British Isles Friday

Hosted by Joy's Book Blog.

I've been doing some memory lane posts of trips before digital and before blogging.


April 2001 - Ireland

This was part of our trip that included Scotland.

We revisited some of these towns in 2015 and I will add those photos for comparisons.

Ballybunion (Irish: Baile an Bhuinneánaigh) is a coastal town and seaside resort in County Kerry, 15 km (9.3 mi) from the town of Listowel. 

We rented a house here for a week and used it as our base. We couldn't find it so John asked at the garage (pronounced "Ga-ridge in Ireland) and asked where Deirdre's house was. He was politely corrected on the pronunciation of Deirdre, seems it is different in Ireland as he pronounced it the "English" way.

We could walk to town and the sea. I could even see a glimpse of the sea as I did dishes.

Statue of President Clinton with a golf club in front of the police station. I see from photos online that this building has also been painted blue.

O'Sullivan's.

Remains of a castle dominates the landscape.

The real reason people come to Ballybunion.


The Ballybunion Golf Club was founded in 1893 and is home to arguably one of the best links courses in the world. There are 2 courses, the Old Course and the Cashen Course, both situated beside the beach.

John was thrilled to be able to play the Old Course twice, shooting 106 the first time and 96 the second time.

John played with three Irish guys visiting from San Francisco and the winds were  30 - 40 km.

It is not uncommon to experience all four seasons in Ireland and especially so on the golf course and John can tell you that this is true.

Hole 1 has an unusual hazard, a cemetery on the right and even though they were aiming 75 yards to the left of the hole to avoid hitting into the cemetery one of them still did.

The second time he played by himself and he says it is a tough course as it is surrounded by sand dunes.

On the beach on Easter Sunday.

Listowel

Killarney

Killorglin on the River Laune - every year, starting on 10 August, Killorglin holds the famous three-day Puck Fair, the oldest traditional fair in Ireland.

In 2015 we drove through town and got photos of Puck.

The most widely mentioned story relating to the origin of King Puck, associates him with the English Ironside Leader Oliver Cromwell. It is related that while the “Roundheads” were pillaging the countryside around Shanara and Kilgobnet at the foot of the McGillycuddy Reeks, they routed a herd of goats grazing on the upland. The animals took flight before the raiders, and the he-goat or “Puck” broke away on his own and lost contact with the herd. While the others headed for the mountains he went towards Killorglin on the banks of the Laune. His arrival there in a state of semi exhaustion alerted the inhabitants of the approaching danger and they immediately set about protecting themselves and their stock.

It is said that in recognition of the service rendered by the goat, the people decided to institute a special festival in his honour and this festival has been held ever since.

2015

Graveyard in Abbeydorney (Irish: Mainistir Ó dTorna, meaning "Monastery of the clan of Torna") is a village in County Kerry located 9 km north of Tralee.

This was the year of the breakout of foot and mouth disease so many places were closed to foot traffic.

John, standing on the golf course in Tralee.

Town of Adare, one of the prettiest towns.

 2001

2015

So you think you’ve got a handle on the English language. So ya think you’ll take a holiday (that’s vacation to you), to Ireland and understand what folks are saying.

Your man – The person to which I’m referring. Meaning that guy. As an example if I was pointing out someone to you and I wanted to tell you something about him I would say "your man over there...)

So I got a real kick out of this pub in Ballyduff Your Man's Bar. We went in and there was a really old man shuffling  serving in his bedroom slippers!!

The lovely town of Ballyheige (pronounced `baleyhigh') is a small fishing village with a majestic castle on the Atlantic coast.

Designed by Richard Morrison in 1810, Ballyheigue Castle was a grand mansion and home of the Crosbie family. Now mostly a shell, surrounded by a golf course which opened in 1996. It has been burned down twice, once by accident in 1840 and again on 27th May 1921 as part of the troubles and the destruction of buildings linked to British Imperialism. It is said that the household goods were removed and distributed amongst the community before the locals put it to the torch.

Ballylongford or Carrigafoyle Castle is a very fine example of 15th century building. The castle was strongly built and ingeniously situated. Standing on the edge of the Shannon estuary on what was originally an island, Carrigafoyle Castle rises to five storeys with vaults over the second and fourth storeys.


A wide spiral staircase of 104 steps leads to the battlements and in presentation and size it rivals Blarney Castle. It rises to 26.4 meters and gives an impression of great strength. In the forefront of the view from it, Carrig Island and Scattery Island can be seen across the broad estuary of the Shannon.

Cahersiveen (Irish: Cathair Saidhbhín, meaning "Little Sadhbh's stone ringfort").

Daniel O'Connell's pub for lunch.

The Catholic church in the town is the only one in Ireland named after a lay person, Daniel O'Connell. It is situated on the slopes of Beentee. Now we didn't visit this church in 2001, didn't even know about it. However in 2015 our guide who knew of my interest in churches and made a stop here.

Dingle a favourite town of mine.

Back in Dublin, you've seen many of these places already.

Dublin Castle

2015

I caught this guy again in 2015!

The Custom House

In 2001 the Floozie in the Jacuzzi as she was affectionately called by Dubliners was in the middle of O'Connell St.

The monument is a personification of the River Liffey (Abhainn na Life in Irish) which runs through the city. Anna Livia Plurabelle is the name of a character in James Joyce's Finnegans Wake who also embodies the river. In the monument's original location, the river was represented as a young woman sitting on a slope with water flowing past her.
She didn't look too attractive and there were pranksters who would put dish soap into the water!

2001

The monument was removed from its site on O'Connell Street in 2001 to make room for the Spire of Dublin. In late February 2011, partly reworked and refurbished, the statue was relocated to Croppies Memorial Park next to the Liffey, near Heuston station.

In 2015 we discovered her as soon as we checked into our hotel, she was right outside our window.

I think she looks much better here.

2015

While in Dublin we stayed in a lovely hotel (now closed) the Longfield's. This is where I had my first Guinness. It was Good Friday and you can only get a drink if you are staying in a hotel. We ordered room service and chose to have a Guinness and we watched Liam Neeson in Michael Collins.

Moore St.

One of my favourite statues, it is located in Stephen's Green, across from his house, Oscar Wilde. I think he looks a lot like Hugh Grant.

Click here to see him in 2005 with my niece and nephew.

Stephen's Green.

I first traveled to England with my Mom in 1960
My parents took us back as a family in 1970.
John and I first went together in 1986 to London.
Continuing 1986 with Oxford and Stratford.
Ireland 1991 Part 1 Dublin
Ireland 1991 Part 2 Around Ireland 
Ireland 1991 Part 3 Around Ireland
London 2005 with family
Ireland Part 1 2005 Ballyvaughan Aran Islands
Ireland Part 2 2005 Ballyvaughan Dunguaire Castle, Galway
Ireland Part 3 2005 Burren Bunratty Castle Aillwee Caves Lahinch
Ireland Part 4 2005 Dingle Kinsale Inch
Ireland Part 5 2005 Killarney Limerick Ashford
Ireland Part 6 2005 Dublin