Blogs from Ireland, Europe - page 3

8.30 am a row of Taxi Vans arrived and took us on our Tour of Belfast (driver Trevor) A very memorable informative tour from the people who lived through the Northern Island Troubles …. Explained the 5 gates still locked every night to this day and wall around the Catholic Area 50 feet high. Bombay street where it all began in 1969 and the grenade conservatories on the back of the houses……10.30 am back on the bus to Dublin arrived 12.30pmwe were all dropped off and had a look around central Dublin and a cuppa tea and scone for lunch ….we found Tower Records !!! What an amazing store had all entertainment and merchandise you could imagine …wish we had one (didn’t realise Tower Records was still around)…. back on bus 2.45 and a very comprehensive ... read more

Up and breakfast once again in the Hotel the Irish Hospitality and Quality far exceeds the English so far ….got on the bus and into town at 9.30am bought up large at a huge souvenir shop and wandered around the streets of Galway…. Was very tempted with all the Aran knitwear but resisted…. (Next winters knitting projects !!!) …. Got a coffee to go (all very good barista coffees here a Latte is the best size £2.95 (6$ NZ) ….. enjoyed the buskers and little stores as in all the towns… back to the bus 11.30am and onto Sligo at 2pm wandered around the town lots of knitwear/tweed and hunting gentleman’s apparel and called into the pharmacy found a bakery and enjoyed a cup of tea custard slice and HOT salty chips … toilet and encountered ... read more

Up and breakfast bit more laid back this morn at 8 am …. Left for The ring of Kerry at 9 am weather was perfect !!! stopped at the Red Fox Inn for an Irish coffee with Baileys to start …. Drove through the National Park and out to the coast certainly the Emerald Isles green and pristine… Enjoyed a lunch stop at Waterville and had tea scones jam and cream a look around and back on the bus stopped for spectacular views over the Coast ….stopped at Sneem a cute little village for half hour and back towards Killarney through the National Park again ….Molls Gap Johnny gave us Baileys or whiskey shots at the look out ….back at the hotel by 4 pm and dinner in the hotel at 7 pm turned in early ... read more

Dublin Tour The next stop on our British Isles cruise was Dun Laoghaire the gateway to Dublin. After taking the train from Dun Laoghaire to Pearse Station, Renata, Mom and I headed over to Trinity College. Trinity College We previously booked a tour of Trinity College and the Book of Kells before departing on the cruise. When we arrived at Trinity College, we were greeted by a student representative of the college, Ethan who specializes in Theoretical Physics and took us on a tour of the campus. Some of the interesting facts about Trinity College include: 1. Famous People: It produced some of the world’s finest most original minds including the writers Oscar Wilde, Samuel Beckett and Bram Stroker. 2. The Campanile: The bell tower in the heart of Trinity’s Front Square. The superstition goes, that ... read more

We are at Dublin for our second visit before flying home. We stayed at the Mespil hotel which is very modern and comfortable. We took a day trip to the Glendalough lakes which was very picturesque. We also stopped at a sheep farm where a demonstration of the capabilities of sheep dog was given. That was very impressive! We also visited the Epic museum that had numerous displays on the history of Ireland, the emigration to countries all around the world and the effect that Ireland had on science and culture. It was a very eye opening trip. We did not realize the long history of turmoil that Ireland had due to the colonization by England. The Catholics were persecuted for hundreds of years and the famines of the 1800s was due to the heavy taxes ... read more