. Headed down to take the provided shuttle to the city centre. The shuttle stops right at the city hall which was our destination. The city hall was huge, opened in 1906. Today the bottom floor is a museum dedicated to the history of Belfast. After wandering through all the rooms we went in search of our magnet.
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| The Albert Memorial Clock is sometimes described as Belfast’s answer to Pisa’s leaning tower, its tilt was caused by the fact it is constructed on reclaimed land from the River Farset and weighs over 2,000 tons. Erected between 1865 and 1869 in Gothic style to commemorate Queen Victoria’s consort, Prince Albert, it was tall enough at 141ft and can be seen up to 8miles away. |
It was raining so we took the shuttle back to the ship. They had a BBQ cookout on the pool deck but with the rain it put a damper on it. They also had mussels in the inside buffet. We went upstairs to the Living Room for the American trivia game. It ended up not being about America and you couldn’t understand the girl asking the questions. So we gave up. Then we stayed for the music trivia. We could hear the guy but most of the songs were too current for us. The two Bloody Mary’s were good! Abby, the asst cruise director, sang a few songs.
We had reservations in the steak house, Prime C, and had the chateaubriand. Never disappoints. The waiter was very attentive. After dinner we headed to the Cabaret for the show. It was the first show for this group of songers and dancers. Take 2 was songs from movies. A very active show and the group did an excellent job.
July 5th Killybegs/Donegal
We had a private tour with Chieftain, booked with Viator. We were in a van with about 16 people.
Killybegs is the largest fishing community in Ireland. Lots of fishing boats were in the harbor. A new trawler costs $30-40 million. Donegal County longest coastline in Ireland at 1000 km. Our guides is Kevin and the guide/driver is Brian.
Along the way to the first stop Kevin sang a sang that he said was written by Johnny Cash in 1959 as he left Ireland on his first honeymoon, 40 Shades of Green. However, when we came home and wanted to buy the song, it was sung by Johnny Cash but he did not write the song.
1st stop Donegal Friary, an old Abbey ruin built in 1474. A fire 100 years later destroyed the Abbey. The O’Donnel’s took over the abbey and stored ammunitions in the basement which caused the fire.
We drove into the city center and parked. Destination was Triona where we saw a weaving demonstration but first they handed out Irish coffee. The store is owned by a 5th generation hand weaver. It is a dying art with the average age of a hand weaver at 78 years old. The loom the young man was demonstrating on was 178 years old.
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| City Center and our destination, Triona |
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| Irish coffee |
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| Wool |
After the weaving demonstration we walked to Donegal castle. The tower house was built by Red (Hugh) O’Donnell. After the O’Donnel’s lost their control, the English King gave the land in 1610 to Sir Basil Brook and he added the manor house. In 1990 the castle was restored. We were given free time to walk around town.
We then headed back to Kellibegs. Kevin and Brian talked about the fishing industry, drove by some trawlers, and headed out in a different direction, stopping for pictures on 2 scenic overlooks.
Lunch was at the Rusty Mackerel. Our guide Kevin was going to sing but he saw a very famous local musician player, Dermot Byrne, that played the box (accordian) and asked Dermot to join him and he did. Kevin was honored to play with Dermot. We were treated to a special event. At the restaurant I had seafood chowder with chips and Greg had fish and chips. Both excellent.
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| Rusty Mackerel |
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| Silky Whiskey made in Donegal |
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| Dermot Byrne on the left and our guide on the right |
After lunch we headed up to Slieve league, the second highest peak in Ireland (1972 ft). Views were pretty fantastic and we saw shamrocks and water going up a waterfall!
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| shamrocks |
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Waterfall going up, not down |
After getting back we decided to go to Discoveries but eat lightly since we had lunch between 2 and 3. We both had entree only and no dessert. Darren, CD, was singing in the Den at 8:15. He has a great voice and sang 3 Neil Diamond songs. The show in the Cabaret was Juliette Primrose on the violin. She was very talented and put on a great show. We finished the evening in the Living Room listening to ABBA. Called it an evening. The boat is rocking again tonight but I took a Bonine early so doing much better.
Sunday July 6 Galway
All the tours offered we had done before but we have not actually been to Galway itself, so we just went into the town centre. Since we didn’t have an excursion we ate in Aqualina for breakfast. Hardly anyone else there. We had to go to deck 5 to get a tender ticket and they called us quickly. The tender ride was short and a short walk into town. Besides stores and pubs, not much to see. There were remnants of the old walled city still standing in places. We stopped for coffee and a coke about half way through, bought a magnet and looked for a long sleeve t-shirt but not much luck. We went back to the same bar, The Quays, for lunch where we both had ham and cheese toasties with chips. Greg might have had a Guinness. We finished the loop and headed back to the ship around three.
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| original doorway from Dominic Brown's mansion from 1627 |
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| Spanish Arch completed in 1584. It was built to protect the Quay from Britain and beyond. 2 of the 4 arches survived. |
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| Part of the old wall |
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| Better preserved old wall |
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| Lower Corrib River |
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What we were told: Queen Victoria, upon hearing of Prince Albert’s death in 1861, decreed that all doors in the British Empire should be painted black in mourning. And the rebellious Irish, being Irish, promptly painted their doors every color except black.It’s a cracking good story. It has everything: royal drama, defiance, paint supplies. There’s just one problem—it’s almost certainly bollocks.Historians have found no evidence of such a decree. Queen Victoria was indeed devastated (she wore black for the remaining forty years of her life, which is commitment), but she wasn’t going around demanding everyone paint their doors to match her wardrobe. Still, never let facts ruin a perfectly good origin story. |
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What is more likely to be the truth: During the Georgian era (roughly 1714-1830), Dublin experienced a building boom. Rows of terraced houses sprang up, particularly in areas like Merrion Square and Fitzwilliam Square. These homes were architecturally identical—same height, same windows, same everything. Imagine coming home after a few pints and trying to find your house in a sea of identical facades. You’d need a system. Enter the painted door. Different colors helped distinguish otherwise identical homes. It was practical navigation before GPS, a way to say “mine’s the blue one” when giving directions. Which ever story is true, the doors add a nice touch. |
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| Fun trolley with a bridal party |
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| where we stopped for drinks and then returned for a late lunch |
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| inside the restaurant/bar |
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| Liked the sign |
Before dinner we went up to the Living Room to hear one of the singers but she got sick so the guitarist filled in. Dinner was in Aqualina tonight. Service and food was excellent. I had lobster thermidor and Greg had the veal chop. After dinner the show was “Oh what a Night” with the singers and dancers. They are really, really good, especially since they just started as a new team.
Monday July 7 Foynes
It was an early morning with breakfast delivered at 7 am and downstairs at 8:15. We were tendered again today. Our excursion was Lough Gur with lunch with Guide Roger and driver Dick. Our first stop was a bathroom break at Ballyneety Golf Club. We will return here for lunch. At our next stop, Brian from the Visitor Center was waiting for us. Brian was extremely knowledgeable on Stone Circles and Irish history in the Bronze Age. We saw the widest stone circle with the most stones that we personally had seen. The stones are from the Bronze Age, 2500 BC ish. Brian stood in the middle of the circle, facing a large stone in the NE. When he was talking normally, his voice sounded magnified. Both Brian and Roger were amazed at the amplification, saying it was the most dramatic that they had observed. A special moment for us all. This area has several stone circles in the vicinity. We walked to a second one just a few steps away. It had a tree growing in the middle of a split rock. Brian implied the tree had split the rock.
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| Brian |
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| Geologist Greg believes freezing and thawing caused the split and the tree starting growing in the split. |
We drove a bit farther down the road and stopped at Lough Gur Wedge Tomb. There were bones from 8 people found in the tomb. The tomb lays in an east - west orientation. Brian believes that the thought is the dead body enters the tomb from the west and the spirit rises to the east, from the end of life to a new life.
Next stop was the visitor center at the lake itself which was a small size natural lake but very pretty. The visitor center was a bit of a waste but Brian continued to tell Celtic stories/folk lore from the region.
We returned to the Golf club for lunch where we were served a huge meal of ham and turkey on mashed potatoes with dressing and root vegetables and a sticky toffee cake and ice cream. We ate about half of the food but it was very good.
We then drove to Adare where we were given 1 hour to walk around. We were in Adare for two nights in 2013 and we will be back in a week with Terry and Susan. Not that much to look at in city centre but we did walk through the Trinitarian Monastery.
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| Adare is known for the thatch roofs on many of the buildings |
We left Adare at 3 and back in Foynes at 3:20. Right before we got to the port we saw two Flying Boats planes. There is a museum dedicated to these planes.
In the tender ride back, our tender crossed the wake on another tender and water came over our tender and down the open hatch. Several people got soaked including the guy next to Greg. Greg was soaked on his left side. He stopped and reported the soaking and they agreed to wash his affected clothes tonight.
We went to the Living Room for predinner drinks to listen to one of the singers. She was good but really didn’t sing songs we knew. Dinner was in the main dining room. Service was very quick and we both had Pork Oscar. After dinner we went to the Den and listened to the Asst CD sing and then the CD had his show. He is very talented and bonus sang a lot of Neil Diamond songs. We stayed in the Den for Felicia’s first set.
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| CD |
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| Felicia |
Tuesday July 8th Bantry Bay
With a 9 o’clock excursion we ordered breakfast from 8-8:30. Alfie called at 7:50 and said breakfast was on its way. A bit of scrambling occurred. We went to the Cabaret Lounge to wait for our tender ride. We boarded the ferry just as we exited the tender to take us to Whiddy Island. In 1880 the population on the island was 400 with people farming the land and fishing to earn a living. Today only 28 people live on the island.
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| Restaurant where the demonstration was held |
After arriving the host gave a brief history of Whiddy and then his wife demonstrated making soda bread.
The weather finally turned warm so we sat outside where they brought out freshly baked soda bread and mussels harvested yesterday from the bay. One of the ladies sitting with us did not touch the mussels and the other lady only ate a few so Greg and I had enough that we did not eat lunch later on. The mussels were excellent.
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| We could see the ship from the island |
We headed back to the tender station and we took the short shuttle ride that was provided to the city centre. Not much to see. No souvenir shops for a magnet. We did find a magnet at the small convenience store.
We came back to the boat and enjoyed a cocktail on the back deck since the sun was shining. We sat there for quite a while and then went back to our cabin. Dinner tonight was in Aqualina and the theater show was a violinist, Juliette Primrose. She was extremely talented.
Wed July 9th Cobh
Our excursion was not until after lunch so we took the opportunity to sleep in. We ate lunch at the Patio which used to be a well kept secret but no longer. Finally we are docked.
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| Views as we sailed into port |
The excursion was Irish Countryside and Kinsale. Our guide was Liz and driver was John. We stop for a photo op of a 5 star fort, Charles Fort, built in 1682.
After that we went to Kensale where we had 1.5 hours to wander. It was a very busy, pretty town but really not much to do and see. We stopped at Kitty O Se’s for a drink. Greg finally found Smithwick’s on tap.
After our drink we wandered a bit more, stopping to buy a magnet. There was only one store that sold magnets and no one selling t-shirts or other souvenirs.
We are in port until 10 and it was a 5 min walk into Cobh so we thought we would eat in Cobh. Not a single pub served food and the only restaurants open were part of a hotel. There were a lot of boarded up buildings. So, we stopped at Kelley’s which was recommended by our guide for a drink and then back to the boat for dinner.
The show tonight was the singers and dancers doing Britrock which again was an excellent show.
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| Full moon as we left port |
Thursday July 10 Waterford
We had been to Waterford before so we selected an excursion to the country side. Room service and then off to our excursion to Jerpoint Abbey. Our guide was Mary and driver Dan. The Abbey was built in 1160 by a Cistercian Monk order. It flourished, owning over 20,000 acres of land under cultivation until the 1300’s when it was affected by the black plaque and droughts. The munks turned to the rich nobleman for money. In exchange for money the noblemen wanted access to the Abbey through art work reflecting their family crests on the walls and permission to be buried in the Abbey. The end of the monk society ended with Henry VIII who dissolved the monks. The roof was blown off the abbey and the King stole any and all that was valuable and the land was leased to the Butler family.
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| our guide Mary on the right |
After leaving the abbey we passed through Thomastown where we passed over a bridge built in the 1700’s.
We stopped in Inistioge for a short photo op by the river. Lots of flowers and a nice park by the river. We also saw the church that our guide said John Wesley preached at in 1774 but when I researched it, google said there was no evidence. Oh well, it was a good story.
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| The church where John Wesley is said to have preached. |
We also stopped in New Ross to see a replica of the ship that JFK’s grandfather travelled on to America. There is a burning flame that came from the flame on JFK’s tomb. The flame is in memory of all emigrants.
After returning, we ate lunch at the Patio again.
Tonight is White Night. We have eaten at the buffet in years past but honestly didn’t really enjoy the food and you have to go so early to get a table. So we ate in the restaurant and then went outside and there were plenty of tables open. The entertainers certainly had the crowd dancing and enjoying the music. This is the way to go!
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| a nice sunset |
Friday, July 11 Dublin
We ordered room service because we had an 8:30 excursion. We did a cruise on the River Liffey. Didn't realize that we would had a long bus ride too but the guide Sean was funny and interesting. We stopped for photos at St Patrick’s Cathedral.
We didn’t have time to go inside but that was ok since we went through the cathedral when we were here in 2018. We had a bathroom break at the Phoenix Park and time to walk around the walled vegetable garden. Sean said the stone wall was to keep the cooler air out of the garden. We thought it was to keep the riffraff out!
The boat ride was interesting. Our guide on the boat was Matthew and was very informative and enthusiastic as well as young.
After getting back to the port we walked a couple of blocks down toward town and ate lunch at The Bottle Boy. Place was empty when we arrived. We sat on the patio since it was a beautiful day. By the time we left the patio was completely full. We both had ham and cheese toasties and maybe the best toastie I have ordered.
After returning to the boat it was time to pull the suitcases out and start packing.
Dinner tonight was in Aqualina. We had another great meal. The show tonight was called a destination show titled Irish Waves. It was local traditional Irish singers and dancers. After the show, the CD Darren sang in the Den. He sang 3 Neil Diamond songs so he’s now my favorite Azamara CD! We stayed for a few songs with Felecia and called it done.
Sat July 12 Debarkation and Radisson Blu
Last time to get off ship was 9 am. After picking up our luggage (wasn’t hard since there were only a few left) we headed to the taxi line. We lucked out and got a really nice driver. He offered to take us to the hotel and store our luggage so we didn’t have to lug it on the rental car shuttle and then drop us off at terminal 1. We went to the Alamo desk which had no one in line and Sixt which had a long, long line. Then we jumped on the shuttle and straight to the desk coz we had no luggage! Our car is a Peugeot SUV. We struggled at first bc the dash was in French and the USB ports were the small C version. When we had a chance to stop I pulled out my hearing aid cord and it worked! 2 problems solved. The low tire light came on so we exited and luckily found a tire store. A really nice young man tested and said they actually are over inflated so it must be a bad sensor. Boo hiss! I went to the bathroom at the tire store and couldn’t get the door unlocked. I banged and yelled and finally the young man yelled that’s it’s finicky but keep trying. I tried and tried and finally got the key to work. I was beginning to panic.
So, our first destination was the Tara of the King. This site served as the ceremonial and political center for ancient Irish kings, particularly during the Iron Age and early Christian period. The site of the home of the last Irish King, Comac, was located here. Irish legend says that the Stone of Destiny at Tara was brought to Ireland by the divine Tuatha Dé Danann, and that it would cry out under the foot of the true king. The oldest visible monument is the 'Mound of the Hostages' a Neolithic passage tomb built around 3,200 BC.
We ate lunch at the small cafe at the base of the site.
Our next destination was Loughcrew Passage Tombs. Definitely off the beaten path. At the entrance to the stairs, a young lady manning the trailer told us it was a very, very steep climb and most people turn around. Since it was over 80 degrees, we thanked her and headed to Malahide. There is a castle but the traffic was horrendous so we gave up but did drive an around the estuary. At the end of the estuary sits the town Howth and we thought it would be a good place to eat supper. Imagine Sanibel traffic on steroids. There were thousands of people in a very small area. We turned around and headed back to our hotel where we had a nice quiet dinner in the pub in the hotel. We accomplished our main goal and that was getting use to the rental car and driving on the left side of the road.
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| Love the clock at the hotel |
Sunday July 13 Dublin to Athelone
Terry and Susan’s plane got in over 2 hours late so we decided they could do the Guinness Experience when they return and we headed to Brazen Head, one of 2 bars that claim to be the oldest in Ireland. After locating a parking space we walked to the pub
Then we headed to Athlone where we stayed in the Shamrock Lodge. After settling in, we walked to Sean’s Bar that was established in 900 AD so definitely the oldest. We had drinks here and then made our way back to the lodge. Terry and Susan were ready for bed!
Monday July 14 Athlone to Ballynahinch Castle
After breakfast we headed to Cong where the movie “Quiet Man” was shot. In the pouring rain, our first stop was Cong Abbey founded in the 7th century and by Fire in the 12th century. Furlough O’Conor, the high king of Ireland rebuilt the abbey in 1135. In 1203 the building was destroyed by the Norman William de Burgo and the abbey was rebuilt again.
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| A typical Irish day |
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We stopped at the Quiet Man Museum across the street. We stayed in here quite awhile since it was pouring down.
and then headed out to see the site of the cottage from the movie. Gee, nothing to see, the cottage is no longer there. Off to our next stop but first lunch at Keane’s Bar, located at the crossroads of two small roadways. Lunch menu was ham and cheese toasties but you did have the choice of onion a or tomato on your toastie. The lady was very nice and it was a quaint bar with couches and chairs.
We drove to Kylemore Abbey next. Greg and I had been here before but definitely worth another visit. The Abbey was built as a manor house in 1868 by a doctor from London and his wife. His family made their fortune in textiles in Manchester. The house is over 40,000 sq ft and has over 70 rooms. The manor was sold in 1903 and was quickly neglected because of gambling debts of the new owner. The Benedictine Nuns purchased the estate in 1920 and began to restore it to its previous glory. The ran a school for girls, farmed the land, and sold products they made. It is still owned by the same Benedictine nuns today. We walked through the walled gardens and then down the path to the chapel.
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| The chapel |
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| walking the grounds |
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| the gardens |
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| The hydrangeas are gorgeous in Ireland |
Last stop was our hotel for the next three nights, Ballyanhinch Castle which was built before 1374. The two most powerful families in the Connemara area was the O’Flaherty and O’Malley families. Donal O’Flaherty married Grace O’Malley, joining the two families together. This was one of several castles owned by them but one of Graces favorites. They had 4 children and Grace took over the properties when her husband died. She was a tough lady and became known as the Pirate Queen. After Grace's death there were many clashes among the clans and with the English. The Martin family bought the land in 1590. The current building was built as an inn and extensively renovated in 1813. The castle has changed hands several times since then and is now a 4 star hotel known for its fishing, food and service.
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| The hotel and grounds are gorgeous |
After arriving, we settled into our rooms and then met downstairs for drinks and dinner in the main dining room. The restaurant certainly lived up to its 4 star status.
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| room with a view |
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| might have spent some time here |
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Tuesday July 15 Ballynahinch Castle
We were supposed to go fly fishing but due to the warm weather all stream fishing has been halted. Terry and Susan opted to fish a lake with a guide, Hugh, but we decided not to fish. The fishermen left around 10
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| fisher people with their guide Hugh |
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| the lake they were fishing on |
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| hmmm......... |
and Greg and I went exploring. Our first point of interest was checking out the town of Clifden for dinner options tonight then we drove the sky loop seeing some great views of the ocean from above.
Our next stop was the cemetery at Cashel which took us a remote, narrow road with limited parking. There was supposed to be a ring fort in the cemetery and we did find a few small stones in a circular pattern but certainly it worth the time and effort.
We drove on to Roundstone which is a small fishing village. We stopped for lunch at The Shamrock where I had mussels and Greg had crab claws. Both were very good.
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| view from the city parking |
We then drove back to the hotel and walked around the wall garden and down to the river. Property is gorgeous.
Terry and Susan had returned from fishing and we met them in the bar. They had a successful fishing trip and enjoyed their guide. We thought they would enjoy the Sky Loop so we drove back, stopping at the overlook photo ops
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| drive as we leave the hotel |
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| horses by the overlook |
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| taking a picture of me taking a picture |
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| hillside behind the overlook |
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| typical new home in Ireland countryside |
and then to Clifden for dinner. We went to Riva’s Bar. Luckily we got there before the crowd and was able to get a table. The service was slow but there was live music so we were in no hurry. Terry had his first meal of mussels!
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| Explaining the art of eating mussels |
We finished the night with a night cap at the Pub at the hotel.
Wed July 16 Aran Island
Breakfast downstairs and we were off to catch the ferry to the Aran Islands, a 45 min drive. We caught the ferry at Rossaveel and departed at Inis Mor (Inishmore), the largest of the three islands and the largest population at 820 citizens. Under Cromwell, Roman Catholic priests were sent here if caught practicing their priestly ministry. The population grew to 3000 during the famine when many of the starving Irish resettled here. The island is an extension of the Burren and has many relics from as early as the Bronze Age (900 BC).
Greg and I had reserved a jaunting car and Terry and Susan rented bicycles, so we went in different directions but met up in the middle so the bicycles and horse moved at the same pace!
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| our starting point |
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| Our guide, Niamh |
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| The cyclists |
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Sights we saw from the jaunting car and bicycles
The Dun Aonghasa sits at the top of the hill here. The fort consists of a series of four concentric walls of dry stone construction, built on a high cliffs, several over 100 m above the sea.
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| a bit windy! |
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We started on the upper road and continued our tour on the lower road. The beach was particularly picturesque.
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| swans |
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Our guide, Niamh, was the daughter of the owner and an 8th generation inhabitant. The family started the jaunting car business in 1940. She told us so many interesting facts about the island and her family going back to her great grandparents and their life on the island.
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| a well deserved treat at the end of the tour |
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| This guy stopped Susan because they were both wearing clothing from Voormi (a Pagosa clothing company). He was from Colorado (Boulder)too. |
When the tour was over we stopped for a drink and headed to the ferry. It was already packed 15 min before leaving and we had to sit separately. After getting back to the Castle we freshened up and went down for dinner. Our reservations tonight were in the pub. The meal was half the price but still $$, but very good. It was noisy so we took our drinks and went in search of a quiet corner and found a conservatory style room that was perfect and we finished our nightcaps here and called it an early evening.
Thursdays July 17 Ballynahinch to Doolin
After breakfast we checked out, loaded the car and headed to Kinvara where we first stopped at Dunguire Castle which was right on the road. It was fenced in so all we could do was walk around it. It was built in 1520 by the O’Hynes clan and has been restored. In the 1600’s it ended up in the hands of Richard Martin who also owned Ballynahinch. The castle has been used in several movies including Disney’s “Guns in the Heather” and the movie “North Sea Hijack”.
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| View from the walk to the castle |
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| Lots of swans |
After driving through the quaint town of Kinvara we headed to Kilmacduagh Monastery, a ruined abbey first started in the 600’s AD. The ruins are referred to the 7 churches. The highlight is the round tower which leans over a 1/2 meter from vertical. The tower is believed to have been built in the 900’s.
We then headed toward Doolin which is our destination today. We drove by the B&B but it was not open so we went to the ferry pier to make sure the ferries to the Cliff’s of Moher were still running since it was so windy. We went back to check in at The Doolin View.
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| Doolin View |
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| View from the B&B |
After getting our luggage inside we headed back to the pier and boarded the ferry at 5 to view the Cliffs of Moher. The boat was bigger than the last time we took the ferry but the ride was much shorter and favored one side. Maybe it was due to the rough water but we lucked out by sitting on the best side. While it was very rough, the rain did stop.
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After the ferry returned we stopped at McDermott’s Bar Doolin for food and stayed to listen to the traditional Irish music.
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| make sure you read the sign |
Friday July 18 Doolin to Adare
We preordered our breakfast for 8 and Sandy served it shortly after 8. I ordered an egg with cheese toast. The melted cheese tasted just like Dad’s melted cheese. We packed up, loaded up and on our way. First stop was a lighthouse. We saw it from the road but nowhere to stop and wasn’t worthy of a stop. Just a square lighthouse on top of the cliff.
We drove through Ballyvaughan on our way to a Cistercian Corcomroe Abbey. Built in the early 1200’s from the limestone in the Burren, it was once known as "St. Mary of the Fertile Rock", a reference to the Burren's fertile soil. Pretty impressive ruins.
We went back to Ballyvaughan so we could stop for a bathroom break and snacks. We saw something different, an outdoor laundromat.
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Caherconnell Medieval Stone Fort was our last stop. There have been people living here for over 6000 years. Occupation deposits indicate the fort was used from around the early 10th century to the early 13th century. A later structure with a rectangular outline was likely built between the early 15th and mid-17th century. It is not certain whether the fort was continuously inhabited or temporarily abandoned in the 14th century.
From here we drove to Adare and checked into the Adare Country House. We have stayed here before.
We walked to town and got a small bite to eat at Pat Collins Bar.
We headed to Bunratty Castle for our Medieval Dinner. Bunratty is a 15th Century Tower House. It was started in 1450 by the MacNamara’s but ended up in the hands of the O’Brians by 1500 and became their chief seat. We have been here twice before but it is one of our favorite things to do and enjoyed it as much this time as before. We arrived with plenty of time to wander the grounds.
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The dinner starts with going up a very narrow, windy staircase to the great hall where we have a mead tasting and music by a harpist.
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Back down the same stairs to the banquet room where are are served 4 courses with only a knife as our eating utensil. We have soup, ribs, chicken with veggies and dessert along with entertainment. The waiters are also the singers and do an excellent job.
Back to Adare for an early end to our day.
Sat July 19 Dingle Peninsula
When we stayed here before we had a full breakfast. Today it was continental only but they did not say anything so a bit confusing. Then we were told that the owners were headed to Dublin for the hurling championship, rooting for Tipperary against Cork. Lots of interest because it is an all Irish Championship.
Our first stop is Inch Beach, which is 5 km long and attracts surfers as well as beach goers. We parked on the beach for photos .
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| a surfing group getting ready to hit the waves |
Then we headed to the town of Dinkle where we walked around a bit then stopped for lunch at John Benny’s.
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| cheers |
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| fish and chips, YUMMY |
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| didn't know we had Irish kinfolk |
After lunch we began the drive to Slea Head, enjoying the views.
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| water trough |
We stopped at the Gallarus Oratory, an early Christian Church, believed to be over 1000 years old and one of the best preserved of the early churches. It was built in the 7th-9th century by monks for private worship and pilgrim shelter and contains no mortar, just perfectly placed stones. After over 1000 years, it was built in the shape of an upside down boat and remains watertight.
We headed to Kenmare where we have a Vrbo apartment for 4 nights. We had to pick up the keys at the owner’s shop then drive down an alley and park in the back of her store. There are 2 apartments above her store. The apartment is very nice, 2 bedroom with 2.5 bath but up one and half flights to the apartment then up 1 flight to the bedroom. We will be getting our exercise. It wlil be nice to be in the same place for 4 nights.
After settling in and unpacking, Greg started a load of laundry. The apartment was supposed to have a washer and dryer but they are in a shared closet outside and not very big. We walked to find a place for drinks and dinner and decided on Foley’s. After dinner we went to Quills for some souvenir shopping.
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| colorful storefronts in Kenmare |
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| souvenir shop deluxe |
Sunday, July 20 Ring of Kerry
We did not get to the store yesterday so we went to Maison Gourmet for pastries and coffee/hot chocolate.
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| early morning quiet streets |
We drove the ring backwards which avoids the big buses. We learned this trick on our first trip to Ireland from Rick Steve's hints. First stop was Staigue Fort, thought to have been built during the late Iron Age, probably somewhere between 300 and 400 AD, as a defensive stronghold for a local lord or king. It is one of largest intact stone forts and was built without mortar, using stones of local sandstone. Vertical joints visible in the wall show that gaps were left during the building of the wall to allow access and were filled in later.
As we drove toward Portmagee we made several photo op stops along the way. In Portmagee, a small fishing village, we finally found a place to park and walked down the street, stopping at Skellig Mist for a light lunch.
We drove over to bridge to Valentia Island, an island 7 miles long with a population of 658 people. At the other end of the island we took a small ferry across to land. The ferry only held 6-7 cars at a time.
After departing the ferry we headed to the Cahergall Fort. We got hustled by an Irishman with a baby lamb. He was encouraging us to hold the lamb, take pictures, then asked for a tip, but it was cute.
The fort was built around 600 AD and has been reconstructed. This one was a bit different because it had another circle inside the outer circle. Excavation produced Iron and Bronze Age objects, suggesting the existence of an early Christian farming community.
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| view from the fort |
On the way down, we drove through Mols Gap. Scenery was very dramatic.
On the way back to the apartment we stopped at Lidl, a grocery store owned by the brother who owns Aldi and the stores are usually opposite each. Reminds me of Walgreens and CVS. We bought breakfast items and then came back to the apartment.
Dinner tonight was at O’Donnabhain and was really good. We went to The Coachman for a nightcap and listen to the girl singing. She was also very good.
Monday, July 21. National Park of Killarney
We were booked for the jaunting car/boat ride excursion through the National Park. We drove to Ross Castle to meet our tour guide who escorted us to taxis. The taxi dropped us at the spot to meet our jaunting car driver, Dan, and his horse Sam. We went the 7 miles through the Gap of Dunloe to Brandon Cottages, where we left Dan and Sam and bought lunch. After a nice break, we boarded the boats for the 1.5 hour trip through the lakes back to Ross Castle. It was beautiful scenery, unfortunately it rained most of the day.
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| Ross Castle was built in the late 15th century by local ruling clan the O'Donoghues Mór (Ross).There is a legend that O'Donoghue leapt or was sucked out of the window of the grand chamber at the top of the castle and disappeared into the waters of the lake along with his horse, his table and his library. It is said that O'Donoghue now lives in a great palace at the bottom of the lake where he keeps a close eye on everything that he sees. |
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| Dan and Sam. Our favorite story from Dan was when I asked him what Irish Whiskey he preferred when he went to the pub and he said he really didn't go the pub much. So I asked what whiskey he drank at home. He looked at me like it was a dumb question and said "Paddy of course". Guys had to give Paddy a try and agreed with Dan. |
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| on the hill we had to get our and walk |
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| lunch stop |
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| our boats back to Ross Castle |
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| We spent a little bit of time walking around the castle |
On the way home we stopped at Torc Waterfall and the Ladies View. The sun finally came out and gave us a nice photo op.
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| as the sun came out we had a full rainbow |
For dinner tonight we went to Coachman’s. Everyone agreed the food was good. The entertainer was a guy tonight, different, but just as entertaining. After a drink or two we called it an evening.
Tuesday, July 22 Fishing and Mallow.
We dropped off Terry and Susan in Rathcormac to meet their guide, David Coughlan, to go fishing on the River Bride. They caught native German Browns.
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| River Bride |
Greg and I had nothing planned so we went in search of coffee and food but Rathcormac had nothing to offer so we headed up the road to Fermoy and then to Mallow. Mallow had a castle right in town so we headed there. We parked around the corner and walked to the site. It was open to the public and had a huge walking/park area with the old castle and manor house which was across the street. The original castle was built in 1185. Queen Elizabeth I confiscated the castle and gave it to Sir Thomas Noreen. The castle fell in disarray and a new fortified house was built in 1585 but destroyed by fire. The manor house was built across the road where the stables used to be.
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| castle |
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| Manor House |
We saw white deer which are descendants of the deer given to the Noreen’s by Queen Elizabeth I.
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After walking around we googled attractions in the area and headed to the Bridgewater Priory. It was a cool site with a lot of the abbey still standing and had markers in each room describing the rooms. The Abbey was built in the 13th century. Once an affluent monastery it was dissolved under Henry VIII in 1541
We drove back to Fermoy and had lunch at Hanna’s. It was a busy place. We both ordered a Ruben sandwich and chips. We had plenty of time so we were in no hurry.
After lunch we walked to the grocery store and found a wedding card for Matt and Clara. Headed back to meet the fisherman.
As we came back into town we stopped at the stone ring which was about 3 blocks from the apartment in Kenmare. It was oval instead of round and had a dolman in the middle with a large round capstone.
We ate dinner at Kenmare Brewhouse and called it a night after one nightcap.
Wed, July 23 Kenmare to Dungarvan
First stop was Blarney Castle. We had not been here before. We arrived around 10:30 and the line to kiss the Blarney Stone was already 2 hours. Terry thought he wanted to do it but when the line had not moved in 30 minutes he gave up, plus they were letting private tours go to the front of the line. Blarney Castle, a tower house castle, was built between the 15th and 17th centuries. We walked the lake loop, cutting across to see the Blarney House, which was constructed in 1874. We viewed the 7 sisters, which is a circle of nine standing stones, two of which have fallen. It is said that in medieval times a chieftain who had two young sons and seven daughters took his his sons on their first battle against a troublesome neighbor who was constantly raiding his cattle. The chieftain was victorious in the battle but at great cost: both his sons were killed. Returning to his cattle with his troops and the bodies of his sons, he stopped at this familiar spot and to mark the death of his sons the grieving chieftain ordered his men to knock over two of the stones. We ate lunch at the cafe in the old stables which wasn’t as crowded.
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| as we left we walked through the Poison Garden |
After lunch we headed to Midleton where we caught the tour that was just starting.
After the tasting, we received a free drink
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| Rare and $$$$$$$$$ |
then we were off to Dungarven which is on the coast. Our hotel is The Park Hotel. We ate dinner in the hotel.
Thurs , July 24 Dungarvan to Ashford
The Copper Coast called us today. First stop was the Visitor Center which was housed in a 19th century restored church. The museum highlighted the copper mining in the area, thus the name Copper Coast, and the geology of the area. Just down the road was the remains of out buildings for a mine, including the buildings containing the engine and pump. Nice views from here as well and the sun was shining. Along with copper mines the area has lots of small beaches. We stopped at the beaches in Annestown and Garrus. We ate lunch in Tramore, a seaside town with a huge beach, amusement park, and arcades. We ate lunch at the Ranch.
After lunch we headed to Glendalough which was carved by glaciers in the Ice Age, forming the 2 lakes. It is the site of the ruins of St Kevin’s monastery. With two lakes and plenty of walking trails, it is a popular spot for tourists but it’s big enough that it didn’t seem crowded.
Our hotel tonight Chester Beatty Hotel, a small boutique hotel with 16 rooms, a bar and restaurant. The staff was super friendly. We saved the best for last. The Chester Beatty Inn began it’s life as a hardware and grocery store before being changed into a popular stage coach inn, in 1854 by the then registered occupier Mr Denis Moran. The stable yard became separated from the main house with the opening of the new road through the village. In 1876 the building was first registered as a hotel and renamed as the Glen Hotel. The premises remained as hotel and was renamed The Chester Beatty Inn by The Caprani family after they purchased it in 1978.
We went down for drinks and stayed through dinner.
Fri, July 25 Ashford to Dublin to Munich
After the included breakfast we headed to Dublin going through the Wicklow Mountains and Sally Gap. Saw a waterfall and a some beautiful scenery. We dropped Terry and Susan Carrie at the Radisson Blu near the airport. They were taxiing to The Guinness Storehouse and we were off to find an ATM and top off the gas tank. We returned the rent car, jumped on the shuttle, and off to the airport. We tried to check in but the Lufthansa rep was closing the counter and wouldn’t be back until 2:30 so we had 2 hours to kill. We went upstairs to the food court but not much to buy in terms of food. We went down and checked in and went through security. We were fast tracked but I would hate to go through the slow track. They sent my backpack through the scanner twice and rummaged through it twice. In the end it was my heat pads that was the problem. Greg’s backpack was sent back twice. Geez. Off to the lounge where we got a little bit to eat and a drink. Plane was delayed, and delayed, and delayed, finally taking off 2.5 late. The shuttle to the rent car quit at 11 so we cancelled our tent car and took an uber to the hotel (cost 86e, which was cheaper than we expected). We made it to bed st 2 am.
Sat, July 26 Munich to Austria
Matt’s Dad, Ali picked us up at 8:45 to drive to the wedding site. Actually, he drove us to a hotel parking lot, where we caught a van that took us to the top of the mountain. The youngsters were walking. There is no way I could have walked it, even in my youngest days. We have a private room which is 8 bunk beds. That’s it. Toilets and washroom are down the hall, but no towels, not even paper towels. One toilet for girls and one for guys. There were bigger bathrooms downstairs. It’s not the best day for an outdoor wedding, it is raining and heavy cloud cover. Festivities started at 2 with cake, then atv4 they said their vows and exchanged rings. They played a couple of games (they called them programs) then dinner followed by a couple of more games and then a dance by Matt and Clara. In between all this lots of beer and wine was consumed. The dance was at 9 pm, after which Greg and I left it to the youngsters. Most of the young people spoke English and were very nice to talk to us.
Sun July 27 Austria to Munich
After breakfast there was lots of packing up and heading down the mountain. It seemed to take a lot of discussion to get everyone organized. The van took us down after all the walkers left. We stopped for lunch with Ali and then went to his house to wait for Matt and Clara. We all went in his new to them car to the airport. We dropped our luggage off at the Hilton and then ate at Airbrau in the airport. The airport has a huge mall like area between the terminals and that is where the restaurant was located. We sat talking until the waiters started resetting the table while we sat there. We took the hint and said our goodbyes. We went back to the room and repacked from the weekend.
Monday, July 28 Munich to Charlotte to home
The hotel is actually in the airport so all we had to do was walk to terminal 1. After entering terminal 1, it was a hike to the check in desks. Airport seemed empty until we got to AA’s counter. Priority went pretty quickly and we had Fasttrack which is similar to TSA precheck. We had enough time to go to the lounge for a bite of breakfast.
The plane left on time and they immediately served dinner. Really at 10 am???!
