Ireland
August 18 - 26, 2005		 Other Albums
 

Our first morning in Dublin was spent at the National Library of Ireland, where Greg did some research on his Irish ancestors. We managed to find some church and census records from the 1790's, which helped us narrow down exactly where they lived at the time. Amy stands next to the Grafton Street statue of Molly Malone, or Greg and the first pint of authentic Guinness in Dublin. Now we're officially in Ireland. Our one We had breakfast the next morning at a boulangerie in downtown Dublin, where Amy continued her sampling of Irish soda bread. This particular batch was a little dry, but a little butter and jam always helps. Outside Trinity College, a sidewalk artist works with chalk and a photo. Luckily for him, this was one of the drier and sunnier days in Dublin. Amy mimics the pose of the statue of the poet Oliver Goldsmith outside the entrance to Trinity College, complete with guidebook.
Leo Burdock's is apparently the place to go for fish and chips in Dublin (celebrities like William Shatner and Frankie Goes to Hollywood can't be wrong). Apparently the secret is to fry them in We took our fish and chips across the street to Christchurch Cathedral and had lunch on the grass. See how the sun glints off the fish, giving it a lardy sheen! Amy begins to have her doubts about being able to eat an entire order of fish and chips, and starts to contemplate a short nap on the grass. That night we went to O'Donoghue's, a pub known for its live music sessions almost every night. The playing that night seemed pretty informal, with various musicians coming and going between songs and a setlist that seemed completely improvised. In researching Greg's ancestors, we found that they leased a tract of land from the Butler family, who were Earls of County Kilkenny. We stopped by Kilkenny Castle, which was the home of the Butler family at the time. Greg walks the grounds of Kilkenny Castle. Amy strikes a royal pose in the courtyard of Kilkenny Castle.
As we were driving to Lisdowney, where Greg's ancestors lived, we happened across the remnants of Ballylarkin Church in the middle of a wheat field. In the US, this 13th-century ruin would be a serious historical monument; here it was deserted except for the cows grazing nearby. With a little roofing work and some central heating, I think we could probably move right in. The scenery here reminded Greg of the area of Ohio where his ancestors emigrated; it was easy to see why they might have chosen that part of the country when they arrived. On the narrow country roads, one of the biggest traffic hazards is the number of cows, sheep and other animals crossing the road. This steer doesn't seem especially worried about moving out of the way. We arrive in Lisdowney. Greg's ancestors emigrated from this small village in the first half of the 19th century; today it consists of a church, a bar, and a few scattered houses. Just outside Lisdowney is St. Bridget's Cemetery, in the parish of Aharney. We were able to find a few Bowe (and Bowes) gravestones, but a lot of the stones were so worn that it was impossible to make out any information. Here we found a gravestone erected by Catherine Bowe for her husband, Thomas Bowe. This was most likely either Greg's great-great-great-great-grandmother, or (more likely) her daughter, both named Catherine.
After leaving the cemetery, we happened to run into a cattle farmer, who told us exactly where to find a plot of land that belonged to Catherine Bowe. When he was young, he remembered people talking about This is roughly the spot where the Bowe house stood around 200 years ago; today it's an open pasture with horses grazing in it. Amy tried feeding the horses, but since the only thing we had to offer was more of the same grass they were already grazing on, they didn't seem too interested. The following day, after driving through a rainy night to arrive in Kenmare, we decided to tour the Ring of Kerry, a scenic drive along the Atlantic coast of County Kerry. We managed to get nice weather, and some of the views were spectacular. As Amy walked up to one scenic overlook and admired the view, she was suddenly (and forcibly) reminded of the people who aren't able to enjoy the scenery. The slot below the sign makes it clear exactly how you're meant to think of the would-be-sightseers. Each year in the town of Killorglin, a mountain goat is captured and enthroned in the middle of the town as King Puck. It's part of a three-day town festival, and the claim is that King Puck is the only remaining king in Ireland. I'm not sure how the captured goat feels about the whole thing. Amy poses in front of the scenic backdrop of the Ring of Kerry. In the background you can see a few hints of sun managing to make it through the clouds.
Another view of the scenery along the Ring of Kerry. When the sun does come out, the green of the landscape is really striking. A view across Dingle Bay toward the Dingle Peninsula. Let's face it, it's just fun to say the word Dingle. Along the Ring of Kerry, we crossed by ferry to Valentia Island, a small island where the first transatlantic telegraph cable to America was located. Besides the great ocean views, we also found a cemetery dedicated to veterans of World War I. One of the many amazing views from Valentia Island toward the Iveragh Peninsula. From here on a clear day you can see the Skellig Rocks, including Skellig Michael with its 7th century monastery. Greg poses against the backdrop of Valentia Island and the Atlantic beyond. Toward the end of the drive around the Ring of Kerry, we visited Staigue Fort, a stone fort in the hills near Killarney. The construction date of the fort is unclear, but historians think it may date back to the first century B.C.
The entrance to the inside of the fort is a narrow stone gate, which may have been intended to keep grazing animals out, or to keep them in where they could be protected from wolves and other predators. From this angle you can see the width of the stone walls of the fort; the entire structure was built without mortar, and there are multiple levels of steps along the inside to allow the people within to climb to the top of the walls. Another view of Staigue Fort, looking down through the valley to the sea below. Car ferries are an important part of transportation in some parts of Ireland. Here Amy scans the high seas as we take a ferry shortcut on the way to Galway. As we drove toward Galway, we stopped at the Cliffs of Moher. This tower (O'Brien's Tower) overlooks the cliffs, and the view was impressive despite the cold and blustery weather. Amy joins a line of people climbing the stairway within O'Brien's Tower...the stairs were wet, slippery and sloped downward, making it a slow climb. The guy standing at the left couldn't possibly look more stereotypically Irish. A view from the top of O'Brien's Tower. Apparently on a clear day you can see the Aran Islands and Galway from here. This was not a clear day.
The tower was built in 1835 by a descendent of Brian Boru, the last High King of Ireland (not counting King Puck). Despite the fences all along the cliffs, many people felt the need to jump to the other side and get as close as possible to the edge. O'Brien's tower at the Cliffs of Moher under a low grey sky. I'm sure that it paints a completely different picture in the sunshine, but it gave a pleasantly moody feeling that day. The little town of Doolin...what you see in the picture is pretty much all there is, but it is famous for two pubs that attract musicians from miles around. If we had had more time, we would have liked to spend a night here. The night we arrived in Galway, the sky finally opened up and it was pouring rain. Undaunted, we headed back out to Moran's Oyster Cottage, a seaside restaurant that is an institution for oysters (with Guinness, naturally). Amy samples the Guinness despite her normal aversion to bubbly/fizzy drinks. The verdict: it really is better when you drink it in its home country.
We tried the fresh local oysters and some grilled oysters with garlic. Both were good, but the fresh ones definitely won out. Bellies full and umbrella in hand, we set out for the hotel again. The next morning we would check out downtown Galway before heading to Connemara. One of our main stops in Galway was in Sheridan's Cheesemongers, a specialty cheese shop. Here Amy poses with our full bag of Irish cheeses, which we would carry with us for the next three days. Connemara was the highlight of the trip for both of us; it's a much wilder and more open space than the southeast of Ireland, and in some places it was practically deserted. A gaelic signpost in Connemara overlooks a field of wildflowers. The name translates to English as it was bound to happen at some point with the rain...driving along the Connemara coast we came upon a double rainbow (only the brighter lower portion shows up here in the photo.) We didn't find a pot of gold (or Lucky Charms) at the end of the rainbow, but when we stopped to take a photo, we did find a new friend, who seemed eager to make himself comfortable and get on the way. We named him Chip.
The last kilometer or so of the drive to our hotel in Clifden ran along Lower Sky Road; we arrived just a couple of hours before sunset and in between rain showers for a great view. With a couple of hours before sunset, we decided to drive along Upper Sky Road, and found what was left of this little stone cottage. Why no one has rebuilt a house overlooking this view is a mystery. Here Greg is clearly contemplating how much it would cost to buy and refurbish it as a vacation cottage. At the top of Upper Sky Road near Clifden, we stopped to wait for sunset. Despite a few heavy but brief showers, the clouds made for a spectacular view. Sunset over the Atlantic, overlooking the Dolphin Beach House where we stayed. The bed-and-breakfast has three dogs; this one is Bailey, who likes to bark a lot. Amy stands on the balcony at the Dolphin Beach House; immediately to the right is the breakfast room, which has a 180-degree view over the bay.
Greg continues his quest to make contact with every body of water we visit; in this case the Atlantic along the inn's private beach. The website for the Dolphin Beach House says that you can pick your own egg for breakfast if you like; we didn't, but we did make a visit to the chickens. Driving through the Twelve Bens mountain range on the way back toward Dublin. The views here were absolutely incredible, and we're hoping to go back and do some hiking in Connemara National Park. One of hundreds of sheep grazing along the roadside in Connemara, complete with colored markings showing the farm where he belongs. A panoramic view of Lough Inagh, as we leave Connemara and head for Dublin. We've covered a lot of ground in just one week, but we're already making plans for the next visit.
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Paris, France
 January 12-18, 2005
Musée Louvre
 January 12, 2005
New Year's Eve 2004
 December 31, 2004
 

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