Category Ireland
Skellig Michael and the Ring of Kerry
You know that rocky island with the beehive huts where Luke Skywalker goes to grow a beard and become mystical in the most recent Star Wars movie? Well, it turns out that’s a real place. Off the western coast of Ireland two tiny spikes of rock (“skelligs”) jut out from the sea. On the larger, […]
Shanagarry & Killarney
Forty minutes outside of Cork lies the tiny village of Shanagarry, where Stephen Pearce makes his famous pottery (well, to be more accurate I think other people make it for him, but still). In the past couple of years I’ve collected several pieces of this pottery from shops in London and other parts of Ireland, […]
I did not kiss the Blarney Stone
As an expat in Europe, few things betray my North Americanness more than (1) not taking an extended vacation in August, and (2) castles. I can’t seem to get over either of them. Hence my one-day August holiday to visit Irish castles… Today’s destination: Blarney Castle, just outside Cork. It’s one of the better examples […]
Cashel & Cork
It’s the August Bank Holiday weekend and I need a break. I’ve been meaning to come back to Ireland since my first short trip left me wanting more, so this was my chance. I took the day off work and caught an early flight to Dublin, hired a car at the airport and set off […]
Hey Lady, look what I found!
A couple of days ago, Lady sent me a link on Facebook that purported to list the 10 most popular china patterns and how to recognize them. Knowing full well that she was fanning the flame of my nascent blue-dish collection, she will surely be happy to know that as I was perusing the pile […]
I may need to fine tune…
Note to self: When your flight details look like this . . . . . . it’s the time ON THE LEFT that matters when planning when to arrive at the airport. The left. All you gain by focusing on the time on the right is a lesson in how high prices can be for […]
Castles and churches and ice cream in Kilkenny
After a slow Sunday morning in Dublin, I caught a train to Kilkenny, a beautiful little medieval village to the southwest of the capitol. The journey took me (as I presume all journeys in Ireland do) through brilliant green countryside drenched in sunshine, dotted with sheep, and crisscrossed with hedgerows and low stone walls. I […]
Walking at Bray’s Head
One of my colleagues had recommended visiting Bray, a village on the coast a few miles south of Dublin, and walking up to the cliffs at nearby Bray’s Head. Thanks to the beautifully long days here in Ireland, I was able to make it there in time to watch the sun set. It was gorgeous. […]
Exploring Dublin
The weather could not have been more perfect for exploring Dublin today. Sunny, warm, a light breeze. Completely unlike the chilly rain so typical for this part of the world. Trinity College is just around the corner from my hotel, so I started there. I joined a student-led tour and learned, among other things, that […]
I’m in Ireland!
We’ve got a three-day weekend in the UK, and I wasn’t about to sit around at home doing the same old weekend routine. So I hopped on a Friday night flight to Dublin in search of adventure! I got in fairly late, so I didn’t see much of the city (that’ll have to wait until […]
A More Gentlemanlike Manner 