Arrangements were made over dinner last night to meet Sean McCabe and his wife Sandra for a morning at Skerries, a seaside village. We picked Sean up near his home and followed his directions as we drove along the coast and listened to the local history and lore. The three of us toured Ardgillan Castle.The sun appeared and disappeared multiple times every hour so we entered in sunshine and exited in rain. The castle is actually a large manor house set along the sea with an enormous, well manicured park behind it. The guide was full of information about the family, the furnishings, and the ghost who resides there. Unlike most tours where you are threatened with severe consequences if you touch anything, he touched everything and passed around irreplaceable, breakable items so that we could feel their weight. The railroad runs between the house and the sea. At the time the railroad was built the family negotiated an excellent financial contract with a clause that allowed the family to require the train to stop to pick them up whenever they wished to have transportation. If the train stopped and they did not board they were fined.
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| Ardgillan Castle |
In Skerries we met up with Sandra for a casual lunch. A glassed in terrace next to the restaurant allowed us to sit outside and pretend it was a summer day.
Bidding our hosts farewell Mike and a drove on to Slane, described as "a beautiful 18th century estate village above the River Boyne." The most outstanding structures are four Georgian houses occupying the four corners at the only intersection in the village. Looking nearly identical they were not planned and built at the same time. One was for sale but we passed on the second home opportunity. As in every village with more than two dozen people there is a castle. Arriving too late we walked the grounds but were not allowed inside. After taking a few photos we left cool, wind blown and spotted with rain.
Just outside the town was the 520 ft high Hill of Slane, so we clambered out of the car and hiked up the hill in blustery winds and brilliant sunshine. At the top were two ruins and a walled graveyard, the site where St Patrick allegedly ousted the High King of Tara in the year 433. St P was a busy boy! The sun came out briefly and we took lots of photos but the wind was so strong it was hard to hold the camera and our balance at the same time.
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| Slane Castle |
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| Hill of Slane |
Returning to Slane we found dinner in a small hotel. The choices are few on Sunday night as midday is the big meal and restaurants close around three. Leaving Town we crossed a low stone bridge with multiple arches spanning the river. The light had not completely faded so we pulled off, walked the area and shot more photos.
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| River Boyne |
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| The Museum of Transportation seems to be permanently closed |
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