Dublin

Thursday, September 20  Waterford/Glendalough/Transfer to Dublin

After breakfast we get back on the bus to travel from Waterford to Dublin after a two hour bus ride to the woolen mills and hand weavers of Avoca.  Unknown to me, I had purchased an Avoca scarf earlier in the trip, which I just love!!  We toured the mill and had a demonstration of how they make the scarfs, coats, etc.  We had lunch at their lovely café. 

 

 

Tour of the wollen mill

 

We then arrived in Glendalough, a glacial valley that would come to be known for a monastery founded here in the sixth century by St. Kevin.  The settlement thrived for centuries, but was destroyed by the English in 1398.  Among the monks' great achievements was manuscript writing and copying, including the creation of the spectacular Book of Glendalough around 1131.  Now at the Bodleian Library at Oxford, the book, containing historical chronicles, genealogies, and religious poems, is one of the most important and beautiful Irish manuscripts from the pre-Norman period.  We walked around this cemetery and graveyard and saw some very old gravestones.  It was a lovely place.  I even saw a real labyrinth, which we learned about in the Sacred Art of Living and Dying in my recent hospice classes.

in the graveyard at Glendalough

 

The labyrinth

 

The Byrne headstone

 

Another great find was a gravestone from the 1750s which read:  “Here lieth the body of Walter Byrne, deceased man  thes 1750.  Age 106.”  Tom Byrne, you have great genes!!

Carolyn on the pedistrian street in Dublin

 

Church at end of pedestrian street in Dublin

 

We continue to Dublin, arriving in late afternoon.  We enjoyed a walk around the neighborhood and Carolyn and Rose went to the walking/shopping street in Dublin.  We are staying at the  Hotel - Camden Court Hotel.

We meet at the Bleeding Horse pub for our last Irish dinner tonight.

Phil, Roy, Diane, Carolyn, Nancy, Rose, Bob, Jim

 

The Washington DC group on our tour

Richard, Katherine, Baroline

 

Friday, September 21  Dublin - city tour

After breakfast we toured Dublin (city tour). We stopped at the Garden of Rememberance which is one of the most significant memorials in Ireland.  Last year, the Queen of England visited and placed a wreath here.  We then went to the famine memorial. Bob saw a plaque for a Gabriel Byrne, a famine emigrant.  We stopped by Trinity College (officially the University of Dublin) which was established by Queen Elizabeth I in 1592.  We viewed the famous Book of Kells, an elaborate illuminated manuscript of the four gospels.  Created by the monks of St. Columba on the Isle of Iona around AD800, the book contains lavishly illustrated transcriptions.  This is one of the oldest surviving books in the world, and the quality of its artwork is the epitome of medieval craftsmanship and devotion.

Irish Memorial

 

Steve at the Memorial

 

Steve at Famine Memorial

 

Jim at Famine Memorial 

After that, the entire group went to the Mulligan’s bar, which is a bar that is supposedly to have had the best pint in Dublin.  They didn’t have any food, so most of the group went to another bar and had lunch.  Four of the boys stayed and had a great time.  We walked back to our hotel  via the pedestrian street, and are preparing for our farewell dinner at 6:00

 

Happy, Happy, Happy at Lunch Pub

Millie, Eleanor, Luci

 

 Camden Court Hotel
This is probably the last blog posting we will do.  We had our last farewell dinner and everyong had a great time.  We have become a wonderful family, and all will never forget our great guide and  bus driver.  They were truly the best.

Half of our group

Carolyn, Nancy, Jim, Gary

Diane, Phil, Roy

 

The other half of our group

Eleanor (out of picture) Mike, Luci, Mike, Millie

Vicki, Steve, Bob (Rose taking picture)

 

 

It has been a wonderful trip

Thanks Denis and John for the memories

 

And, of course, Grand Circle Travel

and Harriet and Alan!!

 

Our next trip will be our 20th with GCT-

-where will  be go and who wants to join us!!

 

 

 

 

 

Waterford, Cahir Castle, Kilkenny

Wednesday, September 19  Cork/Transfer to Waterford/Cahir Castle tour/Kilkenny city walk/ Waterford walk

Today we transfer from Cork to the city of Waterford.  En route we enjoyed a guided tour of Cahir Castle and a visit to Kilkenny city.  Cahir, in its time (13-15th century) was a state-of-the-art design for a defensive castle and is today one of Ireland's best-preserved castles.  Situated on a rocky island in the River Suir, the castle still has its keep, tower, and much of its original structure.  The last Lord Cahir died in 1961 and the castle came into state stewardship.  After a guided tour, we explore all the rooms of the castle, including the spiral staircase.  It reminds us of our Blarney castle.

Cahir Castle

 

A window seat in the castle

 Kilkenny city straddles both banks of the River Nore in the center of Country Kilkenny.  Founded by Aengus Osraige, it was the capital of the ancient Irish kingdom of Ossory.  Later, it was the capital of Confederate Ireland between 1642 and 1649.  Its most famous buildings are Kilkenny Castle and the 13th century St. Caniece's Cathedral.  We had lunch at the Kyteler’s Inn, established in 1324.  The story told is that Alice Kyteler was the first witch slated to be burned at the stake in Ireland in 1330.  She went through 4 husbands and when she found out that she was going to be burned, left the city, and they burned her maid instead!!

Jim serving us at our table

 

Kyteler's for lunch 

Jim, Phil and local lady

 

Along the way our guide shared some “apple cider” in small cups on the bus.  It was very strong, and has a story to go with it.  We all enjoyed this.

Bob at Waterford Crystal

with helmet and football

 

We arrive in Waterford in the last afternoon.  Founded by the Vikings in AD914, the name of the city - Ireland's oldest- comes from a word that originally meant "windy fjord".  Like many old cities in Ireland, Waterford has undergone repeated historical upheavals.  But its constancy to the crown in the face of a pretender revolt in 1497 earned it a motto that sticks to this day:  Urbs Intacta Manet Waterfordia "Waterford remains the untaken city".  Although it withstood a withering siege by Oliver Cromwell in 1649, it finally surrendered during a second attack the following year.

Making crystal at Waterford

 

Etching crystal

 

Richie & Luci - in Waterford showroom

 

The city thrived tremendously in the 18th century, which also saw the founding of the city's most famous business, a glassworks that was started in 1783 by George and William Penrose.  Today, Waterford Crystal is prized the world over as the standard for the highest quality lead-cut crystal.  We arrived in the late afternoon and had a tour of the factory—which is right next door to our hotel.  I escaped without any purchases!!

 We are to meet at 5:45 for an early dinner and then gather at a pub for an included drink and a live music performance.  Hotel - Tower Hotel.  We travel by bus about 20 minutes away to the Hayes pub for the special performance.  We are actually served by our guide Denis, and hosted by Grand Circle.  We were treated to a wonderful evening of Irish music and sing along.

Hayes tavern with thatched roof

 

Hosted by GCT

and served by our guide Denis

 

Our Irish singer

Roy, Carolyn and Nancy enjoying the music

 

Rose even found a blue willow platter in the pub

looks like it is Johnson Bros. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Blarney Stone, Cork

Monday, September 17  Killarney/Sheepdog demonstration/Blarney Castle visit/Transfer to Cork

After breakfast we stopped at a working sheep farm and meet the farmer Hugh O’Donahue and his 18 month-old border collie dog, Rose at a sheepdog demonstration herding the sheep.  The farmer and his dog are very close and this is a one-of-a kind demonstration for GCT people only.  

 

 

Sheep being herded by dog

 

Hugh O'Donahue and dog Rose

 

 

Then we move on to a town to have a coffee break and chocolate éclairs!!  Bob talked with the bread maker and, of course, told him about the food bank he volunteers at.  They even have day-old dog bread that they give to people with dogs.

Bob talking with Bakery owner

Note the sign 

 

Next, we transfer to Cork, stopping for a visit to Blarney Castle, where a 129-step staircase leads up a tower to the famed Blarney Stone.  According to legend, anyone who manages the backward lean to kiss it receives the "gift of the gab" - a smooth, soothing way with words that at best mean nothing.

Our group with Blarney castle in background

Richie, Steve, Eleanor, Jim, Millie, Luci

Bob, Nancy, Mike, Diane, Phil, Kathleen and Roy

On our way to kiss the stone

 Gary & Vicki about to take the walk to kiss the stone

The word "blarney" was coined by Elizabeth I to describe her endless and fruitless discussions with Dermot McCarthy over his surrender of the castle to the Crown.  The McCarthys build the present castle with its 85-foot-high keep in 1446, replacing an earlier castle.  Though the Blarney Stone gets all the publicity, the castle's tower house and surrounding gardens are superb in their own right.  The castle's grounds also include caves, dungeons, and a rock garden or ancient trees and weathered stones.

Eleanor and Mike in front of Castle

 

Nancy kissing the blarney stone

Rose after kissing the blarney stone 

Most of the group climbed the steps to kiss the stone and then later we visited a pub to have the local beer.  Back on the bus to the center of Cork, second largest city in Ireland, where we walked into the famous English Market, noted for its wide selection of fresh Irish produce. We then walked to our Hotel - The River Lee.  Tonight we all dine together in the hotel.

All the beer taps in the bar.  We had Beamers

Bob at the poison garden in the castle.

He is the taster!!

In the castle at Blarney

 

 

East Coast gang

West Coast gang

 

Crepes with chocolate

 

Tuesday, September 18  2012 Cork/Cobh/ Home-hosted lunch

City of Cobh 

This morning we ride to Cobh (pronounced "cove").  This picturesque town long served as the main harbor for the city of Cork, and is dominated by the spire of St. Colman's Cathedral, which contains the largest carillon in Ireland.  This morning a local historical named Pat gave us some insight into Cobh's history.  We learn that the first yacht club in Ireland is in Cobh - 1720.
 

First Irish Imigrant to sign the register in Elis Island 

Cobh was a major emigration point for families who left the country during the Great Potato Famine, when some two-and-a-half million emigrants departed this part for North America.  Here we discover the story of Irish emigration and the era of the great ocean liners, when Cobh was a very active port.  This was the last place the Titanic docked before heading across the Atlantic on her tragic journey.

100 year celebration of Titantic leaving Cobh--its last port of call before sailing

 

We also pay attribute to the victims of the Lusitania at a quayside memorial.  In 1915 this ship was sunk off the coast of Cobh by a German submarine, with a loss of 1,196 passengers including 127 Americans.  This action helped bring America into World War I.   We walked around Cobh accompanied by our local historian with free time to explore.

 

Home Host Meal

 

Our Host Geraldine Martin

Demonstrating Hurley

 

We then learn about contemporary life in Ireland by savoring a traditional meal at a home-hosted lunch with a local family named Margin.  Geraldine Martin served us Guinness stew with onion mashed potatoes.  She loves the Hurley game and was once a player in her younger days.  She gave us a lot of insight into how the game was played. 

View from our room on the River Lee

 

On the way back to Cork, the driver dropped us in town, and we were able to go through the English Market to pick up things for our picnic dinner in the atrium of the 2^nd floor.  We picked up wine (various kinds), cheese, crackers, olives, and meringue cookies for sweets.  The hotel is a very modern one, and very beautiful.

 

The boys at Happy Hour in the Hotel

Roy, Bob, Gary, Jim

 

The girls at Happy Hour in the Hotel

Vicki, Rose, Carolyn, Nancy

 

Nancy is loving Happy Hour

 

Our fearless Leader Denis

Doing paperwork for the group

 

 

Our entire group at Happy Hour

Rose, Vicki, Eleanor, Carolyn, Diane, Mike, Millie

Richie, Nancy, Phil, Gary, Roy, Bob,

Luci, Steve, Jim