 |
Our Ireland Photo Travel Journal for 2011Fraught with Fallish peril, many photos, more travel tips, thrilling adventures, and prolific cows.Home | Journals | Travel Tips | Photo Tips | Checklist | Recommendations | Travel Links | Irish Foods | Feedback |
|
2002 Journal |
2004 Journal |
2005 Journal Gallery 2002 | Gallery 2004 | Gallery 2005 | Gallery 2007 | Gallery 2011If we've given a link to a B&B, we recommend it. It should be easy to spot the ones we don't recommend. Pricing given in either US dollars or Euros depending
on our whim. All images are the property of
Karott.com, please respect
our effort in making them available. |
|||
2011 |
|||
|
View Map of Route. Clicking on a number on the map will take you to that location in the journal. We started this trip with B&B reservations for the majority of the first two weeks and cottages for 3-5 nights everywhere else. B&Bs are everywhere in Ireland, and chances are good you'll find one unless there is a special event. Finding accommodations online is easy and the ratings are fairly accurate. The reservations when you arrive and depart are good for peace of mind and lower stress. Itinerary: |
|||
Portland, OR to Dublin |
|||
|
This was going to be a partial tour guide trip with our friends Denise and Nelson. It was their first trip to Ireland and we'd be traveling with them the first two and a half weeks. We met at the Portland airport at an early hour and fairly uneventfully took off. With the usual airport stops, cramped seating and bad food experiences, we finally landed in Dublin the next morning.
|
Trip Soundtrack
|
||
Dublin, Co. Meath |
|||
|
As usual, we arrived early, well in advance of our check in at Avoca House B&B. We picked up our rental vehicle, an Opel Zafira, a larger passenger transport to move us and all our baggage with minimal discomfort. We loaded up and escaped the airport with no issues or much wandering in circles.
The first stop was to be Mellifont Abbey. Fortunately it was still there and open for business. We spent some time getting our ground legs under us as we walked around the site. There is still restoration work going on, just like back in 2007.
A quick regroup in the parking lot, a reconsideration on available facilities at our next stop led to a closer examination of the restrooms, then we were off to Monasterboice. Fortunately it had also not relocated and we parked in the lot across the way and off we went.
The next stop on our little tour was Bective Abbey. The site had
been upgraded with better parking and easier access through the gate and a
much nicer path. As usual, we had the place to ourselves. We called Josh
from the stairs as usual. I believe we had to leave a message. Much
wandering and some climbing ensued. Not as much climbing as in previous
years, we're either older or wiser, maybe both.
Jet lag and general fatigue were starting to set in and it was close to check in time at Avoca House B&B. At least it would be by the time we wound around back to Dublin and fought the traffic to Drumcondra. The trip back was pretty uneventful with no major detours, getting lost or tearing of hair and gnashing of teeth. We arrived in front of the B&B, got checked in, found our rooms, hauled baggage up the stairs and collapsed in the rooms to freshen up a bit. Then it was off to Fagan's for a first pint of Guinness and some dinner. The food has improved yet again and the pint or two was outstanding.
We managed to get back to the B&B without falling asleep in either Fagan's or a convenient doorway and slept pretty well with anticipatory dreams of Audrey's full Irish breakfast.
|
|||
'Round Dublin |
|||
|
|
|||
More 'Round Dublin |
|||
|
|
|||
Dublin to Kilkenny, Co. Kilkenny |
|||
|
|
|||
'Round Kilkenny |
|||
|
|
|||
Kilkenny to Union Hall, Co. Cork |
|||
|
|
|||
|
|
|||
|
|
|||
|
|
|||
|
|
|||
|
|
|||
|
|
|||
|
|
|||
|
|
|||
|
|
|||
|
|
|||
|
|
|||
|
|
|||
|
|
|||
|
|
|||
|
|
|||
|
|
|||
|
|
|||
|
|
|||
|
|
|||
|
|
|||
|
|
|||
|
|
|||
|
|
|||
|
|
|||
|
|
|||
|
|
|||
|
|
|||
|
|
|||
|
|
|||
|
|
|||
|
|
|||
|
|
|||
|
|
|||
|
|
|||
|
|
|||
|
|
|||
|
|
|||
|
|
|||
|
|
|||
|
|
|||
|
|
|||
|
|
|||
|
|
|||
|
|
|||
|
|
|||
|
|
|||
|
|
|||
|
|
|||
|
|
|||
|
|
|||
|
|
|||
|
|
|||
|
|
|||
|
|
|||
|
|
|||
|
|
|||
|
|
|||
|
|
|||
|
|
|||
|
|
|||
|
|
|||
|
|
|||
|
|
|||
|
|
|||
|
|
|||
|
|
|||
Last Updated on Thursday, January 5, 2012
