Day 23 & 24 - heading home

Spent yesterday looking around Dublin again. Spent a bit of time at Kilmainham gaol. Another interesting place. Had breakfast/lunch at the Patriots Inn across from the gaol, delicious food and a Beamish! My third Beamish and I must admit I quite like it! I will miss it when I am home! Caught a bus up to Glesnevin Cemetry where Michael Collins is buried as well as the guys who were executed in Kilmainham gaol. They had been put into one grave as they weren't allowed to be given to their families for a proper burial but there is now a memorial to them. Fascinating place, could have spent hours there. Went to Guinnessw  Storehouse but queue was a mile long, it was going to cost us €25 each  and at least 45 mins so just decided to find another pub and have a Guinness there! Back to motel and up later this morning., packed up. Managed to get all the pressies into the suitcases and still be under 30kgs! Back into Dublin and just wandered around. We were going to go to the movies but nothing on so headed off to Temple Bar, don't know how we missed this area when we have been exploring Dublin, it was great, very vibrant. Then we sat on one of the bridges and ate our sandwich. Looked around and there in front of us was Lanigans, the pub Pam, Vernon, Cath, John and Deb all went into for a drink. So had to follow tradition and have one as well. What a weird pub, full of all of these things hanging from the ceiling, but great atmosphere. Thank God we weren't thrown out just for knowing this lot! At the airport now, waiting to come home. We have had the best time but I am feeling quite homesick and looking forward to seeing my family again. I'm sure they are looking forward to seeing us as well and it has nothing to do with presents! Again problems with photos so will just have to show them when we get home!

Day 20,21 & 22 - Dublin

Caught the bus into Dublin on Friday to walk the town. Must admit we weren't particularly impressed with Dublin. Walked up to the Peace Memorial at Parnell Square, then wondered around until we found the Confession Box, a very small pub located near a church. In the 1920's troubles, Michael Collins and his compatriots would go there to receive communion from a sympathetic priest. That's how it got the name as it was so small. Great pub with lots of history. Went from there over to the south of the river Liffey and went through the Trninity College. Was going to see the Book of Kells however it was €14 Each and the line was about 20 deep so gave it a miss and went on to Dublin Castle. What a great place, very interesting. Headed off home after this as tired from walking around.
Saturday headed off to Bray to do the Bray to Greystones cliff walk. Started off well, climbed the large hill to the cross as I read on Trip Advisor and then headed off, weather not too bad. Walk was to be about 1.5 hrs. Strolling along when Gary looked over the cliff (not me!, can't go closer than about 10 ft!) and noticed this other path lower down. A local was walking past us so we asked him if we were on the right track. No, he said, that's it down there. Can we get to Greystones on this path? No, he said. Go up the track to the rocks and then climb down and you will be able to meet the right track. So up we go to the rocks, I look down where he said to climb and said, no way! It then started to piss down rain, gale force winds and Gary goes let's just go back. Then a local woman came along the track and we asked her if the track we were on would take us to Greystones and she said, yes it would and gave us the route. Things were slightly frosty at this stage as I wanted to go on and Gary didn't! Anyway we went on and 2 hours, very silent hours! Later we got to Greystones! Remember this was only supposed to be a 1.5 hr walk and this part already took us 3 hours! Arrived at the harbour in Greystones to decide if we would walk back along the right path or catch the train. Stopped in a pub to discuss over a glass of Guinness! We decided to walk back. Took 2 hours but we were really glad we did it! So our 1.5 hr walk took us 5 hours! Sat on the beach at Bray and had fish and chips before heading home. Beautiful scenery. Forgot to say that when we got to Bray we looked for the Tourism info centre to check on the walk and where it started etc. Took us about 40 mins to find the blasted thing, walking up and down the town centre and when we finally found it, it was closed, only opens Monday to Friday. Apparently tourists mustn't venture out on weekends! Where else but Ireland!
Today we headed off to Wicklow. What a lovely little town, spent about 2 hours at the Wicklow gaol, what a fascinating place! Even saw a John O'Toole had been incarcerated there during the uprising! They have a great system , a guide starts you off with some information and then lets you just wander, however they have the route marked you need to go. Starts off with the 1700's when it was built to the 1920's when it closed. Wandered from there down to the Harbour and climbed over Black Castle. It is the site of an earlier Viking fort, 1170! During the next five centuries it was under attack by the local chieftains the O'Byrnes and wait for it - the O'Tooles! In the 1640's it was destroyed by fire and this is all that stands today! Loved Wicklow, sorry it took us so long to get there. Went from there back to Glendalough to have another Beamish and a Beef and Guinness stew. First place we stopped in Ireland for a beer and stew and loved it so much went back to say goodbye! Still can't upload photos for some reason.

Day 18 & 19 onto Belfast

Yesterday left Belfast early and headed off down the Mourne Coastal Route. Caught the ferry across from Portaferry to Strangford to check out  Castleward. What a great place, again a film setting for the Game of Thrones. Toured through the Manor house, we were the only two on the tour so it was great. The house was built half in Classic and half in Gothic as the husband and wife couldn't agree on the style! Amazing. Walked all around the estate , the money involved. The last Earl of Bangor couldn't afford the £80,000 death tax the English put on him after his father died, so he deeded the house and lands to the English government! Headed from here onto to Downpatrick to where St Pattie was allegedly buried, they actually have a monument to him at the Down Cathedral as they aren't sure where he is buried but think it may be under the Cathedral. Also checked out Inch Abbey, another GOT location (one would think we actually watched the bloody thing, it is such a money maker here!) Went onto Newcastle and stayed the night in a B&B called St Patrick's Stream. Maybe not the grandest of places but run by a lovely couple called Peter and Rosie.
Left Newcastle this morning to head to Dublin where we will spend the last 5 days before heading home. Stopped at Bettystown, bless her little heart ❤️Thinking of you Mum. Everywhere we go it has been St Patrick so it was nice to see something about Betty! Not much today to talk about except the hotel we are staying in. Was getting a bit desperate as we hadn't booked anything so eventually found the Regency Hotel about 2 kms from city centre! Mmmm let's just say, glad we will be out and about each day. Plan is to see what's in the city and then visit some of the places we didn't get to earlier, like Wicklow and Tipperary . Having problems with photos tonight so will just have to leave them until tomorrow

Day 17 - Belfast Day 2

Out early again this morning, walked into town to catch our Black Taxi tour. Funny thing was our taxi was white! I'm going to try something new here and see if I can put a photo in as I go along. If it doesn't work, I'll do another blog. Here is Paddy, our driver in front of the white Black Taxi.

He was 14 in 1962 when the troubles really began. A catholic from West Belfast, had a wealth of knowledge and we thoroughly enjoyed the tour. Saw lots of murals. The two below show 10 IRA who went on a hunger strike in prison and died. The other is 5 young men who were shot by the British when they were walking down the street.

Paddy showed us the wall that divides West Belfast, one side is the Catholics and the other is the Protestants. Gate is opened at 6am and then shuts at 630pm. The stories were just so sad. Once this finished we headed off to where the Titanic was made and launched. Also interesting but sad story! 

Went from there to Crmblin Gaol, this is where the IRA guys did their hunger strike and died. The REPUBLICANS and Loyalists still carried on their fight in prison!

Great day today, now I am going to just add in random photos and you can guess where they belong!

Day 16 - Belfast Day 1

I don't know if my photos are coming through as large as they are on mine but I do not know what is going wrong! Left Newtownabbey this morning and headed back to Balleymoney to see the Dark Hedges. Again, I use the word amazing a lot but it is hard to find different words to describe the same wonderful things we are seeing! These are also out of Game of Thrones. In real life there was 150 of these beech trees planted in 1775, 90 of them survive. They were built to line the street leading up to the house built by James Stuart for his wife Grace to impress visitors, well they impressed these visitors definitely! From there into Belfast. Initially coming into Belfast, we thought hmmmm, not real impressed. Headed off to our b & b to a very lovely hostess who let us in early. Walked into town, 1 hour later, wandered around town centre and impressions improved. Off tomorrow for our Black Taxi tour so really 👀 Ng forward to it. May I just say, I didn't put the eyes 👀 in but they looked cute so I'm leaving them!

Day 14 & 15 - Omagh to Newtownabbey via Giants Causewayta

Got up early yesterday morning and did the heritage tour of Omagh, great place. Found everything except the plaque commemorating Jimmy Kennedy's birthplace. A great singer/songwriter, good old Jimmy! Saw the smallest street in Ireland - Michael Street, no reflection upon our boy but! Didn't realise that Omagh had suffered their terrible trade by when a car bomb went off after the Good Friday Belfast agreement was signed on 10 April 1998. 31 people died and they have erected this beautiful memorial to them. A series of mirrors around a garden that when the light hits them properly, they reflect to this glass heart that has been built on the very spot the bombing occurred. It was really sad and quite emotional, the lives lost! A woman and her unborn twin daughters, a 20 month old child, all innocents. Very sobering! Left Omagh and headed off to the Ulster American Park. A bluegrass festival was on there so we wandered around and looked at the stories of the Irish immigrants who headed off to America. At the same time listening to some music. The proper music didn't start until later in the day. Couldn't help myself but, had to have a Prosecco at the Bogan Bar! I was obviously a fish out of water at this bar, it was difficult to fit in so I just downed my champers and kept going! No bogan in this family! Arrived in Derry about 230pm to a lovely B&B . Booked in and the fellow took us downtown. Walked the walls of the old township, what an amazing build! The story of Derry was also astounding - Sunday, Bloody Sunday in 1972, the inquest finally held in 2010, detailed in the Guidhall. What history!
Headed off a bit late this morning. First stop along the Causeway Coastal Route was a place called Downhill Demense, built by the flamboyant Earl Bishop Frederick Hervey. Absolutely stunning, perched on the cliff tops. Had a great chat with a Scottish fellow selling coffee there. It was so freecking cold! Off then to Dunluce Castle, again what can I say, these buildings just astound me, we love them, the history, the magnificence. From there to Bushmills whiskey distillery and then onto the Giants Causeway. Again an amazing place! Went on to Ballintoy Harbour, the first of our Game of Thrones stops. Mind you not that we watch the show but there are some amazing locations here where it was filmed so we have to be groupies and seek some of them out! Also saw a couple of other places but unfortunately the rope bridge was closed due to severe weather conditions, my heart was broken! I didn't get to walk this flimsy rope bridge strung between two cliffs and thousands of feet in the air whilst a Gale force wind was blowing, disappointment personified!
Onto Newtownabbey for the night and then a couple of days in Belfast tomorrow.