The Boatwright Family: May 2022

I have had Ireland on my travel list for a long time. I loved the time I spent in Dublin and Dun Laoghaire for work but that was a long time ago. I wanted to visit places that I'd heard of like Cork and Belfast and County Clare. Last fall I found a great deal for a trip to Central and Southern Ireland where we could see all the sites. Since we would have a car, I did the research and added a lot of extras to our days. This was Laura's first trip to Europe and I knew my see it all approach might be overwhelming so we considered everything optional. We ended up doing it all, and then some! We also had time for Laura to attend Mass at St. Mary's Cathedral in Limerick one evening. Laura is a great travel companion! We both lost our moms in the last 6 months so we were able to reminisce together as well.

We had a little time at JFK before our trip to Dublin so we toured the TWA Flight Center and Hotel. Designed by Eero Saarinen in 1962 (he designed numerous important buildings in Columbus as well, I know him well!) the buildings are attached to JFK and worth a walk-through if you have a layover.

We arrived in Dublin early the next morning and freshened up before making our way to Kilkenny where we would spend our first night. Instead of taking the Motorways the entire way, we elected to drive through Wicklow Mountains National Park. It was an overcast day (one of the only ones we would experience!) and the landscape was not at all what I expected. Where were the green pastures we fly over?

I'll pause here to mention that I watched lots of movies set in Ireland in preparation for this trip. There was one scene at the national park from "P.S. I Love You". If you google maps it - the PS I Love You Bridge shows up. So many movies filmed in Ireland including other RomComs and movies like Star Wars, The Commitments, Game of Thrones, and Harry Potter.

A scene from PS I Love You with the bridge in the shot

We also went to Powerscourt Estate to see the waterfall, drove through the Glendalough region and saw their Upper Lake, but then headed to Kilkenny. We were ready for a good meal. If you are interested in getting off the interstate and seeing a little more of the countryside like we are, I'd recommend the national park and the Glendalough region. Otherwise, you could skip this area.

Kilkenny boasts a beautiful castle (12th century) and sits on the River Nore. We had a great time walking around and could have spent some quality time at the castle. We also got a great night's sleep! I highly recommend a stop in Kilkenny. It's my size of town/city and I could see myself living there for a time.

The next day we went to Rock of Cashel, which was included in our tour. I also learned about two more places in County Tipperary that we could check out on our way to Cork. It was an incredible day. I would highly recommend all 3 of these sites.

When St. Patrick vanquished the snakes from Ireland, the rock landed here at Cashel. The ruins here are of an important fortress that dates back to the 12th century. It's just beautiful to walk around. I will stop here to say that we had NO CROWDS the entire time we were in Ireland. Except for the airport security, we only stood in one line at Christ Church Cathedral in Dublin, and it was just one couple in front of us. Everywhere we went we heard about the long crowds during peak season. We are happy we avoided all of that.

The cemetery at Rock of Cashel with other church ruins in the background

We toured the grounds and then had lunch at Grandma's Kitchen, just down the hill from the Rock of Cashel. We ate in their garden and soaked up the sun.

We then drove to Cahir to see Cahir Castle (12th century) and walk around the charming town. This castle has been used in countless movies and sits on the River Suir.

And then we drove to see the Swiss Cottage outside of Cahir. It is an intact cottage from the early 1800s that has been preserved and now is used for special events. It sits at the top of a hill at this public park. Laura walked up to the cottage (closed the day we were there) and I enjoyed the river and park. There were kayakers, fly fishermen, dogs getting their exercise chasing balls in an open field, and several families out for a Sunday stroll. It was a beautiful day in County Tipperary.

We then drove to Bunratty Castle which had closed early when we arrived. Then onto our hotel in Cork. We decided not to return to Bunratty Castle. It had a theme park feel and was a little out of our way. But Rock of Cashel, Cahir Castle, and the Swiss Cottage I would recommend!

One of the reasons I chose this tour over others was that it included all the places that I had heard about and was hoping to get to. It also put us in strategic locations so we could add more (like the Cliffs of Moher). But the Ring of Kerry coach tour was included and was a highlight of our trip. We were with the group from about 10-5 so had some time in the morning to explore Killarney, and time in the evening for a nice dinner back in Cork.

St. Mary's Cathedral (19th c.) in County Kerry. We also saw another national park, Ross Castle, and the pretty town of Killarney although we did not spend much time there. We were headed to do the Ring of Kerry.

The Ring of Kerry is a tour you can take around the Iveragh Peninsula in western Ireland. The landscapes are very different than others we had seen. Historically this is a rough area to live in as the ground is rockier and boggier, but it's historically significant and is just beautiful. Many celebrities have now built homes in the area and golf is aplenty. (We're watching the show about The Lakers in the late 70s right now starring John C. Reilly. He was just at the restaurant we went to for a late lunch earlier that day. He has a home near Skellig on the Ring of Kerry.) Here are just a few highlights.

We stopped at a historical park where we learned about the importance of cutting peat out of the bogs for survival, got to meet some real Irish Wolfhounds, saw examples of 12th-19th century living in the area, and soaked up the sun.

We saw a 4th generation shepherd named Brendan and his dogs demonstrate sheep herding. It was fascinating and Brendan had a great sense of humor. We also learned about all the different kinds of sheep. I had no idea. I loved watching this demonstration and have several videos.

And we traveled the coast for many many miles. It was just gorgeous and definitely worth the journey!

Another night in Cork and then we started making our way to Limerick for a couple of days.

Our first stop was Blarney Castle (15th c.) which was included in our tour and felt like an obligatory stop when you're in Ireland. What I didn't know was how gorgeous the grounds were! We had an incredible time and Laura will tell you this may be her favorite part of the entire trip. We spent half a day exploring the castle, the manor home, and the grounds.

Blarney Castle. On the top left of the tall structure is where you lay down on your back, slide backward and kiss the Blarney Stone while a worker holds your ankles firmly. Laura did it and many of my friends have done it. I went up to the kitchen level (second window from the top) and turned back. I'm OK with that decision :)

The grounds are simply incredible. We met people who volunteer at the gardens, walk the gardens every day either alone or with their dogs, and work as specialists at the garden. It was a really fun day.

Part of the Jurassic Ferns area of the garden.

Wow these trees!

The Blarney Manor Home

On our way to the lake on the grounds we met a lady named Ann with her dogs Ted and Nancy. She is a volunteer gardener and took us to a few hidden gems in the gardens. Here is the Witch's head. You rub her nose before entering the fairy garden.

Ann, Ted and Nancy

I have more photos of Blarney Castle than any other stop. If you're in the area of Cork or Limerick, you should definitely make this stop a priority.

After exhausting the gardens, we had a quick muffin at the little cafe and then headed to Limerick. I found more stops along the way including a couple of really fun surprises.

Lough Gur was listed as a good place to go. All I really knew about it was that it is an internationally important archeological area that was discovered in the 1800s. They found a stone circle and a settlement dating back 5000 years. We thought we'd give it a shot. The closer you get the narrower the roads become, but it was such a beautiful area to explore. Once we were just a half kilometer or so away, we turned the corner and there was a Jack Russell terrier in the middle of the road, trotting along in the same direction we were going. There was no way to go around him on the narrow road and he did not seem bothered by us, so we slowed down and followed him all the way into the grounds of Lough Gur. Then as we walked around the grounds, he kept popping up. He didn't want a snack or even to be petted. I guess he is the lake dog.

We parked and walked about 10 feet, turned a corner and this gorgeous lake appeared. There were college students kayaking, people picnicking, little paths to follow and a small visitors center museum. We enjoyed just being outside on this very pretty day.

We had to drive a couple of kilometers to see the Grange Stone Circle (much like Stonehenge) but we spotted a pub so stopped for a bite to eat. There we also found that we were in the community where JFK's ancestral home is located. So we decided to take a quick side trip on our side trip to check that out. On that drive we fouund this gorgeous church (don't worry - those rain clouds disappeared). There was a little wire holding the gate shut and a lady delivering flowers to the cemetery said we could come in and "lock the gate back" when we left. So many surprises it seems, everywhere we went!

The community of Bruff is very proud of their ancestral connection to JFK

And the Stone Circle. I had read that since there was only parking for 4 or 5 cars here, you would sometimes have to loop around the community a couple of times. Again, no issues on this trip. We were the only ones there. Here is a distance view. We walked around and explored. Imagine - 5000 years ago when these stones were placed.

And on to Limerick. Our first stop was a fairy garden that I read about. It was a charming little park with some small features and made for a nice break from driving. But then we saw this pathway so decided to walk it. It led to a beautiful entrance to the River Shannon. So many surprises.

Our tour gave us 2 nights in Limerick. I planned to spend one day at the Cliffs of Moher. Made famous by the movie industry, stunning and only 1.5 hours from our hotel. We made a fun day of it.

Our server the night before recommended we stop by Doolin, a little seaside town where you can catch a ferry to the Aran Islands for the day. We saw their little downtown, but had tickets to the Cliffs so did not spend any time in Doolin. I'd love to go back!

Doonagore Castle (15th c) near the Cliffs

Windy, yet warm and beautiful, day!

The Cliffs of Moher

Mothar Fort at the Cliffs of Moher. There is a Cliff Walk that is 18k long. We walked a short part of that, but really just enjoyed the peace, the waves, the beauty, and the sunshine. And again, there were some people, but not the long lines that are typical in the summer. We really lucked out!

The walk was lined with the most beautiful rocks. Just gorgeous!

I took this photo of the County Clare coat of arms for the Brennan clan. Brennan is very popular in County Clare and we saw several businesses with the name. As our youngest is named Brennan, I loved seeing his name all over the country including on souvenirs. Brennan is never on any souvenirs in the US. When we were at Epcot years and years ago, Brennan wanted to buy a tiny license plate for his bike that say Brandon. I asked if he was going to give it to someone and he said, "No it's just the closest to Brennan." Well, I took care of Brennan souvenirs on this trip!

On the way back to Limerick we had plenty of time for a couple of side trips. We found the ruins of Clare Abbey that was established in 1101 AD. We walked around enjoying the tranquility and history.

We also decided to look into Dromoland Castle (19th c). It is now a resort with a golf club and has been the site for US/EU summits. We had to enter the grounds via a security guard. A sweet older man dressed all in tweed stopped us with his clipboard. We explained we were just out sightseeing and he kindly let us through for a quick drive through.

When in Ireland, we had to try a Guiness. Our server in Limerick gifted us one and we shared it. Laura and I are not beer fans but it was OK. I prefer a Diet Coke any day.

As is the custom I had just recited a limerick in Limerick, while sipping a Guiness overlooking the River Shannon. My stay in Limerick felt complete!

The next morning we headed to Dublin. We had to be at the airport for a Covid test so we could return to the US, but we had plenty of time for some side trips. All over Ireland we saw Circle K gas stations. Circle K business offices are in Columbus so we found this hilarious. At this one though, where we stopped for a quick snack, we surprisingly saw that it was called the Barack Obama Plaza. And this statue was out front.

It turns out the tiny hamlet of Moneygall is where Obama's great-great-great-grandfather is from. This was discovered in 2010 and he visited in 2011. We saw the ancestral home and the pub where he drank a Guiness.

But on to more planned side trips. The next one to Rock of Dunamase which I know from the RomCom "Leap Year". I was excited to see it even though I knew there was some movie magic making it look a little different than in real life. Laura hasn't seen all the RomComs I have so she was just along for the ride on this one!

But wow, it was a fun stop! There was one other car in the parking lot and we saw two ladies up ahead of us, exploring. We heard one of the men by their car asking, "So what movie is this from?" I'm not alone in my RomCom love!

Approaching from the road. This castle was built in the 9th c by the Normans.

The Rock sits up a hill. Laura took off with me close behind.

And from the movie below. Matthew Goode and Amy Adams walking in the same spot :)

This little church was at the base of the walk up to Rock of Dunamase. The bells were ringing 12:00. Just a beautiful side trip.

After our Covid tests (negative!) we headed to the island of Howth right outside Dublin. It was highly recommended that we check out the castle there. Howth is a little seaside town and just gorgeous. I could easily spend more time there.

But first, at the base of the hill was St. Mary's church. We stopped to check it out. There were ladies there arranging flowers. The church was getting a new vicar that day!

And then on to Howth Castle. I recognized it immediately from a Hallmark movie I saw the night before our trip. It's called "As Luck Would Have It" and stars the actor who plays Tom in "Downton Abbey" and the actress from "Sweet Magnolias".

What a surprise! It was a pretty day. The grounds behind us included an area large enough for a circus - we know that because the circus was setting up. My guess is later that weekend this area would be too busy for a couple of tourists looking at castles.

On to Dublin, which was somewhat of a shock. There was no way to easily drive in Dublin. During Covid when everyone was indoors the city took the outer lanes on every city road and converted them to bike paths. So all the traffic now has to go down 2 lanes instead of 4, and all roads were turned into one ways. It was congested and not easy to navigate. We parked at the hotel and walked the entire city instead. It was a Wednesday evening and Dublin was hopping. It was fun to see how lively the city is. We walked from about 5-9 p.m. and felt safe the entire time, and exhausted when we got back to our hotel. But we saw the exteriors of all the landmarks we wanted to see. Before our flight the next day, we toured the interiors of Christ Church Cathedral, St. Patrick's Cathedral, and Trinity College where the Book of Kells is housed. Here are a bunch of Dublin photos to wrap up a glorious holiday!

Christ Church Cathedral