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Published: January 25th 2011
After our wonderful stay in Galway, our next stop was the town of Kilkenny to see my friends, Amy and Colm, who used to work at James Hobans back in DC. We decided to take advantage of having a car to swing down south first to see the Cliffs of Moher, and then head over to Kilkenny. We set out on yet another beautiful crystal clear day, and unlike the monotonous highway from Dublin to Galway this drive stretched over Irelands back roads. I was so focused, and had so much fun driving our manual car on the twisting, winding roads that I barely had time to gaze at the gorgeous countryside flying by. Mary was though, and taking amazing pictures along the way. Castle after castle (Colm was ridiculing Americans how when they come into his bar they all have their maps out and literally plan and go to every castle possible- I quote Colm, "fer fuks sake they're all the same!") and a couple wrong turns later, we arrived at the Cliffs of Moher. Pictures really can't do them justice, they are simply spectacular. They rise from the Atlantic ocean up to heights of 400-700 feet. Being the middle of the week and not at the height of the tourism season there weren't that many other people there. A lone Irishman played Irish tunes on his flute while Mary and I strolled around the cliff's edge. After several contemplative moments, we headed back to our car and on with our journey to Kilkenny!
An exhausting several hours of getting lost and tracking down food off the main highways that would lead us into tiny obscure Irish towns, we finally pulled into Kilkenny. Colm met us in a shopping area right by his house, and he was able to guide us to their home. It was great to see the two of them again, and for Mary to finally meet them as their names came up often back in DC (Amy and Colm left Hobans before she started working there). I filled them in on the latest from DC as we got ready to go out. The plan was to meet some more people who I met on my last trip to Ireland as well as a bartender who Mary and I both worked with at Hobans as well (Brian). Quite the Hobans reunion! We all met at one of my favorite bars in Kilkenny, Left Bank, an old Bank of Ireland branch that has been converted into a bar. We had a blast trading stories and memories from our times together living in DC!
The next day Amy had to work, but Colm took us to the sandwich shop that Brian had started since returning from DC. It was delicious (and free, thanks Brian)! We then explored some quaint Irish towns that surround Kilkenny, and checked out a memorial built to honor James Hobans supposedly near the house he grew up in. Before we returned home, we stopped by the hotel that Colm currently works at- called Lanigans, it's a hotel that's part bar and nightclub. However since Joya and I last visited they have basically purchased the entire block the hotel originally occupied. Colm led Mary and I on a tour that literally took almost a half hour. They have at least 4-5 private rooms with bars, an outside bar and patio, a massive area that becomes a nightclub at night (and also hosts many wedding functions), it's own two level movie cinema with private bars, and the best part-it's own little shop that connects to, you guessed it, another bar. Colm works in that 'wing' now, and it's unbelievable. Apparently it's styled how Ireland used to be, with small shops up front and a bar in the back. You could pick up some jam and bread and then have a Guinness before heading home (if only the US had something comparable I would have joined mom on every shopping run without question!). Anyway Lanigans was amazing, and literally twice the size when joya and I last visited. If I were to have my wedding in Ireland I couldn't pick a better place!
That night we took it easy and stayed in, ordering pizza and watching ridiculous UK reality television. A brief but great visit with Amy and Colm, we are so grateful to them for letting us crash there for two days! Our next stop was Belfast, but more on that later.
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Pam/Mom
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It was great to hear how well Amy and Colm are doing and what a wonderful establishment they've built!