Category: Music (Page 1 of 2)

Ireland 2023 Part 8

August 27, 2023 / Hughena MacDougall / 2 Comments

Molly Malone statue – nicknamed the “Tart with the Cart”

May 26 – Day 9 Dublin City

Today is our last full day in Ireland. It seems impossible that the trip is winding down. This morning we sit back and enjoy a panoramic sightseeing tour of Dublin. Dennis points out many sights and explains a great deal of the history of Dublin. We stop in Phoenix Park at the Papal Cross. In 1979 Pope John Paul II delivered an open-air sermon to more than 1.25 million people. The park is is 1750 acres of recreational space. It contains the Dublin Zoo, many gardens, many monuments, the residence of the President of Ireland and the residence of the United States Ambassador to Ireland, a castle, a fort, headquarters of the Garda, a seniors home, a cemetery, several ground for hurling, football, soccer, cricket and polo, and Farmleigh – the official Irish State Guesthouse.

Looking up at the Papal Cross from the base.

Entrance to the US Ambassadors residence in Phoenix Park

The Phoenix Park Monument in the middle of the main road.

The most photographed door in Dublin at 46 Fitzwilliam Square. It was installed in 1907.

After our tour of Dublin we visit Epic the Irish Emigration Museum. Epic opened in 2016. Here we learn the history of the Irish Diaspora and emigration to other countries. We are provided with an audio guide for our self guided tour. I took my time going through and realized that I needed to step it up if I was to get through the whole museum in our time allotted. There are many interactive areas and one needs to have several hours if you are to partake in all. There are motion sensor quizzes, video galleries, a place to try your skills at step dancing, remastered audios from over 100 years ago, and videos that bring the history to life. Upon entering you get a passport and after each stage you have your passport stamped to show a record of the journey through Epic. There are 20 stages of the journey, some of which are; An Open Island, Leaving the Island, Arriving in a New World, Conflict, Playing the World, Leading Change, Music & Dance: Sharing the Tradition, amongst others. It’s a fascinating experience that I would love to revisit sometime.

Not often I see the name MacDougall, or McDougall, so took this picture in the museum. Isabella McDougall emigrated to Australia.

The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem, amongst others.

Looks so real but actually superimposed on the wall. Tribute to Irish authors.

Just a cool image from the museum. So much to see, and do, and watch. Much of it is interactive and you need hours to experience the whole centre.

Krista, Bob Cameron and I decided to get off the bus in the city instead of going back to the hotel. We wanted to walk around and were looking for a shop selling bonafide Irish products. We lucked out and did find a wonderful shop. We walked around for a couple/three hours visiting St. Patrick’s Cathedral and Christ Church Cathedral. We did not tour the interior of either, but viewed them from outside. We just enjoyed walking around the city before heading back to the hotel for a light lunch at The Bleeding Horse pub beside our hotel.

John Behan – Millennium Child Statue – 2000.

Thought this was cool. Seen on the side of a flat during our walkabout.

Not a great picture, taken from a moving bus. Anna Livia statue or commonly called the “Floozie in the Jacuzzi”. I love their send of humour.

This evening we were off to Taylor’s Three Rock for a farewell dinner and a cabaret. Taylor’s is located in the heart of Rathfarnham and is named for the Taylor family and Three Rock Mountain which rises directly behind the pub. There were several coaches there and the place was likely sold out. I’m not sure how many it would hold but a few hundred for sure. It was a nice evening, but a bit too polished and schmaltzy for my liking. Did I enjoy it? Yes, some aspects. The fiddle player and bodhran player and the dancers were wonderful. The male singer just didn’t fit the role. I’m sure he is very talented but just not what I would expect. I didn’t dislike the event, but perhaps I didn’t quite expect what was presented. I’m glad I experienced it but I’d not go again. It was a fun atmosphere and a wonderful crowd. I’d have preferred a traditional Irish music event, than a stage polished performance.

Arriving at Taylor’s Three Rock for our final supper and a cabaret.

Decorative critters on the roof of Taylor’s Three Rock and photobombed by a crow.

Another great menu for our group. We ate well. Soup and traditional turkey/ham for me. I passed on the dessert.

Dancing and playing on the tables; John O’Brien

There was audience participation and Tom and Frances’ daughter, Fionnuala Sweeney was randomly chosen from the crowd.

The bodhrán player was also chosen from the audience.

First the spoons, but then the bodhrán. Multitalented.

The many faces of Fionnuala. She was so much fun to watch.

It was a lovely drive back to the hotel, with the sun setting for the day. My heart was heavy as I was sad to be heading home the next day. I stayed up way too late and had a 5:30 wake up call. I was surprised that I actually slept a bit. We were late leaving the hotel but we had lots of time once we arrived at the airport. I experienced no delays getting through check in and security. I had the most amazing Air Canada agent who was funny, accommodating and who loved his job. He was from Turkey and only arrived in Ireland 9 months prior to learn English. He said he knew very little English when he arrived. He has picked up the language very quickly and when I commented to him how well he was doing, he was genuinely appreciative of my compliment.

A 7 hour flight to Toronto, 2 hour layover, 2.5h hour flight to Halifax, pick up luggage, pick up car at Park N Fly and a 3 hour drive to Dundee, arriving home at 8:30pm. It was a long day but the memories of the past 9 days filled my heart so much.

I cannot really put it into words how hard it is to leave Ireland. I relate it to saying goodbye to a relative or friend, who you may not see again. I really get overcome with sadness. My throat tightens as I walk to the plane, and my eyes well up with tears. I have been lucky to have been to Ireland three times. I can only hope I’ll get back again someday.

In closing, I hope you have enjoyed my blog posts and following along on this amazing trip. Many thanks to Nuala, James and Sinead at Brack Tours, the best tour company ever. And also many thanks to Brian Doherty, Kevin Evans and Tom Sweeney for providing the music and hanging out with our group for 9 days. To the many friends I’ve travelled with, most of whom I didn’t know prior to, but many who I can now call friends, thank you for your company, not only on this trip but those on the 2019 trip as well.

As always, all photos taken by myself unless otherwise noted. Please feel free to leave a comment, or two, or three. There may be one additional post to come answering some questions I’ve been asked and sharing pictures of just cool things that didn’t make it in the blogs.

Ireland 2023 Part 6

July 30, 2023 / Hughena MacDougall / 4 Comments

French Church, or Greyfriars Abbey, Waterford City. I love how flowering plants grow out of the walls.

May 24 – Day 7 Waterford City

Waterford is the oldest city in Ireland. Our first event was a walking tour led by a very funny and informative gentleman named Jack Burtchaell, as our tour guide. It is a one hour tour around the core of the city known as the Viking Triangle, and covers 1000 years of history. The city was founded by the Vikings 1100 and taken over by the Normans in 1170. They sealed their victory by the marriage of their leader Strongbow to Aoife, daughter of the King of Leinster. Jack had some of our group reenact the marriage of Strongbow and Aoife, with much hilarity. He explained the history of the water to the city making it one of the best trading links to other Viking settlements. We passed Reginald’s Tower, a replica Viking longship, Christ Church Cathedral which had a service going on and we were not able to enter, and City Hall. We also saw a Viking Sword which is over 15 metres long and carved out of one single Douglas Fir. The carvings detail Waterford’s history. It is the world’s longest wooden sword sculpture and was carved by John Hayes and James Doyle.

We had a spare driver today whose name escapes me. He was a character.

Jack Burtchaell, tour guide for our walk around Waterford. He was hilarious.

Plaque for Brigadier General Thomas Francis Meagher

The Irish flag, or tricolour, was first flow by Thomas Francis Meagher in Waterford City in 1848 at this location, which at the time was the Wolf Tone Confederate Club.

Various pictures of the carved Viking sword

Our second event was a tour of Waterford Crystal. I toured Waterford Crystal in 1986. On the drive into the city today, we passed the old factory that has been left derelict. It is quite sad to see the condition of the old factory knowing it was a bustle of activity for so many years with upwards of 1500 people working there during its prosperous time. A second factory in Dungarven employed around 500. Most of Waterford Crystal is now made outside of Ireland, but there is a small production site still existing in the city. Waterford Crystal chandeliers hang in Westminster Abbey, Windsor Castle and the Kennedy Centre in Washington D.C. Waterford Crystal makes the 2,688 crystals that cover the orb of the famous New Years Eve Ball that is dropped every year in New York City. Many sporting trophies are made by Waterford Crystal. Sports such as tennis, snooker, golf, Formula One racing, and college football. Many one off pieces are made at Waterford suchas a ball and bat presented to Derek Jeter and a tennis racket made for Boris Becker. Two of each are always made in case something happens to the first one in shipping.

The original Waterford Crystal factory, now a dilapidated building. Apparently there are rumours it is supposed to be converted to some kind of IT training site. This is the factory site I would have toured on my first trip to Ireland.

Some of the pieces on display in the showroom and some from the factory tour.

It takes five years of apprenticeship to be classified as a master. In the fifth and final year the apprentice would be required to complete the Apprentice Bowl. There are 600 precision cuts that are done by hand. The apprentice has only three opportunities to complete the bowl. The cutter would be graded and if passed they would receive the Waterford Crystal watermark.

There is quite a collection of crystal in the showroom displaying bowls, glasses, vases, Christmas ornaments, animals, globes, and chandeliers. The prices are mind boggling, but once you do the tour and realize the time, precision and inspections (6) that go into making each piece, it is understandable.

We had some free time in Waterford to have lunch, shop or walk around. After a nice lunch, Krista and I headed out for a walk finding our way back to Christ Church Cathedral. It is an Anglican/Episcopalian Cathedral that has been a place of Christian worship for over 1,000 years. This Cathedral is home to an impressive Elliot James Organ. It is one of the most important organs outside of Dublin. The case is solid mahogany and facade pipes are gold plated. During renovations in 1891, the organ was taken down from its gallery and relocated to the front left of the cathedral. This compromised the appearance and sound. In 2003 the organ was restored and returned to its original position. The cathedral is gorgeous but I did find it a bit tacky to walk into a church and immediately see a souvenir shop selling imported Irish knick knacks.

Ceiling inside the church. So delicate looking.

Clock Tower at Meagher’s Quay, Waterford City

We arrived back at the hotel around 4pm. We were due to leave for the Marine Pub at 7. Time to call a cab for a short trip to Ring. I asked the lady at the front desk to call a cab for me. I wasn’t entirely sure just how far I was going, but knew it wasn’t a great distance. Perhaps 10-12kms or so. She dialed on cab, but no answer. She tried another, but no answer. She told me many don’t start working until 6. The third try connected her to a cab and she requested a pick up at the Park Hotel. She hung up and said they would be there within 5 minutes. I went outdoors to wait. I was a bit apprehensive about riding in a cab. Had visions of a creepy cab driver, run down car, dirty interior. Well, not even close. The car drove up and I asked if I could ride in front. The driver very happily said I certainly could. I was shocked with the interior. Absolutely spotless, leather seats, and looking brand new. I asked the driver to take me to the New Cemetery in Ring. His name was Anthony (Tony) Ahearne, and I could not have found a better driver. We talked the whole way to Ring. He asked if I was on a tour and I told him I was. When I told him the musical hosts we had, it turns out he had bought a house from one of them several years ago. He was shocked and we had a great laugh over that. He couldn’t believe. A small world for sure. He was very curious asking me about the trip and where I lived. He was just a genuinely nice guy. I was so thankful that the first two cabs that were called were not available. We passed the cemetery to turn around as it is easier to drive into from the opposite direction. I was looking for Liam Clancy’s gravesite. This is something I had planned to do when I first signed up for this tour in 2020. I have loved the music of the Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem from the time I was born. I was brought up on their music. I was lucky to see the original group perform, and the various combinations of the group. I also saw Liam Clancy and Tommy Makem as both soloists and Makem & Clancy. In the later years of Liam’s life he had a website. The first one was designed by Michael Corbett and had a very active messageboard which I assisted in maintaining and monitoring. Later Paul Grant designed Liam’s website and the messageboard continued to be a big part of the site and I continued to monitor it until it no longer existed. It was interesting. I exchanged emails with Liam often. Sometimes I’d get an email out of the blue. I miss those spontaneous correspondences with him. I miss his music. I miss him as a person. I needed to find his resting place. I had no idea where to look, but it wasn’t a large cemetery and I knew it was right along the paved path going through the cemetery. I hurried up a small hill, so as not to keep Tony waiting too long. I immediately noticed Tom Clancy’s gravestone to the right. I knew Liam’s was across from Tom’s. When I looked across, it was right there. A gentleman was visiting the site, so I held back so as not to disturb him. When he turned to leave, our eyes met and we greeted one another. Then I realized I recognized him. It was Paul Grant who backed up Liam and preformed with Liam and designed the last website for him. We had a few words and he turned and went on his way. I stood at the site, my throat became tight and soon my eyes watered. I thanked Liam for all he was; a singer, musician, performer, artist, but most of all I thanked him for just being himself. I told him how much he is still missed and loved by so many. I had three Canadian dimes with me. I placed them on his tombstone, Bluenose side up. I know he loved coming to the Maritimes to perform, so I thought it was appropriate to leave them. I rushed back to the cab. Tony said he was going to come help me look but noticed I was taking to the gentleman so assumed I had found the site. He was so happy I did find it. We had wonderful conversation on the drive back to the hotel. Tony didn’t charge me full fare. What a kind man he is. Such a special time and I think he knew it meant a lot to me.

Mooney’s pub, Ring. We turned here as it was easier to park at the cemetery coming from this direction.

Tom Clancy’s resting place.
Epitaph – “Goodnight sweet prince. And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest.” William Shakespeare, Hamlet

I left three dimes for the three Maritime provinces; New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia. I knew Liam loved to visit the Maritimes. I wished I had a fourth for Newfoundland.

After a quick bite for supper it was soon time to head to the Marine. It was about a 25 minute drive on a gorgeous night. When we arrived the pub was rocking with locals. We quickly made our way to the empty chairs and stools. I talked to a couple of local ladies who were so sweet. We were jammed in pretty tight. We were so close to the guys singing that I swear we were getting spit on. And what a performance they put on. Brilliant. Kevin Evans sang one of my favourite songs he wrote, The Orchard. I’m not sure I ever heard him sing it better. I should have asked him if it means more to sing a song about home, at home. I would think it was a special time for him. Oh my happy heart. A wonderful way to end an amazing day.

A few seals performing in the harbour as we left for the Marine Bar.

Many pictures adorn the wall. Two of several of Liam Clancy.

The lady on the left is the lady on the right, whose name escapes me.

The three music-a-teers, or amigos; Tom Sweeney, Kevin Evans and Brian Doherty. I highly recommend travelling with your own musicians. 🙂

That completes my visit to Waterford, Ring and Dungarvan. It was a busy but special day. I enjoy adding my own side trips to the regularly schedules events. If you enjoyed this blog, please leave a message. As usual, all photos are taken by myself.

Ireland 2023 Part 4

July 9, 2023 / Hughena MacDougall / 2 Comments

May 22 – Day 5 Ring of Kerry

The Ring of Kerry is one of the places on this trip that I visited with my Grandmother. I was driving on the trip with her, so I was very much looking forward to sitting back and letting Dennis do the driving. I don’t think I’d drive in Ireland again. There is much more traffic now than there was almost 40 years ago.

Driving is not for the faint of heart in Ireland. It is not uncommon on the narrower roads to see side mirrors along the edge. Often times there is no shoulder in which to pull off.

The Ring of Kerry, 179km’s, is one of the most scenic drives in Europe and today it did not disappoint. We were blessed with sunshine all day. This route has it all; amazing scenery, rolling hills and rugged mountains, coastline, lakes, beacahes, bleating sheep, grazing cows, narrow winding roads and every turn is breathtaking. We circled the MacGillycuddy Reeks We travelled the coastline of the Iveragh Peninsula through the towns of Glenbeigh, Cahirciveen, Waterville and Sneem. Sneem provided me with my second 99. Yum. Gorgeous greens everywhere and the views from the various pull off stops were amazing. We stopped to have lunch and one sign said ‘the best view in Ireland, weather permitting’. We had no worries today as the weather obliged. We stopped at Kate Kearney’s pub for supper. It was another delicious meal. After supper the guys treated us to another session before we headed back to our hotel in Killarney.

One of the roadside stops found this gentleman, and his pets, making Brigid’s Cross out of straw or rushes. Love the dog sitting on the donkey.

Eamon O’Doherty sculpture of four monks, on of them being St. Brendan, in a boat held up by 8 oars. It represents the monks voyage to the monastery at Skellig Michael.

You can see another ringed fort in this picture.

Statue of the Virgin Mary at the peak of Beenarourke overlooking the Ballinskelligs Bay.

Cream of vegetable soup, which seems to be a staple in Ireland, and yummy bread and butter, and sparkling water.

I agree, the views are spectacular fog permitting. We had such great weather.

Kevin and Brian, two of the three music-a-teers, holding up the sign.
Com An Chiste.

Yes, there are lovely beaches in Ireland. Beautiful sandy beaches.

Ladies View – one of the most photographed views in Ireland. Named for the admiration of Queen Victoria’s ladies in waiting during her visit to Ireland in 1861.

Ladies View – overlooking the Lakes of Killarney. The three lakes are Loch Leane, Muckross (sometimes called the middle lake) and Upper Lake.

A visit to Kate Kearney’s cottage where we’d have supper and another musical session.

Roast turkey, ham and all the trimmings.

Capped off by some great music. Sheesh, how lucky are these three to be travelling with us.

I walked around Killarney after we got back to our hotel. I visited a church. For someone who is not religious, but maybe spiritual, I do enjoy finding churches and spending time in them. It was a nice quiet evening spent walking and losing my thoughts about how lucky I am to be in Ireland.

I’ll take you for my evening walk around Killarney

Carved from an oak tree. **The piece includes a monk, crozier, quill and a book representing the Annals of Inisfallen compiled in and around 1092 on the monastic island of Inisfallen on Killarney’s Lough Leane.**” From the Killarney Fansicans Facebook Site.

Laburnum tree – the amount of blossoms is stunning.

Monument erected by Mary McAleese in memory of those from Killarney who served and died in WW1.

Things that make me laugh. ‘ish’ time in Ireland is common.

It appears it was neither day or night when I was out walking. Just what was it?

Ralph, who wasn’t much of a guard dog in the shop. He never woke up when I was there.

The bridge players; Suzanne, Mary, Stephen and Bryce. They were kind enough to let me watch and even let me play two demo hands with them.

So that is a wrap on Killarney. We will head for Dungarvan tomorrow with some adventures along the way. I hope you are enjoying my tour. I’m reliving it as I go through the pictures and remembering so many things. Leave a comment if you wish. All photos are taken by myself unless otherwise noted. Many of these that have no captions were taken along the Ring of Kerry. Truly a beautiful route.

Ireland 2023 Part 3

July 4, 2023 / Hughena MacDougall / 5 Comments

May 21, 2023 – Day 4 Galway to Killarney

Accommodations: International Hotel, Killarney

Through the bus window, so not as clear as I’d like.

Today we travelled through the Burren in County Clare. The Burren is 135 miles of limestone landscape. It was shaped by geological forces hundreds of millions of years ago. Alpine and Arctic plants thrive beside Mediterranean plants due to the temperate climate. Over 70% of Ireland’s species of flowers are found in the Burren.

On our way to our first guided tour we passed the Poulnabrone Dolmen. There are several dolmens in the Burren. Dolmens are standing stones and may have been a burial/tomb site and/or a territorial marker. They were placed 3,000-4,000 years ago and some stones weigh in excess of 2500lb. Many remains were discovered between 1986-88. It appears the Neolithic people had short life spans with only one person being older than 40, of the remains that were found. There were many artifacts buried with the remains such as jewelry, stone axes, arrowheads and pottery among other things. There was evidence of arthritis in the necks and shoulders of many of the people, and their teeth showed possibly malnutrition or infections.

Our first stop is at Caherconnell Fort where we had a guided tour of the fort and then were treated to an amazing display of working sheepdogs.

Caherconnell Fort is one of the best preserved stone forts in the Burren. It was built in the 10^th Century AD and remained in use through the start of the 17^th Century. A lovely lady took us on a guided tour explaining the various areas, when additions occurred, and the many artifacts which have been excavated. The stone wall was built in 900AD and are still standing. The ringed are measures 42 metres. The walls are 3 metres thick and up to 3 metres high. The family, which would have lived within the ringed area, could have upwards of 30 members. Servants and slaves would live outside the ring. There is evidence that very little trading took place between those within the ring and those living outside the ring. However there is evidence that the servants and slaves traded with the outsiders. Some of the artifacts discovered outside the ringed area are glass from Venice and amber from the Baltic. Other discoveries are jewelry, board game pieces, musical instruments and the earliest pen found in the British Isles. These finds indicate a high class settlement, cultured and literate. The government has archeologists come in to work every summer. The work is carried out in a cordoned area and the must stay within the confines.

Information on the stone wall and the archaeological work done by students.

“This wall was a built in 2006. Stones are placed vertically to prevent damage by winds. This type of wall is still widely practiced in the Burren.”

“The detailed information on the fort is the result of the efforts of over 200 archaeology students under the guidance of Dr. Michelle Comber, School of Archaeology at the National University of Ireland in Galway. They have worked tirelessly since 2007 to illuminate the Caherconnell story and provide a fascinating insight into the life in an ancient fort over 1000 years ago.”

Quite a contrast – an automatic mower on a 1000 year old premises.

The remains of an adult female and two infants dating to 600AD were discovered under the fort walls.

They were left undisturbed during fort construction.

Forts like Caherconnell were built by powerful families to display their status.

The next event we experienced was a sheepdog demonstration. The skills of the sheepdog and the master are amazing. I had seen a demonstration on my last trip that was truly impressive. Only female dogs are used as male dogs tend to be less attentive and seem to have selective hearing. (Sound familiar ladies?) This demonstration would use 4 dogs; Rose, Jess, Lynn and one I can’t remember. First the master used just one dog to herd the sheep. Each dog has a unique whistle for left, right, stay, come and away. So a dog will know at least 5 whistles. Whistles are used instead of voice commands because often when herding sheep from the mountains they are out of vocal range. The dogs love to work and are eager to get going. Each dog performed very well. At the end the master worked all four dogs at the same time. So….although each dog may know 5 whistles, the master would have to know 20 unique whistles, as no two dogs work using the same whistle. It is mind boggling how he can remember each whistle for each dog and how he wants them to herd the sheep. Truly brilliant on both the dogs part and the masters part.

Guarding the sheep after taking them around a course.

The eyes are the dog are feared by the sheep. “Don’t you move”, she says with her eyes.

I guess I don’t get out much. This is a faucet and hand dryer all in one. Loved it.

It was then onward to the Cliffs of Moher. They are not the highest cliffs in Ireland but they are the most popular. I actually saw the highest cliffs, Slieve League Cliffs, on my tour in 2019. The Cliffs rise to a height of over 700ft at O’Brien’s Tower and run along the coast of Clare for 14kms, 8 miles. They were formed over 320 million years ago and are home to major colonies of nesting sea-birds. I was really looking forward to the Cliffs of Moher, but also feeling a bit of emotions as we got closer. In 1986 Grandma and I had wanted to see the Cliffs of Moher but we ran out of time. It was our only disappointment with our trip, that we didn’t have the time.

Our weather had been cloudy and overcast for the first couple of days, but as we arrived at the Cliffs of Moher the skies brightened and although hazy, the sun was trying hard to come out. When we arrived the parking lot was quite full with coaches and cars indicating there were a couple of thousand people visiting the cliffs. You have a choice to go to the left, or to the right and Krista and I choice to go to the right. It is a bit of a climb up many stairs and paved paths. An 8 person golf cart also runs up and down continuously but we chose to walk. My first glimpse of the Cliffs was amazing, and a bit emotional. I won’t lie, my throat had a huge lump and my eyes were watery. I was so special to finally see them. I took a picture of Grandma in my knapsack and after walking about for a bit, I pulled it out and snapped a couple of pictures of her picture and the Cliffs in the background. I felt her presence with me.

Leaving the parking area towards the Cliffs of Moher. You can see many coaches in the background.

My first glimpse. I was a little choked up.

I took this picture of Grandma with me. Special moment.

Krista and I explored O’Brien’s Tower was built in 1835 by Sir Cornelius O’Brien as an observation point for the many English tourists. Another version is that he built it to impress the many women he was courting. The views from the top are somewhat obstructed by the turrets and it was quite difficult to get good pictures with the amount of people who were there. I did stretch out as far as I could to get some photos including some of the Aran Islands. We continued to walk along the Cliffs for quite a distance before turning back. Krista ventured up the left hand side of the Cliffs while I made my way back to grab a quick bite to eat and my first 99. Yum!

Aran Islands from the top of O’Brien’s Tower.

View as we walked beyond O’Brien’s Tower along a path.

View as we walked along a path after O’Brien’s Tower.

Looking at the shore from the path at the Cliffs of Moher

This is a 99. Soft serve with a Flakey. OMG….Delicious.

We left the Cliffs of Moher to continue to our destination of Killarney about an hour away. We crossed an estuary of the River Shannon by ferry, about a 20 minute crossing, arriving in the Kingdom of Kerry. Dennis, our driver is from Kerry, and he was sure to let us know it is known as the Kingdom.

Passing another ferry as we crossed the River Shannon

We had a group supper at our hotel this evening and another musical session by our wonderful hosts; Kevin Evans, Brian Doherty and Tom Sweeney. Gabriel Donahue also stopped in for a few songs. I ended my night soaking in a jacuzzi tub for a half hour. Heavnely.

Another group meal menu. I had soup, roast of the day (turkey and ham) and Pavlova.

Gabriel Donahue joined Kevin, Brian and Tom for a few songs.

One thing I have been noticing on our travels is the abundance of yellow flowers. Besides the Gorse that is in bloom everywhere, there are lots of yellow lilies along the roadway and yellow roses are in abundance with very large blossoms and so many blossoms. There is also a beautiful tree that has large hanging yellow blossoms. It is called Laburnum and sometimes called Golden Chain. I learned that every part of the tree; trunk, bark, leaves and blossoms are poisonous.

Yellow Iris – although taken at the Kylemore Abbey, these grow wild in the ditches of the highways.

Lots and lots of yellow roses. Sometimes hundreds on a bush. Red ones don’t seem as common, much smaller and with many less blooms.

Lots of gorse on the hills and mountains. Sheep don’t eat it, but mountain goats will. It is very thorny.

I hope you enjoyed the third post of my trip. All photos taken by myself unless otherwise noted. Enjoy and leave a comment if you wish.

Ireland 2023 Part 1

July 2, 2023 / Hughena MacDougall / 13 Comments

May 18-19, 2023 – Travel Day 1 & Day 2 – Dundee to Halifax to Toronto to Dublin to Galway

Accommodations: Park House Hotel, Galway

Travelled twice with Brack and believe me, you will never have a worry.

After three postponements, the second leg of the Ireland trip was a go. I travelled to Ireland in 2019 with Brack Tours. The second part of the trip was to take place in 2020, but Covid raised its ugly head and prevented the trip from happening until 2023.

As departure day approached, many people reached out to wish me a wonderful trip and to ask if I was excited. I was more anxious than excited, as I felt at the last minute something would occur, and the trip would not happen.

Day 1 – On May 18 I left home at noontime for the three hour trip to Halifax Airport. I left the car at the Park N Fly and it was not until I was inside the airport that I allowed myself to finally become excited. It was indeed going to happen. I met up with Laura, my roommate on the first trip, and her daughter, Krista, just after arriving at the airport. It was so nice to see Laura and meet Krista. Unfortunately it was not a direct flight this time, as it had been in 2019. I was travelling Air Canada, departing Halifax at 6pm bound for Toronto. I have never had much luck travelling with Air Canada, so I was assuming missed connections and/or lost luggage.

We checked in and then waited for a couple of hours before boarding and departing for Toronto. We arrived in Toronto at 7:34pm and had about 1.5 hours before boarding and departing for Dublin. We departed Toronto at 9:05pm arriving in Dublin at 8:15am. My luggage arrived and the flights were fine, which says a lot for someone who really doesn’t like flying, and clearing customs was easy. Several people were returning from the 2019 trip. We met up with others who had flown in from various parts of the US and Canada. At last my feet were on Irish soil once again. My heart was truly happy.

Four years to the day landing at Dublin Airport.

Day 2 – We are off and running. Our first stop was Tyrrellspass for breakfast at The Village Hotel Browne’s on the Green. It would be the first of several Irish breakfasts. Breakfast is one of my favourite things when travelling.

Our next stop was Athlone Castle in Athlone. The Castle dates back to the 12^th century. It was built for King John by his Irish representative, Bishop John de Gray of Norwich. It was built on the River Shannon and was strategically placed to provide a bridgehead to assist with the Norman evasion into Connaught. It reopened in 2020 after a multimillion euro renovation as a visitor centre.

Church of St. Peter and St. Paul – Athlone

View from Athlone Castle looking over the Shannon River.

From the Athlone Castle we had a very short walk to the oldest pub in Ireland, Sean’s Bar where we were treated to an Irish Coffee. Timmy Donovan ,of Sean’s Bar, gave a talk on the history of the bar, whiskey, moonshine, etc. Timmy was a wealth of information and very entertaining. As Dennis (bus driver/tour guide) said, ‘Timmy doesn’t let a lie get in the way of a good story’.

Timmy Donovan, master storyteller, and Dennis Carrol, driver/tour guide extraordinaire.

Letter from Guinness World Records recognizing the pub as the oldest in Ireland.

Once we left Athlone we made our way to Galway, our stop for the next two nights at the Park House Hotel, Galway. We had a welcome reception to meet and greet one another, a beautiful supper, before our first, of several evenings of entertainment by Evans and Doherty and Tom Sweeney.

A sample of our group meal. I had Iced Galia Melon & Seasonal Fruits with Raspberry Coulis, Stir Fry Beef Park House with Basmati Rice (and a side of mashed potatoes which is part of the meal) and Fresh Fruit Pavlova. My first time having Pavlova….I love it.

We were all exhausted by the end of the night. I had gone 37 hours with very little sleep, only dozing briefly on the flight from Toronto to Dublin. If I do a tour like this again, I’d fly in the day before and join the tour the following morning.

Our first musical session. Yes, I was pretty much under the table at this point. Exhausted.

This is the first of 8, maybe 9, posts about my trip to Ireland. Please leave a comment if you wish. Comments are fun and make the blogging worthwhile. If you have any questions, please ask. All photos taken by myself unless otherwise noted.

Category: Music (Page 1 of 2)

Ireland 2023 Part 8

Ireland 2023 Part 6

Ireland 2023 Part 4

Ireland 2023 Part 3

Ireland 2023 Part 1

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