Ireland - The Final Day...

Maybe it was destined to be this way, but our final day in Ireland was, by a wide margin, the best day of our entire vacation. We decided to take a tour to Malahide Castle (or Caisleán Mhullach Íde in Irish)  and the fishing village of Howth.

Malahide Castle dates back to the year 1185, and it was inhabited by one family, the Talbots,  through 1976. The only exception was the 11 year period from 1649-1660, when Oliver Cromwell granted it to Miles Corbett after the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland. Corbet was hanged after the death of Cromwell and the castle was restored to the Talbots.

From the outside, it's very much what you would expect a castle to look like. The towers, however, weren't added until 1765.

Malahide Castle...

Malahide Castle even has (had?) its own abbey. It stands in ruins today, but at one time served as the family church, and the abbey grounds contain the Talbot family tomb.

Malahide Abbey...

Malahide Abbey...

Once inside the castle, you begin to sense just how old the structure is. While it's clear there have been modern improvements (lights, alarms, etc), it's still unmistakably ancient.

The only way to tour the castle was with a guide, and that was just fine with us. We would've been left wondering what this room was or where that corridor led. And, while many of the rooms were extraordinarily grand in scale, many were quite conservative in their size.

The Great Hall. A jester would perform on the balcony along the back wall...

A view through a bedroom window onto the castle grounds...

The formal sitting room...

The library...

One of the five bedrooms in the castle...

Looking out onto the castle grounds from the Oak Room...

The castle remained under the ownership of the Talbot's until 1976 when Rose Talbot, after inheriting the castle and the estate from her brother, the 7th Baron Talbot, sold the castle to the Irish state, primarily to fund the payment of inheritance taxes. 

The tour through the castle, which is reportedly quite haunted, is well worth the time and money. Don't forget to visit the walled garden and the butterfly house while you're there, too.

After Malahide Castle, we were off to the fishing village of Howth.

Welcome to Howth...

The village of Howth is less than 10 miles from the bustling downtown streets of Dublin, but it's a world away in terms of what it is. Howth is a quaint village lined with restaurants, small shops and even an Irish Coast Guard Station (oddly enough, I didn't see any Coast Guard boats). Fishing boats of all shape and size line the quay, some unloading their catch while others were preparing to leave, or on their way out of, the harbor. U2 drummer Larry Mullen also lives in Howth.

And the winner for shortest driveway on the planet goes to...

You haven't truly had fish & chips until you've had fish & chips in a quaint Irish fishing village...

Some of the fishing boats in Howth...

Some of the fishing boats in Howth...

Some of the fishing boats in Howth...

Some more of the fishing boats in Howth...

A small tour boat exiting the harbor...

The Howth Coast Guard Station...

And that's how you say it in Irish...

No Coast Guard boats were to be found, but they had Coast Guard Toyotas...

The tour company offered a walking tour of Howth, and we were surprised to learn that we were the only three people who signed up for it. Our guide, Conor Heggarty, was kind enough to make  accommodations and tailor his tour around  the fact that Mom's not as mobile as she used to be.

Our guide, Conor Heggarty. I'm pretty sure there's nothing about Howth, and probably Ireland, that he doesn't know...

Howth Castle, from a distance...

Howth Castle...

 

My brother Greg at Howth Castle...

Following Howth Castle, Conor wanted us to get a nice "bird's eye" view of Howth. Well, you can't get such a view from sea level. Mom decided to sit this one out, because Conor would soon be leading us on climb (well, okay, an inclined walk) up a mountain to some cliffs which overlooked the village.

During the climb, we came upon a rock formation known as Aideen's Grave. Aideen’s Grave is a portal tomb. Aideen was said to be the wife of Oscar, who died at the battle of Gabhra around the year 285.  When Aideen learned of Oscar’s death, she collapsed and died of her grief.   Oisin, who was Oscar’s father, had her buried at Howth and had the portal tomb built in her memory.  These types of burials were normally reserved for great warriors or kings.

Aideen's Grave in Deer Park...

 
The tomb is partially collapsed, with the capstone fallen backwards, but the portal stones still stand and you can see what it would have been like.

About halfway through the climb my knees started screaming, and I thought about bailing. But I stuck it out and I'm glad I did. The view from atop the cliffs was amazing.

The views overlooking Howth...

Of course, what goes up must come down, so after spending about a half hour atop the cliffs, we started our trek back down. Walking down is only marginally easier than the climb up, but it went without incident and my knees certainly appreciated it.

A portion of the trail heading down the mountain...

Following the cliffs, we headed out to0 other, less lofty, sights. Our first stop was St. Mary's Abbey in Howth. The original structure was built in the year 1042, but the church was rebuilt or modified through the late 16th century.

St. Mary's Abbey, overlooking Howth...

There are some graves from "recent" burials (within, say, the last 50-100 years), but certainly there are some ancient graves, as well. One of the more notable is that of Thomas St. Lawrence, the 13th Baron Howth. At his internment in 1727, he was eulogized:

 "Behold this stone whose vault contains 

More precious dust than India's veins

For honour's sake then shed a tear

Since honour's self lies buried here"

It's easy to see that ol' Tom was held in somewhat high regard.

For the photographer in me, St. Mary's Abbey offered up a target rich environment. I think my blood starts flowing a little faster any time I come across a place like St. Mary's.

St. Maryt's Abbey, Howth, ireland...

This final day, as I mentioned earlier, was by far the high point of our entire week long trip to the Emerald Isle. Not only did we see an incredibly varied selection of sites, we also were given an amazing history lesson by our guide in Howth, Conor Heggarty. He was an absolute joy to have as our guide and is a sure feather in the cap of Shane's Howth  Hikes, the company he represents. Even though we needed to massage the walking tour a bit, he made sure it was done both comfortably and professionally, and we were in his debt. My next trip to Ireland (and there will be a be a next trip) will include me buying him a Guinness.

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You know, living in St. Augustine, Florida comes with its own sense of history. It is, after all, the oldest city in the United States. But when you come to a place like Ireland, you start to realize how, even after 453 years, St. Augustine is a relative child in the arena of historical cities. Walking the streets of Ireland and visiting its ancient ruins shines a brand new light on things when it comes to history.

And, when you think about it, there are a lot of places which do just that.

Maybe it's time to start checkin' those out...

Ireland - Day 5: The Cliffs Of Moher

Of all the sites I'd been told about, the Cliffs of Moher were mentioned more than any other. This was the first of two guided tours we'd be taking on this trip, although Mom elected to sit this one out as it was going to be a lot of walking. Instead, she enjoyed a day of rest at the hotel while my brother Greg and I went on the tour.

We woke up early and caught a taxi into downtown. After checking in (we'd already purchased our tickets) we grabbed some coffee and got onto our bus. This was a nice air conditioned motor coach, and the ride was going to be more than three hours. If you do one of these tours and you like staying connected while you do, be sure to check to see if your coach has WiFi. Many of them do, but ours did not. We did have USB ports, though, so we could keep our phones charged.

A panoramic view from the very back of the bus...

About halfway through the ride, our guide came over the PA system and informed us that we would be stopping at a rest area for 15 minutes. He then proceeded to inform us that the rest area was named after our esteemed 44th President. Yup, Barack Hussein Obama has a gas station named after him in Ireland. Apparently Obama's great-great-great-great grandfather was from Moneygall (which is where the plaza is located) and his eighth cousin allegedly lives there.

Yup, really. The Barack Hussein Obama Commemorative Gas Station...

Greg could barely contain his excitement: "It was like he was right there!"

Whatever. We got a pretty good laugh over it and, before long, the Barack Obama Memorial Gas Station was behind us as we headed towards the Cliff of Moher.

To be sure, the cliffs are an impressive sight. At their southern end, they rise about 400 feet above sea level. On the northern end, the cliffs are closer to 700 feet. Take caution. Many areas of the cliffs have absolutely no barrier between you and the Atlantic Ocean.

The Cliffs of Moher. O'Brien's Tower, the highest point of the cliffs, is in the distance on the right...

The cliffs are comprised of Namurian shale and sandstone, and 300 million year old river channels can be seen along the base of them. As you might suspect, the Cliffs of Moher are just about about the most popular tourist attraction in all of Ireland. Over 1.5 million people visit them annually, and that's just the number that passes through the visitor center. The cliffs can be accessed at numerous spots along their 14 kilometer length.

The Cliffs of Moher, looking south...

The Cliffs of Moher, looking north...

Had to try it in black & white. Not sure if I dig it or not...

Not far from the visitor center is O'Brien's Tower. It was built in 1835 by Sir Cornelius O'Brien as an observation tower. It does afford a bit of a better view than the ground level and, if you have the €2 to pony up, you can climb the stairs to the observation deck. Be forewarned, though: There doesn't seem to be a limit to the number of people they'll allow up there, so it gets very cramped very quickly.

O'Briens Tower, which is located at the highest point of the cliffs...

Cliffs of Moher, looking north...

Greg and I in front of O'Brien's Tower, courtesy of a somewhat temperamental Bluetooth selfie stick...

Me and Greg and the Cliffs of Moher...

The downside of this is that. because we were on a tour, we had a limited amount of time to explore. We would've loved to have spent more time checking out the cliffs, but we made it through the gift shop in just enough time to get back to our bus. Our tour wasn't ending quite yet, though. We would be making a stop in the sleepy little coastal village of Doolin, just a few kilometers away.

Doolin is a small (and I mean SMALL) village. It consists of one street: Fisher Street. There are some pubs and restaurants, but if you want to stay here you won't find any big hotel chains. It's either a B&B or a hostel. Also, if you go, be prepared, money-wise, and have either a credit card or cash before you go. There are no ATM's in Doolin.

Some of the local Doolin wildlife...

My brother's new drink of choice, Tullamore Dew...

Ol' Gus opened his bar in the year 1832...

A random shot along Fisher Street...

Inside Gus O'Connor's Pub...

This is an unusually large house in Doolin...

We had time to have a pint (well, I had a pint) and walk around a little but, once again, the fact that we were on a guided tour came into play again as it was soon time to climb back aboard our coach. And, once again, we would make yet another stop at the Barack Hussein Obama Commemorative Gas Station on our way back to Dublin.

If you do find yourself at the Cliffs of Moher, be sure to wear very comfortable shoes. It's a lot of walking on uneven terrain. It's also very windy, so be prepared for that. A light jacket, at the very least, is a must...

Ireland - Day 4 (Can You Say "Guinness"?)

I would be lying through my teeth if I said I wasn't ridiculously excited to get out of the hotel Sunday morning. We'd been looking forward to visiting the Guinness Storehouse since we arrived in Ireland, and this would be the day. 

A true pilgrimage would be made this day.

In 1759, a 34-year old Arthur Guinness signed a 9,000 year lease on a little used property in Dublin and started to brew his ale. The cost? A whopping £45 per year. Ten years later Guinness saw its first export: 6-1/2 barrels to England. Guinness wouldn't make it to the United States for another 48 years. 

So, it was off to the storied St. James Gate for us, and to the Guinness Storehouse.

Black gold...

I'm happy here. Can you tell I'm happy here? Because I am. I'm happy here... (photo by Greg Parr)

The Storehouse is, as you might imagine, one of the most popular tourist destinations in all of Ireland. They brew over €2 billion worth of beer annually and, in the 1930's Guinness was the seventh largest company on the planet.

We were a bit concerned with whether or not Mom would be able to do the entire tour (it's a seven story building), but we learned that there are both elevators (aka "lifts" and escalators so, thankfully, that wasn't a concern at all.

Mom is all ready to go with ticket in and. She developed quite a taste for Guinness during this trip!

While you can get into a guided tour, we opted for the self-guided tour. This way we could linger and look at those things which interested us and move on from those things that didn't.

One the st things which struck our interest was the Guinness waterfall. While it's located inside the confines of the building, I'm pretty sure it's just for show. There are too many "coins in the fountain" for it to be used for anything having to do with the brewing process. Still, it was pretty cool.

The tour doesn't take you through the actual brewery, but through a series floors containing exhibits of the brewing process. Many of the "stations" have video monitors which show the various steps of the brewing process. As popular as a destination as this is, it's not surprising that they don't try to take people into the actual brewery.

A mere 30,000,000 bubbles...

This is what those 30,000,000 bubbles might look like if you were inside a pint of Guinness. Or if you were on LSD...

Or roughly 495° fahrenheit. This is vitally important because. if they roast it any cooler, they won't achieve that famed Guinness color and flavor. If they roast it any hotter the hops will catch fire...

Someone actually gets paid to taste test Guinness. I want this job...

One of the antique rail cars used in the Guinness compound...

One of the seven floors at the Storehouse. You can rest and grab bit to eat here...

You might expect everyone working at Guinness be Irish. Well, meet Doug. He's from New Jersey...

I really like the old advertising campaigns that Guinness used, and there's an entire area dedicated to the various advertisements used over the company's history.

The Guinness ostrich, with its head in the proverbial sand...

"My goodness, my Guinness" debuted in the 1920's...

Of course the highlight of any visit to the Guinness Storehouse is a visit to the Gravity Bar, located on the 7th floor. A quick elevator ride and there we were along with about 300 other people. This is where you traded your ticket for a pint of Guinness. I was skeptical, given the number of people there, but the folks at Guinness have this down to a science. We were enjoying our pints within just a few minutes.

The gravity bar offers a 360° view of the greater Dublin area, and it's awesome. And, if you're lucky enough visit on your birthday, you just might get serenaded by 300 of your closest friends.

As the day drew to a close, we decided to hit the Guinness gift shop, which as incredible. If they didn't have it here, Guinness doesn't sell it. I took it easy on my wallet and only picked up a magnet, a pen and a book (like a Guinness journal), but that was about it.

As we were leaving, we came across a rather impressive collection of ancient Guinness bottles, which is referred to as the "Archive".

W were making  it an early night, as Monday morning would be coming very early for Greg and me. Our usual quick, €20 taxi ride, however, would not be realized. We found ourselves sitting in traffic as 85,000 Irish sports fans emptied out of Croke Park, the local sporting venue.  By the time we got to the hotel (75 minutes an €55 later!), we were done.

But, tired as we were, one thing was clear: No visit to Ireland can be considered complete without a visit to the Guinness Storehouse, so do not miss it. Just don't.

You're welcome...

Ireland - Day 3

Despite the late hours kept the night before (I think we got in around 3:00am), we managed to find our way downstairs for breakfast before heading out on our third full day in Dublin. We were done with the hop on/hop off experience and, instead, would venture out into the Irish wilds of Dublin in a taxi.

We decided to visit Trinity College, which was founded in 1592. 

The grounds of Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland...

Trinity College features some amazing architecture, so my "photo jones" was easily satisfied. Aside from that, however, Trinity houses an incredible library which is also home to the Book of Kells. Believed to have been created in the year 800 AD, the Book of Kells has been housed at Trinity College since 1661. It's an illuminated manuscript, of some 340 "folios" (or leaves) which contain the complete text of the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and the Gospel of John through John 17:13. The entire collection is never displayed at the same time, and photography of the actual manuscript is strictly forbidden.

You can read more about the Book of Kells here: The Book of Kells

The line outside the Old Library at Trinity College...

Enlarged folios of the Book of Kells on display in the Old Library...

An illustration from the Book of Kells...

An illustration from the Book of Kells...

The Book of Armagh, also known as Codex Ardmachanus...

A ridiculously ornate page from the Book of Kells...

I have to be honest here. I wish this had been a better experience. While they were controlling the number of people admitted into the exhibit, the powers-that-be didn't seem to be paying too much attention to how many people weren't exiting the exhibit. It didn't take too long at all for it to become almost impossible to move inside the exhibit. Additionally, the actual manuscript which is on display is a relatively small book in a relatively large, lighted glass case. People were standing seven deep at times just to get a quick glimpse of it. I was also surprised that strollers were allowed. I was hit in the ankles four times. They also permit strollers into the "Long Room" of the Old Library. But, since there are no elevators in the building (or restrooms, for that matter), people had to carry the strollers up the stairs. It was just an unsafe scenario in my mind.

So, up those aforementioned steps we climbed, into the Long Room of the Old Library.

The Long Room, which measures 213 feet long, was built between 1712 and 1732. It houses some of the rarest books in the world, and the total number of books contained here exceeds 200,000.

The Long Room in the Old Library...

Some of the books in the Long Room...

Once we got done, my Mom and brother were both still busy in the library gift shop, so I decided to walk around a bit. I came across this cool sculpture outside the college's Berkeley Library, entitled "Sfera con sfera" or "Sphere Within Sphere" by Italian sculptor Arnaldo Pomodoro. 

Sphere Within Sphere at Trinity College...

Sphere Within Sphere at Trinity College...

If the sculpture looks familiar, that's because there are examples of it in various places around the world, including the University of California at Berkeley, the Vatican Museums in Rome and the entrance to the United Nations in New York, It can also be found at about a dozen other locations, a total of nine of which are in the United States.

We decided we'd make it a short (well, short-ish) day and head into Temple Bar for dinner before heading back to the hotel. We walked around and did some shopping for a bit before opting for Quays Irish Restaurant for dinner. Of course, we had to start the meal off with a Guinness, but the food wasn't far behind.

The Slow Cooked Beef & Guinness Stew was stunningly good...

We were all pretty spent by the time we climbed into our taxi but, as with every other cab ride we'd had thus far, we enjoyed how the driver educated us on everything from "hurling" (no, it's not the result of too many Guinness) to the difference between being British and being English.We arrived at the hotel, drained and arms full of shopping bags, and retired to our rooms to rest up for the next day...