Travel changes you. As you move through this life and this world you change things slightly, you leave marks behind, however small. And in return, life-and travel-leaves marks on you.
The day following the last day of the Great Southern Tour was a day for goodbyes but also a hello. My sisters went to the airport to head home but I wasn't finished with Ireland yet. (Is anyone ever finished with Ireland?) While we were enjoying Glendalough and the Wicklow Mountains, my SIL (M) was on an airplane headed to Dublin. We had just a few minutes all together, and then my sisters left the hotel.
One quick selfie before we split up
We had a whole day before our next adventure began, so we had some choices: stay in Dublin and rest, or head north to Howth or south to Dún Laoghaire? I left it up to my SIL since I was acclimated to the time and she had only arrived. She was a real trooper and suggested we go in search of some fish & chips in Howth.
We managed the train without too many problems. The train station was a short walk from our hotel but once we arrived we had a little difficulty figuring out how to buy a ticket. We figured it out, but then the turnstile wouldn't take them. Apparently, on the weekends you can ride the train out of Dublin for free but have to pay to return. (I'm not sure if that's true, but we got on the train without anyone asking for a ticket.)
Once we got there, we strolled around the port area. It was fairly busy and windy, so we just took our time and enjoyed being there. I was told that Howth is the place to get the best fish & chips, so I stopped a local and asked for a recommendation. We were a few minutes too early for fish & chips, so I opted for a cheese toasty.
This was the place recommended to us. While I didn't have the fish & chips, the food was still good.
Map of Howth
Howth Harbor Lighthouse was built in the 19th century and was in use until 1982.
From the pier looking back at the town
Howth has been a fishing port since the 14th century.
1 of 3 wood statues by Richie Clarke
Another wood statue on the side of the hill by Richie Clarke
The 3rd wood statue by Richie Clarke depicts the dragon head bow of a ship
The ruins of St. Mary's Abbey. Unfortunately, we didn't make it to walk around.
Not even 24 hours together, we were at the Guarda Station.
The last picture should be explained. I needed to use the ATM but when we found one, someone's card was still in the slot. We popped into the tourist office and she suggested we turn it in at the Guarda Station. Hopefully, it got back to the owner.
Howth was a good day trip out of Dublin. Personally, I'm not a huge fan of Dublin. I prefer to get out of the big cities into the small towns and villages. Howth is definitely a place I would love to return to. There is a Cliff Path that supposedly has some amazing views and I would like to get a closer look at the ruins of the Abbey.
We had dinner back at the hotel and then went to our room. It was an early night because we had to be up and ready to leave the next morning. Northern Ireland and new adventures await!
As the Great Southern Tour neared the end, we still had a few things to take in. Our first stop was New Ross where we shook hands with JFK at the JFK Memorial (his family was from there) and visited the Dunbrody Famine Ship. The actors were excellent and quick on their feet with responses to questions asked of them and questions they asked.
Shaking hands with JFK
The Dunbrody Famine Ship
The Eternal Emigrant Flame is from the flame at JFK's grave in Arlington, VA.
The wooden statues around the country were incredible.
Jerpoint Park was an interesting stop. The couple who purchased the property were surprised when they were called to a meeting with the historical society. They were told at this meeting that there is a "lost city" on the property and they would not be able to farm most of it as they had originally planned. On the property were not only the remains of a church but also (what is believed to be) relics of St. Nicholas buried there. They were asked if they would be willing to open the property to the public, and Maeve embraced the history of the property.
A view of the Lost City
The church was covered in ivy when the couple purchased the property. They had no idea what they bought!
Buried under the stone are what are believed to be St. Nicholas's relics.
We had the rest of the day to explore Kilkenny. This is another place you don't want to miss when you're in Ireland! This was my first visit to Kilkenny but it is definitely a place I'd love to revisit. Before we arrived in Ireland, I did a little bit of research and Kyteler's Inn popped up as an interesting place so I knew right away where I had to go in Kilkenny. Alice Kyteler was accused and convicted of being a witch after her 4th husband became ill and mysteriously died after changing his will so Alice and her son would be beneficiaries. Her first 3 husbands, who were wealthy, all mysteriously died. Her former brother-in-law helped her escape to England; no further information on Alice is available. She was the first owner of Kyteler's Inn, which is now a pub. We had lunch there, and the atmosphere and food was fantastic. The upstairs bar is said to be haunted by Alice Kyteler.
3 of my sisters & I with "Alice"
The inside has been renovated to appear authentic.
Kytelers Inn, Kilkenny
We opted to skip going into Kilkenny Castle, but 2 of the ladies went in and said it was incredible. We took some time and visited The Castle Yard; shops with some local artists in what used to be the stables. We didn't see any of the tradesmen at work but apparently, at certain times this is available.
Kilkenny Castle: Alice Kyteler was held in the dungeon during her trial
The Castle Yard used to be the stables but is now a place for artisans to showcase their products.
Our guide told us about St. Canice's Cathedral...the best view of Kilkenny is from the top of the Round Tower. The kicker is that you have to climb a ladder to the very top after walking a ton of steps. That didn't sound very appealing to the 4 of us, but one of the other ladies accepted the challenge. She said the ladder wasn't really a "ladder" like we were thinking. As far as the views of Kilkenny, I can't confirm or deny, but she gave us the impression that it was worth it.
Since I didn't go to St. Canice's, 1 of my sisters & I found St. Mary's Cathedral. This was after talking with a group of school girls who were walking home from school. We asked them about another group of girls who were wearing different uniforms and were treated with a brief lesson on the schools. After a walk slightly out of the center of town and up a hill, we arrived.
St. Mary's Cathedral is a relatively "new" church (dedicated in 1857)
Looking down into the Baptismal Font
Beautiful stained glass
I loved the shamrocks in the stairrail
Our last hotel on the tour was the Pembroke Hotel, but I honestly can't say anything about it so it must have been just okay. Our last day started at Rathgall: a rock fortress that had 4 walls: the outer wall was for animals, it is believed that the next wall had water, similar to a moat.
Activity from the Bronze Age has been proven at this site.
The Sheepdog Demo is a must when touring Ireland. Had I known about it on a previous trip, I would have made sure to see one. It was so interesting to watch the dog in action. But before we watched the dog work, I got to do this:
It was fascinating to watch the dog in action
Before we stopped for lunch, we stopped at a car park in the Wicklow Mountains. It took me a minute, but then I realized that I knew this place. I knew it because this was where Robert & I spent the last night with our rented campervan. Our guide had no way of knowing, it was sheer coincidence (or as I say, a "Godwink").
The view from the carpark, very near where Robert & I spent the night.
Our last stop was Glendalough. Robert & I stopped there in 2022 and we had plenty of time to walk down to the lake and just take our time. This time, I wandered through the monastic settlement and enjoyed just being there. Last time I missed the Gateway that was the boundary of the sanctuary. I made sure I found it this time.
I still couldn't lock my fingers around St. Kevin's Cross, so no wishes were granted this time!
The double arch of the Gateway
The plaque explaining the Gateway
A stone with a cross etched in it (as described in the picture above)
The grounds are so beautiful; I can't get enough of this place. If you're looking for a quiet place to reflect, this is definitely the place.
That was it for the Great Southern 6-day Tour with Vagabond Tours. The time went way too quickly. Denise, our "Vagaguide" was just amazing. Her knowledge and ability to tell history while keeping our interest is definitely a talent. The food was great, the Guinness & Jameson was outstanding, and the hotels where we stayed were better than I expected.
We were dropped off at our starting place to catch a cab to a hotel near the airport since my sisters were leaving the next day. Our time together came to an end. We couldn't have asked for a better time or a better group to travel with. It was almost as if we had the whole tour to ourselves; midway through the tour, the other 2 ladies were honorary sisters!
So...what's next? I still had 1 more week in Ireland! Keep watching the blog for more updates.
The first half of the week flew by. I wanted things to slow down! Waterford. Oh, my, how I loved Waterford! The history, the beauty, the pubs! I would highly recommend the Walking Tour of Viking Triangle to get a quick history of the town, although Denise (our "Vagaguide") did a great job with the history on our drive.
The "Murder Hole" in the City Wall
The City Wall
The building where the current Irish Flag was first flown.
The City Wall is marked throughout the town
Wooden sword in Viking Triangle. The sword is in the Guinness Book of World Records.
Strongbow and Aoife. Strongbow attacked Waterford in 1170; he and Aoife were married shortly after. The marriage changed the course of Irish history with the invasion of the Normans.
Where We Stayed
This was our only time that we stayed 2 nights in the same hotel. The Tower Hotel was wonderful. Again, we had big rooms and nice bathrooms. One thing about the bathtubs: You have to step in quite a ways to get in. One of my sisters almost had a fall getting out of the bathtub one morning. The reason for the tubs being high: The plumbing is under the tub as opposed to in the walls and floors like they are in the US. This makes the pipes easier to reach for repair.
Back to the hotel: The location was perfect, right on the water with Reginald's Tower across the street. It was very easy to walk to anywhere we wanted to go. The breakfast buffet was amazing. We didn't have a good view this time, but the view at breakfast more than made up for it.
Breakfast view from The Tower Hotel overlooking the water
Breakfast view from The Tower Hotel looking at Reginald's Tower and Viking Triangle
Where We Ate
The first night we ate at The Reg, which is one of the places recommended to us by Denise. If you look in the picture above you can see the restaurant behind Reginald's Tower. The food was good, but we were a bit disappointed because they seated us right next to a door (and it was chilly). There was a heavy curtain in the doorway to the room we were in, but it didn't help much. The city wall is in the building, which was pretty cool. Their website says they have 6 bars but we didn't walk around.
The City Wall inside of The Reg
The next night one of the ladies picked out Geoff's. It was a short walk from the hotel. The restaurant is large; it seemed like it just kept going and going! Service was slow, but the food was excellent and we had nothing but time. I will definitely search it out the next time I'm in Waterford.
Geoff's
Geoff's
Great atmosphere...even on the ceiling!
A festive walk back to the hotel from Geoff's
Where We Drank
After going to the mall to look for some contact solution and cough drops, one of my sisters & I needed a toilet break. We knew we'd be able to find one in a pub (plus the added bonus of glass/pint). We stumbled upon what is the oldest operating pub in Waterford. J & K Walsh is not the oldest pub, but that one was undergoing renovations so it's not operating. What a find! The charm, the history, the snug! We enjoyed the ambiance and the conversation. These pubs are the best: the ones you stumble upon!
Original bottles. The clay ones that are on its sides (straight on) were used to mix the spirits.
The backroom used to be a barber shop.
Great conversation with a local and the barmaid.
The Snug
Inside the snug. A friendly Irishman told us to get in there so he could take our picture.
The pass through in the Snug
View of the pub from the front door
The other pub we visited is around the corner from the hotel. TIP: Don't go to a pub on the main street. Find one on a side street. That's where you'll find locals and the best conversation! Another one of my sisters & I were looking for some "Trad" music and found just what we were looking for at Katty Barry's. As soon as we walked in we were told that this was where you get the best Guinness in Waterford. We had some drinks and listened to some locals playing. We stayed for a few songs and then decided we'd better go hit the hay.
We found authentic "Trad" music
What We Did
The day after we arrived we were scheduled to go to Hook Peninsula. This was what I was waiting for. Tintern Abbey was Robert's favorite place, but the Hook Lighthouse really brought back memories. Neither place was crowded; I'm not sure if it was because we were there during the shoulder season or if it's just that not too many people realize what an amazing place that Peninsula is.
Tintern Abbey's story is amazing. Just to recap: William Marshal sailed from England in 1200. He ran into a horrible storm and feared for his life. He promised God that he would found an abbey wherever he landed. He married Isabella de Clare (Strongbow & Aoife's daughter). The Abbey was converted to a residence in 1575 where it remained until 1959.
Tintern Abbey through the Battlement Bridge
Wall leading from the Bridge to the Church
Gravestones in the church cemetery
The wall and Battlement Bridge
The Abbey
The Ceiling
The details can still be seen
Detail on the arch
Inside the Abbey. You can see where the three additional floors were
Gargoyles on the outside of the Abbey
The Hook Lighthouse was just as spectacular as it was last time. Maybe even more so because it was an extremely windy day. The waves were crashing, and our guide told us that just a couple of days before, there was water all the way to the lighthouse.
The cafe is a great place to get some seafood chowder to help you warm up. And the views are breathtaking:
The Graveyard of 1000 ships
The Hook Lighthouse is the oldest intact operational lighthouse in the world. In the 5th century monks used lanterns on the shore to warn ships of the land. William Marshal built the first lighthouse in the 13th century. It is very much worth the time to go out of your way to see both Tintern Abbey and the lighthouse.
One of my sisters opted to spend the day exploring Waterford. When we returned to town, another sister wanted to tour the House of Waterford Crystal. (She highly recommends it.) Another sister & I were interested in a new museum in town: The Irish Wake Museum but it wasn't open the day we were there. We walked around for a bit and then went back to the hotel. There are plenty of museums in Waterford that look excellent but we had our hearts set on that one.
Waterford deserved its own post. I think every one of us voted Waterford as our favorite place. I'd love to go back and see the things that I missed.
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