Category Archives: Ireland

Belfast, County Carvan, Donaghcloney, Ireland, Northern Ireland

Lough Sheelin, County Cavan

March 31, 2023 Yogi and Boo Boo Leave a comment

27 March, 2023

We don’t have to check out until midday today but Lynn still insisted on getting out of bed at 7:30 am. For a change the sun is shining and it is a warm morning after an overnight minimum of -1 Deg C.

It appears that the sheep in the adjacent paddock are also happy about the change in weather. They have managed to find a hole in the fence and are enjoying mowing our lawn and walking the road outside.

Lawn mowers in the front yard this morning.

Despite taking our time we are all packed up and on the road by 11:00 am so we may be too early to check in at our next destination.

We are spending a leisurely 5 days at a beautiful golf club on Lough Sheelin in County Cavan. No cooking or cleaning up this week. The drive is about 2 hours and one stop for petrol on the way.

We arrive about 1:15 pm so we walk around the hotel grounds for about half an hour and are allowed to check in early as our first-floor, lake view room is ready.

The hotel and golf club are located on the shores of Lough Sheelin and well away from the nearest town of Oldcastle which is about 11 kms north east.

First constructed in 1759 by the Maxwell family who were one of the largest landowners and political power brokers in Cavan. In fact they were one of the largest land owners in Ireland.

Crover has a fascinating history serving as a country estate to prestigious lords, barons and colonels until 1957 when Crover House opened its doors as a hotel.

This Georgian manor house purchased by the O’Reilly family in 1992 sits majestically on the private shores of Lough Sheelin, exudes elegance with breath-taking views of the historic lake and 41 acres of meticulously landscaped grounds.

The house provides an intimate and tranquil setting for spectacular weddings, romantic getaways, golfing, fishing and much more.

The hotel and club house are magnificent so as we stroll around we shoot a few photos taking advantage of the sunny weather.

After we check in and take our luggage to the room we decide to have a drink in the restaurant and book a table for tonight before driving to Oldcastle to look for a car wash. No luck at Oldcastle so we continue a further 10 kms to Virginia to find Lynn’s hairdresser for her Friday appointment. We continue driving up the main street and manage to find a car wash behind the Applegreen Service Station. They do a great job and manage to remove a few weeks of country lane mud.

Back to the hotel to unpack and dinner. After dinner Lynn decides that we need to go for another walk but the wind has now come up and it is freezing outside. According to the weather report we are in for yet another wet week. Great weather for ducks…. or even swans.

I am ready to warm up back in our warm and cosy room but Lynn wants to get a liqueur coffee and have a quiet drink in the lounge area. I may be asleep by the time she gets back to the room.

28 March, 2023

Lynn set the alarm on her old phone for 8:00 am but now that it has coverage the phone adjusted for daylight savings so the alarm goes off at an ungodly 7:00 am. It is cold and dark but by the time we realise what has happened we are showered and dressed for a 9:00 am breakfast by 7:45 am. Not Happy!

Breakfast in the hotel dinning room is wonderful even if they had to redo my poached eggs because they were too over cooked the first time. I think that I really like this hotel.

After our leisurely breakfast we are driving to Cavan which is 23 kms away to check out the area and buy some waterproofing spray for Lynn’s outdoor jacket which is starting to show signs of wear and losing its coating after a number of cleaning attempts. Once we are back in Brisbane the coat will be retired and replaced if we travel to cold and wet countries after that time.

During our stop at the sports store in Cavan Lynn also buys a new softshell jacket with fleece lining to replace her Kathmandu jacket that she bought in Brisbane 10 years ago as it is too short and didn’t cover her behind any more, not water and wind resistant and the fleece not thick enough. 40% off – a bargain!

On the way back we return via Virginia so that Lynn gets a colour allergy skin test done at the hairdresser prior to her hair appointment on Friday. From Virginia we return to the hotel via Ballyjamesduff where Lynn notices that there are a number of farmers who drove their tractors into town to go shopping.

No need for a car when a tractor will do to go to town.

The Insignia turns over 50,000 miles when we return from Cavan.

Since Lynn has to go back to Virginia on Friday I’m thinking that she could drive herself. As she has never driven the Insignia nor driven a manual with a six-speed gearbox we decide to circumnavigate Lough Sheelin with Lynn at the wheel.

Once Lynn works out how to find 5th and 6th gear she manages the car well with only one stall when she forgets that, unlike our Calais at home, the car is a manual and you have to engage the clutch when you come to a sudden stop. Parking may be a different issue.

I think that the biggest issue with Lynn driving the Insignia is putting the driver’s seat and mirrors back in the right place for me. I have just found the ideal settings. It all sounds a bit Sheldonesk but I have very specific settings when I drive.

After dinner the rain seems to have stopped so Lynn heads out to do the Woodland Walk along the lake shore. I have eaten way too much so I just head back to the room to rest a while.

Twilight is lasting longer and later each day. Although it doesn’t feel like it yet, summer is on its way. Can’t wait to get to Cyprus and see some sunshine again.

29 & 30 March, 2023

The rain continues on and off for the next two days. It ranges from short glimpses of sunshine to complete white outs with heavy rain and strong winds. Not the days for exploring or hiking.

Since the next week is going to be hectic we just veg out for two days and do some quarter-end financial management, some preparations for the Cyprus holiday and the 3 months of the Scandinavian trip.

Due to a couple of late issues we now have to do our washing tomorrow. That means finding a laundromat in Virginia. I will do the laundry while Lynn has a hair cut tomorrow. At least I now have a need to go with her to Virginia and something to do while I wait for her.

31 March, 2023

How unusual…. it is raining again this morning. We have a quick breakfast and head into town to check out the laundromat to make sure that it is operational. It is, so I drop Lynn off at the hairdresser and I go back to the laundromat to do a couple of loads of washing and drying.

The laundromat is an outdoor module with two washers and one dryer – i.e. it’s located in a car park at the rear of a supermarket. This seems to be the trend Ireland. You usually find them at the edge of petrol station forecourts. The machines all work fine and I can pay by debit card for each load. The total cost is a bit expensive at around Eu30 but I am all done in about an hour. The biggest issue is getting the washing from the outdoor dryer to the car without getting it all wet again. I have to sit in the back seat of the car and sort out the items before bagging them for transport.

By the time I am finished I only have to wait half an hour for Lynn to be finished. Back home after driving in the wet we unpack the laundry and Lynn gets stuck in to the ironing before we both repack ready to head back to Donaghcloney for 3 nights then on to Belfast and Cyprus.

1 April, 2023

We have a late check out and depart at about 11:00am. We are driving to Donaghcloney via Dundalk for fuel then on to Newry to pick up Lynn’s laptop that could not be repaired and collect the refund.

From the Newry Computer Centre we headed to the local Tescos for some supplies for the next three days before arriving back at Harry & Jenny’s house.

After we unpack and catch up on all the comings and goings we head out to Downshire Arms Hotel for dinner.

Harry & Jenny know a couple of the staff members so we had fantastic service and even better food.

The place is packed full for a Saturday night so it looks like things are back to normal after the Covid pandemic.

2 April, 2023

We wake up to a sunny morning this morning but don’t really get moving very fast so it is well after 11:00am before we head out for a planned walk along the tow path at Drumbeg just on the outskirts of Belfast.

Beside the River Lagan at Drumbeg there is a 19th Century canal with a tow path. The tow path has been converted to a walkway that goes as far as downtown Belfast. We won’t be going that far but the plan is to walk about 3 km each way along the path.

We started the walk at the Drumbeg Parish Church at the Drumbeg bridge.

The bridge is a narrow four arch bridge that crosses the River Lagan at Drumbeg. We crossed over the bridge and headed down stream towards Belfast.

The stone bridge across the River Largan at Drumbeg.

It is cold out but we may be lucky if the rain holds off for the walk. Along the river there are a number of rapids where a canal has been built parallel. The canal has a number of locks to allow the old canal boats to travel all the way to Belfast.

We walked as far as Linen Mill Grove before heading back the same way. On our way back we came across a Heron stalking his prey. He managed to catch a small fish while we watched him.

We are due back for a late lunch of Lamb Roast but Harry suggests that we stop by at the oldest pub in Belfast for a swift half pint. As it is Sunday the little pub is heaving with the Sunday lunch crowd. We head to the public bar for a refreshing beer and Lynn has a glass of Merlot.

A swift half turned in to two and we even booked a table for tomorrow dinner for 6:30 pm.

Back at Donaghcloney Jenny has kept the roast lamb warm but it is more like dinner than lunch. The lamb is wonderful and very tender. Spring lamb at its best.

3 April, 2023

The weather is still a bit chilly this morning but at least it isn’t raining. After a late breakfast we head out to Lurgan Park for a short walk around the lake.

This afternoon we need to reorganise our suitcases in preparation for our two weeks in Cyprus and our three months in Scandinavia. We have managed to accumulate excess “stuff” over the last 6 months so any non essentials will be left in the car for our return.

By 6:00 pm we are off, back to Drumbeg and Robert Stewart’s Spirit Grocery for dinner. We managed to eat way too much and finished off a bottle of red wine.

4 April, 2023

We have a few things to sort out before we depart this afternoon for Belfast International Airport at 2:00 pm. I take the car down to the local car wash and pick up some snacks for the flight. The flight departs at 9:30 am tomorrow so we are staying at the Maldron Hotel which is right at the airport.

Jenny was planning to go with us to the airport but by the time we loaded up Jenny’s VW T-Roc it is evident that only one suitcase will fit in the boot of her SUV so our second case has to ride in a passenger seat. We say our goodbyes to Jenny and Harry drives us the half hour to the airport.

After checking in I do some catching up on the blog and we do a final sort, repack and weigh our luggage. Dinner tonight is in the hotel dinning room where we attempt to consume a three course meal.

Our accommodation tonight includes a hot breakfast but unfortunately the hotel hot breakfast doesn’t start until after 7:00 am so we will have to settle for a continental breakfast as we really need to be at the check in counter by 7:15 in the morning.

5 April, 2023

We are up very early this morning (at least for us) and have showered and had breakfast by 7:00 am. We check out and walk the 30 meters to the departures check in desk. We are all checked in and only need to do a bag drop but have to queue up for about 20 minutes. It seems that the British still haven’t worked out how to automate a bag drop system yet.

I hate low cost airlines but we had no choice for this trip as Jet2 is the only operator that goes to Paphos direct from Belfast. There is no entertainment on the five and a half hour flight and you have to purchase everything from a meal to a glass of water. It is a wonder that they don’t charge for toilet paper.

We arrived at Paphos airport at 4:30 pm local time which is 2 hours ahead of Belfast time. We hit the baggage claim and waited 45 minutes for our luggage and ours was first off our flight. These guys make Brisbane airport seem efficient. A further half hour wait for all the stragglers to get on the transfer bus but luckily the hotel is only 20 minutes from the airport. We check in just after 6pm.

We are staying at the 5 star rated (probably closer to 4.5 stars) hotel called Constantinou Bros Athena Royal Beach Hotel. Our room overlooks the sea and seems a good size with super king bed and modern bathroom. This will do nicely for the next 14 days.

After unpacking we head to the hotel restaurant for dinner. The hotel has a number of restaurants but we opt for the buffet tonight so that we can crash out early. The food is very good and reasonably priced compared to Ireland and the UK. The hotel has an option for guests to buy half and full board but we want to try out a number of the local restaurants while we are here but we may take up their offer next week depending on what we find.

We are told that the tap water is not drinkable but the hotel charges for bottled water which seems a bit rough, however the bottled water is only EU2 per litre at the restaurant and only EU0.75 in the hotel shop (EU0.5 in the local supermarkets). We are given a bottle of cheap Cyprus red wine and a fruit platter as a welcome gift from the hotel but Lynn states that she wants to go to the hotel gym every morning and stay off the booze for the duration of our stay. I wonder how long that will last. Any bets?

County Wicklow, Ireland

Corriebracks, County Wicklow

March 26, 2023 Yogi and Boo Boo Leave a comment

20 March, 2023

We are really going to miss The Yew Tree Cottage. We checked out just before 10:00 am and headed to our next cottage at Corriebracks, County Wicklow. It is only about one-and-a-half hours’ drive due north and the route takes us through Bunclody, Tullow and Baltinglass. These towns seem to be very nice towns which may be worth a return visit in the future.

The drive is relatively easy with only a couple of showers on the way. By 11:15 am we have driven through the little village of Hollywood which is just about 7 kms from the cottage and the closest village.

According to local legend, it was a local man who emigrated to the USA and settled in California just outside Los Angeles. The immigrant in question was Mathew Guirke, born in 1826 in Hollywood, Wicklow, Ireland. Mathew arrived in America in 1850 and later established himself in the Los Angeles area. He named his new homestead Hollywood in honor of his hometown.

Harvey H. Wilcox had purchased 120 acres on February 1, 1887. The name was immortalized when Harvey filed a subdivision map to the Los Angeles County recorder’s office, with the name “Hollywood.”

Just after we arrive at the cottage the host arrives to give us the door key and a tour of the cottage. She only lives down the road but in this area that could be 5 kms away.

The cottage is in an area called Corriebracks and is going to be very quiet out here miles away from anyone – except for the sheep in the next paddock which are due to start lambing next week.

The road (read track) in front of the cottage.

This area has some sheep farms nearby but is located on the edge of a pine forest so we will have plenty of logging tracks to hike while we are here (if it doesn’t rain all week).

After we unload the car we head back to the village of Hollywood to check it out. The village has a small cafe that is incredibly busy (probably as it seems to be the only open eating establishment in town). We stop in for coffee and cake and check out the menu. The cafe is mainly open for breakfast and lunch but is open for dinner on Friday, Saturday and Sunday so we plan to have dinner here on Friday.

The Hollywood Cafe, County Wicklow, Ireland.

After a hot beverage we continue on to Blessington which is a further 11 kms but the closest town with a supermarket. Just in case the weather is horrible this week we buy enough supplies for four dinners but the plan is to return to Blessington to dine at a few of its restaurants or pubs.

On our way back to the cottage we continue on to the end of the track which is only about 1 km further on from the cottage. At the end of the track are a couple of logging roads for hiking this week, subject to rain. On the way back down the track we came across a young deer so we stop to get a photo. This is where the big camera would have come in handy as we can’t get close enough for a decent photo with our phone.

Time to unpack and check out the cottage facilities. Lynn notices the clothes line out the back which is embedded in a rock. It is more like a clothes line for leprechauns.

Optimistic having a clothes line in Ireland.

Just for some perspective I took a photo of the clothes line with a leprechaun beside it.

Pegging knickers out here may be temporary.

21 March, 2023

Lynn wants to go back to the Hollywood Cafe this morning for breakfast but by the time we wake up, are showered and dressed it is 11:30 am – nearly lunch time. Still we head to town only to find that every street in the village (the 2 of them) are lined with cars. Apparently there is a funeral service on today and the entire population of Hollywood and surrounding areas is attending.

We drive the 7 kms back to the cottage and Lynn makes breakfast (or lunch really).

We are reminded that the cottage is located on a paved logging track when a fully-laden logging truck drives past the front door.

After brunch we dress up in our wets and take a walk down the paddock opposite to the creek. The plan is to follow the tractor track but after all the rain the creek is in full flow so we can’t cross without getting very wet.

We start to walk parallel to the creek but without a trail the gorse and tussocks make it too difficult to get too far so we walk back up the trail and follow the road to the logging trails.

Once at the logging tracks we take the highest track up into the hills.

The skies are getting very dark as we check out a side track and then start to head back to the cottage. Up on the track we come across a hunting hide platform.

Across the valley Lynn also notices what could be described as “crop circles”. To me it just looks like someone had fun with a tractor some time ago.

Circles of fun on the hills in the distance.

It is now starting to rain again so it is time to step up the walking pace back to the cottage or we will also be covered in the thick moss that blankets the nearby stone walls and the forest floor.

Not far from the cottage is a very nice stone house. Other than it is in the middle of nowhere it looks very comfortable.

We aren’t back very long when it starts to rain and the wind increases significantly. Time for a warm cuppa by the heater.

We spend most of the evening trying to navigate the incorrect instructions from HSBC about setting up the new Global Money Account card which we will use for the Scandinavian currency payments. In the end they admit that their instructions are missing a step which made the setup impossible. Yet another example of poor user acceptance testing before releasing a product or service. When will companies realise that they just piss customers off when they try to short cut product releases??

22 March, 2023

We wake to a brilliant, sunny day! This morning is our second attempt to head down to the Hollywood Cafe for breakfast. Lynn is out of bed by 7:00 am so she must be very excited to go to the cafe this morning.

Breakfast is very good but a bit much for me. I prefer a light breakfast of fruit, yogurt and cereal but they do a very good soft poached egg and an excellent coffee.

After breakfast we plan to walk a few trails around the village known as St Kevin’s Way. We do the first section of the walk but the ground is very wet and boggy and even though it is a bright sunny morning when we start out the clouds are getting darker and the wind is coming up. A local informs us that it will be raining by midday.

As the wind increases I realise that I should have worn more of my winter woollies and was fooled by the sunny skies this morning.

Even Lynn is cold and she has her full kit on.

Further along the valley we come to what looks like the crop circles that we can see from the cottage. It is now obvious that these circles are just old feeding spots for the local sheep.

Originally Lynn thought that we could just walk a full circuit around a hill near the village but our planned track is locked off by a farm gate. It is too far in the mud and cold wind to do the full 30 kms St Kevin’s Way from Hollywood to Glendalough so we have to back track the mere 1.4 kms to the village.

Back to solid ground with mud-covered boots.

Once back to the road it is a matter of trying to remove mud from our boots so we stroll past the Hollywood Inn to see when it is open. From there we find a small stream with a footpath called Watery Lane that takes us back through the church graveyard to the Hollywood Cafe and the car.

While we are in the graveyard we locate the grave from yesterday’s funeral. While Lynn checks out the interior of the church I speak to the graveyard maintenance guy who is trying to mow the very wet grass around the graves.

Inside the Church of St. Kevin, Hollywood.

Apparently James Clarke was 84 and had been ill for a couple of years. He was very much involved with establishing and managing the local school hence why the school was closed yesterday during the funeral. All the teachers and board members were at the funeral.

Back at the cottage while it rains again we complete our work setting up the new HSBC debit card and currencies required for the Scandinavian countries and adding the card to our hotel bookings. Oh look, sunshine again!

It seems that the local sheep are very interested in spying on their new neighbours.

23 March, 2023

It’s mid-morning and Lynn has planned a number places to visit today in and around Glendalough (Irish: Gleann Da Loch meaning ‘valley of two lakes’). Glendalough is a glacial valley in Co. Wicklow renowned for an early Medieval monastic settlement founded in the 6th Century by St Kevin.

First stop is the view point at the Wicklow Pass.

From the Wicklow Mountains Viewing platform.

We drive through the Pass and down the narrow valley until we arrive at Glendalough and park next to the stone wall which encircles the monastic settlement.

There are a number of stone structures within the settlement including: the impressive Round Tower, cemetery, and ruins of the Priests House, St Kevin’s and St Kieran’s Churches and the Glendalough Cathedral.

The Round Tower is about 30 m high with an entrance 3.5 m above the ground. Originally the tower had 6 timber floors connected by ladders. Round towers, landmarks for approaching visitors were built as bell towers, but occasionally also served as store houses and as places of refuge in times of attack.

The chancel and sacristy date from the late 12th and 13th Centuries.

As we walk towards St Kevin’s Church we look up the valley to see a wall of rain heading our way.

St Kevin’s Church is commonly known as St Kevin’s Kitchen as the bell tower resembles a kitchen chimney. The steep roof, formed of overlapping stones is supported internally by a semi-circular vault.

It starts to rain heavily so we exit the settlement and head to the coffee cart near to our parked car. We were going to drink our take away coffees in the car until the shower passed, but instead got talking to Sandra and Margaret, sheltered by the cart’s awning.

Sandra & Margaret at their coffee trailer.

A 2-minute drive up the R757 to the car park between the Upper and Lower Lakes marks the beginning of several trails, one of which is to view the Poulanass Waterfall.

The 12-minute walk up the path to view the waterfall is part of the Wicklow Way, a 131-kilometre long-distance trail that crosses the Wicklow Mountains. I don’t think that we will walk the full trail in this weather.

Another path branches off the trail which heads downhill to the site of St Kevin’s Cell which overlooks the Upper Lake.

Further downhill in a grove of trees are the ruins of Reefert Church which dates from c. 1100 and is surrounded by some ancient tomb stones. The name derives from Righ Feata, the burial place of kings referring to the local rulers – the O’Toole Clan.

The path then leads to the shores of Upper Lake. You can understand why St Kevin decided to establish his monastery here, surrounded by stunning scenery and so very peaceful.

On our return home we stop at the site of the Hero Mine in the Glendasan Valley. Glendalough and the nearby Glendasan valleys were the most important sites for lead mining in Ireland. The main lead mineral in Wicklow is galena (PbS) which often contains small amounts of silver and could be extracted economically.

Lead was first discovered in Glendasan in the early 19th Century and later these veins were followed through the mountainside to the adjacent valley of Glendalough. The earliest phase of mining, dating from the turn of the 19th Century was when the Avoca mines’ manager, Thomas Weaver, was commissioned by the Government to undertake a survey of gold in County Wicklow. Not long after the 1798 Rebellion he discovered a rich vein of lead ore in the Glendasan valley.

View from the Hero Mine ruins on Miner’s Way back to Glendalough.

The Mining Company of Ireland took over operation of the Glendasan mines in 1825. A year later a road to the Luganure ore body was constructed and on it a railway track was also laid which extended 126 feet into the mine. Dressing floors for separating the ore were built on the site. To extract this ore body ‘The Hero Mine’ was opened.

Beside the carving of the glaciated valley, the power of ice is evident in the cleaving of a large boulder at the Hero Mine site.

Just before we arrive back at the cottage we stop to take a photo of an abandoned dwelling covered in thick moss in a field adjacent to the logging track – both the ruins and the thick moss are prevalent in this area.

At 5:30 pm we depart for the Hollywood Inn which apparently has won the 2023 Best Gastro Pub Award. The food was just OK but since it is the only restaurant for miles around the prices were a bit over the top for average quality meals.

The Hollywood Inn (aka Old Stage Coach Inn).

24 March, 2023

The original plan for today was to go for a 3 km hike in the forest trails behind The Hollywood Inn but just as we are about to leave the cottage it starts to rain heavily yet again. Change of plan. We will go for the hike tomorrow and today we will take a drive around the Liffey Reservoirs after coffee and cake at the Hollywood Cafe. The drive takes us through Valleymount and we end up at Blessington to pick up a couple of supplies.

The Liffey reservoirs are the main water supply for Dublin and was created by damming the Liffey River which runs in to the Dublin City Centre.

On the Eastern side of the reservoir there are a number of sheep paddocks where spring lambs have been born.

The rain managed to stay away during our drive but just as we turn in to the lane to the cottage it starts to rain again. It must be the valley at the cottage that seems to be a rain funnel.

25 March, 2023

It rains on and off all day today so Lynn is completing her “must see” Scandinavian list and I do the washing. This will be our last washing day until the day before we fly out to Cyprus in 10 days’ time.

All a bit boring today but chores have to be done. We also need to start to consider our bookings for the Midlands and southern Scotland for early August.

The highlight of the day is driving into the village for pizza at the Hollywood Cafe.

26 March, 2023

It is the start of daylight savings in Europe today so we are up earlier than we would have liked. However, we planned to get an early start this morning for a hike around the pine forest opposite the Hollywood Demesne before it is forecast to rain this afternoon.

We park the car at the Hollywood Inn and walk up the street to the junction with the logging road at the start of the forest.

It is a steep climb through the pine forest but at least the road is not muddy and the rain seems to be holding off. The planned route this morning should take about an hour and is approximately 5 kms long but quite steep at the start.

At the top of the hill the plantation has been logged recently. It is a bit ugly up here but will be replanted in the summer.

We pass by lots of dog walkers going in the opposite direction including a group of young scouts and their families. It seems that people are emerging from their winter hibernation.

At least the walk back to the village of Hollywood is all down hill and we have a good view of the valley.

On our return to the village we head straight to the Hollywood Cafe for coffee. The cafe is heaving this morning with hikers, dog walkers, cyclists and ordinary folk. There are no inside or undercover tables available so we grab a take-away coffee and sit out front at one of the outdoor picnic tables. The clouds are definitely building but we manage to finish our coffee and walk back to the car without getting seriously wet.

Lynn wants to try and get a photo of the Hollywood sign that the locals have put up in a paddock that overlooks the village to copy the one in Hollywood, Los Angeles but getting a clear view without climbing up the paddock is impossible.

I have included a photo below from someone else’s climb but the version we see today spells: Hollyw – the ‘ood’ having fallen over. Apparently the local council intends to build a sturdier, and probably larger, sign to replace the current one.

This afternoon we have to do some accommodation bookings for after our Scandinavian trip and tomorrow we are off to Crover House Hotel and Golf Club near Virginia for 5 days. That’s Virginia, County Cavan, Ireland, not the one in the USA.

County Wexford, Ireland

Enniscorthy, County Wexford

March 15, 2023 Yogi and Boo Boo Leave a comment

13 March, 2023

Yes, it is raining yet again this morning. I get very wet loading the car but by 10:00 am we have checked out and on the road again for the 4-hour drive to Enniscorthy in County Wexford. Our drive takes us North East through Cork, then on to Youghal, Dungarvan and Waterford. We won’t actually go into the town of Wexford but instead go via the bypass around New Ross.

Our initial route off the Beara/Bere Peninsula along the R572 takes us through the delightful village of Glengariff and its imposing Eccles Hotel. A ‘must’ place to visit when we return to Eire!

We are only on the road about 30 minutes but it is still bucketing down with rain all the way. We notice that all the creeks and rivers are flooding so Lynn insists that we stop for a photo of a fast-running creek. Under protest I stop but on the condition that Lynn gets out to take the photo. I have no interest in getting soaked.

Lynn has walked down the road away looking for a suitable photo. What she didn’t realise is just how wet it is outside so she didn’t take her weather-proof jacket. By the time she returns she’s a tad wet.

At least the roads are starting to get a little wider as we head towards Cork but the weather is still cold, raining and windy.

It’s been years since either of us had been to Waterford and we’re quite surprised at just how big a town it has become. Perhaps it was because we had only visited the Waterford Crystal Factory and had not driven through town.

Driving east it becomes apparent that the roads are improving, both in width and surface quality – for example, the New Ross bypass and bridge (the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Bridge) which opened in 2020 and has since won a prestigious international award for engineering excellence and design.

The Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Bridge – N25 New Ross Bypass.

The International Association for Bridge and Structural Engineering said the bridge was “a landmark structure” that has pushed the boundaries for the span of a “concrete extrados bridge”. The Kennedy Family’s ancestors hailed from nearby Dunganstow.

We stop in at Tesco just outside New Ross for most of our supplies for this week but we also intend to get some additional supplies after we check in to the cottage at Ballinure, just outside Enniscorthy, and head down town to see what places are available for meals and supplies, especially since Friday is St Patrick’s Day.

The cottage at Enniscorthy is perfect and very-well maintained for a change. It still has the dreaded “Power Shower” which is the usual powerless shower but the host had lit the fire ready for our arrival so the cottage is lovely and warm and welcoming.

We don’t bother to unpack. We just put the groceries from Tesco away then head in to Enniscorthy for some pre-prepared meals.

The driveway into the farm house is very narrow so it could be a problem for any renters with oversized RVs but with a little care we squeeze the Insignia down the driveway and in to town to the SupaValu store in the heavy rain.

Pay attention when entering or exiting the farm.

The check out chick gave us some good advice about the St Patrick’s Day parade and where we can find good pub food in town.

The Irish never fail to amaze us with variations on food themes but battered rissoles is going a bit too far. “Good Food Matters” now that is a case of wishful thinking!

Back at the cottage we unpack and check out the place. This renovated farm house is quite isolated and very quiet. It is also quite large as a 4-bedroom house with a number of outbuildings.

We have just about completed our unpacking when our host (John) arrives to make sure that we have everything that we need. He also tells us that there is a wood shed out back that has a few years’ supply of cut wood for the fireplace and we should help ourselves to what ever we need. Since the weather report is for rain all this week we will certainly stay warm.

This is a very interesting restoration. Lynn notices that the “pebble dash” panels in the front fence include shards of porcelain. Interesting but it must have taken a great deal of patience to do this. Is it from the original building or the restoration? Whoda thought – a little bit of Barcelona’s Sagrada Familia’s spire decoration in this little corner of Ireland.

Interesting decoration on the front fence.

We are spoilt for choice for bedrooms so we use the downstairs double bedroom as a dressing room so that we don’t have to drag the suitcases upstairs and we will use the upstairs double bedroom to sleep. That way we can have downstairs a lot warmer with the fireplace and upstairs a little cooler to sleep.

The cottage has all the mod cons as well as lots of character. We have a smart TV inclusive of access to Netflix and Disney channels. Who cares if it rains this week? We are all set.

14 March, 2023

We both slept very well in our king-size bed. We are surprised this morning to see patches of blue sky and a warm sunny morning. Straight after breakfast we head in to Enniscorthy to check out the town and grab a coffee. Parking is a bit difficult in town and it is all paid parking, although 1 Euro per hour is not excessive.

We notice how one local gets free parking but not sure he would survive being hit by a fast bicycle.

After a reasonable coffee we walk along the riverside and notice the river is flooded here also.

Enniscorthy is not without its idiosyncrasies. It looks like the old grocery stores catered for men and women when women did the shopping while men went to the pub.

Downtown has fairly steep streets that lead down to the river. Enniscorthy Castle is half way up the hill for great views over the river and bridge while the Cathedral sits at the top of town.

Slaney Street – a steep and narrow street of Enniscorthy.

The town isn’t that big so we walk most of the streets in less than an hour. We stop in at the Castle which was built in the 12th Century and rebuilt a couple of times since. It is not that impressive but we may come back to take a visit in detail if it rains this week.

We head further up the hill towards the Cathedral checking out the local shops to see if there are any restaurants worth visiting this week.

Getting some exercise walking the hills.

The Cathedral is at the top of town so there are some great views from up here. Lynn heads inside to check out the interior.

From the Cathedral I can see the tower ruin on Vinegar Hill across the valley on the other side of the River Slaney.

Meanwhile inside the Cathedral Lynn checks out the stained glass window above the altar.

We head back to the car and since the weather is still fine we decide to visit Vinegar Hill.

The Battle of Vinegar Hill, which was fought on 21 June, was an engagement during the Irish Rebellion of 1798. Over 10,000 crown forces launched an attack on Vinegar Hill, overlooking Enniscorthy in County Wexford, which was then occupied by over 20,000 rebels and camp followers. This was the largest rebel camp and headquarters of the Wexford United Irishmen and their supporters. It marked a turning point in the Irish Rebellion of 1798 as it was the last major attempt by the rebels to hold and defend ground against the crown forces and the army of King George III. The battle was actually fought in two locations, on Vinegar Hill itself and in the streets of nearby Enniscorthy.

There is a great view of Enniscorthy from up here so it would have had a commanding view of the opposing forces back in 1798.

Enniscorthy below from the top of Vinegar Hill.

Time to head back to the cottage as we can see black clouds approaching. Besides that we are inundated by a classroom full of school children on an excursion. Or are the teachers just trying to run them out of steam?

School children attacking the summit with loads of energy.

As soon as we get back to the car it starts to rain. Good timing, so we head back to the cottage and get a fire started to warm the place up for the night.

15 March, 2023

As usual it is raining this morning so after breakfast I spend the day updating the blog but found that we have run out of room on our blog account. It took most of the day sorting out the “bugs” in the new blog account. It is still not completely correct but I have no idea how to fix the last of the issues so went on to a forum but it may take a while to get the answers. I have a list of dates in the left hand margin in our past blog accounts for easier access but can’t find the widget to add to this account.

Tonight we are heading in to town for dinner. There is not much open and it is still bucketing down. Parking is also an issue in Enniscorthy. We drive around looking for open restaurants and finally locate an Italian restaurant called “Via Veneto”. Luckily we find parking right across the street so we don’t get completely drenched getting from the car to the restaurant.

Note the picture of Mussolini in the left top corner.

In the restaurant reviews online it was noted that a couple of reviewers were unhappy about the apparent support for Mussolini by the owner/chef. We asked the waiter about the number of Mussolini tributes on the restaurant walls. It seems that the chef was born in the same town as Mussolini and a customer sent him a photo of Mussolini as a joke. Afterwards more customers did the same to try to “stir up” the chef so he hung up the photos to call their bluff. By the way, the chef is anti-Nazi.

The food is excellent and the story of the Mussolini tributes is a great marketing ploy.

On our way back to the cottage we stop in at the supermarket for some additional supplies (read chocolate) where Lynn notices a distinct Irish twist to Easter.

16 March, 2023

How unusual…. it is bucketing down again this morning. We are starting to run out of wood for the fire so I don the wets and head out to the woodshed to bring in lots of logs for the fireplace. We will now have enough wood to last the rest of the week without needing to go out in the rain for more.

I spend the remainder of the day working on the extended European itinerary and Lynn adds the places to visit in Scotland and the UK Midlands for when we get back from the Scandies in July.

We have a Skype call with our Philly, USA friends at 6:00 pm but 10 minutes before the call the Internet goes down for an hour so we have to delay the call until 8:00 pm. We have had very little little issues with the Internet since we have been traveling but this is just bad timing.

While the internet is down, our host, John, arrives to see how we are going and to see if we need anything. He also brought us an apple pie which we have for dessert and it is very yummy.

The Internet is all sorted for a rescheduled 8:00 pm call where we have a long chat with Becky & Jerry and put in place a plan to meet up with them in the Champagne region of France in late spring next year.

We first met Becky & Jerry in an Irish pub on St Patrick’s Day in Lecce, Italy, some years ago hence the timing of our Skype call to celebrate both our serendipitous meeting and St Patrick’s Day tomorrow.

17 March, 2023

It is St. Patrick’s Day today so the plan is to go into town this afternoon to see the parade. In fact, although we religiously celebrate St Patrick’s Day wherever we are in the world, this is the first time that we will celebrate it in Eire! It will be a very damp affair as it is raining yet again and due to continue all afternoon.

At 2:00 pm we drive in to town and park at the top of the hill across from the SupaValu supermarket. It is only about a 10-minute walk to the river and we plan to stop in at The Bailey for a coffee before the parade starts. We will stand near the start of the parade so that we know when the end passes by and we can quickly get back to The Bailey for an early dinner.

Amazingly enough there is only the occasional mizzle as we walk down to The Bailey and even less mizzle during the parade, in fact there is momentary brightness!

Lynn finds us a spot to stand with some elevation but I try to warn her that we won’t see a thing as all the people would be standing as close as possible to the parade. She suggests I go and stand where I want but I refuse as I don’t want to push in.

Just as the parade starts Lynn discovers that I am correct so she scurries down to the road to get a front seat.

Where’s Wally – can you spot Lynn in the crowd?

Hint: She’s closer to the ground than usual to take photos of the parade.

After a few speeches from the organising team and the Mayor the parade gets underway just after 3:00 pm.

At least Lynn has a bird’s eye view.

Even St Paddy himself appeared in the parade.

All the local clubs have joined in the parade.

The local ladies’ “Delightful Doilies” club crocheted a tea cosy for a car. How very Irish.

Despite a prize of Eu10,000 for the best display there wasn’t a lot of effort put in by any of the organisations and the parade passes by in less than 20 minutes.

We head back to The Bailey at a fast pace to get a table for a Guinness and a very early supper. On the way Lynn starts up a conversation with an elderly gentleman who is also heading to The Bailey from the parade for his coffee.

It turns out that Paddy walks to the The Bailey every day to buy a coffee and they throw in a second one for him for free.

Having a black one for St Patrick’s Day.

Lynn strikes up quite a conversation with Paddy and as we finish our supper I also pay for his two-for-one coffee.

On our way back up the hill to the car park we notice a plaque that commemorates the fact that Enniscorthy was the starting point for the 2nd leg of the 1998 Tour De France. At the car park there is a monument to the occasion as well.

Monument to the start of the 2nd leg in 1998.

Overall it has been a fun day and Lynn now has a new friend. Any excuse for some craic on St Patrick’s Day 2023.

18 March, 2023

There is only a light drizzle (or mizzle as Lynn calls it- a mix of drizzle and mist) this morning so after breakfast we head out for a short walk down the lane. We stop at the old stone bridge and check out the fast-running creek.

With all the rain lately everything is flooded and this creek would normally be just a trickle.

By the time we reach the end of the lane the rain starts again. We scurry back to the cottage to keep working on the travel itinerary.

We have sheep in the paddock next door but one of the lambs has escaped and it is making a racket calling for its mother. Lynn heads outside to shepherd it back through the fence.

This afternoon Ireland is playing England in the 6 Nations Rugby so the fire is set and we turn on the TV. We can’t believe it! The sun is shining and the sky is clearing but will it last?

Great news – on this St Patrick’s weekend, in Dublin, Ireland win the Six Nations tournament with a clean sweep or Grand Slam (winning all 5 games) and its captain, Johnny Sexton, retires after becoming all-time highest scorer.

The Irish 6 Nations Rugby Team 2023 – Sexton 2nd from left in front row.

19 March, 2023

We wake up to a beautiful sunny day with an expected maximum of 9 Deg C. However, rain is predicted for this afternoon so after breakfast we head out for a walk to the Monart Church which is about 3.3 km away. The route will take us along a number of country lanes past farm houses and fields.

Lynn can’t help taking photos of unusual signs along the way.

There is not much traffic about so we mostly walk down the middle of the lanes and only have to move over a few times during the walk. There are a few other hardy souls out this morning and we exchange greetings as we pass.

By the time we reach the church the clouds are getting darker but we had a wander around the church yard checking out some of the older graves.

We pick up the pace on the way back as the drizzle threatens to transform in to rain. All the creeks are running fast so we stop by a stone bridge to listen to the water flow.

Almost too short to see over the bridge.

The creeks are full of crystal clear but very cold water.

Can this still be called a babbling brook?

The walk takes us about an hour-and-a-half for the round trip but we manage to get back just before the rain starts to come down heavily. Looks like the fire will be started in the fireplace this afternoon while we sip a cup of tea and consume a hot cross bun.

It is going to be difficult to leave this place tomorrow but we are moving on in the morning to head to our next cottage, ‘Corriebrack’, at Corragh, County Wicklow, about 35 minutes’ drive NW of Glendalough.

THE CONTINUING TRAVELS OF YOGI & BOO BOO

Category Archives: Ireland

Lough Sheelin, County Cavan

Corriebracks, County Wicklow

Enniscorthy, County Wexford

Our post retirement travels – Blog #3