Gonna take a sentimantal journey

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Good direct flight from O'Hare to Dublin. Left on time - arrived early - had nice college age couple as seatmates - even the journey through customs wasn't long or trying. Very pleasant start to the trip.

Rented a car from Budget - once again quick and easy. It's a Nissan MICRA - and it is tiny. Considering the narrowness of the roads, that is a BIG plus. Driving on the left side of the road is not really a hard adjustment. Trying not to scrape the side curb on back roads, or swipe parked cars, is the big challenge for me. I did get 100% zero deductible insurance on the rental, so I'm not too worried.

The road from Dublin to Dundalk is very direct. I took a diversion through Dunleer and Ardee on the way. From the family lore, Margaret Theresa Campbell's father had been a teacher in the US. He was married, but lost both his wife and child in childbirth. He was so distraught that he came back to Ireland and it was many years before he married again. The 1901 census records have a child Margaret Campbell living in Ardee with a 50-year-old father and 30-year-old mother, and several siblings. They are listed as farmers, but the children are marked as "scholars" and could read and write. The story goes that Margaret Campbell went on to advanced studies in fashion in Dublin, and the 1911 census has a 25-year-old Maraget Teresa Campbell working as a French costumier (wardrobe mistress) in Dublin. She is listed as being born in Dunleer. Dunleer, Ardee, and Dundalk are all in County Louth (in Cook County, US terms, kind of like Morton Grove, Northbrook, and Chicago).

Driving into Dunleer had an emotional impact. The old church and preserved streets could well have been places that Margaret walked. Ardee is bigger and shows a lot of development. I drove through but didn't stop to take pictures. It jus didn't have the feel that Dunleer held. Drove on to Dundalk.

It is rainy and in the 50's. Considering what we've been living with in Chicago this summer, this weather is wonderful. The Rosemount B&B is very nice, with a beautiful garden. The intensity of the colors of the flowers in the garden is breathtaking. Dundalk iself is very busy and developed. As wih Ardee, I don't feel the connection that I had expected here. That's OK, it is an interesting small city and a good base for a couple days worth of adventures. Getting around the city center is an adventure. A happy consequence of the twists and turns (there doesn't seem to be any place where you can simply go around the block) was ending up on the road to a town called Black Rock, which is right on the Irish Sea. There is a walled walkway along the shoreline and it is well-populated with all ages enjoying the vistas. That would be a nice town in which to spend a few days.

Had a good salmon dinner in a charming pub in Dundalk, then came back and took a nap. Want to get rested tonight - two big adventures tomorrow. Good night.

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Photos

Dunleer
Margaret Campbell's probable birthplace

St. Brigid's Dunleer
Probably where Margaret Campbell was baptized.