Reviews from the Emerald Isle - 2013
I posted nearly two dozen reviews from our 2013 tour through Ireland. Most were of the attractions, but I also provided reviews on each of the lodging properties but only two restaurants as we generally ate at the attractions or in the hotels. The places reviewed are listed below and the actual reviews follow; links to the reviews on Trip Advisor are also provided. I also included the photos that were posted with the reviews. The text of the reviews was taken in large part from the travel journal, but some additional details were incorporated into the reviews.
Attractions (listed alphabetically)
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Lodging (listed by order of stay)
Dining (listed alphabetically)
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Attractions
Blarney Castle and Gardens: So much more than the Blarney Stone!
Visited Monday, June 24, 2013; reviewed September 3, 2013. See this review on Trip Advisor.
My wife and I visited Blarney Castle as part of a bus tour through Ireland. We stayed in Cork the night before visiting Blarney Castle, so we had just a short drive to get to this attraction (we left our hotel at 9:00 AM and we were walking through the main entrance to Blarney Castel and Gardens at 9:30). Our tour guide did a great job of getting us to this attraction ahead of the crowds; there were no other tour buses in the parking lot when we arrived.
This place is SO much more than the Blarney Stone. The castle is the centerpiece, but the grounds and gardens are beautiful and varied and worth the time to explore. Our first stop was the castle ruins. It is a lovely walk from the entrance to the castle; this gave us our first glimpse of the wonderful grounds. We did make the climb up the 125 steps of the narrow, spiral stairs to the top of the 90-foot-high castle keep, but only for the views as we did not kiss the Blarney Stone. Not that I was going to kiss it anyway, but seeing how you had to position yourself, laying down and sort of hanging backward over the edge, well I knew that this was not for me and my concern of edges and steep drops. As we climbed up and back down the narrow, winding stairs, we stopped and explored all the levels and chambers that we could access. This is a ruin site, so the main part of the castle is completely open as the wooden beams and floors are all missing. But that provides an interesting perspective. The views from the top of the ruins were excellent and provide a 360-degree vista over the grounds and beyond.
After descending from the parapet of the castle, with additional stops to check out the nooks and crannies of the keep, we looked at the map and headed off to walk part of the grounds. We knew we did not have time for the longer trails, so we just cut through the arboretum, over to the Blarney House for a quick look, then back along the trail to the Walled Kitchen Garden and around along the pastures and the lake and finally to the Rock Close. There was a lot of variety throughout our abbreviated walk of the grounds. We spied birds all along out route, including Swans with cygnets at the lake and Robins and other song birds in the wooded areas.
Once past the horse pasture we came upon a very nice area of flower beds along the edge of the stable yard, and then we started down the trail for the Rock Close and Water Garden. This area is said to be the site of an old druidic settlement and therefore has mystical elements to it. I found it had a bit of a whimsical feel to it, but it certainly made for a lovely walk. The markers along the trail pointed out the key features. The story on the “Wishing Steps” is that if you walk the steps backwards with your eyes closed your wish will be granted. We walked most of the trails, but stopped at the Druid Circle rather than taking the Woodland Walk as we were getting short on time.
We continued on the main walkway past the flower beds and the stable yard before looping down to the bridge for an interesting view of the ruins then back past the castle and along the trail that took us back toward the entrance. A couple final photos of the ruins of Blarney Castle and then it was off to get some lunch.
Back at the shopping area my wife went to the wool outlet and I went to get us some lunch. I bought us a sandwich and chips, I mean crisps, and a chocolate muffin, all to share and met her at a picnic table near the bus. The food was excellent and the picnic made for a nice end to our tour.
I was honestly a little concerned that Blarney Castle was going to be a complete tourist trap with the stone being the main attraction. Nope, this is a class operation and while there is a bit of a circus sideshow feel to kissing the Blarney Stone it can easily be overlooked and completely skipped as we did. Our time here was one of the many highlights of our trip.
Visited Monday, June 24, 2013; reviewed September 3, 2013. See this review on Trip Advisor.
My wife and I visited Blarney Castle as part of a bus tour through Ireland. We stayed in Cork the night before visiting Blarney Castle, so we had just a short drive to get to this attraction (we left our hotel at 9:00 AM and we were walking through the main entrance to Blarney Castel and Gardens at 9:30). Our tour guide did a great job of getting us to this attraction ahead of the crowds; there were no other tour buses in the parking lot when we arrived.
This place is SO much more than the Blarney Stone. The castle is the centerpiece, but the grounds and gardens are beautiful and varied and worth the time to explore. Our first stop was the castle ruins. It is a lovely walk from the entrance to the castle; this gave us our first glimpse of the wonderful grounds. We did make the climb up the 125 steps of the narrow, spiral stairs to the top of the 90-foot-high castle keep, but only for the views as we did not kiss the Blarney Stone. Not that I was going to kiss it anyway, but seeing how you had to position yourself, laying down and sort of hanging backward over the edge, well I knew that this was not for me and my concern of edges and steep drops. As we climbed up and back down the narrow, winding stairs, we stopped and explored all the levels and chambers that we could access. This is a ruin site, so the main part of the castle is completely open as the wooden beams and floors are all missing. But that provides an interesting perspective. The views from the top of the ruins were excellent and provide a 360-degree vista over the grounds and beyond.
After descending from the parapet of the castle, with additional stops to check out the nooks and crannies of the keep, we looked at the map and headed off to walk part of the grounds. We knew we did not have time for the longer trails, so we just cut through the arboretum, over to the Blarney House for a quick look, then back along the trail to the Walled Kitchen Garden and around along the pastures and the lake and finally to the Rock Close. There was a lot of variety throughout our abbreviated walk of the grounds. We spied birds all along out route, including Swans with cygnets at the lake and Robins and other song birds in the wooded areas.
Once past the horse pasture we came upon a very nice area of flower beds along the edge of the stable yard, and then we started down the trail for the Rock Close and Water Garden. This area is said to be the site of an old druidic settlement and therefore has mystical elements to it. I found it had a bit of a whimsical feel to it, but it certainly made for a lovely walk. The markers along the trail pointed out the key features. The story on the “Wishing Steps” is that if you walk the steps backwards with your eyes closed your wish will be granted. We walked most of the trails, but stopped at the Druid Circle rather than taking the Woodland Walk as we were getting short on time.
We continued on the main walkway past the flower beds and the stable yard before looping down to the bridge for an interesting view of the ruins then back past the castle and along the trail that took us back toward the entrance. A couple final photos of the ruins of Blarney Castle and then it was off to get some lunch.
Back at the shopping area my wife went to the wool outlet and I went to get us some lunch. I bought us a sandwich and chips, I mean crisps, and a chocolate muffin, all to share and met her at a picnic table near the bus. The food was excellent and the picnic made for a nice end to our tour.
I was honestly a little concerned that Blarney Castle was going to be a complete tourist trap with the stone being the main attraction. Nope, this is a class operation and while there is a bit of a circus sideshow feel to kissing the Blarney Stone it can easily be overlooked and completely skipped as we did. Our time here was one of the many highlights of our trip.
The Book of Kells and the Old Library at Trinity College:
Interesting historical artifact, but not up to my expectations in terms of viewing the book.
Visited Friday, June 21, 2013; reviewed September 21, 2013. See this review on Trip Advisor.
My wife and I got into the queue about 1:30 and had a short wait (10 minutes or so), paid our 9 Euro each for admittance and off we went. The displays and exhibits on the history of the book are very interesting and well done. Seeing a book that old is pretty cool, albeit a bit of a chore as there was a crowd around the book (the exhibit hall area prior to where the Book of Kells is displayed was pretty easy to mill about without interference). I peered over the shoulders of a couple folks for a glimpse of the book and moved along to the Old Library. I found the Long Room of the Old Library to be much more intriguing. Still it was a good visit and I’m glad I had the chance to see this bit of history.
Interesting historical artifact, but not up to my expectations in terms of viewing the book.
Visited Friday, June 21, 2013; reviewed September 21, 2013. See this review on Trip Advisor.
My wife and I got into the queue about 1:30 and had a short wait (10 minutes or so), paid our 9 Euro each for admittance and off we went. The displays and exhibits on the history of the book are very interesting and well done. Seeing a book that old is pretty cool, albeit a bit of a chore as there was a crowd around the book (the exhibit hall area prior to where the Book of Kells is displayed was pretty easy to mill about without interference). I peered over the shoulders of a couple folks for a glimpse of the book and moved along to the Old Library. I found the Long Room of the Old Library to be much more intriguing. Still it was a good visit and I’m glad I had the chance to see this bit of history.
Bunratty Castle and Folk Park: A bit of a hodge-podge and kind of touristy, but still and interesting park.
Visited Wednesday, June 26, 2013; reviewed September 15, 2013. See this review on Trip Advisor.
We visited Bunratty Castle and Folk Park as part of our 12-day trip and bus tour around Ireland. We spent a few hours in Bunratty on the trek from Killarney to Galway. The folk park is just west of Limerick in the sprawling metropolis of Bunratty. It is quite the attraction, albeit a tad on the touristy side. There seems to be something of interest for everyone: the castle, the village, shops, animals, gardens, farm equipment. Our guide pointed out the castle as we approached on the highway at just before 11:00. As we pulled into the park, he also mentioned the surrounding retail area, with the big wool outlet. The plan for this stop was to explore the castle and the village, maybe check out the shops and find some lunch. He also suggested Durty Nelly’s pub as an option for lunch (the pub sits just outside the park). He quickly got our tickets sorted and at about 11:00 we were off touring the grounds. It was suggested that we start with the castle, then tour as much of the village as we liked, so that was our starting plan for the visit.
Over to the castle we went, pausing briefly to check out the cannon on the palisade. On entering the castle we were greeted by two lassies in period dress. The young ladies were simply pointing the way through the castle and did not really provide any historical perspective. Unlike the ruins of Blarney Castle, the floors at each level of Bunratty were in place and all of the great halls and smaller rooms were furnished and decorated. This provided a completely different perspective to life in the castle. The central block of the keep has three floors, each consisting of a single great room. There is a tower at each corner of the main block, each with 6 stories.
To access the upper levels of the castle we ascended a very narrow spiral staircase at one corner of the building. The higher you go, the narrower the passage…and the traffic on the stairs was just a little bit of a mess but then again, the castle was not built to accommodate 100s of tourists tramping through the old stone corridors. Most of the furnishings and decorations in the castle are from the 15th and 16th century and include tapestries of French, Belgian and Flemish origin. My favorite room in the castle was the south solar due to the very ornate ceiling (it was a recreation but still very cool). We made it all the way to the battlement of the castle which provided a very nice view of the Ralty River and surrounding countryside.
We spent the rest of our time walking through the village portion of the park. It seems that many of the structures were collected from other locations, sometimes as a means of preserving the structures when they were in danger of being destroyed for new buildings or road construction. The village makes for a pleasant stroll and I think it probably provides a good likeness to life a century or so ago (so not exactly the same time frame as the heyday of the castle). There were some very nice photo ops with the colorful buildings and farm equipment, the flowers around the houses and in the gardens and of the critters. Overall a nice afternoon walk. However we were starting to run out of time, so rather than trying Durty Nelly’s for lunch, we just grabbed a quick bite in the tea room inside the park (and they do not take credit cards, so we had to dig into our stash of euros).
I think the park would have been more interesting if there had been more living historians or other docents around to provide more of the background time periods represented in the park. I only recall a couple of folks who were providing this type of information. I was also a bit disappointed that the mills were in such disrepair. I did not expect to see operating mills, but it would have been nice to have seen the machinery at least restored to represent an operating mill. But even with these minor points it was still I nice park and an interesting way to learn about some of the history of Ireland.
We had just a little over 2 hours in the park, which gave us plenty of time to walk through the castle and the village, get lunch and see the gift shop, but not to investigate the retail area outside the park (not that I was hankering to go there anyway). I think that was sufficient time for Bunratty Castle and Folk Park.
Visited Wednesday, June 26, 2013; reviewed September 15, 2013. See this review on Trip Advisor.
We visited Bunratty Castle and Folk Park as part of our 12-day trip and bus tour around Ireland. We spent a few hours in Bunratty on the trek from Killarney to Galway. The folk park is just west of Limerick in the sprawling metropolis of Bunratty. It is quite the attraction, albeit a tad on the touristy side. There seems to be something of interest for everyone: the castle, the village, shops, animals, gardens, farm equipment. Our guide pointed out the castle as we approached on the highway at just before 11:00. As we pulled into the park, he also mentioned the surrounding retail area, with the big wool outlet. The plan for this stop was to explore the castle and the village, maybe check out the shops and find some lunch. He also suggested Durty Nelly’s pub as an option for lunch (the pub sits just outside the park). He quickly got our tickets sorted and at about 11:00 we were off touring the grounds. It was suggested that we start with the castle, then tour as much of the village as we liked, so that was our starting plan for the visit.
Over to the castle we went, pausing briefly to check out the cannon on the palisade. On entering the castle we were greeted by two lassies in period dress. The young ladies were simply pointing the way through the castle and did not really provide any historical perspective. Unlike the ruins of Blarney Castle, the floors at each level of Bunratty were in place and all of the great halls and smaller rooms were furnished and decorated. This provided a completely different perspective to life in the castle. The central block of the keep has three floors, each consisting of a single great room. There is a tower at each corner of the main block, each with 6 stories.
To access the upper levels of the castle we ascended a very narrow spiral staircase at one corner of the building. The higher you go, the narrower the passage…and the traffic on the stairs was just a little bit of a mess but then again, the castle was not built to accommodate 100s of tourists tramping through the old stone corridors. Most of the furnishings and decorations in the castle are from the 15th and 16th century and include tapestries of French, Belgian and Flemish origin. My favorite room in the castle was the south solar due to the very ornate ceiling (it was a recreation but still very cool). We made it all the way to the battlement of the castle which provided a very nice view of the Ralty River and surrounding countryside.
We spent the rest of our time walking through the village portion of the park. It seems that many of the structures were collected from other locations, sometimes as a means of preserving the structures when they were in danger of being destroyed for new buildings or road construction. The village makes for a pleasant stroll and I think it probably provides a good likeness to life a century or so ago (so not exactly the same time frame as the heyday of the castle). There were some very nice photo ops with the colorful buildings and farm equipment, the flowers around the houses and in the gardens and of the critters. Overall a nice afternoon walk. However we were starting to run out of time, so rather than trying Durty Nelly’s for lunch, we just grabbed a quick bite in the tea room inside the park (and they do not take credit cards, so we had to dig into our stash of euros).
I think the park would have been more interesting if there had been more living historians or other docents around to provide more of the background time periods represented in the park. I only recall a couple of folks who were providing this type of information. I was also a bit disappointed that the mills were in such disrepair. I did not expect to see operating mills, but it would have been nice to have seen the machinery at least restored to represent an operating mill. But even with these minor points it was still I nice park and an interesting way to learn about some of the history of Ireland.
We had just a little over 2 hours in the park, which gave us plenty of time to walk through the castle and the village, get lunch and see the gift shop, but not to investigate the retail area outside the park (not that I was hankering to go there anyway). I think that was sufficient time for Bunratty Castle and Folk Park.
Chester Beatty Library: All this for FREE!
Visited Friday, June 21, 2013; reviewed September 21, 2013. See this review on Trip Advisor.
We used our first afternoon in Dublin just to walk about the city and take in some of the attractions that we were told were “must see” sights. So we meandered along a couple of narrow streets, each lined with shops and pubs and past St. Andrews church to Dame Street. And on toward Dublin Castle and the Chester Beatty Museum. When we got to the Castle, we found out that Ireland was the current home to the Presidency of the Council of the European Union so the Castle was closed to the public. But we did make a quick pass through the visitor center and then through the garden before going into the Chester Beatty Library. The buildings in these area were an eclectic mix; old stone masonry fortress and towers (that now house the GARDA Museum) alongside some gaudily painted boxy structures all overlooking the formal garden. As this was a nice sunny day, there were many folks lounging about the lawn in the middle of the circle walkway. We took the long way around the loop to enjoy the flowers and sculpture then walk over to see what treasures Chester Beatty had to share.
We were greeted by a docent manning the desk in the entry way. He was a friendly old fellow and gave us some pointers on what to see in the facility. He was a hoot as he gave us a resounding “OH!-hi-OH!” once he found out where we lived. He must have been waiting for weeks to use that line.
What an amazing collection of artifacts. And admission to the museum is free. That just makes this so much a more of a “must see” attraction. This was becoming “old manuscript day” between the Book of Kells, which we had visited earlier in the day, and the Asian prints here at the Chester Beatty Library.
The museum is not a huge place, but that’s OK. It has a more intimate feel which just enhances the charm of the exhibits. The exhibits are spread over several levels, which I though enhanced the overall layout as the stairs which connect the levels are in open foyer so that you are not always walking through a dark maze.
The variety of manuscripts, documents and artwork on display is quite impressive and covers a wide range of eras and cultures. It was really more that I was able to take in after an all-night flight! But it was a fascinating collection and well worth the time invested.
Visited Friday, June 21, 2013; reviewed September 21, 2013. See this review on Trip Advisor.
We used our first afternoon in Dublin just to walk about the city and take in some of the attractions that we were told were “must see” sights. So we meandered along a couple of narrow streets, each lined with shops and pubs and past St. Andrews church to Dame Street. And on toward Dublin Castle and the Chester Beatty Museum. When we got to the Castle, we found out that Ireland was the current home to the Presidency of the Council of the European Union so the Castle was closed to the public. But we did make a quick pass through the visitor center and then through the garden before going into the Chester Beatty Library. The buildings in these area were an eclectic mix; old stone masonry fortress and towers (that now house the GARDA Museum) alongside some gaudily painted boxy structures all overlooking the formal garden. As this was a nice sunny day, there were many folks lounging about the lawn in the middle of the circle walkway. We took the long way around the loop to enjoy the flowers and sculpture then walk over to see what treasures Chester Beatty had to share.
We were greeted by a docent manning the desk in the entry way. He was a friendly old fellow and gave us some pointers on what to see in the facility. He was a hoot as he gave us a resounding “OH!-hi-OH!” once he found out where we lived. He must have been waiting for weeks to use that line.
What an amazing collection of artifacts. And admission to the museum is free. That just makes this so much a more of a “must see” attraction. This was becoming “old manuscript day” between the Book of Kells, which we had visited earlier in the day, and the Asian prints here at the Chester Beatty Library.
The museum is not a huge place, but that’s OK. It has a more intimate feel which just enhances the charm of the exhibits. The exhibits are spread over several levels, which I though enhanced the overall layout as the stairs which connect the levels are in open foyer so that you are not always walking through a dark maze.
The variety of manuscripts, documents and artwork on display is quite impressive and covers a wide range of eras and cultures. It was really more that I was able to take in after an all-night flight! But it was a fascinating collection and well worth the time invested.
Cliffs of Moher: What a view!
Visited Wednesday, June 26, 2013; reviewed September 8, 2013. See this review on Trip Advisor.
The Cliffs of Moher was the most anticipated stop during our bur tour of Ireland. Since this was a guided tour, I did not have to do a lot of research, but I did do a little and the photos I found on-line of the Cliffs of Moher were amazing. Plus I found that there were a lot of shore birds along the cliffs so that I might have a chance of glimpsing Puffins and Razorbills. As this was a bus tour, we had other stops planned for the day, so that we did not arrive at the Cliffs of Moher until 3:00. However, the weather is perfect. The downside is that we only have a little over an hour to explore this amazing area, and there is much too see! Our guide gave us some pointers for the visit and suggested that once we get to the edge that we take the trail to the left (that is, head south along the cliffs) as the lighting should be better looking back along the cliffs from that direction.
So let’s see…the cliffs are 5 miles long, there’s the tower, the visitor center and plenty of birds…choices will have to be made at this destination. But for me the choice was easy as I wanted to focus on the natural beauty of the cliffs and check out the birds. Lynn and I opted to walk the trails and take advantage of the ideal weather.
As we were walking out to the cliffs, we passed a piper playing for tips. I was tempted to give him a few euro if he would quit playing for a while. He just kept playing the same chords over and over. Sort of annoying really. Once we got to the first overlook area, there was a second musician, a young lady playing the harp. That was very nice and just sort of flowed with the surroundings. But we had much to see and could not afford to stay long to her serenade.
Visited Wednesday, June 26, 2013; reviewed September 8, 2013. See this review on Trip Advisor.
The Cliffs of Moher was the most anticipated stop during our bur tour of Ireland. Since this was a guided tour, I did not have to do a lot of research, but I did do a little and the photos I found on-line of the Cliffs of Moher were amazing. Plus I found that there were a lot of shore birds along the cliffs so that I might have a chance of glimpsing Puffins and Razorbills. As this was a bus tour, we had other stops planned for the day, so that we did not arrive at the Cliffs of Moher until 3:00. However, the weather is perfect. The downside is that we only have a little over an hour to explore this amazing area, and there is much too see! Our guide gave us some pointers for the visit and suggested that once we get to the edge that we take the trail to the left (that is, head south along the cliffs) as the lighting should be better looking back along the cliffs from that direction.
So let’s see…the cliffs are 5 miles long, there’s the tower, the visitor center and plenty of birds…choices will have to be made at this destination. But for me the choice was easy as I wanted to focus on the natural beauty of the cliffs and check out the birds. Lynn and I opted to walk the trails and take advantage of the ideal weather.
As we were walking out to the cliffs, we passed a piper playing for tips. I was tempted to give him a few euro if he would quit playing for a while. He just kept playing the same chords over and over. Sort of annoying really. Once we got to the first overlook area, there was a second musician, a young lady playing the harp. That was very nice and just sort of flowed with the surroundings. But we had much to see and could not afford to stay long to her serenade.
We only had time to walk about a half-mile along the trail, heading south along the cliffs. There is one section of the trail that is very narrow and runs between low rock walls, so it is slow going. There were several folks who were bypassing this section of trail and walking right along the edge…not too bight in my opinion. But once out of this trough of a trail, the path opened up and there was access to the views along the edge of the cliffs. I wasn’t getting close to the edge, not with my healthy respect for edges with steep drops. Shoot, this was not a step drop; it was a shear precipice of 700 foot to certain death on rocks below. But even with that, I did manage to crawl out close to the edge for a nice shot of the cliffs looking north with some wildflowers in the foreground. It was not a spectacular shot, but it was an accomplishment for me to get it! The Cliffs of Moher are magnificent and well worth the time, but the geological wonders, while the main attraction, is just part of the show.
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There were hundreds of shorebirds flying about. Most were down at the water level and came up perhaps half-way up the cliffs although there were a lot of gulls soaring at the top of the cliffs. A few were foraging in the farm fields adjacent to the trails along the edge of the cliff. Most of these were Herring Gulls, but there were certainly others. I got a decent shot of two Fulmars huddled in a nook in the cliff below the edge. And we saw Puffins and Razorbills. They were quite a distance away, but I was able to use my new Canon SX50 HS and the 200x digital zoom as a spotting scope. The photos were not great, but good enough for the situation. I figure the Puffins were about 880 feet away, best I could figure (say 800 feet out and 350 below the rim, do a little trig to get 880 feet , or 0.165 miles). There were scores of the Puffins in the rocky sloped areas of the cliffs. I spent a fair amount of time on the return trip just watching the birds.
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Of all the places that we visited on the trip, this is the one that I really would have liked to have more time. We had great weather for viewing the cliffs and the wildlife, something that our guide said you do not always get. We never set foot in the visitor center or O’Brien’s Tower and I would have liked to hike more of the trails, but we’ll just have to save that for the next trip. The visit today, albeit short, was outstanding. We were back on the road at 4:20, so we had just a little over an hour at the Cliffs.
Dublin Zoo: One of the best zoos we have visited.
Visited Saturday, June 22, 2013; reviewed July 13, 2013. See this review on Trip Advisor.
Here’s the short story on the Dublin Zoo: it is excellent. My wife and I always seem to visit zoos during our travels, mainly because she likes critters, so we have seen a lot of very nice zoos and let me tell you that the Dublin Zoo is near the top of the list. There is a great variety of animals, the enclosures are very good size and in good shape, there is excellent access to the animals, and the setting is wonderful as the trails sort of meander around a couple of lakes.
There is a nice little opening scene once you come through the entrance; a deck overlooking a pond which has several varieties of waterfowl which are probably just local wild birds that are hanging out there. The birds were a common occurrence on all the water features in the zoo. We headed off down the path to the right and worked our way in a counterclockwise fashion around the first set of lakes and eventually made a figure-eight loop around the entire zoo. We stopped and enjoyed all of the exhibits, spending more time at some, but all totaled I reckon we spent about 2 hours in the zoo. By the way, the admission was 16 Euro for an adult ticket, so about $21 US. Perhaps a little high; for comparison, the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo adult admission is $12.25. Still, the visit was well worth the price.
There were several highlights to the zoo. One of the first was the Kaziranga Forest Trail that provides access to the elephants. Our timing was pretty good here as the last of the rain showers hit when we were on this trail and the large overhanging leaves of the forest plants provided much needed shelter…and we were not the only folks hiding under these leaves!
I think my favorite area was the African Savanna with the Giraffes, Zebras, Scimitar-horned Oryx, ostriches and white rhinos. This is a very large, open area that gives the animals a lot of room to roam along with great viewing opportunities from the trail along the edge of the savanna. It was obviously dinner time when we arrived so the animals for milling about waiting to be brought in and fed, so we saw plenty of activity. The rhinos had the far end of the savanna to themselves. There was a calf in the group and it was just adorable and quite spunky. The little guy was running about and trying to get the adults to play, generally to no avail. At one point he must agitated one of his aunts a bit too much as she was getting ready to put the kid in his place. In comes mom who went nose-to-nose with auntie and backed her down. Just a very interesting set of interactions.
The Gorilla Rainforest was a truly remarkable habitat for these huge apes. Probably the best such enclosure that I have seen in any zoo. We later saw the old gorilla enclosure which was pretty good in its own right. The big cats and the wolves all had good size enclosures that provided room for the animals and good viewing opportunities. We were also lucky to see the otters frolicking in their pen. The bonus was the wild birds around the water features: Grey Heron, Coots and Little Grebes to name a few
Our last stop was at the Meerkat restaurant just for a drink and a short rest. Nice facility but nothing fancy; it obviously caters to the family crowd. Even though is looked to be preparing to close for the day you could tell that there was good variety of food options. We watched the meerkats for a while, finished our water and called it a day.
There are a lot of things to see and do in Dublin, and the zoo might not be high on your list, but it you want a change of pace from the sights and sounds of the city, head on over to Phoenix Park and check out the zoo. It is a nice way to spend an afternoon.
Visited Saturday, June 22, 2013; reviewed July 13, 2013. See this review on Trip Advisor.
Here’s the short story on the Dublin Zoo: it is excellent. My wife and I always seem to visit zoos during our travels, mainly because she likes critters, so we have seen a lot of very nice zoos and let me tell you that the Dublin Zoo is near the top of the list. There is a great variety of animals, the enclosures are very good size and in good shape, there is excellent access to the animals, and the setting is wonderful as the trails sort of meander around a couple of lakes.
There is a nice little opening scene once you come through the entrance; a deck overlooking a pond which has several varieties of waterfowl which are probably just local wild birds that are hanging out there. The birds were a common occurrence on all the water features in the zoo. We headed off down the path to the right and worked our way in a counterclockwise fashion around the first set of lakes and eventually made a figure-eight loop around the entire zoo. We stopped and enjoyed all of the exhibits, spending more time at some, but all totaled I reckon we spent about 2 hours in the zoo. By the way, the admission was 16 Euro for an adult ticket, so about $21 US. Perhaps a little high; for comparison, the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo adult admission is $12.25. Still, the visit was well worth the price.
There were several highlights to the zoo. One of the first was the Kaziranga Forest Trail that provides access to the elephants. Our timing was pretty good here as the last of the rain showers hit when we were on this trail and the large overhanging leaves of the forest plants provided much needed shelter…and we were not the only folks hiding under these leaves!
I think my favorite area was the African Savanna with the Giraffes, Zebras, Scimitar-horned Oryx, ostriches and white rhinos. This is a very large, open area that gives the animals a lot of room to roam along with great viewing opportunities from the trail along the edge of the savanna. It was obviously dinner time when we arrived so the animals for milling about waiting to be brought in and fed, so we saw plenty of activity. The rhinos had the far end of the savanna to themselves. There was a calf in the group and it was just adorable and quite spunky. The little guy was running about and trying to get the adults to play, generally to no avail. At one point he must agitated one of his aunts a bit too much as she was getting ready to put the kid in his place. In comes mom who went nose-to-nose with auntie and backed her down. Just a very interesting set of interactions.
The Gorilla Rainforest was a truly remarkable habitat for these huge apes. Probably the best such enclosure that I have seen in any zoo. We later saw the old gorilla enclosure which was pretty good in its own right. The big cats and the wolves all had good size enclosures that provided room for the animals and good viewing opportunities. We were also lucky to see the otters frolicking in their pen. The bonus was the wild birds around the water features: Grey Heron, Coots and Little Grebes to name a few
Our last stop was at the Meerkat restaurant just for a drink and a short rest. Nice facility but nothing fancy; it obviously caters to the family crowd. Even though is looked to be preparing to close for the day you could tell that there was good variety of food options. We watched the meerkats for a while, finished our water and called it a day.
There are a lot of things to see and do in Dublin, and the zoo might not be high on your list, but it you want a change of pace from the sights and sounds of the city, head on over to Phoenix Park and check out the zoo. It is a nice way to spend an afternoon.
Giant’s Causeway: Volcanoes or Giants? Cool place regardless of how it was formed.
Visited Saturday, June 29, 2013; reviewed September 12, 2013. See this review on Trip Advisor.
The final big day-trip during our bus tour around Ireland was an excursion from Belfast up to the north coast of the island to see the Gaint’s Causeway. We took the scenic route up the coast with a couple of interesting stops at Carrickfergus Castle and the viewpoint above Portaneevey. But even taking the slightly longer route and making these short stops we still made it to our destination in just over 3 hours.
As we approached the Causeway, our guide gave us a couple of theories on its formation. He did not spend a lot of time on the scientific explanation of the 40,000 basalt columns, just that they were created due to volcanic activity and the cooling of the lava beds. The visitor center and the internet provide a bit more detailed explanation. The black basalt columns were formed about 60 million years ago when highly fluid molten basalt intruded through chalk beds to form an extensive lava plateau. The lava cooled rapidly causing the basalt to contract and fracture forming the pillar-like structures. The pillars are hexagonal in shape and about 18 inches across. The size of the columns was primarily determined by the speed at which lava cooled.
More time was spent on the legendary construction. Apparently, the columns are the remains of a causeway built by a giant. As I recall, in the version the Pierce told, the Scottsich giant, Benandonner built the causeway so that he could get to Ireland to fight Finn MacCool. However, once Benandonner arrives, Finn realizes that he is out matched and makes tracks back to his house to hide. Finn’s wife, Úna, dresses Finn as a baby and places him in a cradle. When Benandonner sees the size of the 'baby', he reckons that its father, Finn, must be a giant among giants and he flees back to Scotland in fright, destroying the causeway behind him so that Finn could not follow. Seems like a reasonable explanation.
As we were pulling into the parking lot, our guide stated that we would have to choose which story best explains the formation of the causeway, the legend of the giants or “that rubbish about lava.”
Visited Saturday, June 29, 2013; reviewed September 12, 2013. See this review on Trip Advisor.
The final big day-trip during our bus tour around Ireland was an excursion from Belfast up to the north coast of the island to see the Gaint’s Causeway. We took the scenic route up the coast with a couple of interesting stops at Carrickfergus Castle and the viewpoint above Portaneevey. But even taking the slightly longer route and making these short stops we still made it to our destination in just over 3 hours.
As we approached the Causeway, our guide gave us a couple of theories on its formation. He did not spend a lot of time on the scientific explanation of the 40,000 basalt columns, just that they were created due to volcanic activity and the cooling of the lava beds. The visitor center and the internet provide a bit more detailed explanation. The black basalt columns were formed about 60 million years ago when highly fluid molten basalt intruded through chalk beds to form an extensive lava plateau. The lava cooled rapidly causing the basalt to contract and fracture forming the pillar-like structures. The pillars are hexagonal in shape and about 18 inches across. The size of the columns was primarily determined by the speed at which lava cooled.
More time was spent on the legendary construction. Apparently, the columns are the remains of a causeway built by a giant. As I recall, in the version the Pierce told, the Scottsich giant, Benandonner built the causeway so that he could get to Ireland to fight Finn MacCool. However, once Benandonner arrives, Finn realizes that he is out matched and makes tracks back to his house to hide. Finn’s wife, Úna, dresses Finn as a baby and places him in a cradle. When Benandonner sees the size of the 'baby', he reckons that its father, Finn, must be a giant among giants and he flees back to Scotland in fright, destroying the causeway behind him so that Finn could not follow. Seems like a reasonable explanation.
As we were pulling into the parking lot, our guide stated that we would have to choose which story best explains the formation of the causeway, the legend of the giants or “that rubbish about lava.”
It took a few minutes to get things sorted once we arrived at the causeway as there was just a little confusion on the parking and tickets, but this was all resolved quickly. They run a tight ship at the causeway and the ticket agent kept us all moving toward the entrance. It seems that parking is confusing at the causeway and does cause some friction with visitors. I think that visiting as part of a bus tour that had prearranged with the site really greased the skids for us.
We were soon on our way to the trail that leads to the causeway. However by now our mostly dry yet overcast day had turned to a steady drizzle, but nothing that our rain jackets could not handle. My wife and I did not loiter in the visitor center opting instead to make the most of our limited time outside exploring the causeway. We had arrived here at about 11:45 and we had until 2:20 for the causeway, the visitor center and lunch. We found our way to the paved trail leading down the hill to the causeway. We were given audio guides that were intended to provide details on the area at specific sites along the trail, but I reckon I just did not have the patience for it and turned the guide off after the second stop or so. Besides, who needs the audio guide with all the visual wonders to take in? The views along the shore were amazing even without the 40,000 basalt columns of the Giant’s Causeway. On the outbound trek, we just took in the causeway from afar with the plan of exploring in detail on the return hike. The paved trail turned to dirt..ok, mud…not far past the causeway. We took the coastal trail to the end of the line, probably a little over a half-mile past the causeway. Great views all along the route. About the point where the coastal trail intersects with The Shepherd’s Path, the trail starts to climb to The Organ and continues upward to provide views over Port Reostan. The trail ends here due to a landslide in the amphitheater back in the 1990s. The old trail is still visible along the opposite wall of the alcove but it is obvious that it has not been used in a number of years. Even with the abbreviated hike we took in some great views of the basalt columns in the cliffs along the shore. There were a fair number of birds in the area; ducks, gulls, swallows and a hawk. On the return trip we headed to the causeway for a more detailed look around. The columns jut up at the shoreline, maybe 40 or 50 feet, then gradually taper down to meet the sea. It is easy to climb around on the causeway since the columns form natural stairs providing access to both the high-point on the shore and right down to the crashing waves. There is a park employee stationed at the low end of the causeway to keep the visitors away from the dangerous areas. Even in Ireland there is the danger of “stupid human tricks.” We climbed around on the causeway for a while, taking in the views, watching the waves crash into the columns and enjoying the wildflowers that were growing in the cracks between the columns. This is where all the visitors go, so it is the most crowded part of the area. It can be tough to get a good photo of the entire causeway due to all the people (but then that’s what Photoshop is for!). But there are plenty of detail photos to take of the patterns in the rocks and the flowers growing up through the gaps in the columns, plus the views down the shoreline. After exploring the Causeway for a while, it was back up the hill to the visitor center to get some lunch and to warm-up a bit. After a bite to eat from the cafeteria, we had a look around the visitor center. There is a large part is gift store, of course, but there are also displays on the formation of the causeway, both the “scientific rubbish” and the legends are portrayed. There is a short cartoon movie of the Finn McCool legend that has no narration or verbiage, just the characters acting out the legend. |
We had about 2 hours and a half hours at the Causeway which gave us enough time to see the highlights, hike a little, view the visitor center and get a quick lunch at the café. More time would have been nice in order to hike the trail along the rim, just to get the perspective from up there. But overall it was enough time to have a nice tour of this interesting natural wonder.
Killarney National Park: We only scratched the surface of this very scenic park.
Visited Monday, June 24, and Tuesday, June 25, 2013; reviewed September 22, 2013. See this review on Trip Advisor.
As part of a multi-day bus tour through Ireland, Lynn and I spent two nights in Killarney and made several short excursions into Killarney National Park, both as part of the group as well as on our own. Our modes of transportation to the park were as varied as the sights in the park since we walked in, rode the bus and for our introduction to the park we arrived via horse drawn cart.
Our first exposure to Killarney National Park was on the day we arrived in the area. We were coming from Cork and had spent the morning at Blarney Castle (another great place to visit). As the weather was gorgeous with warm temperatures and mostly sunny skies, our bus guide made arrangements for us to take the horse drawn jaunting car ride from Killarney to Muckross house in the park. Sure enough, when we got to the center of town, there were five horse-drawn carts waiting for us.
Lynn and I got lucky in that we got to ride shotgun, sitting in the front on the bench with the driver with six of the ladies from our bus riding in the back of the cart. Jerry was our driver and Tom was our horsepower (Tom and Jerry, get it?). Jerry’s shtick was that he is looking for a wife and was hitting on the ladies. It was a hilarious exchange, particularly when one of the ladies called Jerry “Tom” then the wedding was off. Then Jerry picked a flower for her, so we figured he was trying to rekindle the romance. After he gave her the bouquet he commented that it was poison. We were laughing all the way!
Visited Monday, June 24, and Tuesday, June 25, 2013; reviewed September 22, 2013. See this review on Trip Advisor.
As part of a multi-day bus tour through Ireland, Lynn and I spent two nights in Killarney and made several short excursions into Killarney National Park, both as part of the group as well as on our own. Our modes of transportation to the park were as varied as the sights in the park since we walked in, rode the bus and for our introduction to the park we arrived via horse drawn cart.
Our first exposure to Killarney National Park was on the day we arrived in the area. We were coming from Cork and had spent the morning at Blarney Castle (another great place to visit). As the weather was gorgeous with warm temperatures and mostly sunny skies, our bus guide made arrangements for us to take the horse drawn jaunting car ride from Killarney to Muckross house in the park. Sure enough, when we got to the center of town, there were five horse-drawn carts waiting for us.
Lynn and I got lucky in that we got to ride shotgun, sitting in the front on the bench with the driver with six of the ladies from our bus riding in the back of the cart. Jerry was our driver and Tom was our horsepower (Tom and Jerry, get it?). Jerry’s shtick was that he is looking for a wife and was hitting on the ladies. It was a hilarious exchange, particularly when one of the ladies called Jerry “Tom” then the wedding was off. Then Jerry picked a flower for her, so we figured he was trying to rekindle the romance. After he gave her the bouquet he commented that it was poison. We were laughing all the way!
I reckon it was about a 4 mile ride from Killarney to Muckross House. The jaunting car was a nice change of pace for getting around. The route was scenic but the skies were getting more overcast so there were no great photos of the lake. The drive in was only about 30 minutes, including a couple short stops for photos, so we still had almost a half-hour before our tour of the house which gave us some time to look around the grounds and garden. We used the time to walk around the flower gardens then down to the lake shore. This looks to be a pretty popular place as there were several folks out playing, picnicking and just enjoying the nice day on the open lawn area between the house and the lake.
At 3:30 we gathered for our scheduled tour of Muckross House which took about an hour. Fascinating history and an overall interesting tour. The young lady who guided us through the house was friendly, helpful and very knowledgeable. After the tour we had a little more time to look around the lovely grounds, and then loaded back on the bus for the short ride to town. As we drove through the park we did glimpse a herd of Red Deer grazing in a field adjacent to the road.
At 3:30 we gathered for our scheduled tour of Muckross House which took about an hour. Fascinating history and an overall interesting tour. The young lady who guided us through the house was friendly, helpful and very knowledgeable. After the tour we had a little more time to look around the lovely grounds, and then loaded back on the bus for the short ride to town. As we drove through the park we did glimpse a herd of Red Deer grazing in a field adjacent to the road.
My next visit to the park was the following morning. I was up early and had some time before breakfast so I took advantage of the fact that our lodging (Killarney Oaks Hotel) was located just outside the park and right across the road from the all-purpose trail into the park (the same trail that the jaunting carts took yesterday). So I took a morning walk into the park, retracing our route from yesterday, then taking a couple side trails on the return trip. I took the main path as far as the abbey ruins, made a quick detour to the park entrance looking to see if the Red Deer were visible across the road, and then worked my way back along the trails along the lakeshore. A few joggers were also on the trail, but overall it was pretty quite. Not a lot of wildlife, just a few fidgeting birds.
Most of the rest of this day was devoted to a driving tour around the Ring of Kerry (another highly recommended activity) and the last part of the tour was through the park. Our last stop for the trip was at Ladies View which overlooks the lakes of Killarney National Park. |
After dinner, Lynn suggested another walk into the National Park. We visited in late June, so there was still plenty of daylight left. We left about 7:00 and just enjoyed the nice evening as we ambled through the park. We walked to the Muckross House then on down to the lake and along the nature trail. The nature trail runs right along the edge of the lake and is more wooded than the main trails. We had it all to ourselves. Again not much in the way of wildlife. The main trail was not crowded but we did see several folks out biking or pushing strollers or walking their dogs and there were a lot of cattle grazing in the fields along the trail. On the return trip, there was one little dog barking at the calves who decided it would be good “stampede.” The cows trotted over to make sure everything was in order and to round up the little hamburgers.
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So we just had a few quick visits to the park, and I know there is much more to see. We enjoyed these brief interludes and will certainly plan more time at Killarney National Park on our next trip to Ireland.
Kylemore Abbey and Victorian Walled Garden: Lovely Gardens and some interesting history.
Visited Thursday, June 27, 2013; reviewed September 10, 2013. See this review on Trip Advisor.
We visited Kylemore Abbey as part of our bus tour through Ireland. This was a stop on the drive from Galway to Bundoran. The Abbey is out toward the coast, so we were in for an interesting cruise. We drove westerly along Killary Harbor then along the north shore of Kylemore Lough and finally across the bridge traversing Pollacappul Lough. That is where we got our first glimpse of the castle turned abbey at Kylemore. There was a little chop on the lake, so I was wondering if we would get the beautiful view of the ornate building reflected in the water.
Visited Thursday, June 27, 2013; reviewed September 10, 2013. See this review on Trip Advisor.
We visited Kylemore Abbey as part of our bus tour through Ireland. This was a stop on the drive from Galway to Bundoran. The Abbey is out toward the coast, so we were in for an interesting cruise. We drove westerly along Killary Harbor then along the north shore of Kylemore Lough and finally across the bridge traversing Pollacappul Lough. That is where we got our first glimpse of the castle turned abbey at Kylemore. There was a little chop on the lake, so I was wondering if we would get the beautiful view of the ornate building reflected in the water.
We arrived just before noon and our guide stated that we had two-and-a-half hours to tour the buildings and the gardens plus grab some lunch. There were dining options at the visitor center in the entrance area as well as a tea room up at the gardens. So lots to see and do while we were here. As for the reflection shot, no worries, as that was the first view that we got when walking from the parking lot to the visitor center and entrance to the grounds. I can see why the castle was built here as it is simply a lovely setting.
We opted to start with the gardens so we went directly to the shuttle stop and made the short drive up the hill. The Victorian Walled Garden was beautiful and immaculately maintained. The restoration work had certainly paid off. We walked around the entire periphery of the garden. The garden is situated in a sort of bowl, with a creek running through it. The effect is such that there is higher ground on either end to provide nice vistas over the entire garden as well as interesting views from the middle looking back up the hill. There was an enormous variety of flowers and plants in the garden which made for some great photos. I guess we went clockwise around the garden (we turned left upon entering the garden) so one of our last stops was the keepers house and the glass houses. We decided to walk back to the Abbey, but first grabbed a bite to eat at the tea room adjacent to the garden. Timing is everything, as we arrived when there was no line, but by the time we got our food and got a table, there was a herd of folks looking to get lunch. We split a ham Panini and a piece of cheesecake, both of which were very good. Lynn had tea and commented that the Irish know how to make a good cup of tea as the water is very hot, which I guess is a key ingredient. |
The walk about to the Abbey was uneventful. We took the longer route along the Woodland Walks trail. The trail went along a couple of pastures, were there were some cattle grazing and drinking from the creek, then looped back to the main trail along which the shuttle runs. The Woodland Walks is mostly along a dirt road, so it is probably the maintenance access for the facilities around the garden. While it was a nice walk, it was not particularly pretty, just a stroll through the woods.
As we still had plenty of time, we figured we would walk the paved trail down to the Gothic Church at least, then visit the abbey on the return trip. We ended up going on down to the mausoleum. Along the paved walkway we found several signs identifying the local wildlife. I took pictures of these signs and they proved to be very helpful in figuring out the birds that we had seen throughout the trip. The walk along the lakes and past the buildings is quite lovely. Even though there were a fair number of visitors along the trail, it was still a peaceful walk. The day was still overcast and somewhat dark, which also made the mood of the visit somewhat quiet and subdued, but that seemed appropriate for this destination.
As we walked through the grounds we read the placards and the information on our map. We learned that the Castle was built by Mitchell and Margaret Henry over the period of 1867 to 1871. It seems that the Henry’s visited Connemara while on their honeymoon and were enchanted by the area and so decided that they should have a residence here. We also learned that Margaret died in 1874 during a trip to Egypt. The Henry’s final resting place is in the mausoleum on the grounds of the estate.
Kylemore is home to a community of nuns of the Benedictine Order who came here in 1920 after their abbey in Ypres, Belgium was destroyed in World War I. Settling at Kylemore, the Benedictine Community opened a world renowned boarding school for girls and began restoring the Abbey, Gothic Church and Victorian Walled Garden to their former glory. The school operated from 1923 but was closed in 2010 as it was no longer cost effective.
As we still had plenty of time, we figured we would walk the paved trail down to the Gothic Church at least, then visit the abbey on the return trip. We ended up going on down to the mausoleum. Along the paved walkway we found several signs identifying the local wildlife. I took pictures of these signs and they proved to be very helpful in figuring out the birds that we had seen throughout the trip. The walk along the lakes and past the buildings is quite lovely. Even though there were a fair number of visitors along the trail, it was still a peaceful walk. The day was still overcast and somewhat dark, which also made the mood of the visit somewhat quiet and subdued, but that seemed appropriate for this destination.
As we walked through the grounds we read the placards and the information on our map. We learned that the Castle was built by Mitchell and Margaret Henry over the period of 1867 to 1871. It seems that the Henry’s visited Connemara while on their honeymoon and were enchanted by the area and so decided that they should have a residence here. We also learned that Margaret died in 1874 during a trip to Egypt. The Henry’s final resting place is in the mausoleum on the grounds of the estate.
Kylemore is home to a community of nuns of the Benedictine Order who came here in 1920 after their abbey in Ypres, Belgium was destroyed in World War I. Settling at Kylemore, the Benedictine Community opened a world renowned boarding school for girls and began restoring the Abbey, Gothic Church and Victorian Walled Garden to their former glory. The school operated from 1923 but was closed in 2010 as it was no longer cost effective.
So we started retracing our steps once we reached the mausoleum. On the return walk we stopped in at the Gothic Church which had a beautiful interior. Of particular interest were the columns made of various types and colors of marble. The church was built by Mitchell Henry in memory of his wife. We also stopped briefly at the small graveyard in front of the church were the nuns are buried. Our guide had mentioned that the nuns were long lived and sure enough the headstones that we read all indicated ages from the late 80s to well into the 90s. I guess that says something about living a simple life.
Back at the Abbey, we made a quick spin through the rooms that were open to the public. I reckon there were half a dozen rooms on the ground floor that we walked through. I noted the word “PAX” in the entry of the Abbey. Turns out that “PAX” is the motto of the Order of St. Benedict and it means “peace.” After our walk through the Abbey we headed for the exit, but we still had time to check out the shops at the visitor center. Along the way I got a few more refection shots of the Abbey and also some boats moored on the lake shore. |
We had a very nice walk through the grounds and the Abbey. Our time spent at Kylemore was not rushed and the 2-and-a-half hours provided just enough time to see just about everything. Overall it was a very enjoyable visit.
National Museum of Ireland – Archeology:
A great variety of exhibits that provide outstanding insight in to the history of Ireland
Visited Saturday, June 22, 2013; reviewed July 13, 2013. See this review on Trip Advisor.
Lynn and I visited the archeology exhibits of the National Museum of Ireland following a bus tour of the city. The bus tour ended at Trinity College and the tour guide had given us a few ideas of how to spend our afternoon, one of which was to visit the museum to see the “bog bodies” which sounded very interesting to two science nerds.
The museum is only a short walk away from Trinity College so we were there in just a few minutes. It is a very nice facility and houses a wide variety of exhibits and artifacts on both Ireland and around the world.
The entry to the museum is through a rotunda fashioned building which houses the gift shop (of course!). Admission to the museum is free, so that’s a bonus. We just took our time and ambled about the place. The first floor exhibits focus more on Ireland and as such are the more interesting.
The first exhibit we really spent time reviewing dealt with a book that was found in the bog, the Faddan More Psalter. It is an early medieval Christian psalter or text of the book of Psalms, discovered in a peat bog in July 2006, in Fadden More in north County Tipperary. The book was seen by a sharp-eyed construction worker as he was digging in the bog with a backhoe! The manuscript was probably written in about 800 AD. Study of the book indicates a tie between the Irish Celtic Christian Church and Egyptian Coptic Church at the time due to the papyrus found inside the cover.
The adjacent gallery highlighted metal work in Ireland during the medieval times. There were several beautiful examples of metal working artistry: chalices, bells, religious symbols. The featured artifact was the Cross of Cong which was made in 1123 to encase a fragment of the True Cross that was brought to Ireland and displayed in different places around the country. The cross got its name because it was kept in the Augustinian Friary at Cong, county Mayo, for centuries.
We next worked our way over the bog bodies exhibit. It was gruesome, but fascinating. I don’t know why, but I just did not feel right taking any photos of the bog bodies….not that the remains were that photogenic in the first place. The bodies were from the Iron Age, dating from between 400 BC and 200 BC. Their stories were interesting, if not a little disturbing. There were three bodies on display, as I recall, each of which seemed to meet its demise in some sort of treacherous fashion, although the current thinking is that these could have been human sacrifices tied to the crowning of a new king. None of the bodies were complete, particularly the one missing its head. But what was still remaining was preserved in great detail. The bodies provide today’s archeologists great insight into Irelands distance past.
The big central hallway displayed many artifacts from Ireland’s history and provided additional glimpses into her past. Upstairs were exhibits from around the world, focusing on ancient Egypt, ancient Cypress and Roman culture. But there were still ties to Ireland with a look at the time of the Vikings in Ireland. All-in-all, a grand variety of collections and exhibits.
We opted to grab a snack at the museum café. We split a slice of quiche which was just OK, but the éclair that we shared was very good. I guess we spent about an hour and a half at the museum, including our short lunch break. While we did not read every placard in every display, we did spend enough time to thoroughly enjoy each exhibit, particularly those on the main level dealing with history in Ireland.
A great variety of exhibits that provide outstanding insight in to the history of Ireland
Visited Saturday, June 22, 2013; reviewed July 13, 2013. See this review on Trip Advisor.
Lynn and I visited the archeology exhibits of the National Museum of Ireland following a bus tour of the city. The bus tour ended at Trinity College and the tour guide had given us a few ideas of how to spend our afternoon, one of which was to visit the museum to see the “bog bodies” which sounded very interesting to two science nerds.
The museum is only a short walk away from Trinity College so we were there in just a few minutes. It is a very nice facility and houses a wide variety of exhibits and artifacts on both Ireland and around the world.
The entry to the museum is through a rotunda fashioned building which houses the gift shop (of course!). Admission to the museum is free, so that’s a bonus. We just took our time and ambled about the place. The first floor exhibits focus more on Ireland and as such are the more interesting.
The first exhibit we really spent time reviewing dealt with a book that was found in the bog, the Faddan More Psalter. It is an early medieval Christian psalter or text of the book of Psalms, discovered in a peat bog in July 2006, in Fadden More in north County Tipperary. The book was seen by a sharp-eyed construction worker as he was digging in the bog with a backhoe! The manuscript was probably written in about 800 AD. Study of the book indicates a tie between the Irish Celtic Christian Church and Egyptian Coptic Church at the time due to the papyrus found inside the cover.
The adjacent gallery highlighted metal work in Ireland during the medieval times. There were several beautiful examples of metal working artistry: chalices, bells, religious symbols. The featured artifact was the Cross of Cong which was made in 1123 to encase a fragment of the True Cross that was brought to Ireland and displayed in different places around the country. The cross got its name because it was kept in the Augustinian Friary at Cong, county Mayo, for centuries.
We next worked our way over the bog bodies exhibit. It was gruesome, but fascinating. I don’t know why, but I just did not feel right taking any photos of the bog bodies….not that the remains were that photogenic in the first place. The bodies were from the Iron Age, dating from between 400 BC and 200 BC. Their stories were interesting, if not a little disturbing. There were three bodies on display, as I recall, each of which seemed to meet its demise in some sort of treacherous fashion, although the current thinking is that these could have been human sacrifices tied to the crowning of a new king. None of the bodies were complete, particularly the one missing its head. But what was still remaining was preserved in great detail. The bodies provide today’s archeologists great insight into Irelands distance past.
The big central hallway displayed many artifacts from Ireland’s history and provided additional glimpses into her past. Upstairs were exhibits from around the world, focusing on ancient Egypt, ancient Cypress and Roman culture. But there were still ties to Ireland with a look at the time of the Vikings in Ireland. All-in-all, a grand variety of collections and exhibits.
We opted to grab a snack at the museum café. We split a slice of quiche which was just OK, but the éclair that we shared was very good. I guess we spent about an hour and a half at the museum, including our short lunch break. While we did not read every placard in every display, we did spend enough time to thoroughly enjoy each exhibit, particularly those on the main level dealing with history in Ireland.
Ring of Kerry: One of the best scenic drives anywhere!
Visited Tuesday, June 25, 2013; reviewed September 2, 2013. See this review on Trip Advisor.
As part of our bus tour around the Emerald Isle, we had a full day tour of the Ring of Kerry. Our tour began and ended in Killarney. This was one of the most highly anticipated days of the trip for me. Pierce, our tour guide and driver, explained that the tour buses are requested to drive the loop in a counter-clockwise direction. He was working the timing so that we would be at the end of the line of buses and therefore have the drive more or less to ourselves. He was also taking the weather into account, figuring that better weather would arrive later in the day, since it was very overcast the morning of our tour. Sure enough, the skies cleared as the day went along and we ended up with blue skies, light winds and warmer temperatures; just more good planning on his part. Lynn and I were on the right-hand side of the bus, which was the side with the better views, so we were lucky with the seating this day.
Looking at a map, the road loops around the Iveragh Peninsula and Killarney as a sort of the entry/exit point. Along the loop is a grand variety of things to see and do (the drawback to the bus tour is there was not a lot of doing, but the seeing was outstanding). The loop that we took was about 110 miles and covered some amazing country and interesting culture and history. This was a day for photo stops as we made several all along the route, plus I got a few drive-by photos from the bus. Some of the highlights, of which there were many, are listed here:
Visited Tuesday, June 25, 2013; reviewed September 2, 2013. See this review on Trip Advisor.
As part of our bus tour around the Emerald Isle, we had a full day tour of the Ring of Kerry. Our tour began and ended in Killarney. This was one of the most highly anticipated days of the trip for me. Pierce, our tour guide and driver, explained that the tour buses are requested to drive the loop in a counter-clockwise direction. He was working the timing so that we would be at the end of the line of buses and therefore have the drive more or less to ourselves. He was also taking the weather into account, figuring that better weather would arrive later in the day, since it was very overcast the morning of our tour. Sure enough, the skies cleared as the day went along and we ended up with blue skies, light winds and warmer temperatures; just more good planning on his part. Lynn and I were on the right-hand side of the bus, which was the side with the better views, so we were lucky with the seating this day.
Looking at a map, the road loops around the Iveragh Peninsula and Killarney as a sort of the entry/exit point. Along the loop is a grand variety of things to see and do (the drawback to the bus tour is there was not a lot of doing, but the seeing was outstanding). The loop that we took was about 110 miles and covered some amazing country and interesting culture and history. This was a day for photo stops as we made several all along the route, plus I got a few drive-by photos from the bus. Some of the highlights, of which there were many, are listed here:
- The first stop that we made was in Killorglin to see the statue of King Puck. Now, King Puck is not an Irish clan leader; nope, King Puck is a goat and he is the hero of the area. In fact there is a fair in his honor each August. There are several legends as to the origin of the celebration. Perhaps it is tied to pagan times when the goat was seen as a symbol of fertility. Pierce also relayed the story of the time when the English Ironside Leader Oliver Cromwell was marauding through Ireland. As his troops were pillaging the area around Killorgin, they spooked a herd of goats that ran back to the town. The ruckus caused by the stampeded goats alerted the villagers who were able to escape before the soldier arrived.
- Still grey skies when Pierce stopped for a closer look at a peat bog. We took us out into the bog for a look around and he gave us a little lecture on the harvesting and use of the peat. At this stop as well as other times along the tour, Pierce gave us some interesting tidbits about the use of peat as a fuel. First of all, peat is considered a fossil fuel and is the first step in the geological formation of other fossil fuels such as coal. Pierce said that if you take peat and squeeze it really hard, you’ll get coal and if you continue to squeeze, you’ll eventually get diamonds…looks good on paper.
- He also discussed the use of renewable energy in the European Union, and how Ireland is supposed to be at 14% of its energy consumption coming from renewable resources by 2014. Well, they’re not quite there, so the Irish officials argued that peat is a renewable resource, and the EU bought it. Forget the fact that the regrowth rate for peat is about 1 mm per year.
- The drive along the north coast of the Iveragh Peninsula provided several photo ops at vista points, as marked on the map. The first of these was just after the bog lecture stop where we had a nice view of a bend in the River Caragh and the surrounding farms and fields of green. There were also some locals selling, well, miscellaneous junk and a boy with a donkey posing for photos. Pierce told us a tale about the old man who used to by the river and was basically a panhandler, but he amassed a fortune over the years, although you would have never guessed from his house and appearance. When the old man died, he left the fortune to his only daughter, who had been estranged from the man for years. She donated her inheritance to a charity for the homeless.
- We stopped at the Thatched Rook for lunch at about 1:30. Good food and a stout; I like vacation meals! Pierce recommended the pie, apple or rhubarb. I tried the apple; good call!
- The theme of statues continued even out here on the somewhat remote area. Shortly after lunch as we were coming into Caherciveen, we saw the Skellig Monks, which commemorates the monks who, in the year 588AD, set up a monastery and hermitage on Skellig Mhicheál, a rocky island 12 miles off the coast. Further around the coast in Waterville is a statue of Charlie Chaplin as the Little Tramp. Seems that Chaplin vacationed in Waterville in the early 1970s.
- There was beautiful scenery all along the route but my favorites were along the rocky cliffs along southeast coast of the peninsula. The weather was ideal to get the best of these vista points. The colors were simply vibrant. The rocky shores and green rolling hills flowed right into the blue water of the North Atlantic. These were the kinds of views I hoped to see on this drive.
- Our next stop on the little road trip was the little town of Sneem, primarily for a rest break. Sneem is a pretty little town with the colorful buildings set along the river. We walked about a bit as it was nice to get the legs stretched a bit.
- From Sneem, I think we diverted from the Ring of Kerry road and rather took the Killarney Road sort of cross country. I reckon Peirce took this route as it was a bit shorter and it was getting late in the day and we still had a stop to make. No matter as it was still a pretty drive and the countryside was enchanting.
- Our last stop for the strip was at Ladies View which overlooks the lakes of Killarney National Park. This viewpoint, along with the road from Muckross House to access the view, were built by Henry Arthur Herbert as part of the Queen Victoria visit debacle. He also built the church just past the view point for the Queen’s visit. No wonder the poor guy went bankrupt. But the view was very nice, although the skies were starting to darken a bit.
Rock of Cashel: A rainy day at the Rock but still a very nice tour.
Visited Sunday, June 23, 2013; reviewed September 21, 2013. See this review on Trip Advisor.
Lynn and I visited the Rock of Cashel as part of a bus tour around Ireland. Cashel was a stop on the drive from Dublin to Cork. We arrived at the Rock of Cashel on schedule at 11:30. Pierce parked the bus as close as he could to the entrance; it was a short but uphill walk to the entrance. This was the first of many packed visits during the trip as we were to tour the ruins then head into town to find some lunch and be back to the bus for a 2:15 departure; a lot to do in a little less than three hours. Again, busy, busy, busy! While we were unloading, he sorted our admission and alerted our guide. It was an overcast and blustery day. OK, let’s be real, the wind during the tour was brutal! But our guide, an older gentleman who had a lot of knowledge of the old church, did a wonderful job of finding the quiet corners out of the wind so that we at least had a chance of hearing what he was saying. It was also a good thing that we donned our rain slickers as we exited the bus, as we did have a shower to two pass by and there was no roof on the old church!
Here’s some of the history of the Rock of Cashel that we got from our tour guide:
The tour sort of ended at the College of St. Patrick. I reckon the guided tour was about 45-munites in duration. Our guide escorted most of the group out through the museum, but my wife and I headed back out to the grounds to get some more photos of the ruins and the countryside. We caught a bit of a break with the weather as it seemed to be clearing, and we got a few interesting shots of the ruins and cemetery markers with at least some blue sky in the background. Overall we were at the Rock of Cashel for a little over an hour, which seemed like ample time.
After touring the ruins, we walked down to the village in search of lunch. Unfortunately for us, it starting pouring, so we really did not get to enjoy the town of Cashel. It looks like a nice little village with several interesting shops and pubs, but our timing was poor as it was Sunday so many were not open when we visited. Oh well, something for our next trip.
I enjoyed our time at the Rock of Cashel. It is fascinating to think of the history that those old walls have seen. Shoot it is amazing that those old walls are still standing! The old ruins, the cemetery and the surrounding countryside make for some lovely photo opportunities, even with the grey overcast that we had during our visit. I highly recommend a visit to the Rock of Cashel.
Visited Sunday, June 23, 2013; reviewed September 21, 2013. See this review on Trip Advisor.
Lynn and I visited the Rock of Cashel as part of a bus tour around Ireland. Cashel was a stop on the drive from Dublin to Cork. We arrived at the Rock of Cashel on schedule at 11:30. Pierce parked the bus as close as he could to the entrance; it was a short but uphill walk to the entrance. This was the first of many packed visits during the trip as we were to tour the ruins then head into town to find some lunch and be back to the bus for a 2:15 departure; a lot to do in a little less than three hours. Again, busy, busy, busy! While we were unloading, he sorted our admission and alerted our guide. It was an overcast and blustery day. OK, let’s be real, the wind during the tour was brutal! But our guide, an older gentleman who had a lot of knowledge of the old church, did a wonderful job of finding the quiet corners out of the wind so that we at least had a chance of hearing what he was saying. It was also a good thing that we donned our rain slickers as we exited the bus, as we did have a shower to two pass by and there was no roof on the old church!
Here’s some of the history of the Rock of Cashel that we got from our tour guide:
- Local mythology that says the Rock of Cashel originated in the Devil's Bit, a mountain 20 miles north of Cashel when St. Patrick banished Satan from a cave, resulting in the Rock's landing in Cashel. Cashel is supposed to be the site of the conversion of the King of Munster by St. Patrick in the 5th century.
- The Rock of Cashel was the traditional seat of the kings of Munster for several hundred years prior to the Norman invasion. In 1101, the King of Munster, Muirchertach Ua Briain, donated his fortress on the Rock to the Church. The picturesque complex has a character of its own and is one of the most remarkable collections of Celtic art and medieval architecture to be found anywhere in Europe. Few remnants of the early structures survive; the majority of buildings on the current site date from the 12th and 13th centuries.
- The oldest and tallest of the buildings is the well preserved round tower (90 feet tall), dating from c.1100. Its entrance is 12 feet from the ground, necessitated by a shallow foundation (about 3 feet) typical of round towers.
- The Cathedral, built between 1235 and 1270, is an aisleless building of cruciform plan, having a central tower and terminating westwards in a massive residential castle.
- The cemetery on the grounds is still active, but is only available for those who can provide historical ties to Cashel (I believe this has something to do with having the family lineage listed in the archives somehow, but I forget the details). Anyway, there are only three or four people who can be buried in the cemetery, and all are women and all around 90.
- Scully's Cross, one of the largest and most famous high crosses in the cemetery, originally constructed in 1867 to commemorate the Scully family, was destroyed in 1976 when lightning struck a metal rod that ran the length of the cross. The remains of the top of the cross now lie at the base of the cross adjacent to the rock wall.
- We also saw a recently discovered section of artwork, a mural that had been covered up by plaster for 100s of years. The scene depicts the Crucifixion.
- Cashel means “castle” or “Fortress”
The tour sort of ended at the College of St. Patrick. I reckon the guided tour was about 45-munites in duration. Our guide escorted most of the group out through the museum, but my wife and I headed back out to the grounds to get some more photos of the ruins and the countryside. We caught a bit of a break with the weather as it seemed to be clearing, and we got a few interesting shots of the ruins and cemetery markers with at least some blue sky in the background. Overall we were at the Rock of Cashel for a little over an hour, which seemed like ample time.
After touring the ruins, we walked down to the village in search of lunch. Unfortunately for us, it starting pouring, so we really did not get to enjoy the town of Cashel. It looks like a nice little village with several interesting shops and pubs, but our timing was poor as it was Sunday so many were not open when we visited. Oh well, something for our next trip.
I enjoyed our time at the Rock of Cashel. It is fascinating to think of the history that those old walls have seen. Shoot it is amazing that those old walls are still standing! The old ruins, the cemetery and the surrounding countryside make for some lovely photo opportunities, even with the grey overcast that we had during our visit. I highly recommend a visit to the Rock of Cashel.
Titanic Belfast: An outstanding set of exhibits which really bring the Titanic back to life.
Visited Sunday, June 30, 2013; reviewed September 14, 2013. See this review on Trip Advisor.
We arrived at the Titanic Belfast at 10:00. The Titanic Experience is a very striking building; to me it had elements of a ship and an iceberg…probably the effect the architect was going for. The building is covered with 3,000 anodized aluminum plates, the vast majority of which are unique in shape. The 126-foot high building is the same height as the RMS Titanic as it sat in its slip at the end of construction (not including the ship’s funnels). The museum is the center of an overall complex that includes the SS Nomadic, the Harland and Wolff Drawing Offices where the Titanic was designed and the slipways where the Titanic and Olympic were built. Our group was greeted by a young lady from the Titanic Experience who gave us a quick overview of the museum, got us setup with tickets and then turned us loose in the museum. We had a little less than 3 hours to tour the museum and any of the surrounding areas plus get some lunch before we had to be back on the bus.
Visited Sunday, June 30, 2013; reviewed September 14, 2013. See this review on Trip Advisor.
We arrived at the Titanic Belfast at 10:00. The Titanic Experience is a very striking building; to me it had elements of a ship and an iceberg…probably the effect the architect was going for. The building is covered with 3,000 anodized aluminum plates, the vast majority of which are unique in shape. The 126-foot high building is the same height as the RMS Titanic as it sat in its slip at the end of construction (not including the ship’s funnels). The museum is the center of an overall complex that includes the SS Nomadic, the Harland and Wolff Drawing Offices where the Titanic was designed and the slipways where the Titanic and Olympic were built. Our group was greeted by a young lady from the Titanic Experience who gave us a quick overview of the museum, got us setup with tickets and then turned us loose in the museum. We had a little less than 3 hours to tour the museum and any of the surrounding areas plus get some lunch before we had to be back on the bus.
This was one of the best museums that I have ever visited. Granted it is brand new, opening in March 2012, but the exhibits, the architecture, and the location just immerses you into the life of the great ships and the lives of all those associated with her. The museum covers much more than just the tragic end of Titanic’s short career. While the Titanic is the focal point, the exhibits tell stories of the ship building culture of Belfast, the men who lived and died bringing these great ships to life, and of those folks of all walks of life who sailed on the Titanic and Olympic.
The exhibits drew you into the life of the ships and the men and women affiliated with them. You got sort of a feel for what it was like during the construction. One of the best exhibits was an animated display that carried you vertically through the Titanic, starting in the engine room and moving up through the various decks. |
We took about two hours to tour through the museum, although I did not read every word of every display. One of the exhibits was closed during our visit, but we still got to see and do a lot. We also spent a little time outside, but did not have time to venture too far. I viewed the slips; the posts mark the outline of where the great ships sat during construction.
We grabbed a quick lunch in the coffee house. The sandwich we split was a little dry but OK, however the red velvet cupcake was outstanding! I had a Titanic Quarter Ireland Pale Ale which was pretty darn good.
I absolutely recommend a visit to the Titanic Experience to anyone who has an interest in the Titanic or the history of Belfast.
We grabbed a quick lunch in the coffee house. The sandwich we split was a little dry but OK, however the red velvet cupcake was outstanding! I had a Titanic Quarter Ireland Pale Ale which was pretty darn good.
I absolutely recommend a visit to the Titanic Experience to anyone who has an interest in the Titanic or the history of Belfast.
Ulster American Folk Park: An unexpected gem found during our tour of Ireland
Visited Friday, June 28, 2013; reviewed September 15, 2013. See this review on Trip Advisor.
During our 12-day trip to Ireland and bus tour around the island, the Ulster American Folk Park was one of the main events. We arrived at the park right about noon. Our guide went over the plan for the afternoon and then got our tickets and maps in order. This was going to be another jam-packed afternoon! We had until 3:00 PM to grab some lunch, tour the park, look through the indoor exhibits and possibly visit the Center for Migration Studies. Our guide had given us an overview of the park, so I had a better understanding of what we were going to see; it was actually just enough of an explanation of what to expect that I got a lot more out of the visit. The short story is that this is a living history museum about the Irish emigration to the United States and more specifically the emigration of the Ulster Scots from Ireland to the US.
Visited Friday, June 28, 2013; reviewed September 15, 2013. See this review on Trip Advisor.
During our 12-day trip to Ireland and bus tour around the island, the Ulster American Folk Park was one of the main events. We arrived at the park right about noon. Our guide went over the plan for the afternoon and then got our tickets and maps in order. This was going to be another jam-packed afternoon! We had until 3:00 PM to grab some lunch, tour the park, look through the indoor exhibits and possibly visit the Center for Migration Studies. Our guide had given us an overview of the park, so I had a better understanding of what we were going to see; it was actually just enough of an explanation of what to expect that I got a lot more out of the visit. The short story is that this is a living history museum about the Irish emigration to the United States and more specifically the emigration of the Ulster Scots from Ireland to the US.
Our guide suggested that the entire group NOT all head to lunch at the same time as there was only a small café available. But my wife and I got lucky and were near the head of the line, so we were able get into the cafeteria with just a short wait. I think I had a bowl of chili and she had a loaded baked potato…it was not a memorable meal. But we were now fed and ready to explore the park.
After lunch we headed outside for a walk through the grounds. When we got to the start of the trail we again started by heading to the left. Turning left was our usually procedure. We picked this up prior to our first trip to Disney World; a friend suggested turning left when entering any of the parks and touring in a clockwise direction as that is usually less crowded, as the vast majority of visitors will go straight ahead or turn to the right. So we turned to the left. Going to the left took us to the United States part of the tour, so we went through the timeline in reverse order, not that really made that much difference. The way the park is laid out you ideally start in the Irish village buildings, then to the port where the immigrants left for the New World and finally the buildings that represent the frontier in the US where many of the Irish settled. Note that the frontier at this point in time was the Appalachian Mountains so western Pennsylvania, western Virginia what is now West Virginia) and eastern Kentucky and eastern Tennessee. We had great weather for the walk through the park, other than one brief shower as we were walking around the Pennsylvania log cabin. But since all the buildings in the park are open there never seemed to be a long stretch between shelters if we had needed it. The park was very interesting and ties the whole Irish migration theme together very nicely. The flow of the park from the Irish countryside to the port town, the ship, the US town and finally the US frontier (or in reverse order for my wife and I) provides some idea of the path the immigrants took on their journeys. Many of the structures were moved to the park from their original locations in Ireland and the US; the newest structure in the park was a log house built in 1827 in Cabell County, West Virginia! How cool is that! While the buildings tell part of the story, the living history that is presented throughout the park really made the visit special. The folks we talked to really knew the history of the era. In addition to the learning opportunity, the park is also very scenic and provides some interesting photo opportunities. It was also a good place to spot birds. I got a nice shot of a Chaffinch on the springhouse in the Pennsylvania farm grounds. There are also some very nice views of the forty shades of green from the high ground vantage points above the Mellon homestead in the old Irish part of the park. Plenty of interesting smaller images as well; along the country lanes, in the city streets, chickens in the farmyard and the old rusty farm equipment. |
We spent the majority of our time in the outside part of the park, but we did make a quick cruise through the exhibits inside the museum. More history of the Ulster Scotts and the migration from Ireland to America. The most interesting parts to me were the contributions to United States history such as helping to settle the frontier to fighting in the Civil War…for both the north and the south.
Overall, this was a very nice living history park. It is well done and authentic. It was a busy time, but I think we covered the outdoor exhibits in pretty good detail. I learned a lot about the migration of the Ulster Scots from Ireland to America, a facet of history of which I knew very little. Wow, an educational vacation. The three hours that we had to spend at the Ulster American Folk Park allowed enough time to tour the grounds and the museum, but I think a little more time would have been nice; maybe just another hour would have done the trick.
Overall, this was a very nice living history park. It is well done and authentic. It was a busy time, but I think we covered the outdoor exhibits in pretty good detail. I learned a lot about the migration of the Ulster Scots from Ireland to America, a facet of history of which I knew very little. Wow, an educational vacation. The three hours that we had to spend at the Ulster American Folk Park allowed enough time to tour the grounds and the museum, but I think a little more time would have been nice; maybe just another hour would have done the trick.
Lodging
Hotel Belvedere: Great Location, but more than a little run down.
Stayed June 21, 22 and 30, 2013; reviewed September 2, 2013. See this review on Trip Advisor.
My wife and I stayed at the Belvedere for three nights during a tour around Ireland this summer. We spent two nights at the beginning of the trip plus the last night of the tour at the Belvedere. While the location was great for access to Dublin, the property itself was on the tired side.
The room we had for our first two nights had an odd furniture arrangement, 4 twin beds. Not much room for anything else. There were several less then desirable attributes to this room. First there was a dirty towel left in the bathroom (hanging in the shower). The pipes really sang each time the toilet was flushed (we heard this complaint from others in our tour group. The bedside lamp did not work and was not fixed even after it was reported. There was no air conditioning in the room, which was standard throughout Ireland so not a big deal in itself, but the room did cool down with just the window open; the bad news with this was there was a lot of noise from the bar directly below us. For our third night, the last night in Ireland, we had a different room which was nicer overall and certainly cleaner.
We had dinner one night in the hotel restaurant as well as breakfast all three mornings we were there. The food was fine and the service we better than average. The serving staff were all quire friendly. We also went to the hotel pub each night we stayed at the Belvedere. We tried dessert there on at least one occasion. The service was prompt and friendly, and the pub was is better shape than the rest of the property.
While we enjoyed our time in Dublin and the Belvedere made a convenient base, I think that if I would return (and I do want to) I would look at other lodging options. I would stay at the Belvedere again, but I’ll look at other options.
Stayed June 21, 22 and 30, 2013; reviewed September 2, 2013. See this review on Trip Advisor.
My wife and I stayed at the Belvedere for three nights during a tour around Ireland this summer. We spent two nights at the beginning of the trip plus the last night of the tour at the Belvedere. While the location was great for access to Dublin, the property itself was on the tired side.
The room we had for our first two nights had an odd furniture arrangement, 4 twin beds. Not much room for anything else. There were several less then desirable attributes to this room. First there was a dirty towel left in the bathroom (hanging in the shower). The pipes really sang each time the toilet was flushed (we heard this complaint from others in our tour group. The bedside lamp did not work and was not fixed even after it was reported. There was no air conditioning in the room, which was standard throughout Ireland so not a big deal in itself, but the room did cool down with just the window open; the bad news with this was there was a lot of noise from the bar directly below us. For our third night, the last night in Ireland, we had a different room which was nicer overall and certainly cleaner.
We had dinner one night in the hotel restaurant as well as breakfast all three mornings we were there. The food was fine and the service we better than average. The serving staff were all quire friendly. We also went to the hotel pub each night we stayed at the Belvedere. We tried dessert there on at least one occasion. The service was prompt and friendly, and the pub was is better shape than the rest of the property.
While we enjoyed our time in Dublin and the Belvedere made a convenient base, I think that if I would return (and I do want to) I would look at other lodging options. I would stay at the Belvedere again, but I’ll look at other options.
Killarney Oaks: Excellent access to Killarney National Park
Stayed June 24 and 25, 2013; reviewed September 5, 2013. See this review on Trip Advisor.
During our bus tour around Ireland, we stayed two nights at the Killarney Oaks. This is great location for access to the Killarney National Park and to town. There is a trail just across the road from the hotel that will take you to either; turn left for the park or right for town. We never made the walk to town, as my wife and I prefer parks, but I reckon it is less than 2 miles.
As for the hotel, I thought it was very nice overall. Perhaps a bit on the plain side, but clean and comfortable. The lobby is large and open, so an inviting place to sit and relax. The pub in the hotel (just off the lobby) is the nicest of the commons areas and seemed to be newly updated. Fast and friendly service. We had dinner in the pub one night (just sat at the bar); the food was better than average and there is a very good selection on the menu. I tried the fajitas (well, this is southwest Ireland after all) and that was a good dish. We ate in the hotel restaurant once for dinner and each morning for breakfast. Good food each time.
Our room had a good amount of space and was well appointed. Nothing special, but still all we needed for the time we were there. Wifi is free; just get a code from the front desk. I found the signal to be weak in our room but found a good connection in the lobby.
Overall we enjoyed the Killarney Oaks. It covered all the basic needs and provided a good base for exploring the area. Again we spent most of our free time walking in the National Park. If I am fortunate enough to get to return to Killarney I will certainly consider staying at the Killarney Oaks.
Stayed June 24 and 25, 2013; reviewed September 5, 2013. See this review on Trip Advisor.
During our bus tour around Ireland, we stayed two nights at the Killarney Oaks. This is great location for access to the Killarney National Park and to town. There is a trail just across the road from the hotel that will take you to either; turn left for the park or right for town. We never made the walk to town, as my wife and I prefer parks, but I reckon it is less than 2 miles.
As for the hotel, I thought it was very nice overall. Perhaps a bit on the plain side, but clean and comfortable. The lobby is large and open, so an inviting place to sit and relax. The pub in the hotel (just off the lobby) is the nicest of the commons areas and seemed to be newly updated. Fast and friendly service. We had dinner in the pub one night (just sat at the bar); the food was better than average and there is a very good selection on the menu. I tried the fajitas (well, this is southwest Ireland after all) and that was a good dish. We ate in the hotel restaurant once for dinner and each morning for breakfast. Good food each time.
Our room had a good amount of space and was well appointed. Nothing special, but still all we needed for the time we were there. Wifi is free; just get a code from the front desk. I found the signal to be weak in our room but found a good connection in the lobby.
Overall we enjoyed the Killarney Oaks. It covered all the basic needs and provided a good base for exploring the area. Again we spent most of our free time walking in the National Park. If I am fortunate enough to get to return to Killarney I will certainly consider staying at the Killarney Oaks.
Hotel Claregalway: A little noisy, but a very nice lodging option
Stayed June 26, 2013; reviewed September 6, 2013. See this review on Trip Advisor.
We stayed one night at the Hotel Claregalway during out bus tour around Ireland. The property is very nice and well appointed. Overall it has an open feel and a modern, upbeat vibe with the light tone wood and lots of windows. Everyone who we dealt with in the hotel, pub and restaurant were pleasant and helpful. The room that we had was one of the nicest that we stayed in during the trip. It had plenty of space as well as nice lighting from outside due to the ample windows. The only downside is that it sits right on a main road so there is a fair amount of traffic noise. That’s not in issue with the windows closed, but with no air conditioning the room was a bit warm, so we had to open the windows. The room cooled down nicely, but the noise also came in with the cool air. Still just a minor annoyance. We ate dinner and breakfast in the hotel restaurant. The food was very good and the service was great. The bar is also very nice with an inviting atmosphere. There is wifi available, but the signal in the room was a bit weak; much stronger in the lobby. Since we were only there one night we really did not have time to explore the area, but my wife and I did take a short stroll after dinner and saw the ruins just down across the river.
Stayed June 26, 2013; reviewed September 6, 2013. See this review on Trip Advisor.
We stayed one night at the Hotel Claregalway during out bus tour around Ireland. The property is very nice and well appointed. Overall it has an open feel and a modern, upbeat vibe with the light tone wood and lots of windows. Everyone who we dealt with in the hotel, pub and restaurant were pleasant and helpful. The room that we had was one of the nicest that we stayed in during the trip. It had plenty of space as well as nice lighting from outside due to the ample windows. The only downside is that it sits right on a main road so there is a fair amount of traffic noise. That’s not in issue with the windows closed, but with no air conditioning the room was a bit warm, so we had to open the windows. The room cooled down nicely, but the noise also came in with the cool air. Still just a minor annoyance. We ate dinner and breakfast in the hotel restaurant. The food was very good and the service was great. The bar is also very nice with an inviting atmosphere. There is wifi available, but the signal in the room was a bit weak; much stronger in the lobby. Since we were only there one night we really did not have time to explore the area, but my wife and I did take a short stroll after dinner and saw the ruins just down across the river.
Grand Central Hotel Bundoran: Great access to the beach, but the property needs some work
Stayed June 27, 2013; reviewed September 8, 2013. See this review on Trip Advisor.
My wife and I stayed one night in the Grand Central Hotel in Bundoran as part of a bus trip around Ireland. We stayed in six different locations during our 11-day tour, and I have to say that this was the bottom rung of the lodging ladder for our sample. While the lobby and common areas are nice and seem newly renovated, the room we had was a bit shabby and needed work. The location seemed to be in a rundown area of the small town and access to the beach via an alley way that was in disarray. It also took three tries to get into the room (key would not work). All that said, place was basically clean.
We had both dinner and breakfast at the hotel. The food was very good and the service was efficient. Nothing special, but still good. We also spent a little time in the hotel pub, which was probably the nicest part of the property. There was live music there in the evening which made for a nice end of the day (the night we stayed the weather was cool and raining, so it was good to have a something to do rather than just sitting in the rundown room).
Stayed June 27, 2013; reviewed September 8, 2013. See this review on Trip Advisor.
My wife and I stayed one night in the Grand Central Hotel in Bundoran as part of a bus trip around Ireland. We stayed in six different locations during our 11-day tour, and I have to say that this was the bottom rung of the lodging ladder for our sample. While the lobby and common areas are nice and seem newly renovated, the room we had was a bit shabby and needed work. The location seemed to be in a rundown area of the small town and access to the beach via an alley way that was in disarray. It also took three tries to get into the room (key would not work). All that said, place was basically clean.
We had both dinner and breakfast at the hotel. The food was very good and the service was efficient. Nothing special, but still good. We also spent a little time in the hotel pub, which was probably the nicest part of the property. There was live music there in the evening which made for a nice end of the day (the night we stayed the weather was cool and raining, so it was good to have a something to do rather than just sitting in the rundown room).
Holiday Inn Belfast: Right in the middle of the city.
Stayed June 28 and 29, 2013; reviewed September 8, 2013. See this review on Trip Advisor.
During our 12-day tour around Ireland, we had a two-night stay in Belfast at the Holiday Inn right in the city. This is a great location for urban exploration with plenty of things to see and do right within walking distance. Of the six hotels in which we stayed during the tour, I think that the Holiday Inn Belfast was the nicest facility overall.
We had a queen bed room on the fifth floor. The room had a lot of space and all the standard amenities, including a hair dryer which is important to my wife. There is plenty of light in the room due to the large windows, which also provided a nice view of the area.
The lobby is open and modern and has a large bar area. We took advantage of the bar both evenings to congregate with the other members of our tour group. We ended up eating in the hotel for breakfast and dinner both days, just for the convenience. The food and the service were both excellent. In fact we ate in the bar one night; the burger was great. The buffet breakfast was the best by far that we had at any of the hotels during the trip. Most places just had a selection of cereals, some fruit along with eggs and breakfast meat. The Holiday Inn had all of that and more; better selection of fruit and breads, pancakes and made to order omelets.
Location is exceptional. We were in walking distance to several restaurants and shopping areas. Overall, I thought the Holiday Inn was an outstanding property in a great location. I would certainly stay here in the future.
Stayed June 28 and 29, 2013; reviewed September 8, 2013. See this review on Trip Advisor.
During our 12-day tour around Ireland, we had a two-night stay in Belfast at the Holiday Inn right in the city. This is a great location for urban exploration with plenty of things to see and do right within walking distance. Of the six hotels in which we stayed during the tour, I think that the Holiday Inn Belfast was the nicest facility overall.
We had a queen bed room on the fifth floor. The room had a lot of space and all the standard amenities, including a hair dryer which is important to my wife. There is plenty of light in the room due to the large windows, which also provided a nice view of the area.
The lobby is open and modern and has a large bar area. We took advantage of the bar both evenings to congregate with the other members of our tour group. We ended up eating in the hotel for breakfast and dinner both days, just for the convenience. The food and the service were both excellent. In fact we ate in the bar one night; the burger was great. The buffet breakfast was the best by far that we had at any of the hotels during the trip. Most places just had a selection of cereals, some fruit along with eggs and breakfast meat. The Holiday Inn had all of that and more; better selection of fruit and breads, pancakes and made to order omelets.
Location is exceptional. We were in walking distance to several restaurants and shopping areas. Overall, I thought the Holiday Inn was an outstanding property in a great location. I would certainly stay here in the future.
Dining
Murray’s Pub: Good food, decent service, nice atmosphere…that works’ for me.
Visited Saturday, June 22, and Sunday, June 30, 2013; reviewed September 16, 2013. See this review on Trip Advisor.
During our stay in Dublin (3 nights of our 11-night trip), we ate at Murray’s twice. We first found Murray’s based on the recommendation of other members of our tour group. The location was very convenient to our lodging (The Belvedere) and the food was very good. My wife said that she has a new favorite with the grilled shrimp, even with beets in the mix (she hates beets). I had the fish and chips. I think this was the best presentation I’ve even seen for that dish. Did I mention that the “plates” were slabs of slate? So the slab of slate, a pool of a tartar sauce sort of dressing, and two very nice pieces of breaded cod with cherry tomato halves over the top. The presentation was very appetizing and more importantly it tasted great (not necessarily the best fish and chips I have had, but still very good). The service started out great but petered out as there were only two servers for the whole place, and the joint was packed. But they kept up pretty well, so it was not too big of a deal. We split the brownie for dessert. A definite return date is needed here!
Our second visit to Murray’s was on our last night of the trip, which was a Sunday, so some of the restaurants were closed and the others were packed due to the football game today. My wife wanted to return to Murray's anyway, so off we went. Even with the crowds, we only had to wait a minute or so for a table; we ended up at the same table from our visit earlier in the trip. My wife had the same shrimp dish as before, but she said it was not as good as the first time…seemed like it was missing something. I tried the beef and Guinness pie, Irish meat and taters. It was good, but a little on the bland side. Service was still good, particularly considering that the place was packed.
Visited Saturday, June 22, and Sunday, June 30, 2013; reviewed September 16, 2013. See this review on Trip Advisor.
During our stay in Dublin (3 nights of our 11-night trip), we ate at Murray’s twice. We first found Murray’s based on the recommendation of other members of our tour group. The location was very convenient to our lodging (The Belvedere) and the food was very good. My wife said that she has a new favorite with the grilled shrimp, even with beets in the mix (she hates beets). I had the fish and chips. I think this was the best presentation I’ve even seen for that dish. Did I mention that the “plates” were slabs of slate? So the slab of slate, a pool of a tartar sauce sort of dressing, and two very nice pieces of breaded cod with cherry tomato halves over the top. The presentation was very appetizing and more importantly it tasted great (not necessarily the best fish and chips I have had, but still very good). The service started out great but petered out as there were only two servers for the whole place, and the joint was packed. But they kept up pretty well, so it was not too big of a deal. We split the brownie for dessert. A definite return date is needed here!
Our second visit to Murray’s was on our last night of the trip, which was a Sunday, so some of the restaurants were closed and the others were packed due to the football game today. My wife wanted to return to Murray's anyway, so off we went. Even with the crowds, we only had to wait a minute or so for a table; we ended up at the same table from our visit earlier in the trip. My wife had the same shrimp dish as before, but she said it was not as good as the first time…seemed like it was missing something. I tried the beef and Guinness pie, Irish meat and taters. It was good, but a little on the bland side. Service was still good, particularly considering that the place was packed.
The Thatch Cottage: Quaint setting and a good start to a tour around the Ring of Kerry.
Visited Tuesday, June 25, 2013; reviewed September 10, 2013. See this review on Trip Advisor.
As part of our bus tour around Ireland, we had a full-day drive around the Ring of Kerry. Since we were out all day, we needed someplace to get lunch. Our tour guide worked out the schedule so that we would arrive at the Thatch Cottage after the lunch rush, as it is a popular place for the tour buses. Nice job by him as the timing worked out great and the Thatch Cottage was an outstanding choice. The name says it all; this is a cottage looking building with a stereotypical thatched roof. It is a lovely looking place painted in pale yellow with dark red trim We arrived at 1:30 PM. The only other vehicle in the parking lot was the other bus that was part of our tour company, but that bus had arrived a little while ahead of us, so the back-up was minimal. With 40 people on the bus, the line was literally out the door, but moved quickly. This is sort of a cafeteria set-up, so the line moves fairly fast and the food is served hot and fresh. There is more seating available that you might think when viewing the property from the outside. |
The Thatched Cottage is a pretty basic operation, but they are set up to move large groups. The staff is friendly, but they are focused on getting the crowds through the line, something that they excelled at when we were there. The menu is not extensive, but there is still a nice variety and fare covers many Irish dishes. Our guide highly recommended the pie; usually they serve apple and rhubarb. I had the stew, which was great and a Guinness, plus a piece of apple pie. Excellent!
We had a great meal at the Thatch Cottage and a nice break in our tour around the Ring of Kerry. I rated it a 5 of 5 on the Trip Advisor scale, so excellent overall, but not because it is “5 start dining.’’ It isn’t. But it is a very nice little diner that serves great food, is set along a scenic road, and makes for a wonderful meal in one of Ireland’s best regions of natural wonders. Overall it was a great day that was made even better by the quaint surroundings of the Thatched Cottage.
We had a great meal at the Thatch Cottage and a nice break in our tour around the Ring of Kerry. I rated it a 5 of 5 on the Trip Advisor scale, so excellent overall, but not because it is “5 start dining.’’ It isn’t. But it is a very nice little diner that serves great food, is set along a scenic road, and makes for a wonderful meal in one of Ireland’s best regions of natural wonders. Overall it was a great day that was made even better by the quaint surroundings of the Thatched Cottage.