Ireland
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| Blarney Castle |
This trip was a real
quickie -- Roger and 3 of his cronies were in a golf tournament at the Old Head
in Kinsale, Ireland so we went for a long weekend. The guys decided that it
would be most expedient to hire a car and driver rather than trying to manage
the combination of pubs and driving on the wrong side of the road, so while they
were on the golf course, I had said car and driver all to myself. My idea of
heaven! Every remote cairn, pillar stone, dolmen, stone ring, and ancient fort
in Counties Cork and Kerry were within my grasp, and I think I managed to see
them all. Unfortunately, these do not tend to be tourist meccas, so I often
found myself tramping through pastures full of cows or sheep to obtain my
objective. Need I mention that Gary (the driver) thought I was nuts?
It takes a long time to
get from point A to point B in Ireland, as their idea of a super highway
consists of a 2 lane road with shoulders. Hence, my striking distance had a
fairly short radius centered on Kinsale, a very scenic town with a beautiful
harbor (main industries: tourism and fishing) on the south coast. In my
wanderings, we passed through many such small towns and villages, each
absolutely charming. Several sported signs proclaiming proudly that they had won
a "Tidy Town Award." A few stone buildings (city halls, churches) from Norman
times or slightly later dominate the towns, while the stores and houses are
painted an extravagant array of colors that anywhere else would be garish
(Turquoise! Hot pink! Scarlet! Kelly green! All with contrasting trim and huge
hanging baskets and window boxes of brightly colored flowers). The countryside
is lush pastureland, full of cows and sheep, pastures separated from each other
by hedgerows. We were there when the fuchsia was in full bloom -- I've never
seen anything like it. Entire hedges, 10 feet tall, of fuchsia. Scattered
throughout the land are the odd manor house, ruined castle, rustic cottage, and
trim farm. We drove the Ring of Kerry one day -- breathtaking scenery of
mountains and bays. (Oh happy quaintness -- I saw people cutting turf for fuel!)
And yes, I went to Blarney Castle and kissed the Blarney Stone.
I visited several
museums, each of which consisted of about 2 actual artifacts, a multi-media
show, a lot of posters, and a recreation ("Feel what it's like to be on a coffin
ship!"). By the end of my trip, I discovered that quite by happenstance I'd made
a Michael Collins pilgrimage -- I'd seen his birthplace, 3 houses he'd lived in,
his school, and the site of his ambush, all because they were just a short bit
off the road.
I also toured
extensively (Twice! Once in rain and once in sunshine) the Old Head. What an incredible golf course. Almost
makes me wish I could play. It's on a spit of land jutting into the ocean and
has everything from a working 1853 lighthouse, 2 ruined lighthouses (18th and
17th centuries), Norman fortifications, and a pirate cove to a bird sanctuary
comprising a number of caves, one of which tunnels right through the neck of
land connecting the Old Head to the main land. Every hole has a water view, one
more breath-taking than the last. No wonder Roger loves to play there. I will
not mention how the tournament itself went...
Mimi Santini-Ritt
2003