Showing posts with label Ireland. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ireland. Show all posts

Sunday, March 17, 2024

Belfast, Titanic Museum and Ferry Ride to Scotland!


Our Cosmos Bus Tour of the "Highlights of Ireland and Scotland" last October made its last stop in Ireland in the late afternoon in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Belfast is the principal city and port of Northern Ireland standing on the banks of the River Lagan and connected to the open sea through Belfast Lough and the North Channel It is second to Dublin as the largest city on the island of Ireland. 

Our bus drove around the city so we could see the sights from our windows. I have been fortunate to visit Belfast for an extended period in the past and have written many blog posts about it. The first prior post shows an overview of the city and is on this link.  Another post about a few of Belfast's markets, bars, and a cathedral, can be found on this link.  I also wrote about a tour I took in Belfast that I took that profiled the nationalistic strife that was experienced in Northern Ireland in this post about The Troubles on this link.


As you can see from the photo collages it is a city comprised of both old and modern structures.



We checked into our hotel and then took a walk to find a good pub in which to have dinner.  I felt nostalgic about going to The Crown Bar, as I enjoyed a few meals there in the past.  It is one of the most famous pubs in Belfast and I enjoyed the atmosphere there, but it was very crowded with too long a wait the evening we were there.





Our tour guide had also recommended Robinsons Bars so we headed there instead, where we had a delicious seafood chowder, served with brown bread.




The next morning we had our last taste of the traditional Irish Breakfast! Breakfasts were included in our tour, as well as some dinners, and most of the hotels we stayed at served breakfast as a buffet, and the generous hearty food filled us up all day.



After breakfast, we checked out of the hotel and our tour took us to see The Titanic Museum!  

The last time I was in Belfast the museum was being built in a revitalized area of Belfast which is now called the Titanic Quarter,  I wrote this blog post in the past about The 100th Anniversary of the Titanic, and this blog post is about the famous "Unsinkable Molly Brown," whose home in located in Denver, Colorado.

As you can see in the lower right photo collage above, Titanic Studios are also in the area. This facility has welcomed international productions including ‘'Game of Thrones'’, ‘'Your Highness'’ and ‘'City of Ember.’'


Belfast was the largest and most productive shipyard in the world at one time and the city's main shipbuilders, Harland and Wolff, built the ill-fated RMS Titanic.  Although shipbuilding has been in a steady decline the twin Harland and Wolff yellow shipbuilding gantry cranes are nicknamed "Samson and Goliath," and still dominate the skyline as landmark structures of the city, as you can see in the lower left of the photo collage above.





I am standing in front of  The Titanic Museum!


We explored the main exhibit on the first floor of the museum, but unfortunately, we ran out of time before we could finish viewing the entire collection.  You can see some of the historic photographs in the museum exhibits on this link, and some of the Titanic artifacts in the museum on this link.  




Our bus tour had begun its journey towards the ferry that would take us across the North Channel and into Scotland!





It began to rain while we were on the ferry, but we had comfortable seats inside.




As we approached Scotland it greeted us with a rainbow!




Close-up of the beautiful rainbow.





We returned to our bus, which was also on the ferry, and we saw our first glimpses of the Scottish countryside.





An island far off the southwest coast of Scotland--it may be Ailsa Craig Island?



Our bus was on the way to our first stop in Alloway, Scotland--the birthplace of poet Robert Burns--on my next post.



This was our first visit to Scotland and I was so excited to see it!


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Monday, February 12, 2024

Galway, Ireland, along the Wild Atlantic Way



 


After departing Limerick, Ireland,  the "Highlights of Ireland and Scotland" bus tour my husband and I went on in October 2023, continued traveling along the west coast of Ireland on The Wild Atlantic Way.  The Wild Atlantic Way is a road that was officially opened in 2014. The 1,600-mile (2,500 km) driving route passes through nine counties and three provinces, stretching from Kinsale, County Cork, in Munster, on the Celtic Sea coast. to County Donegal's Inishowen Peninsula in Ulster.  We were on our way north to Galway, where we would make a stop for lunch and sightseeing.



Galway is a harbor city on Ireland’s west coast, where the River Corrib meets the Atlantic Ocean. Our tour bus stopped in the Latin Quarter of Galway, known for its cafes, pubs, shops, and art galleries.




We walked around the winding streets, enjoying the views. Galway is known for its vibrant music scene, especially traditional Irish music. It also has the largest Gaeltacht (Irish-speaking community) in Ireland.



Galway is also known for the ancient fishing village of Claddagh which became the birthplace of the Claddagh symbol of a crowned heart being held by two hands. Claddagh is known worldwide thanks to the popularity of the Claddagh ring. The ring is said to originate from the village over 400 years ago! Traditionally the Claddagh ring was handed down from generation to generation as a wedding ring. Today it is a token of friendship and love. The Claddagh ring has become a symbol of Irish heritage and is much loved for its unique design that is representative of  love loyalty and friendship




We stopped to have a light lunch at The Kings Head Pub. 

The Kings Head is a true piece of living history, as the building itself dates back over 800 years to the 13th Century. We both chose a bowl of fish chowder and had a Murphy's stout.




More scenes from our walk around Galway.





We returned to our bus and continued on our way along the Wild Atlantic Way towards Sligo, Ireland, where we would be having dinner at a hotel and staying the night.

The town of Sligo, in the north of Ireland, straddles the Garavogue River where it meets Sligo Bay. It’s known for its literary heritage and rugged countryside. Ruined medieval Sligo Abbey has carved tombs and a 15th-century altar. Sligo County Museum displays memorabilia of local poet W.B. Yeats, paintings, and Stone Age artifacts.  



I enjoyed watching all the beautiful rugged scenery that passed by our bus window.




One of the touching sights we passed was the ruins of abandoned "famine houses." Between 1845-52 Ireland suffered a period of starvation, disease, and emigration that became known as the Great Famine. The potato crop, upon which a third of Ireland's population was dependent for food, was infected by a disease destroying the crop while other crops were shipped to England in disregard to the plight of the starving. Part of my heritage is Irish that immigrated from this area in Ireland and they arrived during the famine years, as did many other refugees from Ireland. Between 1845 and 1855, at least 2.1 million people left Ireland.--it was one of the greatest exodus from a single island in history.



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Monday, February 5, 2024

A Medieval Banquet in Limerick, Ireland





We were traveling on the Highlights of Ireland and Scotland bus tour in October and left the charming town of Adare--see prior post-- and drove north to Limerick, Ireland, where we would be staying for the night. Limerick is the third largest city in the Republic of Ireland, after Dublin and Cork, and is located next to the Shannon River.  It was founded by Scandinavian settlers in 812, during the Viking Age.

We arrived just in time to settle into our hotel room and then leave for an optional outing to attend a banquet and show at a Medieval-era castle now called Knappogue  Castle.




Our tour bus drove through the beautiful pastoral countryside as the sun was beginning to set.




We arrived at Knappogue Castle and were greeted by some of the actors and actresses who were performing that evening.




Please click on the photos above to read the interesting history of the castle built in 1467 by Sean MacNamara.



We were offered a glass of mead when we entered the castle, as musicians performed, and a few members of our tour were chosen to be the King and Queen and were given crowns and cloaks to wear.

There were quite a few fun "My Lords and Ladies" dialogues and skits from the performers during the evening.




 There were a few harpists playing during the evening. 

 The harp has been a national symbol of Ireland for over 1,000 years, playing a central role in Irish myths, folklore, and literature.




We enjoyed watching the entertainment -- acting, singing, and dancing-- as we dined. 




A short video above of some of the singing and dancing during the show




The food was very good. We had a smoked salmon appetizer, root vegetable soup, roast chicken and vegetables, along with unlimited bread and wine, and dessert.





The next morning we were on our way for a stop at the scenic Cliffs of Moher, then on to Galway and Sligo.

There was a heavy fog hanging over the outskirts of Limerick, as you can see from this photo I took from the bus window, but we were hopeful the weather would cooperate later in the morning...more about that in my next Ireland post.

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Monday, January 29, 2024

Thatched Roof Houses of Adare, Ireland


 

On our October bus tour of Ireland and Scotland, we stopped at the pretty village of Adare. Adare is a village in County Limerick, Ireland, located south-west of the city of Limerick, It was founded in the 13th century and is designated as a heritage town by the Irish government.



 
Adare is widely known as a major Irish tourist attraction and is regarded as one of the prettiest and most picturesque towns in Ireland. as it retains many thatched cottages, historical buildings, and churches.





A close-up view of the thatch that makes up the roof

A thatched roof is a roof made from dry vegetation, such as straw, heather, rushes, water reeds, palm branches, or sedges. The vegetation is layered so that water runs away from the inner roof. The vegetation is also densely packed, trapping air and functioning as insulation. They can last as long as a regular roof. Our tour guide said they are now very expensive to replace.




Many of the houses were semi-attached to their neighbor's home.




They were so charming!


I loved looking at all their details.




Quite a few were now businesses.




I was surprised to see the Dunraven Arms Hotel as the Fourth Earl of Dunraven had a connection to Colorado.  In 1872 he visited Estes Park to go hunting and enjoyed it so much that he acquired much property there.  You can read more about this on this link on Rocky Mountain National Park 

I learned that the present village of Adare was mostly developed in the 19th century by the Dunraven family. In the early 19th century, the Earl of Dunraven developed plans for townhouses and streets, which are present to this day. It was in these plotted lands that the famous Adare cottages were constructed.





Although we were visiting in late October the house gardens were full of beautiful flowers!





We also came upon the picturesque Adare Town Park, which still had roses blooming!



We enjoyed walking around the entire park.



We headed toward the shops in town to window shop.





Please click on the photo above to enlarge it to read the poem "O Sweet Adare," written by the poet Gerald Griffen.  It is located on the side of a local pub.





Holy Trinity Abby Church in Adare has a long and fascinating history! Although there is no record of the precise date of the foundation, the only Trinitarian Abbey in Ireland, sources suggest that it was established between 1230 and 1240. Dissolved in the 1560s, the Abbey eventually became a ruin. In 1809 the 2nd Earl of Dunraven restored the ruins of the Trinitarian Abbey and gave it to the Catholic Church in Adare. No major structural changes have taken place since 1884 though several modifications and much development have happened during that time.




Please click on the photos above to see a placard that shows how the church developed over time. You can read an online booklet on the church's website that goes into great detail about the church's history and features on this link.


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Some views of the inside of the church.




As our bus drove away towards Limerick, I snapped the photos above.  In the collage above on the upper portion is the gate that leads to the magnificent Adare Manor, which is located on the banks of the River Maigue, and was the former seat of the Earl of Dunraven. The present house was built in the early 19th century, though retaining some of the walls of the 17th-century structure. It is now the Adare Manor Hotel & Golf Resort, a luxury hotel, and contains the Michelin-starred Oak Room restaurant. The Adare Manor Golf Club will be hosting the Ryder Cup in 2027. 



The ruins seen in the upper right of the photo collage above are that of Desmond Castle, which also lies on the bank of the River Maigue. The castle was erected with an ancient ring fort around the early part of the 13th century. It became a strategic fortress during the following turbulent years. It was the property of the Earls of Kildare for nearly 300 years until the rebellion in 1536 when it was forfeited and granted to the Earls of Desmond who gave the castle its present name. The castle has tours available in the summer months.

I could have spent much more time in Adare--perhaps a future visit?


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