The Final Stretch part 3, Ireland
For our final country of the trip we visited Ireland. A repeat for Ben and me, but a first for the kids and a great way to trace some of their Irish roots on Ben’s mom’s side.
Ben’s friend Charles joined us in Dublin and added a great dynamic to our traveling troop. He’s joining the State Departments Diplomatic corps in September and was a wealth of fascinating stories and insights for the kids (and adults).
Up first, the Irish Whiskey Museum (because, priorities ), then Trinity College and the Book of Kells, an illuminated manuscript Gospel book in Latin, containing the four Gospels of the New Testament together with various prefatory texts and tables, believed to have been created c. 800 AD! Then the potato famine memorial and the Irish Emigration Museum. Ben’s mom’s dad (the Fallon line - possibly related to Jimmy Fallon!) emigrated to Canada and then the US during the 1840s because of the famine.
We wrapped our time in Dublin with a Literary Pub Crawl (for the adults), which was great fun. Then, the National Leprechaun Museum to learn about the folklore and magic of Ireland.
We then made our way out of Ireland to Kinnitty Castle, our home for two nights. Staying in a castle was top of my bucket list and it did not disappoint! The place was beautiful and has been in existence since 1209!!! The history is incredible and the rooms and spaces were gorgeous. Sophia and I did a horseback ride through the trails behind the castle. From fairy walks to dinners in the dungeon, we loved every minute.
Our final Airbnb of the trip was in Kilsheelan, just outside Cork County. This was the perfect spot for us to enjoy the Irish countryside and famed castles like Blarney, home of the famous Blayney Stone. “The Blarney Stone is a block of limestone built into the battlements of Blarney Castle, about 8 kilometers (5 miles) from Cork, Ireland.
According to legend, kissing the stone endows the kisser with the gift of the gab (great eloquence or skill at flattery). The stone was set into a tower of the castle in 1446…Blarney is something more than mere flattery. It is flattery sweetened by humor and flavored by wit.” Clearly we all need more of that. Well, except Paul and Maddie who decided they were eloquent enough.
The castle remains are stunning and provide a fantastic insight to life in the medieval times. We had true Irish weather for our visit (cool misty rain), but it did not dampen our spirits!
Knowing that we were coming to Ireland and planning to be near Cork, we had picked up a postcard from the Galapagos Post Office Barrel to hand deliver (we mentioned this in our blog). Basically sailors and whalers throughout time have been using a barrel left on Floreana as a makeshift post office using a stamp less system of sending mail around the world. Sailors would leave letters for loved ones in the barrel and check letters left by others to see if any were bound for an upcoming destination. If they found one intended for where they were headed, they would take it with them and deliver it. Tourists now do the same thing!
So, while we left several postcards there for friends and family, we also picked up several to deliver ourselves. The first was in Cork, Ireland. The post card didn’t have a house number and the street didn’t come up on google so we stopped at a house on a nearby road and asked if they knew the name and they did! They directed us right to the home. The family was so shocked with our story. The post card was sent by their daughter’s friend who had been to the Galapagos in June of this year. So, in about a month and a half’s time her post made it! Not too bad! We have three more letters to deliver in West Hartford and Wethersfield, CT! So fun!
Last two days in Ireland were spent relaxing and enjoying the cool weather, beautiful scenery, and time as a family with no distractions or demands for our time (something we will surely miss as we return to work and school).
On our way back to Dublin we stopped in Kilkenny and visited the castle there, as well as a great Pub named for the first woman burned at the stake in Ireland in 1324 for heresy. Her name was Petronella de Meath and her mistress was accused of witchcraft when 4 of her husbands died of unknown causes. The mistress fled and Petronella was charged in her place. Despite the grim story, the food and ambiance were great!
Our other stop was to IKEA for a special gift Ava had to get for our neighbor, Lucy. With the Djungleskog (don’t ask) acquired, Ava informed us we could now leave for home.
Unfortunately, Ava got a horrible case of food poisoning and spent the whole night and morning throwing up. We were so nervous she wouldn’t be able to fly, but she luckily got it out of her system and just slept most of the way back to the US.
