Ireland

My trip to Ireland took me back in time, to experience the lives of my ancestors, who left this beautiful island 200 years ago to voyage to Australia and New Zealand. In Ireland, I encountered more colors of green than imaginable, along with historic castles, dramatic landscapes, authentic pubs, and proud happy people.

GETTING THERE

Most travelers arrive in the Republic of Ireland at Dublin Airport DUB, on direct flights from across the USA and Europe. From the airport, short flights and an efficient network of coaches go to other parts of the country, and also to Northern Ireland, which was part of the United Kingdom.

AMAZING EXCURSIONS

Dublin had the River Liffey running through it, dividing the charming capital city. Both sides of the river were lined with old and new hotels, lively Irish pubs, and many restaurants selling Irish meals like crunchy fish & chips, savory Irish Stew, and delicious Shepard's Pie. The iconic St. Patrick's Cathedral was open to visitors and it was spectacular inside with ancient artifacts, works of art, and stained glass windows . Not far away, the Guinness Storehouse, also offered popular tours of the successful brewery.

I took a coach down to County Cork, closer to the seat of my ancestors, the Donovan's. The countryside was stunning hues of greens, with gentle rolling hills, scenic mountains, fields of vegetable crops, grazing cattle and flocks of sheep. I didn't see many fences, instead there were hedges, so the view of green was endless.

Cork had two waterways of the River Lee running through it, cobbled streets, plenty of Irish pubs, and a large historic University. The famous Blarney Castle and my ancestral Castle Donovan were nearby. Blarney Castle was a well preserved medieval fortress, with gardens, grottos, and the Blarney Stone. The Stone was at the top of the castle, and the legend said I had to hang upside down and kiss it, to get the gift of gab and ability to speak eloquently. Of course I did it, despite the vertigo of leaning upside down at such a height!

I also journeyed to Castle Donovan, hiking high up in the hills near Drimoleague, then along a stream and past grazing cows. At one point the cows glared at me, and moved closer as if to say 'hey what the heck are you doing here?' I got out of there as fast as I could, and made it to the remnants of the Castle Donovan Tower. It was bombed by the British in the 1600's and was now a National Monument of Ireland.

I also traveled north, on a coach to Belfast in Northern Ireland. The first surprise was euros were no longer accepted, and I needed to find an ATM to get British Pounds. The shoreline along the city center paid homage to the Titanic, which was built there more than 100 years ago, and included a museum. The city itself was home to St. George's Market, which has survived since the 1800's Victorian times. Vendors at the huge market sold antiques, collectibles, arts and crafts, and homemade meals of all types. It was difficult to decide what to eat, and I ended up trying a lot of different foods, but my favorite was pasta with a sauce made from a large wheel of cheese!

My travel to Ireland was deeply personal, because of my Irish heritage, but also it made be very proud to see how people from this small fascinating island influenced the world, spreading St. Patrick's Day festivals, Irish Pubs, Guinness Beer, and Irish Music from their homeland to many other countries.