Oh Danny Boy......

No, this post isn't about Danny, but about our recent whirlwind visit to Ireland. Feel free to skip it, or just look at the pictures, like the one of Peg and I somewhere on the west coast of Ireland.

Sidetrail: Not to get off topic here, but why blog? I can't answer for anybody else but for me it provides a way to keep in touch with others without going the Facebook route, but more importantly it is just another way to keep track of life. I have another blog that is private that fills the role of a diary or journal and this is just an extension of that. So, if I put up stuff that bores you or you think 'what's he sharing that for?' feel free to skip and just wait for another Photo Quiz and the cool prizes.

Almost a year ago we heard about a tour Gene Drake was putting together for Ireland and both Peg and I thought we might like to go. Gene does various tours throughout the year and this is one that appealed to both Peggy and I. So we called him up, put our deposit down, got our passports and on March 20 took off for Ireland.

After a long* flight (Vegas to Newark to Dublin) this sign greeted us at the airport. The top is in Gaelic** (Irish, if you will) and really brought home the fact that we weren't in the States anymore.

*Those of you that have had longer flights I feel your cramped rear ends, so no need to let me know how you suffered more than we did. Esp. Jared, who has flown to Australia (and back!) and more recently returned from Iraq.

**Actually, as our your guide Jonathan pointed out, Irish is more closely related to Welsh and Breton than it is to Scots Gaelic. Just so you know.

The view from just outside our first hotel looking down the Liffey River. The bridge is a stylized representation of an Irish harp, the symbol of the Republic of Ireland.

St. Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin. It's kind of an irony that while Ireland (especially the Republic of Ireland [as opposed to Northern Ireland]) is overwhelmingly Catholic, many of the biggest churches and cathedrals are Protestant. That's a legacy from the time of British rule in Ireland.

After being on the go since about 3 AM Vegas time, arriving in Dublin about 6 AM the next day (Sunday) in Dublin, we were advised to stay up the rest of the day in order to get our body clocks set rather reasonably. We did a little bus tour of Dublin later that morning, but it was starting to wear on us toward afternoon.

One of our first stops was at the Irish National Stud where they treat horses better than I do my kids! Sorry, guys.

Situated on a rocky prominence, the Rock of Cashel was the seat of kings of this part of Ireland for centuries. Most of the buildings date from the 12th and 13th centuries. The round tower with the conical cap is the oldest and probably dates from the 10th or 11th century. St. Patrick himself was supposed to have converted and baptized the local king here.

This is a 10 pound castle. The countryside is dotted with them in varying states of ruin. More on them later.

Here we see the Treaty Stone where an important treaty was signed in the 1600's, I believe. This is in Limerick. Across the Shannon River you can see King John's Castle, financed by King John (yes, that King John) as part of English expansion into Ireland.