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Friday 9 May 2014.
Dublin Airport, Ireland.
We left Rathkenny and the farm on Monday 5th May and after a 5 hour drive arrived in Brandon, County Kerry. The drive down was pleasant, mainly freeway, however the last 20klms was on a very thin road, only giving access to vehicles in one direction, which made it very difficult when you encountered a car coming in the opposite direction. Anyway Cath closed her eyes and we made it to Brandon. By the way she wasn't driving…….
The difference in the scenery has to be seen to be believed. The country side is rolling hills, with the highest peak being Mount Brandon, which due to the weather we have not been able to see, so I think it is a myth? Sean and Chantel have organised the accommodation which is very modern and comfortable. There was heaps of room for all of us and finally a TV. Not that we got much time to watch it. After a quick unpack, Sean and I headed to the local. A very small pub only with only a sign above the door. I seriously thought we were walking into someone house. Inside was
a bar no bigger than mine at home, about 12 stools and a fire place, but as usual the Guinness was fantastic, and the view over Brandon harbour even better. It’s a shame the weather was crap most of the time, as it spoilt the view. We were soon joined by Cath, Chantel and kids for a few more pints and even a few locals dropped by. I think they were a little pe’vd with us as we may have been sitting in their usual spots. I got the impression they don’t see to many tourists. The rest of the nights a bit of blur for me, I know it was dinner at home and then back to the pub, luckily the pub was only 50 metres from the house and there were only about 10 houses in the town, so getting lost on the way back would have been very difficult.
The next day Sean and I decided to hike through the hills. I’m not very religious, but these hills soon turned into mountains and although this may have been Sean’s pilgrimage, I came very close to god on the second hill (mountain). Hard enough to climb at
the best of times, but the lousy weather and the ground under foot was very wet. Anyway, from the photos I’m sure you get the idea. After four hours trudging through the wet country side Sean and I made it back home. Sean’s goal for the stay in Brandon was to climb to the top of Mount Brandon (950 Metres), but after the four hour walk today and only reaching a maximum height of 400 metres, he gave up on the idea and we spent the rest of the time in the pub.
Our trip to Brandon was slightly troubled as Clodagh had been sick for a few days and running a temperature. Sean and Chantel decided to take her to the local hospital about 45 minutes away, unfortunately she was admitted and placed on a drip overnight to be on the safe side, so that left Cath and I to entertain Ciara for the day. After knowing Clodagh was going to be OK, we headed to Dingle on the opposite side of the peninsular. Dingle is a tourist town and famous for a Dolphin called Fungi, you can google it if you’re interested? We spent the afternoon wandering
the shops and then went to the aquarium where Ciara got to hold a starfish and watch the penguins being fed. After a quick meal we headed back the house to pick up some things for Clodagh and then the hospital to see how the patient was doing.
That was our last night in Brandon, so we didn’t get to do much as Chantel stayed at the hospital and Sean didn’t arrive home until late. The next day we headed back to the hospital to drop off Ciara, knowing Clodagh would be discharge later that day. Surprising what a drip can do overnight. Cath and I then headed for the town of Kilkenny for the night.
We arrived in Kilkenny about 4pm and with not much time we did a little a sightseeing. Kilkenny is not only famous for it’s beer, but also for its castle. It is a fortified city and the castle has been around since the 12th century. We then partook in a few local ales before heading out for dinner. The end of another night and our last in Ireland.
We are now sitting at Dublin Airport after making our way here this
morning. We are heading to Manchester in the UK to catch up with my Cousin Joanne and her family. We will be there for a few days and then heading north to Settle and then on to Scotland.
Cath and Chris.
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