We arrived in Dublin and this time we were collected from the airport! We got to our hotel and met the tour guide, a pleasant woman called Geraldine. She immediately organised for us to go on a bit of a tour around the city before having dinner on a canal boat on one of Dublin's canals. Unfortunately it was so rushed that I forgot to take the camera, so no pics I'm afraid.
We set off on Monday morning for the town of New Ross where there is a memorial to JFK (his family was from this area), and a replica of one of the emigrant boats that sailed to Canada and the US during and after the potato famine of the 1840's. It was a terrible time for the Irish peasants and migration to unknown places on ships that were known as coffin ships was better than starving to death in Ireland.
They used actors to show how awful it was to sail in steerage for 6 weeks, kept below decks for 23 and a half hours a day, live on weevil infested bread and share a 'bunk' with 6 or 7 others. You could only bring the clothes you wore and perhaps a pot or pan. Nothing else. Very scary. It made us think of GG's grandma who sailed for Australia in the 1860's, returned to Scotland and sailed back to Australia again. That trip would've taken about 3 months each way!
We then drove to the town of Waterford where we had lunch and visited the Waterford factory. They showed us the really classy stuff, then took us into the factory to watch the craftsmen making it and then into the showroom so we could buy some. GG and I didn't buy anything you'll be pleased to hear.
It was amazing. We left Waterford on Tuesday and drove to Blarney Castle. It was a very pretty drive, but the weather was very changeable. Warm sunshine, heavy rain and back again. We climbed the very narrow stairs to get up to the top of the castle in order to kiss the Blarney Stone, but as we arrived at the top the heavens opened up and it bucketed down! We did not end up on our backs being held by the ankles to kiss the Stone. It was too wet! Many people did however. There is even a professional photographer to take your photo a la roller coaster style - only 10 euros. We blew the sone a kiss instead. In the castle grounds the trees had been decorated with knitted stockings. They were very pretty.
We drove on to Killarney and checked into the hotel. After dinner and a good night's sleep we left for our haunting cart ride through the National Park. It was lovely but the bad weather had really settled in and it poured.
We then got on a very nice covered in boat for a trip around the lake. It was so wet it was hard to see much.
After the boat trip we got back on the bus for our trip on the Ring of Kerry. A road trip that goes around the peninsula to the Atlantic Ocean and back. Sadly the weather was so wet that much of the trip was in poor visibility. We went through the village of Killorglin where they crown a goat King Puck at their festival. This festival happens next weekend so we saw lots of the preparations.
We drove on and headed to the Atlantic coast. We stopped in Waterville where Charlie Chaplin spent some time. Apparently two of his daughters still live here and run a Chaplin festival each year.
We then began the drive back to Killarney. The roads were very narrow and wet and our bus driver did a great job getting us back.
Back to the hotel and guess what, the rain has stopped and the sun is out. Irish weather!!! Tomorrow we are off to Limerick.
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