Hand Family Reunion

Saturday, August 30th

Lucy, Mike, and I arrived promptly at noon for the beginning of the big event, the Hand Family Reunion. No one was there and the gentleman at the bar seemed to have never heard of the Hands. After some checking around we found the time had been delayed to 12:30 or 1:00, this being Irish time. By the time we all arrived there was 54 of us. Eamon and his daughter Joyce flew back to Ireland from London to surprise the family. Hours of talking, laughing, photos, and sharing family stories and not arriving back at the hotel until 7. Tomorrow, with some regret, we all leave for home until the next time.

The three elders and the cousins

Sean, Michael, Mike, Donnie, Brian, Michael, Cathal, Kevin

Mike and Lucy

Nicholas, Brian, Mike, Lucy, Jan

A Day Spent in Dublin with Thousands of Americans

Friday, August 29th

Amazingly, after a bit of Google maps preparation, we traced our steps from hotel 2  to hotel 1 in a much quicker fashion in order to drop off our luggage before returning the car. We phoned Brian and Nicholas in their room and met for breakfast learning that they had not arrived until after midnight. Their hydrofoil crossing the Irish Sea had been cancelled due to bad weather and their subsequent ferry was delayed. Learning that Brian's BMW has only four seats we extended our car rental for another day.

Back at the Wonderful Barn the weather was marginal but there was time to walk out the lane and see the structure close up. The area is derelict with a lot of blackberry bushes and No Trespassing signs. In addition to the large conical barn there are two smaller conical buildings and several other buildings connecting them. All empty shells with their former uses unexplained. Difficult to get good photos, so Mike boosted me up a wall and I tried to find foot holds, focus and hang on. 

Wonderful Barn

 With unexpected wheels for the day we headed into Dublin. Our intention was to join a tour at the Jameson Whiskey Distillery. What we didn't know was this was the weekend for a Penn State vs University of Southern Florida football game and there were thousands of Americans crowding every nook and cranny in Dublin. Temple Bar was the site of an enormous pep rally. We thought we would retreat to the quiet of Trinity University. Sadly the please be quiet and respectful signs were pushed aside and replaced with tour the campus ticket booths. Time to escape the city!

With a bit of time before picking Lucy up at the airport we drove a looping route through Phoenix Park, the largest intercity park in Europe. Filled with lovely old trees and expansive meadows, we viewed more than a hundred fallow deer grazing in one large group.

Lucy collected we headed back to the hotel for dinner with Brian and Nicholas - five Hands at one table.

Ancient trees in Phoenix Park

Phoenix Park

Cathedrals to Caves and Another Dolmen

Thursday, August 28th

A blue sky morning for our last full day of wandering our way through Ireland! We arrived in the city centre at the St. Canice's Cathedral, a Church of Ireland congregation of about sixty families, just as it opened. Beside the church was a round tower that, for a fee, we were allowed to climb. The one hundred food climb was on a series of ladders connected by small platforms. Up and down and then a walk through the cathedral guided by our laminated information sheets. 

View of Kilkenny from the tower

View from the tower

St. Canice's Cathedral

After a quick left and right we located a walking bridge over a stream into the courtyard of the Black Abbey. There was a morning mass taking place but we tiptoed into the back to view the beautiful vividly colored modern stained glass. Although it was time to leave Kilkenny, we both agreed it was a lovely town probably worth more exploring.

Black Abbey

Not wanting to miss anything that might be interesting we headed for the tour of the Dunmore Cave, a large limestone cavern with a number of different chambers. A pretour video explained the formation of the caves, gave a history of the peoples who used the caves, and information about the bats who now occupy them. Being in Ireland they are much less fussy about tourist behavior. Flash pictures? Be our guests. 

Staircase into the Dunmore Cave

Next was our third and largest dolmen of the trip. Browne's Hill Dolmen is just north of Carlow, well signed and easy to find which is unusual. It dates to 2000 BC and has a 150 ton capstone. Where they found the rock to build it and how they managed to transport and assemble such an  edifice is beyond belief.

Mike and another dolmen, Browne's Hill

Finding our hotel for the night was definitely the low point of the trip. On the outskirts of Dublin we had hoped to check into the hotel we had booked for Friday night. No vacancies. We called from there and found a hotel less than five miles away. We circled for an hour, asking directions several times and being send in opposite and wrong directions before we found it in a bad tempered fashion.

Returning to the Rock

Wednesday, August 27th

This morning Waterford was on full alert. The waterfront was crowded with emergency personnel, police officers, flashing blue lights and a helicopter hovering over the bridge. With grey misty rain falling and the wind gusting the river looked rough, cold, and fast moving as they searched for someone who was sighted jumping from the bridge. An unconcerned local told me that it happens all the time.

Our goal for the morning was a visit to the Rock of Cashel. I had found the large ruins set on the hilltop memorable when I visited fourteen years ago and I thought Mike should see it. As we neared the town the Rock came into view and ...groan...a large part of it was covered in scaffolding. To further lessen the enjoyment the wind was blowing a gale, hard enough that we had to brace ourselves to remain upright. The reward was another Irish tour with a mix of the science of preservation, a bit of geology, religious, local, and Irish history with a few "true" Irish stories thrown in. Our guide had a very entertaining way of presenting a mass of information in a  limited time whilst huddling us in confined, protected spaces to stop getting blown away. After attempting to hold our cameras still for photos we climbed over a wall and through the meadow to another ruin. Centuries ago this was built as a replacement church when the church on the hill was deteriorating. Today preservation is in progress at the Rock of Cashel but not the "newer" church. Despite the less than ideal conditions I loved the return visit.

Interior of Church

View to the outside

Ruins of Cashel

Cashel under construction

Then we were back on the road, northeast this time, for the thirty miles to arrive in Kilkenny. Within minutes we were seated in a pub on the River Nore for a late lunch. After checking into our B and B we crossed the street, entered through a gate and strolled down manicured acres of parkland to the door of Kilkenny Castle. During our half hour wait for our tour we watched the free video of the history of the region and the castle and ventured back out into the drizzle to walk the castle's exterior and see the nearby house and gardens that once belonged to the Butler family who owned the castle from the late 14th century until 1967. The original stable block is now the craft and design complex, home to a gallery, several jeweler's workshops and boutiques of local arts and crafts. 

Kilkenny Castle

Butler House gardens

Our tour was done at warp speed with the guide constantly looking at his watch and reminding us that he had to have us out of the building by 5:30. That said, he was knowledgeable and organized in his presentation. We were fascinated to learn that the Butler family was exactly that, butlers to the royal line. As a consequence they received a percentage of sales of all wines consumed. They became wealthy, changed the family name to Butler and ruled the area for 500 years until death and inheritance taxes and a dismal failure to produce male heirs ended the dynasty. As in many of the Irish castles and large manor homes the family ran out of money and auctioned off everything that could be moved out the door before they left the premises vacant and in disrepair. In this house a number of original furnishing and a large portion of the portrait gallery have been returned and the rest filled with pieces appropriate to the time and the elegance of castle.

Dinner was mediocre food at a pub named Kytelers that has been continually in business since the 1200's. You would think they could have perfected their cooking skills in that amount of time. We chose the pub to listen to an evening of Irish music and for that we were not disappointed. A six man group played traditional music and told tales while we ate. We then moved to another bar in the building where two men with guitars and a banjo played a series of reels and sang a set of traditional songs. The feet were tapping and we sang along as best we could.

Driving South to the Sea

Tuesday, August 26th

Today we drove south for a view of ancient Ireland, ruined abbeys, and a lighthouse built over 800 years ago. Our first village of note was the coastal town of Dunmore East.  As we turned the corner there was a small village highlighted with a row of thatched roof cottages overlooking the sea. We were not at all certain that the cottages were old but the ambience was perfect. 

Dunmore East

A few miles north we took the car ferry from Passage East, County Waterford a short distance across the Suir Estuary to Ballyhack, County Wexford on our way to the Hook Peninsula. Rather quickly, without u-turns, we reached Dunbrody Abbey before it opened. We walked around the exterior of the ruins and returned to the visitors center just before a friendly lady drove in to open the building. For the grand sum of two Euros we were entrusted with the key and an interior diagram and send off down the drive with instructions to return the key when we were done. 

Dunbrody Abbey

Next we retraced our steps through Ballyhack to Tintern Abbey. But that's in Wales I hear you say, and you would be right. Although smaller, this one is a similar plan and, it is believed to be built be some of the same craftsman who crossed the sea at the request of Cistercian monks.

Tinturn Abbey

Mike climbing the wall into the ruined churchyard

Continuing through the coastal towns of Saltmills and Fethard we stopped at the ruins of a 15th century castle in Slade. The castle set beside a small harbor of fishing trawlers was small, unkept, and uninteresting and the wind was blowing a gale. 

Slade Harbor

Moving less than a kilometre we arrived at Hook Head to climb its lighthouse that dates from 1172, the oldest continuously operating lighthouse in the world. From yet another amazingly cheap and amazingly interesting guided tour we learned that Cistercian monks had kept fires burning on Hook Head as a warning to ships since 500 AD. The lighthouse was built by a merchant to protect his trading ships en route to New Ross, a harbor since Roman times. The monks continued maintaining the flame with coal shipped from Wales. For 400 years they stored the coal on the ground floor and humped it up 100 stairs to the top. Paraffin replaced coal and was used until the introduction of electricity. Nowadays the lighthouse is fully automated and managed remotely from Dublin.

Hook Head Lighthouse

The sea at Hook

On our way back up the peninsula we called in at Loftus Hall, a large manor home, reputedly the most haunted house in Ireland, intending to join a guided tour. Instead we learned that they had lost power several hours earlier and the generator was nearly dead so there would be no tours. Perhaps something to do with ghosts or evil spirits?

Wet, Windy, and Grey Waterford

 Monday, August 25th

In the grey and wet we set off for Waterford. It was a short drive and we arrived in time for a 10:30 tour of Waterford Crystal. Although the company is smaller and two thirds of their crystal is made outside of Ireland the new building is impressive. Of course there is a large showroom of items for sale that we could browse before and after the tour. The tour begins with a glitzy surround picture and sound intro to Waterford Crystal. The tour took us through all the steps of hand making pieces. It was very interesting because we were watching master craftsman at work without any partitions to separate us. Several of the employees paused to chat. To work for Waterford you spend five years as an apprentice. At the end of that time you have a piece that you have to create flawlessly. If you fail you can quit or start the five years over again. If you succeed you begin a three year program becoming a master in just one element of the production. For the rest of your career you only perform that one task, be it blowing, polishing, inspecting, engraving, etc. To us it sounded a bit tedious.

Crystal clock at Waterfords

                                                     Craftsmen at work in the Waterford factory 

Hustling across the street without any glass purchases we joined a tour of the Bishop's Palace. There were two guides dressed in period costumes that explained the rooms and the history. It was a decent tour with much of the information a repetition of known facts. However, when a guide says something that I  know is false I begin to wonder about the rest. Thomas Meagher was a native of Waterford who led a troop of Irishmen in The American Civil War. Later he was the governor of the Montana Territory and subsequently drowned in the Missouri River. Our guide stated that authorities in both the U.S. and Ireland agreed that if he had lived he would have become the President of the United States. Apparently our guide missed the part of the Constitution that states born an American citizen that has been so widely discussed in relation to Mr. Obama. Also reading about Meagher online, he is described as a rather sketchy character.

Our third tour of the day was a walking tour of Waterford. The weather had improved and it was dry with some sun appearing between the clouds. Jack, our guide was knowledgeable but unenthusiastic. Could this be because we were the only two people who showed up for the event? While strolling we learned about the trading history of Waterford and the fortunes made from salted cod (it had a 20 year shelf life), which was sold worldwide. An unusual fact, both the Protestant and Catholic cathedrals in the city were designed and built by the same man. 

Strongbow and Aiofe sculpture

Waterford seemed a bit shabby with much less to see and do than we had expected. Perhaps better weather would have improved the landscape but one day in the city was plenty for us.

Traveling South Through Powercourt

Sunday, August 24th

North up the coast to Bray, turn left to Powerscourt, that was the plan. Our map disagreed severely with reality and we clocked up several more u-turns and took much longer to get there than planned. All was easily forgotten as we ambled through the picturesque landscape and ancient trees, formal gardens, statuary, fountains, a Japanese garden, and a pepper pot tower. I had visited fourteen years ago with Angie and Sam but had forgotten or not fully appreciated the  immensity of the grounds. The variety and size of the trees is a reminder of the age of the gardens. There was not a gardener in sight nor was there any place in need of maintenance. I imagined a large number of workers with headlamps working all through the night and collapsing into bed at daybreak. The perfect lawns cascading down beside stone walkways with fountains and statuary is very impressive and found on all of their publicity but the smaller, more intimate sections were my favorites. 

There is a Powerscourt Waterfall with a separate entrance and additional fee. Living near a gorge full of beautiful waterfalls we decided to skip a visit but we loved the story behind the falls.

Powerscourt

Powerscourt

In August 1821, during the visit of King George IV to Ireland, Richard Wingfield, 5th Viscount Powerscourt decided to create a dam so that he could have the water released in the presence of the king creating an impressive torrent. The King and Wingfield never went to the falls which was a blessing for all involved. When the water was released it washed away the bridge where the king would have been standing.

Japanese Garden at Powerscourt

Japanese Garden at Powerscourt

Statue near the entrance to Powerscourt

It was raining as we left to head south along the eastern side of the Old Military Road. This was more developed and less spectacular than the wildness of yesterday's drive. Roundwood, the village with the highest elevation in Ireland, was just another wide spot in the road with nothing to distinguish it from dozens of others. 

We emerged at Arklow where our map failed us again. After a few more missteps we arrived at our B and B in Enniscorthy. Before everything shut down for the night we had enough time for a self guided tour of the castle and a trip to the roof in the rain and wind. Neither of us had heard of Enniscorthy, but like so many Irish towns it has a very long history dating back to 1190. The castle was used as a private residence for 150 years beginning in 1898 by the Roche family. The first Roche to live in the castle was married to a member of the American Shriver family. She was Sergeant Shriver's great aunt. Near the Norman castle is a Neogothic cathedral designed by Awn Pugin who worked on the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben. Within sight of the top of the castle is Vinegar Hill where 1500 people died in the 1798 battle between 10,000 Wexford troops and 20,000 British soldiers. Guess who won? A number of old granary, mill, and pottery buildings still exist beside the river. One of these potteries was founded in 1654 and is still producing today.

Castle at Enniscorthy

Loving the Wicklow Mountains

Saturday, August 23rd

Breakfast this morning was in a small cafe in the village of Blackrock, quite a picturesque area about five blocks long facing the sea. Mike was last here about sixty years ago sitting on the wall facing the sea. We know because we have a little black and white picture to prove it. 

Same wall, same Mike + 60 years

Blackrock 

Another Dolmen sighting but as usual not easy to find. The Proleek Dolmen is located by parking in a very ritzy resort and then hiking a quarter of a mile around their lovely golf course. 

Proleek Dolmen

After a quick stroll and a few photos we jumped onto the motorway and zipped at high speed to the south of Dublin for a change of pace and scenery as we entered the Wicklow Mountains. Slowing down we followed the narrow, winding path of the Old Military Road which was built by the British trying to quell the Irish Uprising in 1798. In contrast to the "oh well, so what" underwhelm of the Mourne Mountains, this was mile after mile of wonderment. It was a vastness of peaks and valleys, rocks, purple heather, lakes, streams, waterfalls, lush greens and ochres with the narrow road twisting among it all. More than once we commented that it seemed way too big to fit into Ireland. 

Wicklow Mountains

The colors of Wicklow

Still in the mountains we stopped at Glencree Center for Peace and Reconciliation. Originally built as a British Barracks it is now a nonprofit organization attempting to heal the wounds of violence in Ireland. Also located on the property is a graveyard housing the remains of 138 German soldiers from both World Wars. While eating lunch I read a newspaper article on the wall praising a four mile hike beginning near the center. We hiked about two miles out and back along the road without finding the trailhead. At least it wasn't raining.

Entrance to Glencree

By the time we reached the heralded Glenmacnass waterfall the weather had warmed and the sun was out. The water drops nearly a thousand feet over a series of rocks paralleling the road. At the bottom of the mountain, in the village of Glendalough, are the remains of a 6th century monastic village. The area was crowded with people exploring the church, tower, house, and graveyard. As usually the theatre with the short explanatory film was nearly empty while the ruins with no informative signage was overrun with tourists.

The scale and beauty of the landscape was stunning and our deliberately slow pace meant the afternoon disappeared too quickly and we needed to head off to Wicklow Town for our overnight stop.

Tower and graveyard at Glendalough

Glendalough Church

Driving the Northern Ireland Countryside

Friday, August 22

It was time to retrieve our rental car and drive the five miles eastward to Stormont. Originally it was built in 1932 to be the Northern Ireland Parliament Building. It was made redundant during direct rule from London but is now the home of the Northern Ireland Assembly. The Assembly Hall is entirely constructed of marble, large and symmetrical with a impressive staircase at the far end.  Above is a decorative ceiling painted in gold, red, and blue. The paint was a special formula incorporating wax to resist any dust buildup. It has proven successful as the colors are still brilliant and it has never been repainted or cleaned. Unfortunately the chemist died soon after without recording his formula. Hanging from the ceiling are five crystal chandeliers. The central and largest was a gift to England from Kaiser Wilhelm. It was put in storage during World War I and given to Northern Ireland when Stormont was built. Apparently German made not good enough for England but good enough for Ireland. The two chambers, one red and one blue were fashioned after the British Parliament. 

Main entrance to Stormont

The entry hall at Stormont

As we left we spotted the turreted roofing of Stormont Castle and drove off to investigate. However, a friendly man at the gatehouse informed us that the castle was "out of bounds", so we left Belfast and drove south towards the Mourne Mountains. 

Legananny Dolmen

Mike has a thing for dolmens and the Legananny Dolmen just happened to be in our path or so we thought. Finding it meant getting to Ballynahinch which involved more u-turns and head scratching before we located it alongside a farmhouse in the middle of nowhere. 

The scenery of the Mourne Mountains warrants a calendar photo or two, but after driving much of the inland climbing route and the coastal route we found it less spectacular than expected. The grey and frequent showers might have had a bearing on our appreciation. 

Mourne Mountains

Mourne Mountains

Dashing through the wind and showers we lunched in a small cafe. The menu was prominently displayed on a large chalkboard. Among the few items was a "baked potato served with salad and baby, boiled potatoes". We chose a different entree.

The end of the afternoon took us through the attractive towns of Warrenpoint and Rostrevor beside Carlingford Lough. 

Before we knew it we were back across the border headed for our overnight stop in Dundalk. Arriving at rush hour in a town with narrow streets made one way but not parallel we circled more than once before cornering a taxi driver for directions. Mike suggested paying an extra ten euros for a seaview and was impressed with our eleventh floor panorama. Jan was unimpressed because the sea was a thin strip in the far distance beyond a vast wetlands rather than lapping or crashing against the building.