Catchup on 2 Days in Ireland

 Oh Patient Reader,

I’ll start with “I’ve been busy.”  And finish with…this could be War and Peace.  But I’ll cutdown A LOT. 

Monday evening we had gnoshes for dinner, then breakfast “in” Tuesday.  While TK and DBrolaw went off to play golf (they raved about the course at Tralee, which I guess has 14 holes on the water), the rest of us went to see the local sites.  The most impressive was Carrifagoyle Castle, which dates to before the English Civil War, and was big in a battle with the Spanish in the 1580s.  

I’ll go with this photo. 

For cardio purposes, you could climb to the top of the tower.  Though it was rainy and there was a goodly amount of bird poop. 

We thought our next stop was the “Cliffs of Donblah”, but Google (this could be recurring) went wrong and we were supposed to turn into a gated path.  We went around in a circle, with Butch navigating from a different angle, but we were as much as blocked when we stopped for a guy with a wheelbarrow.  We asked where we could see the cliffs and he gave us “go back to the road, turn right, then turn right, not at the first road, but the second one, then you pass the barn and get to the top of the road…”. In the end, we found it. 

Back to the house. Dressed.  To the golf course.

We will not talk about yesterday’s golf.  The second course at Ballybunion, the Cashen, is the “member’s course”, with an uneven reputation.  It tore us up like we were chumps.  Lots of shots you didn’t know where to hit; they had a white rock sitting on the line you were supposed to aim at.  The discussion on the way back to the house was how many balls did you lose and how many shots I hit gripping up the shaft on my club (the answer is “a lot”).  

Dinner was ready when we got back, late (like 9),  boulagnese.  For jarred, it tasted pretty good. 

Then we hit pub #3 in Ballylongford.  No one is automatic yet on the Guinness challenge.  The bartender at the O’Connor was nice enough (we were the only ones in there), but we ended up with our final drink back in Kennelly’s, Monday’s joint.  Butch told multiple jokes, non safe for work, and we went home. 

Margaret, our estate manager, was by both before sundown and then again this morning.  Margaret was very chatty and very funny.  This morning we negotiated on her review. 😁

Then off to Limerick, which was on the way, if you went the long way (there’s a ferry near Ballylongford that would cut over an hour off the trip).  First we stopped at King John’s Castle (built obviously in the 13th c), the cathedral, which was built in the 1860s but has the highest spire in Ireland.  Pics. 

 From Limerick, all the guides say to stop at Bunratty Castle.  (We had lunch at a chain pub in front of the complex)  It’s a rebuilt medieval village, thatch roofs and all.  The tower dates to the 15th c. 

No matter how touristy, it was a fun experience.  

Then on the road to Doolin (north of  Lahinch, where golf will be played Friday). 

Your first driving in Ireland story.  I misread Google maps and made left hand turn so sharp, I jumped over the curb with my back wheels.  !!! To get back, Google took me down a road…when I made the turn I knew it wasn’t going to be good. It was a tiny road.  Barely one car wide.  

At one point we got stuck in a layby with a car in front of me and a car came up behind me, but the two cars coming at us were stuck.  Here’s a video by Mrs DBrolaw. 

This house is the bomb.  It is a converted cottage with flagstones on the floor, a loft, four rooms with en suite bathrooms (unusual) a double sided fireplace with peat supplied for fires…I could go on and on. 

And it sits where you can almost see the Cliff of Mohar, the biggest tour sight in this part of Ireland.  If you wonder what they are about…here you go. 

If you’re reading for jokes, here’s the one Butch told last night that the bartender said was a keeper. 

Sally was famous in the nursing home for being inappropriate.   One day she went out without any underwear and then went through the dining room flashing everyone with her skirt up and down (Butch did it standing with visual effects) saying “Super pussy, super pussy, super pussy.”   The one guy said to the aide, “I’ll take the soup.”  

Three more days.  

Oh and for food porn: 

This was one of the desserts at our potpourri Monday.  It was decided it was deconstructed Irish apple crumble. 

Tuesday night we had Irish spaghetti.  Don’t ask me why.