Another morning where I could have slept longer, I had to get up and lead several members of the group over to Saint George's Market about a twenty minute walk from the hotel. I had coffee in my room before going down for breakfast and they were all waiting for me, ready to go.
When we got to the market, it was overflowing with people. There were vendors selling everything from original oil paintings, bog oak carvings, Celtic jewelry, to fresh produce, fish, meats, and very kind of baked goods you can imagine. Food from all over the world, just amazing. We had coffee and listened to live music. Ate the best Donegal oyster and a bag full of cockles. Tried a few mini Dutch pancakes too. I have never seen the quality of meats on display anywhere in the USA.
We returned to the hotel and twelve of us went to see "An Coleen Bawn", an old Irish melodramatic/comedic piece written in 1860. It was on at the Lyric Theater near Queens University, the theater where both Liam Nelson and Kenneth Branagh got their starts. A beautiful 400 seat space, about half full for the matinee and I knew one of the actors in the production. A lot of fun and fantastic acting and choreography.
It was a leisurely day really, and we got back in time for dinner. Tonight we had salmon roulade or tomato and mozzarella salad, followed by Shepard's Pie and Pasta Carbonara. All quite tasty. Some of the gang went out again tonight, on the town...for me "been there, done that"... We're up early in the morning and heading for Dublin Airport at 9am. Many of the group are returning to Los Angeles tomorrow and several are staying an extra few days and going on trips from Dublin. Looks like all my Ireland family are in Dublin this week and I expect I will see all of them...Brenda, Arthur, Fergus, Raymond and Martin...I'm flying to London for a few days this Thursday to see my sister Sandra and her family. I'm looking forward to seeing everyone before I fly back next Tuesday week.
It's been a very successful tour, I used that term because everybody is still in one piece and we had no mishaps to speak of. I will say that my tours are unique because I design and plan every detail, none of the major tour carriers go to some of the places I bring people.
Until next year, my friends...bon voyage if you're traveling, and think about a trip with me in the future..God speed.....Ken
Saturday, April 28, 2018
Friday, April 27, 2018
April 27th
Continuing,
Nobody would ever attempt or be allowed to enter one of these "social clubs" without being connected or known to members. I have been there several times over the years and the members though, a little wary at first, welcomes the twenty Americans who arrived in on them. Some odd looks were sent our way, but don't forget these people are very wary of anyone they don't know for all the right reasons. Tha same can be said for the other Unionist Protestant side. The group totally enjoyed the mysterious and warm welcome they received and of course there is a bar n the premises and drinks were had by all. BTW Roddy McCorley was hanged on Toomb Bridge, not far from Belfast in 1798 and is remembered as a great hero in folklore and song.
We left after about an hour and this time drove down the Shankhill Road, through the Protestant stronghold and looked at all their murals, many of which memorialized their contribution to both World Wars and the men they sent off to fight in the British Army. There are also murals of their more modern Ulster Volunteer Force members who died in the "Troubles", the UVF, UFF, UDA being Protestant paramilitary forces. Thousands of people, many of whom were innocent, died in he late 60's and 70's and 80's in the conflict.
We arrived back at the hotel in time for dinner tonight which was roast pork loin and a beef stew over rice. Also the usual, new potatoes, green beans, carrots and turnips. We had shrimp cocktail to start.
It was a very long but extremely full and informative day and several still had the stamina left to go out to the Crown Bar built around 1690, the oldest pub in Belfast. Not me, I'm done for the week now, and tomorrow will be a much more relaxing day. Off to the four hundred year old Saint George's Markets for some Venice Beach street performers, swap meet and food court experience...after lunch we are going to see a matinee of an old Irish play "Noreen Ban" written in 1860. A friend of mine has one of the lead roles. 16 of us are going, it's at the Belfast Lyric Theater....catch up with the final blog tomorrow night...
Nobody would ever attempt or be allowed to enter one of these "social clubs" without being connected or known to members. I have been there several times over the years and the members though, a little wary at first, welcomes the twenty Americans who arrived in on them. Some odd looks were sent our way, but don't forget these people are very wary of anyone they don't know for all the right reasons. Tha same can be said for the other Unionist Protestant side. The group totally enjoyed the mysterious and warm welcome they received and of course there is a bar n the premises and drinks were had by all. BTW Roddy McCorley was hanged on Toomb Bridge, not far from Belfast in 1798 and is remembered as a great hero in folklore and song.
We left after about an hour and this time drove down the Shankhill Road, through the Protestant stronghold and looked at all their murals, many of which memorialized their contribution to both World Wars and the men they sent off to fight in the British Army. There are also murals of their more modern Ulster Volunteer Force members who died in the "Troubles", the UVF, UFF, UDA being Protestant paramilitary forces. Thousands of people, many of whom were innocent, died in he late 60's and 70's and 80's in the conflict.
We arrived back at the hotel in time for dinner tonight which was roast pork loin and a beef stew over rice. Also the usual, new potatoes, green beans, carrots and turnips. We had shrimp cocktail to start.
It was a very long but extremely full and informative day and several still had the stamina left to go out to the Crown Bar built around 1690, the oldest pub in Belfast. Not me, I'm done for the week now, and tomorrow will be a much more relaxing day. Off to the four hundred year old Saint George's Markets for some Venice Beach street performers, swap meet and food court experience...after lunch we are going to see a matinee of an old Irish play "Noreen Ban" written in 1860. A friend of mine has one of the lead roles. 16 of us are going, it's at the Belfast Lyric Theater....catch up with the final blog tomorrow night...
April 27th
Our final driving day began this morning after another hearty "Ulster Fry" breakfast. We had a booked time at the Titanic Museum in the old shipyards quarter of Belfast and we arrived early and made our way through the self guided tour for over two hours. I had been twice before but there were some new additional exhibits to the tour including a three dimensional film of the decks from the engine room rising to the 3rd, 2nd and 1st class levels to the open deck. The whole experience was much better than I had remembered and is actually well worth the visit. There were samples of the crockery they had, samples of the carpets and drapes etc, and loads of photos and descriptions from the laying of the keel in the shipyard to her last moments before disappearing beneath the Atlantic Ocean on her maiden voyage..
I had prewarned everyone not to spend their money on the over priced, mediocre cafe inside and instead, we headed uptown to the commercial area around the City Hall. We parked next to the statue of Queen Victoria and split up for lunch. Our driver Paul and I had Subway, yes, in Belfast...actually quite good. As in other parts of Ireland, customers don't bus tables after they eat so the all the tables have previous diners crap all over them...the attendants must only come out occasionally to bus the tables.
We returned to the bus and we met up with our guide for the day, my old friend Mickey Gallagher who has lived in Belfast all his 81 years and has been well connected to the Nationalist side of the "Troubles" all of his life...that would be the Catholic Irish side, enough said. We drove up the Catholic Falls Road and stopped at many of the colorful murals painted expertly on the walls of buildings along the way, of the heros and events that took place over the last 100 years or so in the attempt to unite Ireland. We drove along the Peace Wall which was originally a large fence, like Trump's wall, that divided and kept the Catholics and Protestants apart from each other during the 1970's on up. There is definite talk about removing this wall but not yet as some people might remain vulnerable.
We also visited a monastery church in the area where secret talks were held by both sides prior to the final Good Friday Aggreement in 1998 being sorted out.
We went into Miltown Cemetary and looked at the graves of many IRA volunteers and all the graves of the Hunger Strikers who died in 1981. This, I suggested, is the Arlington National Cemetary for the Nationalist community inter North of Ireland though only about the size of two tennis courts. The Irish Tri Color of Green, White and orange flies proudly to their memories.
What some of our group decided was the most important event of our tour was my final surprise this afternoon. With Mickey's blessing we were allowed into Roddy McCorley's Social Club, a gathering place of mostly former active members of the IRA and the political wing of Sinnfein Fein . The building is a three story freestanding house once owned by family who owned the Belfast Celtic Soccer Club, long since gone by the wayside. The building was refurbished many years ago and opened as "The Roddy's". There is an amazing small museum on the third floor which houses all kinds of memorobelia from guns, to British Army rubber bullets, uniforms, all kinds of wooden items carved in Long Kesh prison etc. Some great old letters and photos.
I had prewarned everyone not to spend their money on the over priced, mediocre cafe inside and instead, we headed uptown to the commercial area around the City Hall. We parked next to the statue of Queen Victoria and split up for lunch. Our driver Paul and I had Subway, yes, in Belfast...actually quite good. As in other parts of Ireland, customers don't bus tables after they eat so the all the tables have previous diners crap all over them...the attendants must only come out occasionally to bus the tables.
We returned to the bus and we met up with our guide for the day, my old friend Mickey Gallagher who has lived in Belfast all his 81 years and has been well connected to the Nationalist side of the "Troubles" all of his life...that would be the Catholic Irish side, enough said. We drove up the Catholic Falls Road and stopped at many of the colorful murals painted expertly on the walls of buildings along the way, of the heros and events that took place over the last 100 years or so in the attempt to unite Ireland. We drove along the Peace Wall which was originally a large fence, like Trump's wall, that divided and kept the Catholics and Protestants apart from each other during the 1970's on up. There is definite talk about removing this wall but not yet as some people might remain vulnerable.
We also visited a monastery church in the area where secret talks were held by both sides prior to the final Good Friday Aggreement in 1998 being sorted out.
We went into Miltown Cemetary and looked at the graves of many IRA volunteers and all the graves of the Hunger Strikers who died in 1981. This, I suggested, is the Arlington National Cemetary for the Nationalist community inter North of Ireland though only about the size of two tennis courts. The Irish Tri Color of Green, White and orange flies proudly to their memories.
What some of our group decided was the most important event of our tour was my final surprise this afternoon. With Mickey's blessing we were allowed into Roddy McCorley's Social Club, a gathering place of mostly former active members of the IRA and the political wing of Sinnfein Fein . The building is a three story freestanding house once owned by family who owned the Belfast Celtic Soccer Club, long since gone by the wayside. The building was refurbished many years ago and opened as "The Roddy's". There is an amazing small museum on the third floor which houses all kinds of memorobelia from guns, to British Army rubber bullets, uniforms, all kinds of wooden items carved in Long Kesh prison etc. Some great old letters and photos.
Thursday, April 26, 2018
April 26th
Another moving day today. This time we were not under any pressure to be some place at a certain time so I told everyone we could have a leisurely breakfast and get on the road around 10am.
I went down and met several of the group in the dining room and we had the porters bring our bags down and loaded on to the bus in good time. I had scrambled eggs, Irish bacon, sausages, fried mushrooms, white pudding and "tatie bread" or potato bread. This is unique to Ulster the North of Ireland province and is made from mashed potato and flour and pan fried, it's thin like pita bread. Something else BTW, a "full Irish breakfast" is known in the North as "An Ulster Fry"..
We left Derry behind and once again a lovely sunny morning opened up for us as we headed east across the Antrim coast. It's actually quite beautiful, the countryside in the north, very different from the wild beauty of the west and south west. We arrived at the Giant's Causeway around noon and everyone except the driver and myself went down to see the hexagonal stone formations for which the causeway is famous. I have not been feeling my best since we arrived, and my concert last night ended with me quite tired vocally and exhausted. I stayed on the bus with Paul while the rest visited the stones and I felt better for it.
When they returned we drove a couple of miles to the town of Bushmills, famous for it's whisky distillery. No whisky for me, just a scone and coffee. After we all had lunch we drove along the Antrim coast to Carrickfergus and stopped to look at the 11th century castle and the statue of King William, who beat King James at the Battle of the Boyne in 1689, and started all this sectarian crap in the North. The Antrim coast is beautiful and at one point you can see Scotland, nineteen miles away.
We arrive at our hotel in Belfast around 5pm and checked in. It's the Holiday Inn City Center and a very good location. I met a guy in the elevator who told me sixty members of "Game of Thrones" crew are staying in the hotel while shooting the final season.
Dinner was interesting...I heard the food was really good here..we had a choice of chicken or lamb, tuned out to be a buffet and it was actually quite good, very Irish style...New potatoes, carrots, turnips and gravy...I thought I left my watch in Derry, I called the hotel, they didn't find it, then I discovered it was on my wrist...I think I need a holiday after the tour...off to the Titanic Museum in the morning, should have good story tomorrow night...Later !
I went down and met several of the group in the dining room and we had the porters bring our bags down and loaded on to the bus in good time. I had scrambled eggs, Irish bacon, sausages, fried mushrooms, white pudding and "tatie bread" or potato bread. This is unique to Ulster the North of Ireland province and is made from mashed potato and flour and pan fried, it's thin like pita bread. Something else BTW, a "full Irish breakfast" is known in the North as "An Ulster Fry"..
We left Derry behind and once again a lovely sunny morning opened up for us as we headed east across the Antrim coast. It's actually quite beautiful, the countryside in the north, very different from the wild beauty of the west and south west. We arrived at the Giant's Causeway around noon and everyone except the driver and myself went down to see the hexagonal stone formations for which the causeway is famous. I have not been feeling my best since we arrived, and my concert last night ended with me quite tired vocally and exhausted. I stayed on the bus with Paul while the rest visited the stones and I felt better for it.
When they returned we drove a couple of miles to the town of Bushmills, famous for it's whisky distillery. No whisky for me, just a scone and coffee. After we all had lunch we drove along the Antrim coast to Carrickfergus and stopped to look at the 11th century castle and the statue of King William, who beat King James at the Battle of the Boyne in 1689, and started all this sectarian crap in the North. The Antrim coast is beautiful and at one point you can see Scotland, nineteen miles away.
We arrive at our hotel in Belfast around 5pm and checked in. It's the Holiday Inn City Center and a very good location. I met a guy in the elevator who told me sixty members of "Game of Thrones" crew are staying in the hotel while shooting the final season.
Dinner was interesting...I heard the food was really good here..we had a choice of chicken or lamb, tuned out to be a buffet and it was actually quite good, very Irish style...New potatoes, carrots, turnips and gravy...I thought I left my watch in Derry, I called the hotel, they didn't find it, then I discovered it was on my wrist...I think I need a holiday after the tour...off to the Titanic Museum in the morning, should have good story tomorrow night...Later !
Wednesday, April 25, 2018
April 25th
Our first morning in Derry began with a guided walking tour of the famous "Derry's Walls" and the Guild Hall area. We met our wonderful tour guide Ronan MacNamara, whose mother is Chinese and father is Irish. He claims to be the only Buddhist in Derry. He gave us great incite into Derry's history, from the Jacobite wars of the 17th century, King James against King William on up to the infamous Blood Sunday massacre in Derry in 1972, which really rocked the North and brought on a civil war between Catholic and Protestant not finding peace until 1998.
We were rained on a couple of times but the sun came through for most of the rest of the day. Our driver Paul and I had discussed a surprise visit to an ancient fort Grianan Aileach in Co. Donegal just across the border from Derry. After an hour break we set out on the bus into Co. Donegal and gave the group a splendid experience that few tourists ever see. Paul told us most busses will not risk the assent and turns but we did. Ken O'Malley goes where nobody else goes.Built between the 6th and 7th century on top of a much older defensive structure, the fort stands at the top of a hill overlooking the counties of Derry, Donegal and Tyrone. You can see for miles in every direction, truly spectacular.
We arrived back to our hotel mid afternoon and some went on another walking tour of the Bogside and the Bloody Sunday history. For myself, I took a rest prior to my impromptu concert in my suite at 6pm. Fourteen of the group showed up with drinks from the bar and I sang and talked for an hour. By then it was time for dinner in the restaurant and catch the second half of Bayern Munich losing to Real Madrid in the Champions League soccer semi final, on the hotel TV. Time to retire and write my blog...catch you all again tomorrow night from Belfast...
Tuesday, April 24, 2018
April 24th
This morning we were all up early, as it was a "moving day". We had our final breakfast at the Nuremore Hotel and the porters had brought down our luggage and loaded it on to our coach. We headed north into the United Kingdom of Great Britain, Northern Ireland where not only the atmosphere changes but so does the currency. No more Euros for now, we are using the Sterling pound.
Once we cross the invisible border, we leave behind kilometers and we are back to miles. We arrived at the Ulster American Folk Museum in Omaha, Co. Tyrone situated on the original property of the Mellon family, as in Carnegie Mellon. Andrew Mellon left this homestead in 1721 and arrived in Pennsylvania with his family. They were poor farmers but his mother recognized his potential, packed him off to school and after becoming a lawyer, he eventually got into the banking business and you know the rest.
It was very interesting, we got to see re-enactments of blacksmiths in a forge, weavers making cloth, shop keepers selling the wares of the periods of the 18th and 19th centuries. At one point we boarded a ship bound for America, saw what the passenger quarters were like and then disembarked onto American soil to see what the Irish emigrants saw when they arrived in the New World. All of the little cottages and work shops had turf fires burning and as our weather was drizzling rain and damp, it could not have been more appreciated.
We had a nice lunch in the museum's cafe and then headed further north into the City of Derry, the second largest city in N. Ireland. We are staying at the City Hotel on the bank of the river Foyle which flows through the city out into the North Atlantic Ocean. The river divides the city and the two communities of Catholics on one side and Protestants on the other. The city has suffered through the "Troubles" which boiled over in the North in the 1960's until th Good Friday Peace Agreement in 1993. There still remains the spectre of sectarianism in the North and we can only hope peace will prevail.
We checked into the hotel and wouldn't you know I was given the Presidential Suite. Finally my state in life has been recognized! We had a nice dinner this evening and about twelve of us went to a local pub to listen to Irish traditional music. I stayed about an hour and came back to my palatial suite to write to you all. Another full day, and everyone has declared they are having a wonderful time.
Tomorrow we have a walking tour of Derry's Walls and some of the interesting and historical sites in the area before I plan a couple of surprises in the afternoon, weather permitting....see you later...time for my bath, massage and peeled grapes, yeh right...
Once we cross the invisible border, we leave behind kilometers and we are back to miles. We arrived at the Ulster American Folk Museum in Omaha, Co. Tyrone situated on the original property of the Mellon family, as in Carnegie Mellon. Andrew Mellon left this homestead in 1721 and arrived in Pennsylvania with his family. They were poor farmers but his mother recognized his potential, packed him off to school and after becoming a lawyer, he eventually got into the banking business and you know the rest.
It was very interesting, we got to see re-enactments of blacksmiths in a forge, weavers making cloth, shop keepers selling the wares of the periods of the 18th and 19th centuries. At one point we boarded a ship bound for America, saw what the passenger quarters were like and then disembarked onto American soil to see what the Irish emigrants saw when they arrived in the New World. All of the little cottages and work shops had turf fires burning and as our weather was drizzling rain and damp, it could not have been more appreciated.
We had a nice lunch in the museum's cafe and then headed further north into the City of Derry, the second largest city in N. Ireland. We are staying at the City Hotel on the bank of the river Foyle which flows through the city out into the North Atlantic Ocean. The river divides the city and the two communities of Catholics on one side and Protestants on the other. The city has suffered through the "Troubles" which boiled over in the North in the 1960's until th Good Friday Peace Agreement in 1993. There still remains the spectre of sectarianism in the North and we can only hope peace will prevail.
We checked into the hotel and wouldn't you know I was given the Presidential Suite. Finally my state in life has been recognized! We had a nice dinner this evening and about twelve of us went to a local pub to listen to Irish traditional music. I stayed about an hour and came back to my palatial suite to write to you all. Another full day, and everyone has declared they are having a wonderful time.
Tomorrow we have a walking tour of Derry's Walls and some of the interesting and historical sites in the area before I plan a couple of surprises in the afternoon, weather permitting....see you later...time for my bath, massage and peeled grapes, yeh right...
April 24th
Toay was what we refe to as a "moving day", getting luggage down from rooms to the bus by the porters and having our last breakfast at the Nuremore Hotel.
Our tour today was to take us north into the United Kingom of Great Britain known as Northern Ireland. For me personally, the world changes as we pass across the border, where for almost twenty five years there has been no barricades, road blocks, police or soldiers manning the crossing points from the Republic into the North. I don't have these feelings when I'm in England, it has to do with the fact that historically, our island of Ireland has been divided and ruled for so long by the Crown of England, but the land belongs to Ireland. The North, since 1921, has been partitioned from the Republic because the ruling class Unionists and their followers refused to be a part of Ireland as one country, hence the name Unionist with the UK.
As many of you know the "Troubles" boiled over in the 1960's and it was not until 1993 that the "Good Friday" Peace Agreement brought a continued peace to this day, that still delicately holds the Catholic and Protestant communities together. Time will still tell.
We arrived at the Ulster American Folk Park in Omaha, Co. Tyrone where we were treated to live demonstrations of Irish life in the 18th and 19th centuries. Why emigration took so many Irish people from all parts of Ireland to the United States in those days. We saw a blacksmith hammer horse shoes into shape, weavers making cloth, shop keepers selling the wares of the time. All of these old homes were on the site of the original Andrew Mellon's, as in Carnegie Mellon, family home.
Our tour today was to take us north into the United Kingom of Great Britain known as Northern Ireland. For me personally, the world changes as we pass across the border, where for almost twenty five years there has been no barricades, road blocks, police or soldiers manning the crossing points from the Republic into the North. I don't have these feelings when I'm in England, it has to do with the fact that historically, our island of Ireland has been divided and ruled for so long by the Crown of England, but the land belongs to Ireland. The North, since 1921, has been partitioned from the Republic because the ruling class Unionists and their followers refused to be a part of Ireland as one country, hence the name Unionist with the UK.
As many of you know the "Troubles" boiled over in the 1960's and it was not until 1993 that the "Good Friday" Peace Agreement brought a continued peace to this day, that still delicately holds the Catholic and Protestant communities together. Time will still tell.
We arrived at the Ulster American Folk Park in Omaha, Co. Tyrone where we were treated to live demonstrations of Irish life in the 18th and 19th centuries. Why emigration took so many Irish people from all parts of Ireland to the United States in those days. We saw a blacksmith hammer horse shoes into shape, weavers making cloth, shop keepers selling the wares of the time. All of these old homes were on the site of the original Andrew Mellon's, as in Carnegie Mellon, family home.
Monday, April 23, 2018
April 23rd
Another early morning started with a delicious breakfast with the group and we boarded our coach and drove to Lough Crew Cairns or burial tombs near Oldcastle, Co. Meath. We had about an hour drive which is why I chose the Nuremore Hotel for it's location in the North Midlands. Our driver, Paul, said I should write a book called "Ken O'Malley's Backroads of Ireland" as I have him driving all over the place.We arrived at Lough Crew House and Gardens and I gave the lady, Noleen, in the cafe 50 Euros to borrow the key for the tomb we were going to visit, sounds like King Tut...that was a deposit to make sure I returned it. She told us to drive up the road about a mile and take the first left turn, which we did and I was quite happy when we were able to drive the bus all the way up to a parking lot. Little did we know that it was a two mile walk up a steep hill to 8oo ft elevation, that's 150 feet higher than Trump Tower in New York, whereupon we arrived at the top of the world in that area. We could see for about fifty miles in every direction. They said you could see seven counties in all directions. The view was amazing and worth the hike, though several of our group did not make the summit.
The cairn is 5000 years old and the surrounding area had mini Stonehenge circles. It was very chilly up there but Ken O'Malley luck held and it did not rain, we were blessed. Only two or three at a time could enter the cairn and the carvings on the stones were clearly visible, it had a very spiritual vibe.
We trecked all the way back down and drove back to the cafe for coffee, scones, fresh whipped crem and local raspberry jam, perfect after the hike. Noleen asked me asked if we wanted to check out the gardens but I told her we had walked enough today....four miles up and back.
We trecked all the way back down and drove back to the cafe for coffee, scones, fresh whipped crem and local raspberry jam, perfect after the hike. Noleen asked me asked if we wanted to check out the gardens but I told her we had walked enough today....four miles up and back.
We got back on the coach and the heavens opened, it started to lash rain, timing is everything. I planned on us spending some time in the old town of Kells about a half hour drive north on the way to the hotel. Some of the group needed to hit the ATM and the Bank for cash. I walked around a bit by myself and everyone else took time out to browse the shops and pubs. I visited an old church where Oliver Cromwell, that bastard who slaughtered the Irish in the mid 17th century, stabled his armies horses in and around that church. There is a round tower dating from the 10th century behind the church and that was quite impressive, still in one piece.
We headed back to the hotel and I believe most of us had a lie down before dinner after our busy day.
Sunday, April 22, 2018
Ken O'Malley Tour 2018
April 22,
Well, here we are in beautiful Ireland again. Our group is twenty people plus our driver Paul, from Westport, Co. Mayo where my father came from. This again, is a land only tour, which means everyone arranges their own airfares and I take care of everything else to do with the trip. Some people arrived a day or two early and several are staying on after our tour finishes at Dublin Airport on Sunday. The good news is....everybody arrived safely and on time.
We met Paul with our luxury coach at the airport and headed north west to Co. Monaghan and the town of Carrickmacross. we are staying the first three nights in an old vintage hotel called the Nuremore Spa Hotel and Country Club, there is an eighteen hole golf course attached to the property. Too bad, I won't have time for a round.
We arrived around 4:30pm and checked into our rooms, then met in the bar for drinks before dinner. Our rooms have beautiful views of the lake and surrounding countryside. I asked for an upgrade and they gave me an executive suite with a butler/valet....just kidding about the butler. It's a lovely hotel. There was a wedding on yesterday and the parade of dresses and hats was very impressive.
We sat for dinner at 7pm and unfortunately, it seemed to take forever and we were all really tired. However, the food absolutely made up for the wait and confit of duck to start, followed by braised local lamb shank and my apple crumble with berries was divine. Most everyone trooped off to be by 10:30, though some of the ladies went into down prowling for young men. I was in bed by 11 and passed out immediately.
April 23
I told everyone last night "8:30 for breakfast and we're out of here for our day trip at 9:45", well that sounded good until we were delayed by one of the group who ended up not joining us after all. We arrived at Trim Castle around 11am and had the full tour. This castle was built by the Norman Lord Hugh DeLacey in 1171 and the third final story was added by his grandson in 1203. It is the largest and one of the first Norman castles built in Ireland and has a very colorful history, from assasinations to sieges and all kinds of mayhem. The group loved it, I will post photos.UIKEYINPUTUPARROW
After Trim we drove to the Hill of Tara, also in Co. Meath where the ancient High Kings were crowned and saw the Stone of Destiny, which supposedly cried out three times if the new King was genuine...it's one of Ireland's most visited sites and includes stories of ancient Pagan history, spiritual ceremonies and more modern 19th century political rallies....best of all it never rained anytime we were visiting the sites. Bright and sunny most of the day.
We headed back to our hotel and arrived about 5:30. Dinner was at 7 and this evening I had a lovely salmon dish with a decadent warm chocolate cake and sauce and ice cream for desert. Tonight I sang songs between courses and finished off with a few after dinner. Jet lag setting in for most of the group so a lot of them retired right away. I met some old friends who popped in from a town about twenty five miles away in Northern Ireland and we stayed up a bit and talked. They lived for a long time in Orange County but retired home about seven years ago.
We've another early start tomorrow, going to the Louth Crew Neolithic burial tombs. I'll catch up tomorrow night....
After Trim we drove to the Hill of Tara, also in Co. Meath where the ancient High Kings were crowned and saw the Stone of Destiny, which supposedly cried out three times if the new King was genuine...it's one of Ireland's most visited sites and includes stories of ancient Pagan history, spiritual ceremonies and more modern 19th century political rallies....best of all it never rained anytime we were visiting the sites. Bright and sunny most of the day.
We headed back to our hotel and arrived about 5:30. Dinner was at 7 and this evening I had a lovely salmon dish with a decadent warm chocolate cake and sauce and ice cream for desert. Tonight I sang songs between courses and finished off with a few after dinner. Jet lag setting in for most of the group so a lot of them retired right away. I met some old friends who popped in from a town about twenty five miles away in Northern Ireland and we stayed up a bit and talked. They lived for a long time in Orange County but retired home about seven years ago.
We've another early start tomorrow, going to the Louth Crew Neolithic burial tombs. I'll catch up tomorrow night....
Monday, April 17, 2017
Monday April 17
The morning started with a smoked salmon and cheddar cheese omelet and all the usual trimmings. I'm writing these blogs since I woke up at 3:30am this morning and could not go back to sleep. I'm downstairs in the quiet of the breakfast room, it's now 6am...the birds are chirping outside but all around this 280 year old house house, nothing is stirring, not even a mouse...only the almost silent tapping of my keyboard.
After our breakfast we headed off again at 9:30 for another very long driving day. I know I pushed Paul, our driver, but he was cool...our first stop was the town of Kinsale, a two hour drive east and south to the coast. Today one of the culinary gems of Ireland but well known for its historic Battle of Kinsale in 1601, the defeat of the Irish clans by the English army ended the old Gaelic era, and began the complete colonization of Ireland by England for the next three hundred or so years. After a very pleasant walkabout we drove to Skibbereen and I shared the sad moments at the Famine graveyard just outside town where there are 9-10,000 unidentified bodies of the Irish dead buried in a space half the size of a football field...or smaller. A saying is written nearby, " Never was the price of bread so cheap, and the price of human life so dear". This Irish holocaust took place between 1845 and 1850, when 1,000,000 people did and 1,000,000 + emigrated because of the Great Hunger, the potato blighted famine, the greatest human disaster of the 19th C.
We drove on to the most south westerly point of Ireland, the Mizen Lighthouse Station, a two hour drive from Skibbereen. I must say, so far, our group has been great for the duration of these last two days' drives... My cousin Stephen O'Sullivan is the manager of the Visitor Center and he was actually one of the last Irish Lights Lighhouse Keepers who worked on the Mizen Lighthouse. His mother's family, the O'Donovans, had worked as lighthouse keepers for generations, and though Stephen was born and raised in London, he got the job as a very young man in the early 70's.
Unfortunately, Stephen was unable to meet our group but much to my amazement his twin sister Anne, flagged down our bus outside the village of Goleen nearby, where their family have lived for generations, I didn't even know she was visiting her own home for Easter, and she boarded the bus asking for me...we have not seen each other in over ten years and our reunion was magic. She and her husband Chris got to meet Rory and they invited us back to stay with them anytime...what a treat.
Now for the real information ... I can only tell you all that the scenery down around the Mizen Lighthouse , Goleen, Barleycove and Glengarrif has got to be the most breath taking in all of Ireland....and I had never ever been there before. Karen, from Long Beach, who initiated the tour as a trip to her immediate family, and welcomed anyone else who wished to join us, had specifically asked to visit Kinsale...this prompted me to visit a lifelong wish, Mizen Head and my God was it worth it...a very long drive down the Bantry Bay peninsula but....beauty beyond my imagination. Everybody, despite the ten hour day tour were so impressed.
We returned to Kenmare in less than two hours and headed into town to grab a bite. Many of us assembled in McCarthy's Pub for a bite...Rory had a delicious local wild salmon dish in a veloute sauce, I had the stuffed leg of pork, unfortunately I think it was probably prepared on Holy Thursday last and reheated last evening. I could have used it to resolve my shoes but you win a few etc...
We came back to the Lodge and I sang for about an hour again by he fire in the parlor and we all retired once again around midnight. As it is now 6:20 am on Tuesday, I'm signing off and will go upstairs to his Lordship's room and see if I can't grab 40 winks ! It's a moving day today, we are packing up and driving north west to the Cliffs of Moher in Clare and on up o Westport for the next three days....catch you all later...
The morning started with a smoked salmon and cheddar cheese omelet and all the usual trimmings. I'm writing these blogs since I woke up at 3:30am this morning and could not go back to sleep. I'm downstairs in the quiet of the breakfast room, it's now 6am...the birds are chirping outside but all around this 280 year old house house, nothing is stirring, not even a mouse...only the almost silent tapping of my keyboard.
After our breakfast we headed off again at 9:30 for another very long driving day. I know I pushed Paul, our driver, but he was cool...our first stop was the town of Kinsale, a two hour drive east and south to the coast. Today one of the culinary gems of Ireland but well known for its historic Battle of Kinsale in 1601, the defeat of the Irish clans by the English army ended the old Gaelic era, and began the complete colonization of Ireland by England for the next three hundred or so years. After a very pleasant walkabout we drove to Skibbereen and I shared the sad moments at the Famine graveyard just outside town where there are 9-10,000 unidentified bodies of the Irish dead buried in a space half the size of a football field...or smaller. A saying is written nearby, " Never was the price of bread so cheap, and the price of human life so dear". This Irish holocaust took place between 1845 and 1850, when 1,000,000 people did and 1,000,000 + emigrated because of the Great Hunger, the potato blighted famine, the greatest human disaster of the 19th C.
We drove on to the most south westerly point of Ireland, the Mizen Lighthouse Station, a two hour drive from Skibbereen. I must say, so far, our group has been great for the duration of these last two days' drives... My cousin Stephen O'Sullivan is the manager of the Visitor Center and he was actually one of the last Irish Lights Lighhouse Keepers who worked on the Mizen Lighthouse. His mother's family, the O'Donovans, had worked as lighthouse keepers for generations, and though Stephen was born and raised in London, he got the job as a very young man in the early 70's.
Unfortunately, Stephen was unable to meet our group but much to my amazement his twin sister Anne, flagged down our bus outside the village of Goleen nearby, where their family have lived for generations, I didn't even know she was visiting her own home for Easter, and she boarded the bus asking for me...we have not seen each other in over ten years and our reunion was magic. She and her husband Chris got to meet Rory and they invited us back to stay with them anytime...what a treat.
Now for the real information ... I can only tell you all that the scenery down around the Mizen Lighthouse , Goleen, Barleycove and Glengarrif has got to be the most breath taking in all of Ireland....and I had never ever been there before. Karen, from Long Beach, who initiated the tour as a trip to her immediate family, and welcomed anyone else who wished to join us, had specifically asked to visit Kinsale...this prompted me to visit a lifelong wish, Mizen Head and my God was it worth it...a very long drive down the Bantry Bay peninsula but....beauty beyond my imagination. Everybody, despite the ten hour day tour were so impressed.
We returned to Kenmare in less than two hours and headed into town to grab a bite. Many of us assembled in McCarthy's Pub for a bite...Rory had a delicious local wild salmon dish in a veloute sauce, I had the stuffed leg of pork, unfortunately I think it was probably prepared on Holy Thursday last and reheated last evening. I could have used it to resolve my shoes but you win a few etc...
We came back to the Lodge and I sang for about an hour again by he fire in the parlor and we all retired once again around midnight. As it is now 6:20 am on Tuesday, I'm signing off and will go upstairs to his Lordship's room and see if I can't grab 40 winks ! It's a moving day today, we are packing up and driving north west to the Cliffs of Moher in Clare and on up o Westport for the next three days....catch you all later...
Sunday April 16
Breakfast, prepared by our hostess Maura and her staff, can only be described as a little bit of Heaven to start the day. Besides the usual hearty Irish fry up breakfast, Maura provides many delicious treats and options. We started with local yogurt, local honey and shaved almonds, followed by, for myself Dover sole on the bone....OMG...Rory had a huge plate of bangers, rashers, puddings and eggs..terrific breads and toast with lashings of tea and coffee...what a start to our day, to be repeated daily..
We left the house at 9:30am and drove to Killarney for Easter Sunday mass at the cathedral, built in the mid 19th C. Less than an hour later the non-believers and heathens joined us back on the bus and we headed off for the Ring of Kerry. No rain at all and the sun broke through several times as the day itself was very mild, about 52 degrees. As always the scenery is splendid and we stopped regularly for photos. Lunch in the charming village of Sneem, pronounced "Schneem" was the best chowder ever...Rory had bought two baguettes with two lovely cheeses for sampling later, at a bakery, and left the bloody stuff in the restaurant behind us...too bad, local cheeses...the food here in Ireland is amazing...a long way from the bacon and cabbage days.. It was a long day and an hour later we were back in Kenmare about 6pm. We had a dinner reservation for everyone at Packy's Restaurant in town, and though a bit pricey was fantastic by everyone's account. Rory had the roasted cod in lemon butter and I had the halibut special, it was as tender as anything and perfectly cooked.
I regaled everyone later with an impromptu concert back at the Lodge for about an hour and all headed for bed just about midnight. I slept the sleep of the Gods...
Breakfast, prepared by our hostess Maura and her staff, can only be described as a little bit of Heaven to start the day. Besides the usual hearty Irish fry up breakfast, Maura provides many delicious treats and options. We started with local yogurt, local honey and shaved almonds, followed by, for myself Dover sole on the bone....OMG...Rory had a huge plate of bangers, rashers, puddings and eggs..terrific breads and toast with lashings of tea and coffee...what a start to our day, to be repeated daily..
We left the house at 9:30am and drove to Killarney for Easter Sunday mass at the cathedral, built in the mid 19th C. Less than an hour later the non-believers and heathens joined us back on the bus and we headed off for the Ring of Kerry. No rain at all and the sun broke through several times as the day itself was very mild, about 52 degrees. As always the scenery is splendid and we stopped regularly for photos. Lunch in the charming village of Sneem, pronounced "Schneem" was the best chowder ever...Rory had bought two baguettes with two lovely cheeses for sampling later, at a bakery, and left the bloody stuff in the restaurant behind us...too bad, local cheeses...the food here in Ireland is amazing...a long way from the bacon and cabbage days.. It was a long day and an hour later we were back in Kenmare about 6pm. We had a dinner reservation for everyone at Packy's Restaurant in town, and though a bit pricey was fantastic by everyone's account. Rory had the roasted cod in lemon butter and I had the halibut special, it was as tender as anything and perfectly cooked.
I regaled everyone later with an impromptu concert back at the Lodge for about an hour and all headed for bed just about midnight. I slept the sleep of the Gods...
Saturday April 15
My trip this year started out with a minor heart attack when I left my very expensive 1919 Gibson A4 mandolin on the sidewalk out side the Aer Lingus terminal at LAX in Los Angeles. My manager Chris had just dropped one of my fellow travelers, Eva, who had flown in the day before from Phoenix, and I at the airport and after hugs and good byes, I walked in to the check in only to receive a phone call and instantly panic realizing my mandolin was not with me. I rushed out and thre was Chris frantically trying or reach me...I thought what a possible nightmare start to the trip...all is well.
Everybody showed up, all fifteen who were flying with me, eight more were making their own way to Dublin from scrawl other different parts of the US. After a long but not too arduous flight, ten hours direct to Dublin everybody met up in Dublin Airport, we met our new driver Paul and off we went. We picked up my son Rory in the city, he had flown over days earlier and had retrieved my Martin guitar which I leave with one of my brothers in Dublin.
We drove south west for four hours to the beautiful town of Kenmare, Co. Kerry for the first three days of our tour and arrived about 7:30pm at our two side by side guest houses. Our principal guesthouse here is the Shelburne Lodge, built in the 1730's for Lord Shelburne who built the town of Kenmare to support his vast estates, he signed the Treaty of Paris ending the US British Revolutionary War and went on to become Prime Minister of England in the 1780's... I believe I have his Lordship's room, naturally....the house is extremely charming and took six years to completely restore by the present owners. Due to our number, several are staying at the equally lovely "The Lodge" next door.
We went up to the nearby Lansdowne Hotel to the the Poets's Bar for a lovely dinner at about 9pm. Rory and I both had incredible "locally raised" lamb shanks... We listened to a bit of traditional music and all retired for the evening.
My trip this year started out with a minor heart attack when I left my very expensive 1919 Gibson A4 mandolin on the sidewalk out side the Aer Lingus terminal at LAX in Los Angeles. My manager Chris had just dropped one of my fellow travelers, Eva, who had flown in the day before from Phoenix, and I at the airport and after hugs and good byes, I walked in to the check in only to receive a phone call and instantly panic realizing my mandolin was not with me. I rushed out and thre was Chris frantically trying or reach me...I thought what a possible nightmare start to the trip...all is well.
Everybody showed up, all fifteen who were flying with me, eight more were making their own way to Dublin from scrawl other different parts of the US. After a long but not too arduous flight, ten hours direct to Dublin everybody met up in Dublin Airport, we met our new driver Paul and off we went. We picked up my son Rory in the city, he had flown over days earlier and had retrieved my Martin guitar which I leave with one of my brothers in Dublin.
We drove south west for four hours to the beautiful town of Kenmare, Co. Kerry for the first three days of our tour and arrived about 7:30pm at our two side by side guest houses. Our principal guesthouse here is the Shelburne Lodge, built in the 1730's for Lord Shelburne who built the town of Kenmare to support his vast estates, he signed the Treaty of Paris ending the US British Revolutionary War and went on to become Prime Minister of England in the 1780's... I believe I have his Lordship's room, naturally....the house is extremely charming and took six years to completely restore by the present owners. Due to our number, several are staying at the equally lovely "The Lodge" next door.
We went up to the nearby Lansdowne Hotel to the the Poets's Bar for a lovely dinner at about 9pm. Rory and I both had incredible "locally raised" lamb shanks... We listened to a bit of traditional music and all retired for the evening.
Monday, April 15, 2013
Our final day in Ireland
I am sitting in my sister Sandra's beautiful home in the borough of Kensington in London and am finally feeling a bit rested after a wonderful tour in Ireland and a great time with all of our fellow travelers.
My morning began with a hotel porter banging on my door looking for our bags, and me answering in my underwear, only to find it was 8:40am and I thought we were leaving at 9..... In a quick panic I called the front desk, furious that I had not received my 7:45 wake up call and then rushed Rory and myself down for breakfast. Most of our group had not received their calls and there were many apologies from the staff.....bottom line, that was the only mishap we had the entire time..
We headed straight across to Dublin and arrived in time for everyone to do any final shopping or touring and Rory and I spent our afternoon doing laundry at my sister Brenda's house.
The plan was that I was to perform for the tour group in the evening with the O'Malley brothers Arthur and Raymond, and my friend Paul O'Tool. Rory and I got a lift back to the hotel in time for a shower and a stroll over to Kennedy's for dinner and the concert.
We played for everyone after dinner and twelve members of my family came to share in the fun. Everybody said it truly was a great finale to a wonderful trip to Ireland.
The wake up call came at 5am for everyone and Rory and I jumped on the bus to the airport as our flight to London was just ahead of the trans Atlantic flight for the group. We thanked our driver John, said our last fair wells and headed off to London....Rory and I are spending a couple of days here with my sister and her family before heading to Paris on the Eurostar train tomorrow. The train leaves London and travels under the English Channel and arrives in the center of Paris just over three hours later.
We will return to Dublin late Thursday night and return to Los Angeles next Sunday....see you all when we get back....we have had the best time and October '14 will be an even more exciting time as I plan to pick the best of the best for our tour destinations....If you haven't joined me on a tour yet, start planning....we have the most interesting, entertaining and informative experience. Look for a few comments in the next couple of weekly bulletins.
In the words of Ireland, "Until we meet again, may God hold you in the hollow of His hand"
My morning began with a hotel porter banging on my door looking for our bags, and me answering in my underwear, only to find it was 8:40am and I thought we were leaving at 9..... In a quick panic I called the front desk, furious that I had not received my 7:45 wake up call and then rushed Rory and myself down for breakfast. Most of our group had not received their calls and there were many apologies from the staff.....bottom line, that was the only mishap we had the entire time..
We headed straight across to Dublin and arrived in time for everyone to do any final shopping or touring and Rory and I spent our afternoon doing laundry at my sister Brenda's house.
The plan was that I was to perform for the tour group in the evening with the O'Malley brothers Arthur and Raymond, and my friend Paul O'Tool. Rory and I got a lift back to the hotel in time for a shower and a stroll over to Kennedy's for dinner and the concert.
We played for everyone after dinner and twelve members of my family came to share in the fun. Everybody said it truly was a great finale to a wonderful trip to Ireland.
The wake up call came at 5am for everyone and Rory and I jumped on the bus to the airport as our flight to London was just ahead of the trans Atlantic flight for the group. We thanked our driver John, said our last fair wells and headed off to London....Rory and I are spending a couple of days here with my sister and her family before heading to Paris on the Eurostar train tomorrow. The train leaves London and travels under the English Channel and arrives in the center of Paris just over three hours later.
We will return to Dublin late Thursday night and return to Los Angeles next Sunday....see you all when we get back....we have had the best time and October '14 will be an even more exciting time as I plan to pick the best of the best for our tour destinations....If you haven't joined me on a tour yet, start planning....we have the most interesting, entertaining and informative experience. Look for a few comments in the next couple of weekly bulletins.
In the words of Ireland, "Until we meet again, may God hold you in the hollow of His hand"
Friday, April 12, 2013
Back to the Republic...
Everyone was up and at breakfast on Thursday morning by 7am and on the road to Donegal by 8. we drove north to Ardera to the Triona weavers. Our group was let loose for some much needed "retail therapy", to quote John our driver, and we were presented with Irish coffees while the cash and plastic was flying for such items as Donegal tweeds and woolens.
After lunching in Donegal town we headed southeast to County Fermanagh and again into the UK, to the home of Beleek china. It was an amazing experience to tour this factory producing the most beautiful Parian china by hand. just watching the pieces being hand painted was exquisite. I even bought something.
We then drove southwest through Co. Leitrim and into Co. Sligo to the Yeates Country and W.B's grave at Drumcliffe Churchyard. His epitaph "Cast a cold eye on life, on death.....Horseman pass by" always found that a bit chilly...after a quick cuppa, we drove to our Sligo Park Hotel. Almost everyone stayed in after dinner and got a good night's sleep.
Breakfast at 7am this morning got us off to an early start heading for Co. Mayo and the town of Westport, our final port of call before heading for Dublin tomorrow. We arrived around 10 am, dropped a few people off and headed down to Achill Island, the largest island off the Irish coast, reachable by bridge. e drove through Newport, Mulraney and saw one of the old 12 century O'Malley castles along the way. There are three in all on the Mayo coast. One can only wonder at the awesome beauty of the Atlantic Drive and our weather was splendid...just an occasional sprinkle....lots of terrific photographs. We had lunch at the Beehive restaurant and then visited a Famine village, completely deserted and in ruins. Upwards of one hundred small houses existed here before the Great Hunger of the 1840s wiped out the community through famine and emigration.
We arrived back in Westport about 4 in time for a stroll before dinner. Rory and I went for a drink at the Porter House pub on Bridge Street, a pub once owned for generations by my own family. We owned several properties at one time in the late 1800s and into the 20 th C but over the years these were sold off. We met an elderly gentleman, reading his paper over a pint, and I asked him who he was. He knew my grandfather, my two aunts, an uncle who died at the age of 21 and my father. We were enlightened with stories of my family history, anecdotes of my grandfather and just the idea that Rory got to meet someone who actually knew his great grandfather was priceless. This man had, at one time, been the organist in the local church and told us my grandfather used to go and listen to him rehearse quite often. My grandfather was a professional musician in his day and thought me much of what I know today. He also told us I had " the look of my grandfather and that Rory and I had definitely gotten the 'gift of the gab' from him".... What a coincidence meeting him when we did.
Back to the hotel for dinner and it was scrumptious .... Everybody agreed it was the best yet...many of the group went out....Westport on a Friday night...Rory's already asleep, I'm finishing up this chapter of the blog and hope to be asleep before the partners start arriving back later...there's a couple of bachelor parties in tonight and a wedding....
Tomorrow we head straight across to Dublin for more shopping before my final concert at Kennedy's of Westland Row with my brothers Arthur and Raymond on stage, along with original member of the Young Dubliners and one of my very dear friends, Paul O'Tool....my brothers Martin and Fergus will probably show up as well as my sister Brenda and many other family members...hope to get our laundry done tomorrow afternoon before Rory and I had head off to London and Paris on Sunday morning....m
I'm hitting the sack right now, catch up later.....
After lunching in Donegal town we headed southeast to County Fermanagh and again into the UK, to the home of Beleek china. It was an amazing experience to tour this factory producing the most beautiful Parian china by hand. just watching the pieces being hand painted was exquisite. I even bought something.
We then drove southwest through Co. Leitrim and into Co. Sligo to the Yeates Country and W.B's grave at Drumcliffe Churchyard. His epitaph "Cast a cold eye on life, on death.....Horseman pass by" always found that a bit chilly...after a quick cuppa, we drove to our Sligo Park Hotel. Almost everyone stayed in after dinner and got a good night's sleep.
Breakfast at 7am this morning got us off to an early start heading for Co. Mayo and the town of Westport, our final port of call before heading for Dublin tomorrow. We arrived around 10 am, dropped a few people off and headed down to Achill Island, the largest island off the Irish coast, reachable by bridge. e drove through Newport, Mulraney and saw one of the old 12 century O'Malley castles along the way. There are three in all on the Mayo coast. One can only wonder at the awesome beauty of the Atlantic Drive and our weather was splendid...just an occasional sprinkle....lots of terrific photographs. We had lunch at the Beehive restaurant and then visited a Famine village, completely deserted and in ruins. Upwards of one hundred small houses existed here before the Great Hunger of the 1840s wiped out the community through famine and emigration.
We arrived back in Westport about 4 in time for a stroll before dinner. Rory and I went for a drink at the Porter House pub on Bridge Street, a pub once owned for generations by my own family. We owned several properties at one time in the late 1800s and into the 20 th C but over the years these were sold off. We met an elderly gentleman, reading his paper over a pint, and I asked him who he was. He knew my grandfather, my two aunts, an uncle who died at the age of 21 and my father. We were enlightened with stories of my family history, anecdotes of my grandfather and just the idea that Rory got to meet someone who actually knew his great grandfather was priceless. This man had, at one time, been the organist in the local church and told us my grandfather used to go and listen to him rehearse quite often. My grandfather was a professional musician in his day and thought me much of what I know today. He also told us I had " the look of my grandfather and that Rory and I had definitely gotten the 'gift of the gab' from him".... What a coincidence meeting him when we did.
Back to the hotel for dinner and it was scrumptious .... Everybody agreed it was the best yet...many of the group went out....Westport on a Friday night...Rory's already asleep, I'm finishing up this chapter of the blog and hope to be asleep before the partners start arriving back later...there's a couple of bachelor parties in tonight and a wedding....
Tomorrow we head straight across to Dublin for more shopping before my final concert at Kennedy's of Westland Row with my brothers Arthur and Raymond on stage, along with original member of the Young Dubliners and one of my very dear friends, Paul O'Tool....my brothers Martin and Fergus will probably show up as well as my sister Brenda and many other family members...hope to get our laundry done tomorrow afternoon before Rory and I had head off to London and Paris on Sunday morning....m
I'm hitting the sack right now, catch up later.....
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Our journey continues ... Belfast and beyond....
On Sunday morning we left Dublin and headed north to what once was the "Border".... these days we drive right through and watch road signs change from Kilometers to Miles.....no military or police presence as we pass into Northern Ireland.
We travelled through Dundalk and Newry and on to Belfast where John, our driver, took us on a quick tour of the city before we alighted at the Europa Hotel, which was to be home for two nights. The Europa has enjoyed the reputation as the most bombed hotel in Europe in the '70's. We had the afternoon to ourselves and then we were taken by Marty Maguire, my old friend, and a fine actor to see him star in the play "The Sweetie Shop" at the Roddy McCorleys Social Club in a very Republican section of the city. In the 1970's, life in Belfast was so limited when it came to moving around the city for people, that "speakeasys" were not unusual in the various segregated neighbourhoods. The play is a tribute to those times and quite funny though some of the dialogue flew over my head as the Belfast jargon was laid on quite thick....
We also visited the "Crown Bar", directly across the street from our hotel and a landmark for Belfast's city center. Both exterior and interior are Victorian and the decor is breathtaking. Probably the most visited destination in Belfast..
The following day we spent the morning touring the Titanic Museum. Truly an amazing exhibit and though I thought I was well informed there was much more to see and learn from the experience. Oh, yes...it was my birthday...and I was given a gift of a "Titanic" Captains hat, just what I always wanted...
At this point we were joined by a Belfast guide who jumped on board the coach and gave us the real deal tour of the different neighbourhoods, the painted murals, the memorials and it was fascinating. One must come here to really appreciate or hope to, the pain, misery and loss the people of both sides of the divide have, and still do experience.
A few of us went out around 5 pm to Kelly's Cellars, est 1720 for a couple of drinks and then to Madden's music pub where my name is written among other well known musicians on the gable wall. The mural was painted by Danny Devaney, the muralist responsible for all the famous Republican murals in the Nationalist communities.
We got back in time for a lovely dinner in the hotel and the staff had baked a beautiful birthday cake, just delicious...I then played a show in the Lobby Bar where all our travellers joined me in song. Just a great birthday.
This morning we left the Europa at 8am and drove north to the Giants Causeway, a most unusual and quite unique basalt rock formation featuring thousands of hexagonal columns, created by a 60 million year old explosion and the lava flow being cooled into what apparently stretches across to Scotland and attributed in folklore to the battle between two giants from both countries. A heck of a walk was had by all to see this today. On our way we stopped in the small town of Carrickfergus and saw the 12c castle built by the Norman John De Courcey. King William of Orange landed here in 1689 with 10,000 men on his way to the Battle of the Boyne.
By the by, the weather has been cool but sunny, just lovely on our trip so far.....not a drop of rain...hope I don't put my foot in it....
We stopped at the "Old Bushmills Distillery" for a visit on our way to Derry and we eventually arrived at the City Hotel about 5pm. Rory and I scoped out my venue for tonight's show, The Dungloe Bar in the Bogside section of town. Derry is the official City of Culture this year and we had a tour on the coach which again included all the murals and memorials of this, Northern Ireland's second largest city.
Following dinner in the hotel, Rory and I rushed over to the concert venue and almost all of our fellow travelers came to the pub and a great evening was had by all. I am exhausted and am signing of to hit the sack....Off to Donegal, Fermanagh and Sligo tomorrow....until the next time...
We travelled through Dundalk and Newry and on to Belfast where John, our driver, took us on a quick tour of the city before we alighted at the Europa Hotel, which was to be home for two nights. The Europa has enjoyed the reputation as the most bombed hotel in Europe in the '70's. We had the afternoon to ourselves and then we were taken by Marty Maguire, my old friend, and a fine actor to see him star in the play "The Sweetie Shop" at the Roddy McCorleys Social Club in a very Republican section of the city. In the 1970's, life in Belfast was so limited when it came to moving around the city for people, that "speakeasys" were not unusual in the various segregated neighbourhoods. The play is a tribute to those times and quite funny though some of the dialogue flew over my head as the Belfast jargon was laid on quite thick....
We also visited the "Crown Bar", directly across the street from our hotel and a landmark for Belfast's city center. Both exterior and interior are Victorian and the decor is breathtaking. Probably the most visited destination in Belfast..
The following day we spent the morning touring the Titanic Museum. Truly an amazing exhibit and though I thought I was well informed there was much more to see and learn from the experience. Oh, yes...it was my birthday...and I was given a gift of a "Titanic" Captains hat, just what I always wanted...
At this point we were joined by a Belfast guide who jumped on board the coach and gave us the real deal tour of the different neighbourhoods, the painted murals, the memorials and it was fascinating. One must come here to really appreciate or hope to, the pain, misery and loss the people of both sides of the divide have, and still do experience.
A few of us went out around 5 pm to Kelly's Cellars, est 1720 for a couple of drinks and then to Madden's music pub where my name is written among other well known musicians on the gable wall. The mural was painted by Danny Devaney, the muralist responsible for all the famous Republican murals in the Nationalist communities.
We got back in time for a lovely dinner in the hotel and the staff had baked a beautiful birthday cake, just delicious...I then played a show in the Lobby Bar where all our travellers joined me in song. Just a great birthday.
This morning we left the Europa at 8am and drove north to the Giants Causeway, a most unusual and quite unique basalt rock formation featuring thousands of hexagonal columns, created by a 60 million year old explosion and the lava flow being cooled into what apparently stretches across to Scotland and attributed in folklore to the battle between two giants from both countries. A heck of a walk was had by all to see this today. On our way we stopped in the small town of Carrickfergus and saw the 12c castle built by the Norman John De Courcey. King William of Orange landed here in 1689 with 10,000 men on his way to the Battle of the Boyne.
By the by, the weather has been cool but sunny, just lovely on our trip so far.....not a drop of rain...hope I don't put my foot in it....
We stopped at the "Old Bushmills Distillery" for a visit on our way to Derry and we eventually arrived at the City Hotel about 5pm. Rory and I scoped out my venue for tonight's show, The Dungloe Bar in the Bogside section of town. Derry is the official City of Culture this year and we had a tour on the coach which again included all the murals and memorials of this, Northern Ireland's second largest city.
Following dinner in the hotel, Rory and I rushed over to the concert venue and almost all of our fellow travelers came to the pub and a great evening was had by all. I am exhausted and am signing of to hit the sack....Off to Donegal, Fermanagh and Sligo tomorrow....until the next time...
Sunday, April 7, 2013
Rory and I, along with Chris joined most of our fellow travelers at LAX in Los Angeles at 7am for a 9am flight on Friday morning. Uneventful flight to Atlanta and then on to Dublin. Personally, I was uncomfortable and got little or no sleep....John Costelloe, our coach driver was waiting for us in Dublin airport for our arrival at 7am and once on board the coach, we toured around the city until check in time at lunch hour. The rest of the day was free for everyone and my brother Martin showed up to the hotel, surprising us, and drove us off in his Jaguar Sovereign to pick up my Martin guitar which stays in the careful hands of my niece Emma, a budding sixteen year old musician, while it lives here... Saves me transporting an instrument.
By mid afternoon, Rory, Martin and I drove into Grafton Street in his "MI5" Jag, I called it, and dropped nephew Adam off to play pool with his pals. We made our way to Sheehan's pub off Grafton Street for lunch and watched the famous Aintree Grand national steeplechase horse race from England. It's the most famous horse race in the world, where forty 9 - 11 year old horses run around a four and a half mile track, twice, and jump thirty fences over six feet high. Needless to say many fall but yesterday, nobody got hurt and an outsider won at 60/1...it's a very exiting event and everybody watches it.
Then it was back to the hotel and a nap. Rory took off with another of my nephews, Justin, and his wife Paula, while I went to Kennedy's around the corner with some of the group for fish and chips...we older folks called it an early night and I was in bed by 10pm...for those of you who know I'm a teetotaler these days, going to bed at 10pm in the old days would have been unheard of for me...we would have closed some place down, then got back to some one's place for a session and a sing song and ... who knows....maybe I'm getting wiser..
We were up first thing this morning for Irish breakfast and out the door to Newgrange, a 3500 year old Neolithic tomb, built before the great pyramids of Giza and 1000 years older than Stonehenge. I've been there several times and it is amazing. A burial chamber inside a huge mound and worth a Google for more info...could go on too long about it for the blog. We then travelled to the monastic settlement of Mellifont Abbey, a rather large settlement built by Cistercian monks in 1171.
We drove on to see the great High Celtic Crosses in Monasterboice which also included a very fine example of a round tower, extremely high though broken at the top, These high towers were used as lookouts for the monks and a refuge during times of attack. They were quite impregnable, fireproof and the door was built about seven or eight feet above the ground and the ladder pulled up for safety.
During this afternoon's trip, we were driving at times through the river Boyne Valley, a most spiritual area and also the site of the famous Battle of the Boyne in 1689 where Protestant King William 111, defeated Catholic King James 11 in the dual for the crown of England. This famous battle, the largest ever assembly of armies on Irish soil was to be remembered in history as the beginning of the religious divide and is commemorated every year by the Unionists in the North.
Tomorrow we will enter their domain....but tonight we will have a singsong in the hotel after Rory takes me out for a fancy dinner....
Slan mo chairde....until the next words appear....
By mid afternoon, Rory, Martin and I drove into Grafton Street in his "MI5" Jag, I called it, and dropped nephew Adam off to play pool with his pals. We made our way to Sheehan's pub off Grafton Street for lunch and watched the famous Aintree Grand national steeplechase horse race from England. It's the most famous horse race in the world, where forty 9 - 11 year old horses run around a four and a half mile track, twice, and jump thirty fences over six feet high. Needless to say many fall but yesterday, nobody got hurt and an outsider won at 60/1...it's a very exiting event and everybody watches it.
Then it was back to the hotel and a nap. Rory took off with another of my nephews, Justin, and his wife Paula, while I went to Kennedy's around the corner with some of the group for fish and chips...we older folks called it an early night and I was in bed by 10pm...for those of you who know I'm a teetotaler these days, going to bed at 10pm in the old days would have been unheard of for me...we would have closed some place down, then got back to some one's place for a session and a sing song and ... who knows....maybe I'm getting wiser..
We were up first thing this morning for Irish breakfast and out the door to Newgrange, a 3500 year old Neolithic tomb, built before the great pyramids of Giza and 1000 years older than Stonehenge. I've been there several times and it is amazing. A burial chamber inside a huge mound and worth a Google for more info...could go on too long about it for the blog. We then travelled to the monastic settlement of Mellifont Abbey, a rather large settlement built by Cistercian monks in 1171.
We drove on to see the great High Celtic Crosses in Monasterboice which also included a very fine example of a round tower, extremely high though broken at the top, These high towers were used as lookouts for the monks and a refuge during times of attack. They were quite impregnable, fireproof and the door was built about seven or eight feet above the ground and the ladder pulled up for safety.
During this afternoon's trip, we were driving at times through the river Boyne Valley, a most spiritual area and also the site of the famous Battle of the Boyne in 1689 where Protestant King William 111, defeated Catholic King James 11 in the dual for the crown of England. This famous battle, the largest ever assembly of armies on Irish soil was to be remembered in history as the beginning of the religious divide and is commemorated every year by the Unionists in the North.
Tomorrow we will enter their domain....but tonight we will have a singsong in the hotel after Rory takes me out for a fancy dinner....
Slan mo chairde....until the next words appear....
Ireland and Northern Ireland 2013
Once again, my friends, we are off on an adventure that promises to be for me, one of great pride in showing not only the beauty and culture of my own Republic of Ireland but also the deep history, the fragmented society, the struggles on both sides of a Christian divide and the path to peace that the North of Ireland pursues today. It's own breathtaking scenery awaits us when we drive across into what is still today the United Kingdom of Great Britain.
This is a story of passion for me. In the late nineteen sixties when "The Troubles" were reawakened with the Civil Rights marches across the North. Irish Catholic men and women seeking equal rights to their Protestant Unionist brethren, "Bloody Sunday" struck a cold chord throughout Ireland when a British paratroop regiment opened fire on innocent people in a peace march and more than a dozen were killed.
I was sixteen years old at the time and an impressionable young man. In the South, we were shocked and being so young, my friends and I were deeply horrified but, we thought, not in any danger. We were watching the news from Vietnam at the same time and it seemed that everything was changing. The music was changing, we were growing up and the trouble in the North seemed far away, but it wasn't and our history had been drilled into us in school and our small island was a potential cauldron, ready to explode.
And explode it did...In 1974 I was walking home from work one Friday evening along St.Stephen's Green and a little after 5pm three bombs exploded in the heart of Dublin city. Close to forty people were killed and many more injured. The most eery thing for me was, I never heard the sound of either one....I still can't understand that to this day. Three massive explosions, they brought their war to our town.
The years have past and much has happened to improve the lives of everyone in this country, north and south. Prosperity arrived with the "Celtic Tiger" in the Republic and much has improved also in the North. Economics today are having the same effect here as they are in many parts of the world and we are now travelling during some tough times.
Despite these rough waters, Irish and Northern Irish people always have a very friendly welcome for travellers and I am truly looking forward to this sojourn with my friends and a wonderful trip awaits us. Oh, and as a wonderful addition, my son Rory is with me and you can't beat that...
This is a story of passion for me. In the late nineteen sixties when "The Troubles" were reawakened with the Civil Rights marches across the North. Irish Catholic men and women seeking equal rights to their Protestant Unionist brethren, "Bloody Sunday" struck a cold chord throughout Ireland when a British paratroop regiment opened fire on innocent people in a peace march and more than a dozen were killed.
I was sixteen years old at the time and an impressionable young man. In the South, we were shocked and being so young, my friends and I were deeply horrified but, we thought, not in any danger. We were watching the news from Vietnam at the same time and it seemed that everything was changing. The music was changing, we were growing up and the trouble in the North seemed far away, but it wasn't and our history had been drilled into us in school and our small island was a potential cauldron, ready to explode.
And explode it did...In 1974 I was walking home from work one Friday evening along St.Stephen's Green and a little after 5pm three bombs exploded in the heart of Dublin city. Close to forty people were killed and many more injured. The most eery thing for me was, I never heard the sound of either one....I still can't understand that to this day. Three massive explosions, they brought their war to our town.
The years have past and much has happened to improve the lives of everyone in this country, north and south. Prosperity arrived with the "Celtic Tiger" in the Republic and much has improved also in the North. Economics today are having the same effect here as they are in many parts of the world and we are now travelling during some tough times.
Despite these rough waters, Irish and Northern Irish people always have a very friendly welcome for travellers and I am truly looking forward to this sojourn with my friends and a wonderful trip awaits us. Oh, and as a wonderful addition, my son Rory is with me and you can't beat that...
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Ireland Tour 2011
It's 2.45pm on Sunday and I have just arrived at my sister Brenda's house and am decompressing at the moment. It feels great to be home here and satisfied with the knowledge that everyone has had a wonderful experience here in Ireland and most have flown home to the US today. There are about sixteen altogether staying on to do their own thing and Chris, Paddy and I will be coming back to Los Angeles next Monday the 21st.
Chris is staying with a friend in Sandyford, a suburb on the Southside of Dublin and Paddy is with a friend in Malahide on the Northside of the city.
The reason for the delay in writing is a result of no Internet happening in the last two hotels, in the rooms, that is...I will attempt to catch up on all the news. My last words had us finishing up in Killarney so there's a lot of ground to cover. Our tour was to take us southeast across West Cork and into the ancient town of Kinsale dating to the 12th century.
Following another hearty Irish breakfast of bacon, sausage, black and white pudding, tomato, fried mushrooms, baked beans and two eggs....you don't have to eat it all, in fact they are just your heart attack choices...you may have fresh fruit, healthy cereals, yogurt etc and a wide variety of Irish breads to satisfy the palette of all our, by now, seasoned travellers....we headed out the road to Kenmare...It is a lovely town, close to the Cork border and we had a comfort stop and time for a coffee and a bit of shopping...who mentioned the word recession ? My fellow travellers dropped more money than God every where they went and the one complaint that was expressed by most, was that we did not spend enough time in places like Kenmare..while there, we experienced twelve members of the Irish army in full combat gear take up positions on the street while a security van loaded cash into two separate banks, the soldiers were no greenhorns but veteran pros in their late twenties and thirties. It was obvious that no photos would be tolerated, they just stared our group down if anyone even came close to raising a camera. This action takes place all over Ireland since robberies by groups like the IRA and other paramilitaries, as well as criminal gangs in general, began robbing security and cash carrying vehicles over the last forty years..
We travelled through Bantry and into Skibbereen where we visited the Famine graveyard, a plot the size of two tennis courts where more than 9,000 people were buried between 1845 and 1849. Our group were clearly moved by the scene and the writings on the wall of the memorial. We travelled on to Kinsale and checked into our hotel for dinner and everyone came to my show that night in the famous old pub "The Spaniard", once again an hilarious evening that included a local lady, extremely inebriated, who joined me at one point onstage for a song...one of my oldest friends, a school chum and Irish Navy buddy came to see me perform. He brought another Navy pal who got up and told an old "sean nos" tale or story. The group were thrilled with the evenings music and stories and we all retired around midnight, only to find that there would be no hot water the following morning...oh well, these things happen in Ireland sometimes...
I need to mention that all this time we had little or no rain and our group were definitely blessed with the weather.
Our bus headed for Blarney Castle the next morning and the opportunity to either kiss the Blarney Stone and/or shop in Ireland's biggest souvenir shop, the Blarney Woolen Mills....I let them loose, it was like Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving....I had to duck out of the way for a coffee and a scone for safety...
We continued through Ireland's second largest city, Cork and down to Cobh (Cove) on Cork Harbor, Ireland's largest and deepest, and visited the Heritage Center that presented an excellent exhibition of the Irish emigration experience. Upwards of one million people left Ireland during and after the Famine of the mid 1800's, many on what they called "coffin ships"due to their rickety condition and being unseaworthy. Thousands of Irish died on the voyage to the Americas as conditions on these ships were deplorable. The famed Titanic picked up it's last 127 passengers and supplies here in Cobh before it headed out into the Atlantic and it's impending doom in April 1912. There is a wonderful Titanic museum being built in Belfast at present, due to open on the centenary of the ocean liner's disaster and it will be on our list of destinations next year on our North of Ireland Tour.
Leaving Cork, we stayed on the coast and headed east towards Waterford en route to Kilkenny. I would like to declare right now that it began to become apparent that my choice of individual destinations may have been a bit overly ambitious as there just wasn't enough time in the day. We made a decision to hold off, until the following morning, our visit to the medieval Butler stronghold that is Kilkenny Castle. With that decided, by myself and our driver, we arrived in Kilkenny and gave everyone forty five minutes for a quick look about. The narrow streets and alleys have hardly changed over the centuries but they have a mall and I'm sure a Mickey D's hiding somewhere...
We arrived at the five star Lyrath Estate in time for a truly elegant meal together. The service was impeccable and I'm sure there were a few of our travellers had never experienced anything quite like it. The over all experience was excellent including catching the second half of the soccer game between Ireland and Estonia, that gave Ireland a 4-0 victory and a berth in the European Nations Finals in Poland and Ukraine next Summer...it's been 28 years since we qualified...lots of excitement around the hotel that night.
After another lovely breakfast on Sat morning we headed into Kilkenny and toured the famous 13th century castle. Considering quite a bit of our week had been spent experiencing tales and sites of the Great Hunger, the famine of the 1840's, the opulence portrayed in Kilkenny Castle throughout the centuries, lended the belief that unlike the diet of the poor Irish peasants, the Butlers were eating a lot more than potatoes!
We were now driving north to our final destination on my list of things to see and do. Just about an hour outside Dublin in the heart of the Wicklow mountains lies the monastic settlement of Glendalough, the original home of one of our most famous saints, St. Kevin, who lived in the early 7th century. The settlement dates from about the 12th century and is home to our best preserved round tower standing almost 40 feet in height. The tower was a bell tower and also a storage facility for all the precious books and gold and silver items they would have had. They could also see for miles any danger that might be approaching such as the hordes of Vikings that pillaged these settlements between the 9th and 11th centuries. While in Glendalough, I met my good friend Dominic Leech of the Fureys and Davey Arthur band that performed last year at the John Anson Ford Theater in Hollywood on behalf of the Celtic Arts Center. We may have a chance to play together later this week.
Our final jaunt brought us over the Wicklow mountains and into my home city of Dublin, back to our first hotel, the Alexander. After check-in, I took my gear over to Kennedys on Westland Row to sound check for my evening's performance. We had planned this concert several weeks ago and had chosen the menu items ahead of time to ensure a fun and successful evening, this, our last night in Dublin as a tour group. Dinner at 7, showtime at 8....there was great anticipation and a buzz in the air as rumour that my brother Raymond AND his entire collection of harmonicas were arriving to perform. My eldest brother Arthur and his daughter Emma popped in around 8.15. Moments later, the front door opened and there he stood, as the thunderous applause rocked the house upon his arrival...Raymond was in the building. Well, the crowd was thrilled and Raymond was everything they expected...he took over and captured the evening. Arthur got up for a few songs and the O'Malley Brothers won the day....nobody dared leave their seats.. Right about this time, my brother Martin's daughter Kate arrived with a friend and at eighteen years of age is quite the chatty, confident young lady. When all the Americans left about 10.30, Raymond continued, solo, to entertain what was left of the evening's punters, most of whom were our family members and friends...it was a fabulous final curtain on a nine day adventure that brought us to famous castles, battle sites, monasteries, embarkation points to America, famine memorials, live music and Irish dancing, boiled bacon and cabbage, O'Malley family everywhere, the O'Malley stronghold and castle on Clare Island ten miles off Ireland's rugged Mayo coast...everyone of Johnny Cash's "Forty Shades of Green".....the road rose to meet us everywhere with warm welcomes, strong whiskey and above all a camaraderie and new friendships forged between us...my final words for this year's tour group and those planning on visiting the streets of Belfast and Derry, the awe inspiring Mountains of Mourne, the Giants Causeway, the Homes of Donegal, Yeat's Country and my own towns of Westport and Dublin, next year.... "Let's fill the parting glass, and forever remember our time in Ireland in 2011, may God hold us in the palm of His hand until next time"...
Goodnight and joy be with you all....Ken
Chris is staying with a friend in Sandyford, a suburb on the Southside of Dublin and Paddy is with a friend in Malahide on the Northside of the city.
The reason for the delay in writing is a result of no Internet happening in the last two hotels, in the rooms, that is...I will attempt to catch up on all the news. My last words had us finishing up in Killarney so there's a lot of ground to cover. Our tour was to take us southeast across West Cork and into the ancient town of Kinsale dating to the 12th century.
Following another hearty Irish breakfast of bacon, sausage, black and white pudding, tomato, fried mushrooms, baked beans and two eggs....you don't have to eat it all, in fact they are just your heart attack choices...you may have fresh fruit, healthy cereals, yogurt etc and a wide variety of Irish breads to satisfy the palette of all our, by now, seasoned travellers....we headed out the road to Kenmare...It is a lovely town, close to the Cork border and we had a comfort stop and time for a coffee and a bit of shopping...who mentioned the word recession ? My fellow travellers dropped more money than God every where they went and the one complaint that was expressed by most, was that we did not spend enough time in places like Kenmare..while there, we experienced twelve members of the Irish army in full combat gear take up positions on the street while a security van loaded cash into two separate banks, the soldiers were no greenhorns but veteran pros in their late twenties and thirties. It was obvious that no photos would be tolerated, they just stared our group down if anyone even came close to raising a camera. This action takes place all over Ireland since robberies by groups like the IRA and other paramilitaries, as well as criminal gangs in general, began robbing security and cash carrying vehicles over the last forty years..
We travelled through Bantry and into Skibbereen where we visited the Famine graveyard, a plot the size of two tennis courts where more than 9,000 people were buried between 1845 and 1849. Our group were clearly moved by the scene and the writings on the wall of the memorial. We travelled on to Kinsale and checked into our hotel for dinner and everyone came to my show that night in the famous old pub "The Spaniard", once again an hilarious evening that included a local lady, extremely inebriated, who joined me at one point onstage for a song...one of my oldest friends, a school chum and Irish Navy buddy came to see me perform. He brought another Navy pal who got up and told an old "sean nos" tale or story. The group were thrilled with the evenings music and stories and we all retired around midnight, only to find that there would be no hot water the following morning...oh well, these things happen in Ireland sometimes...
I need to mention that all this time we had little or no rain and our group were definitely blessed with the weather.
Our bus headed for Blarney Castle the next morning and the opportunity to either kiss the Blarney Stone and/or shop in Ireland's biggest souvenir shop, the Blarney Woolen Mills....I let them loose, it was like Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving....I had to duck out of the way for a coffee and a scone for safety...
We continued through Ireland's second largest city, Cork and down to Cobh (Cove) on Cork Harbor, Ireland's largest and deepest, and visited the Heritage Center that presented an excellent exhibition of the Irish emigration experience. Upwards of one million people left Ireland during and after the Famine of the mid 1800's, many on what they called "coffin ships"due to their rickety condition and being unseaworthy. Thousands of Irish died on the voyage to the Americas as conditions on these ships were deplorable. The famed Titanic picked up it's last 127 passengers and supplies here in Cobh before it headed out into the Atlantic and it's impending doom in April 1912. There is a wonderful Titanic museum being built in Belfast at present, due to open on the centenary of the ocean liner's disaster and it will be on our list of destinations next year on our North of Ireland Tour.
Leaving Cork, we stayed on the coast and headed east towards Waterford en route to Kilkenny. I would like to declare right now that it began to become apparent that my choice of individual destinations may have been a bit overly ambitious as there just wasn't enough time in the day. We made a decision to hold off, until the following morning, our visit to the medieval Butler stronghold that is Kilkenny Castle. With that decided, by myself and our driver, we arrived in Kilkenny and gave everyone forty five minutes for a quick look about. The narrow streets and alleys have hardly changed over the centuries but they have a mall and I'm sure a Mickey D's hiding somewhere...
We arrived at the five star Lyrath Estate in time for a truly elegant meal together. The service was impeccable and I'm sure there were a few of our travellers had never experienced anything quite like it. The over all experience was excellent including catching the second half of the soccer game between Ireland and Estonia, that gave Ireland a 4-0 victory and a berth in the European Nations Finals in Poland and Ukraine next Summer...it's been 28 years since we qualified...lots of excitement around the hotel that night.
After another lovely breakfast on Sat morning we headed into Kilkenny and toured the famous 13th century castle. Considering quite a bit of our week had been spent experiencing tales and sites of the Great Hunger, the famine of the 1840's, the opulence portrayed in Kilkenny Castle throughout the centuries, lended the belief that unlike the diet of the poor Irish peasants, the Butlers were eating a lot more than potatoes!
We were now driving north to our final destination on my list of things to see and do. Just about an hour outside Dublin in the heart of the Wicklow mountains lies the monastic settlement of Glendalough, the original home of one of our most famous saints, St. Kevin, who lived in the early 7th century. The settlement dates from about the 12th century and is home to our best preserved round tower standing almost 40 feet in height. The tower was a bell tower and also a storage facility for all the precious books and gold and silver items they would have had. They could also see for miles any danger that might be approaching such as the hordes of Vikings that pillaged these settlements between the 9th and 11th centuries. While in Glendalough, I met my good friend Dominic Leech of the Fureys and Davey Arthur band that performed last year at the John Anson Ford Theater in Hollywood on behalf of the Celtic Arts Center. We may have a chance to play together later this week.
Our final jaunt brought us over the Wicklow mountains and into my home city of Dublin, back to our first hotel, the Alexander. After check-in, I took my gear over to Kennedys on Westland Row to sound check for my evening's performance. We had planned this concert several weeks ago and had chosen the menu items ahead of time to ensure a fun and successful evening, this, our last night in Dublin as a tour group. Dinner at 7, showtime at 8....there was great anticipation and a buzz in the air as rumour that my brother Raymond AND his entire collection of harmonicas were arriving to perform. My eldest brother Arthur and his daughter Emma popped in around 8.15. Moments later, the front door opened and there he stood, as the thunderous applause rocked the house upon his arrival...Raymond was in the building. Well, the crowd was thrilled and Raymond was everything they expected...he took over and captured the evening. Arthur got up for a few songs and the O'Malley Brothers won the day....nobody dared leave their seats.. Right about this time, my brother Martin's daughter Kate arrived with a friend and at eighteen years of age is quite the chatty, confident young lady. When all the Americans left about 10.30, Raymond continued, solo, to entertain what was left of the evening's punters, most of whom were our family members and friends...it was a fabulous final curtain on a nine day adventure that brought us to famous castles, battle sites, monasteries, embarkation points to America, famine memorials, live music and Irish dancing, boiled bacon and cabbage, O'Malley family everywhere, the O'Malley stronghold and castle on Clare Island ten miles off Ireland's rugged Mayo coast...everyone of Johnny Cash's "Forty Shades of Green".....the road rose to meet us everywhere with warm welcomes, strong whiskey and above all a camaraderie and new friendships forged between us...my final words for this year's tour group and those planning on visiting the streets of Belfast and Derry, the awe inspiring Mountains of Mourne, the Giants Causeway, the Homes of Donegal, Yeat's Country and my own towns of Westport and Dublin, next year.... "Let's fill the parting glass, and forever remember our time in Ireland in 2011, may God hold us in the palm of His hand until next time"...
Goodnight and joy be with you all....Ken
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Ireland Tour 2011
The gloomy weather finally arrived yesterday morning, though our collective energies and prayers brought the sun back after about an hour on the road. We were delayed by some changes of plan because of the early showers so we had to shorten our trip a bit and by the time we got to Dingle, we only had time for lunch and a quick tour of the town. Myself, I paid a visit to St.Mary's Church for a prayer, the shot across the street to my old haunt Dick Mack's for a drink. Said hello to a couple of old friends and drank in the soothing atmosphere of my favourite town in the Southwest.Definitely need a full day there next time.
We were again truly blessed with glorious sunshine at a time of the year where there is no reason our entire trip could have been rained out. Friends have told me the Summer left something to be desired, weatherwise....
The Dingle Peninsula is one of the most beautiful areas in Ireland and the road around Slea Head is daunting to many drivers but our driver John, negotiated turns and curves in a luxury coach that left us holding our breath. Some places seemed like pushing a huge GE refrigerator through a bathroom door... The Blasket Islands off the coast and Skelligmichael, the monastic settlement of the 8th century, a rock standing alone seven miles out in the harsh Atlantic, left one thinking what could it have been like for those monks who battled the elements while attempting to join their spirits closer to God.
Upon our return to the hotel, several of our traveling friends took a ride in the horse drawn jaunting carts through Killarney National Park to Ross Castle....myself I opted to watch the movie "Zulu" with one my favourite actors Michale Caine, probably in his mid to late 20's and Stanley Baker. A true story of a siege by 4000 Zulu warriors against a force of 129 British soldiers, a Welsh regiment and their three day stand at Rourke's Drift in the Transvaal in 1879. I watch it every time it comes on, fascinating stuff...nothing to do with Killarney, but one has to put the feet up sometimes.
Again, I had no dinner and prepared for my more relaxed acoustic unplugged show here in Hannigan's Bar in the hotel. I played from 8 'til about 9.15 and most of our group showed up. Suzanne from Sierra Madre sang a couple with me to great applause but it was our driver John, who brought the house down with his rendition of "Dublin in the Rare Auld Times"...I would like to get that response just once while I'm here... it was a lovely moment.
Some of us went over to Sheehan's around the corner to watch the Irish Set Dancing, well you never saw such leppin' and dancin' in all your life...the blood of the Celts was curdling as men whisked the ladies around the floor, I can't quite describe it...one of those "You had to be there" moments....I took a couple of our ladies out for a waltz when the music changed, though the tempo only went from the storm force of Nascar to the gentle spped of the Breeder's Cup...oddly, no pains in my body this morning...must be fitter than I thought....these people weren't even breaking a sweat....what is very interesting and extremely enterprising on the part of Sheehan's Pub, a very large pub I might add, is that they have a traditional Irish music group in the very front of the bar from about 8 'til 10.30 then a rock band comes on in the back area...even further back in another area they have the set dancing from 9 'til 11 and THEN a disco 'til about 1am...and that's on Wednesday night in the first week in November....tell me the Irish don't now how to have a good time...I'll get back to y'all tonight after our trip from here through Kenmare, Bantry bay, Skibbereen, Clonakilty and into Kinsale for dinner and an official concert at The Spaniard Pub tonight...the road continues to rise and the weather looks good...
We were again truly blessed with glorious sunshine at a time of the year where there is no reason our entire trip could have been rained out. Friends have told me the Summer left something to be desired, weatherwise....
The Dingle Peninsula is one of the most beautiful areas in Ireland and the road around Slea Head is daunting to many drivers but our driver John, negotiated turns and curves in a luxury coach that left us holding our breath. Some places seemed like pushing a huge GE refrigerator through a bathroom door... The Blasket Islands off the coast and Skelligmichael, the monastic settlement of the 8th century, a rock standing alone seven miles out in the harsh Atlantic, left one thinking what could it have been like for those monks who battled the elements while attempting to join their spirits closer to God.
Upon our return to the hotel, several of our traveling friends took a ride in the horse drawn jaunting carts through Killarney National Park to Ross Castle....myself I opted to watch the movie "Zulu" with one my favourite actors Michale Caine, probably in his mid to late 20's and Stanley Baker. A true story of a siege by 4000 Zulu warriors against a force of 129 British soldiers, a Welsh regiment and their three day stand at Rourke's Drift in the Transvaal in 1879. I watch it every time it comes on, fascinating stuff...nothing to do with Killarney, but one has to put the feet up sometimes.
Again, I had no dinner and prepared for my more relaxed acoustic unplugged show here in Hannigan's Bar in the hotel. I played from 8 'til about 9.15 and most of our group showed up. Suzanne from Sierra Madre sang a couple with me to great applause but it was our driver John, who brought the house down with his rendition of "Dublin in the Rare Auld Times"...I would like to get that response just once while I'm here... it was a lovely moment.
Some of us went over to Sheehan's around the corner to watch the Irish Set Dancing, well you never saw such leppin' and dancin' in all your life...the blood of the Celts was curdling as men whisked the ladies around the floor, I can't quite describe it...one of those "You had to be there" moments....I took a couple of our ladies out for a waltz when the music changed, though the tempo only went from the storm force of Nascar to the gentle spped of the Breeder's Cup...oddly, no pains in my body this morning...must be fitter than I thought....these people weren't even breaking a sweat....what is very interesting and extremely enterprising on the part of Sheehan's Pub, a very large pub I might add, is that they have a traditional Irish music group in the very front of the bar from about 8 'til 10.30 then a rock band comes on in the back area...even further back in another area they have the set dancing from 9 'til 11 and THEN a disco 'til about 1am...and that's on Wednesday night in the first week in November....tell me the Irish don't now how to have a good time...I'll get back to y'all tonight after our trip from here through Kenmare, Bantry bay, Skibbereen, Clonakilty and into Kinsale for dinner and an official concert at The Spaniard Pub tonight...the road continues to rise and the weather looks good...
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Ireland Tour 2011
Well, it finally arrived...waking this morning saw the soft rain falling as I approached our driver John, and we discussed the plan for the day ahead. As he called it "A moving day", as different from "A grazing day", a day when we don't have to travel far and we can actually leave our luggage in the room and return for a second night at the same hotel.
It was to be our longest drive of the week, Westport to Killarney in Co. Kerry. Due to a couple of minor mishaps, such as missed wake up calls, we got off to a bit of a late start which really does affect our journey. It is normal to have a time booked for a hotel dinner in the evening and if there are problems, our travel plans may have to be altered. We stopped at the awesome Cliffs of Moher in Co. Clare for lunch and our group spent the time walking along the 800 feet above sea level massive spectacle of beauty and power that is the element of earth, wind and water. The cliffs are to possibly join the next wonders of the world, an international vote due on this decision in a couple of days.
The weather was pleasant enough though quite cold. We continued south through Clare, passing the world famous Lahinch Golf Links, a favourite of Tom Watson, one of the worlds greatest golfers. We drove through the Burren, a stretch of land unique in the west of Ireland for it's almost Lunar appearance. Virtually solid limestone with some very rare floral specimen.
We turned on an Irish comedian, Noel V. Ginnity, CD on the last leg into Killarney and the roars heard throughout the bus were side busting.
Upon our arrival at the Killarney International, we were met by the Lord Mayor of Killarney who entertained us with stories of the town and we are all planning on taking the horse and trap through the nearby park to Ross Castle in the morning. We had a lovely dinner in the hotel this evening and I told the history behind the Battle of Kinsale in 1601. We will be heading to Kinsale on Thursday morning.
Tomorrow we are heading to Dingle and Slea Head, the closest parish to New York. Some of our more senior members are being a great example to their juniors in showing great energy on the trail and we have had no breakdowns or injuries....so far...Everybody is having a wonderful time and the weather, hopefully, will be kind to us though I know tomorrow will be challenging with rain in the forecast.
The Ring of Kerry is one of the most beautiful tourism spots in Ireland and we are looking forward to a pint in Dick Mack's and fish and chips in Harrington's in Dingle....I'll be back !!
It was to be our longest drive of the week, Westport to Killarney in Co. Kerry. Due to a couple of minor mishaps, such as missed wake up calls, we got off to a bit of a late start which really does affect our journey. It is normal to have a time booked for a hotel dinner in the evening and if there are problems, our travel plans may have to be altered. We stopped at the awesome Cliffs of Moher in Co. Clare for lunch and our group spent the time walking along the 800 feet above sea level massive spectacle of beauty and power that is the element of earth, wind and water. The cliffs are to possibly join the next wonders of the world, an international vote due on this decision in a couple of days.
The weather was pleasant enough though quite cold. We continued south through Clare, passing the world famous Lahinch Golf Links, a favourite of Tom Watson, one of the worlds greatest golfers. We drove through the Burren, a stretch of land unique in the west of Ireland for it's almost Lunar appearance. Virtually solid limestone with some very rare floral specimen.
We turned on an Irish comedian, Noel V. Ginnity, CD on the last leg into Killarney and the roars heard throughout the bus were side busting.
Upon our arrival at the Killarney International, we were met by the Lord Mayor of Killarney who entertained us with stories of the town and we are all planning on taking the horse and trap through the nearby park to Ross Castle in the morning. We had a lovely dinner in the hotel this evening and I told the history behind the Battle of Kinsale in 1601. We will be heading to Kinsale on Thursday morning.
Tomorrow we are heading to Dingle and Slea Head, the closest parish to New York. Some of our more senior members are being a great example to their juniors in showing great energy on the trail and we have had no breakdowns or injuries....so far...Everybody is having a wonderful time and the weather, hopefully, will be kind to us though I know tomorrow will be challenging with rain in the forecast.
The Ring of Kerry is one of the most beautiful tourism spots in Ireland and we are looking forward to a pint in Dick Mack's and fish and chips in Harrington's in Dingle....I'll be back !!
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