Ireland ~ Off the Beaten Path
Table Mountain in the Wicklow Mountains of Ireland.
“Ireland is the mystic land of the past. This is the land of the Celtic Twilight, the country of Synge and Yeats and Stephens. It is the seat of an age-old tradition, of the remains of a once brilliant Celtic civilisation. OUR old friend Anon said: "The Irish: be they kings, or poets, or farmers, they're a people of great worth. They keep company with the angels and bring a bit of heaven here to earth." - Conrad Arensberg
I never thought that I would be back in Ireland so soon but when opportunity presented itself, I grabbed it with both hands and made my way there. Maureen and Patrick were wonderful hosts and ambassadors for their country as we went off the beaten path to meet with people and see a side of Ireland that most tourists rarely see.
Of course, we had to do some touristy things as well. As we completed our walking tour of the Waterford triangle and heard the stories about the Vikings as we got to see this Viking carved long sword that is carved from a single tree trunk complete with roots.
All around this area there are murals and while we did not linger around the murals, this one that was visible from where Strongbow and his princess sit enthroned caught my eye and I couldn’t resist capturing it.
We were welcomed into the home of a dairy farmer and his wife as they fed us a light meal and proceeded to enlighten us on how they milk 250 cows in about 2 hours using modern techniques. A lot of laughter and many stories later we bid them goodbye and took off on the road again.
Back in Cobh again. This time, I skipped the cathedral and the Titanic Museum and instead just wandered through the town, enjoying the fishing boats at anchor as people sat at the benches with their lunch enjoying the sunny afternoon.
One of the highlights of this trip was the Dingle Peninsula and the spectacular views which by the way reminds me so much of driving the Pacific Coast Highway back home. What is complete unique is the sheep coming running down the road being chased by the shepherd in his four wheels and the sheepdog. Not a sight I would get to see back home.
In Sligo, last time I had seen William Butler Yeats grave from the distance through the windows of a coach. Well, it wasn’t much better this time, but we did get to attend a poetry reading from Yeats works. The gentleman who did the reading was very passionate about Ireland’s poet laureate.
Swans a plenty in the Shannon River as we cruised down the river drinking tea and enjoying freshly baked scones and listening to one of the best crooners that I’ve heard in sometime.
Only in Ireland. Apparently, they actually have a fairy map that children can get and then follow through the grounds. What a fun way to keep traditions and stories alive.
As we crossed the golf course, Maureen laughingly told us about the Irish version of a hole in one. Even though we were trundling along at a good clip I managed to get a picture.
We got an education on Irish horseracing and breeding horses at the Irish stud. The grounds are beautiful, and the horses are definitely pampered since they fetch a mindboggling amount of money for their services. We walked through the paddocks and visited the horses as well as the foals.
I think the Irish are born with melody. This busker on a street corner in Galway was entertaining his audience using his hands and feet and fun catchy music.
Trinity College and the book of Kells had been on my list for some time, but I had not made it there the first time around. As it turned out they had just hung this giant globe called Gaia in the library so not only did I get to visit the Trinity College, Library and the Book of Kells but I also got to see this globe.
Every Person is connected (The EPIC Museum). It was all about genealogy and the Irish diaspora. Quite an interesting tour. Considering that I have no Irish roots, I still enjoyed the tour.