Finally!
We flew over to Dublin from Edinburgh on Sunday morning. Greg had rented a car that was similar to the one we have here at home, so we just barely fit into it with all the people and luggage! It was a little tight! We drove to our hotel and then checked out the city a bit. We got on the hop on hop off bus and headed to the Guinness brewery-priorities! The factory was pretty cool, but it was by far the most boring thing we did on the trip as far as the kids were concerned! They did very well though, there was a lot to look at, a lot of Guinness history and facts to read, very interesting. It was finished off with a lovely pint at the very top of the factory with beautiful views of the city. We were lucky enough to get a few chairs with a table to sit around and enjoy our Guinness.
We spent the first night in Dublin, the hop on hop off buses gave us a lot of information about the city, we did the whole circuit to get back to the hotel. The next morning we took the kids and walked to St Patricks Cathedral. It was neat to go I side the church and walk around. The kids had a lot of questions about the statues. There was a little park in the green area surrounding the church that the kids got to play in after. Then it was back in the car and on the road for county cork, where emerge renting a cottage for the next few days. We saw a lot of tower ruins driving along the road, I thought it would be similar to scotland, and it was a bit, but the ruins were the main difference, there are so many! We got to our cottage with a little backtracking and once stopping for directions, sat nav was not very helpful at the end of the journey! But you have to get lost in ireland at least once, it's part of the deal. Our hosts were lovely, they lived right next door, and the cottage came guarded by two very friendly dogs, Lily and Oliver had a blast playing with them. Sharon got to drive on the wrong side of the road and took us into a nearby town (we accidentally took the long way to ge there) for a few essential groceries.
Tuesday came and we decided to take this day and go down to the blarney castle. What a neat estate! The gardens were beautiful. We walked around then up to the castle, and up to the top, up the old winding stairs (possibly the scariest I have done yet) to kiss the stone at the top. I had no idea you are expected to hang yourself off the castle walls to kiss this thing! I couldn't do it, the kids were too little, but Greg did it! We met nana and papa at the bottom again and had a lovely picnic lunch, had a bit more of a walk, then headed back to our cottage.
Wednesday came and we decided to check out the coastal village of Kinsale. It was a very quaint village, we got there on a day that they were holding a farmers market, we bought some awesome olives to snack on. We had lunch at a lovely cafe, then let Oliver pick which fort we would visit. He picked Charles Fort. It was fun to walk around ruins that we're not a castle, a lot of differences. We got there just in time for a guided tour, our tour guide was very good. An interesting fact, the fort had a 100% failure rate! They saw only one battle, and surrendered! When we left the fort Greg went the wrong way and we ended up in front of a very quaint little pub, so we had to stop and have a pint before heading home!
On Thursday we had another busy day. We took a drive over to Killarney, where we toured Ross castle, and a manor house. Ross castle was a wonderful example of a restored tower castle. The tour was very interesting, and we learnt a lot about the tower castles. At the manor house we first went to visit an example of early irish farms. We saw three, a small farm house, a medium farm house, and a large farm house. They were all very interesting, and all had a women working in the kitchens, full of information for us, as well as fresh bread and butter for us to try. The manor house had beautiful gardens, right on a lake. We took a tour of the house, very large and full of beautiful things.
Friday morning we had to start our drive back to Dublin, but first we stopped off at the castle that was in the small town we were staying in. It was castle Fitzgerald, another tower castle ruin. Then. Headed on the road. We had one more stop at some beautiful castle gardens along the road, and got back into Dublin with just enough time to take the kids to the leprechaun museum. They loved it!
We flew home on Saturday morning, and Bob and Sharon flew home on Sunday. We had a fantastic trip, and saw a lot, but there is so much more to see!
We flew over to Dublin from Edinburgh on Sunday morning. Greg had rented a car that was similar to the one we have here at home, so we just barely fit into it with all the people and luggage! It was a little tight! We drove to our hotel and then checked out the city a bit. We got on the hop on hop off bus and headed to the Guinness brewery-priorities! The factory was pretty cool, but it was by far the most boring thing we did on the trip as far as the kids were concerned! They did very well though, there was a lot to look at, a lot of Guinness history and facts to read, very interesting. It was finished off with a lovely pint at the very top of the factory with beautiful views of the city. We were lucky enough to get a few chairs with a table to sit around and enjoy our Guinness.
We spent the first night in Dublin, the hop on hop off buses gave us a lot of information about the city, we did the whole circuit to get back to the hotel. The next morning we took the kids and walked to St Patricks Cathedral. It was neat to go I side the church and walk around. The kids had a lot of questions about the statues. There was a little park in the green area surrounding the church that the kids got to play in after. Then it was back in the car and on the road for county cork, where emerge renting a cottage for the next few days. We saw a lot of tower ruins driving along the road, I thought it would be similar to scotland, and it was a bit, but the ruins were the main difference, there are so many! We got to our cottage with a little backtracking and once stopping for directions, sat nav was not very helpful at the end of the journey! But you have to get lost in ireland at least once, it's part of the deal. Our hosts were lovely, they lived right next door, and the cottage came guarded by two very friendly dogs, Lily and Oliver had a blast playing with them. Sharon got to drive on the wrong side of the road and took us into a nearby town (we accidentally took the long way to ge there) for a few essential groceries.
Tuesday came and we decided to take this day and go down to the blarney castle. What a neat estate! The gardens were beautiful. We walked around then up to the castle, and up to the top, up the old winding stairs (possibly the scariest I have done yet) to kiss the stone at the top. I had no idea you are expected to hang yourself off the castle walls to kiss this thing! I couldn't do it, the kids were too little, but Greg did it! We met nana and papa at the bottom again and had a lovely picnic lunch, had a bit more of a walk, then headed back to our cottage.
Wednesday came and we decided to check out the coastal village of Kinsale. It was a very quaint village, we got there on a day that they were holding a farmers market, we bought some awesome olives to snack on. We had lunch at a lovely cafe, then let Oliver pick which fort we would visit. He picked Charles Fort. It was fun to walk around ruins that we're not a castle, a lot of differences. We got there just in time for a guided tour, our tour guide was very good. An interesting fact, the fort had a 100% failure rate! They saw only one battle, and surrendered! When we left the fort Greg went the wrong way and we ended up in front of a very quaint little pub, so we had to stop and have a pint before heading home!
On Thursday we had another busy day. We took a drive over to Killarney, where we toured Ross castle, and a manor house. Ross castle was a wonderful example of a restored tower castle. The tour was very interesting, and we learnt a lot about the tower castles. At the manor house we first went to visit an example of early irish farms. We saw three, a small farm house, a medium farm house, and a large farm house. They were all very interesting, and all had a women working in the kitchens, full of information for us, as well as fresh bread and butter for us to try. The manor house had beautiful gardens, right on a lake. We took a tour of the house, very large and full of beautiful things.
Friday morning we had to start our drive back to Dublin, but first we stopped off at the castle that was in the small town we were staying in. It was castle Fitzgerald, another tower castle ruin. Then. Headed on the road. We had one more stop at some beautiful castle gardens along the road, and got back into Dublin with just enough time to take the kids to the leprechaun museum. They loved it!
We flew home on Saturday morning, and Bob and Sharon flew home on Sunday. We had a fantastic trip, and saw a lot, but there is so much more to see!
