Thought we’d share some highlights for those that couldn’t be with us. Writing this brings back a few welcome memories for us.
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Better late than never! We’ve finally managed to upload several pictures of our trip as well as the wedding. You can find links to the galleries on the right hand side.
Trying a new gallery plug-in, so please let me know if you run into any problems.
Otherwise, enjoy the pictures!
With the wedding early the next day, we decided to take it easy. A group of us took a quick trip to nearby Ennistymon, a quaint little town known for The Cascades – an area of cascading water that travels through town. Not to mention the closest town with a bank and ATM.
Next up was a cruise to the Cliffs of Moher. Continue reading
Doolin is nestled against The Burren, an amazing geological area that is covered in limestone. This region, which looks somewhat prehistoric even today, is home to many old tombs and forts. We decided to do a little exploring.
First stop, the Poulnabrone Dolmen. This portal tomb is believed to be more than 5,000 years old, which makes it older than Stonehenge. But at around six feet, it’s only a third as tall. This is a fairly big tourist destination. There were already two bus loads of people milling around when we arrived. After a bit of patience, I managed to get a shot with no one around though.
Just down the road is the Caherconnell stone fort, located on a farm that has been in the same family for 400 years. In addition to the fort the family performs herd dog demonstrations. Greg got a big kick out of that, and I must admit it was interesting. The dogs use different techniques for herding: for sheep they use their eyes but must nip when rounding up cattle. Add different whistles sounds for each dog (to avoid confusion)…I was surprised how complex it is.
Having enough of the cold wet windy day we made our way back, stopping in Kilfenora for lunch. Later that day we met up with Dave and Carm who just arrived and enjoyed drinks and music at a nearby pub.
My mom and Greg’s cousin Neil arrived in Dublin and took the train into Galway. Since we were picking them up, we ventured into the city early to check it out.
After our fairy tale night in a castle, we took one last stroll on the grounds then said bye to beautiful Ashford and set out for Doolin, Co Clare.
Our trip was not a lonely one, though. We quickly made friends along the way. Continue reading
One of the most important things in life is the individual you meet along the way. This was the case with our B&B host, Helen. It had been my intention to randomly select witnesses for our civil marriage at the registrar’s office. We had to look no farther than Helen over breakfast. When we explained our request, Helen and her friend Agnes eagerly agreed to be our witnesses. We also met up with a couple from Cologne at breakfast, Mario and Claudia. When we told them of our plans for the day, I didn’t think Claudia’s tears would stop. She described herself as being built very close to water. Since they would be in the country, we invited them to our blessing ceremony the following week.
After breakfast and with some time to spare we visited King John’s Castle (Prince John if you read Robin Hood). It was here that I got my first taste of married life (see photo)
Heather and I arrived at the registrars office and were met by the Registrar Marie as well as Helen and Agnes. Such a happy pair they were. The process was very quick and I think pictures took longer then the event itself. After all was said and done the four of us went to one of the local haunts for some chowder and pints.
Unfortunately with little time to spare we said goodbye to our new friends and hit the road for Ashford Castle. Ashford is probably one of the most beautiful hotels I have ever stayed at. Owned at one time by the Guinness family and occupying 2600 acres it now covers 300 acres including equestrian centre, gardens, falconry school among other interesting things.
For dinner we opted for an informal location at Cullin’s Cottage which to me still seemed formal enough. The staff were wonderful and again the mention of marriage brought out the champagne (I could get used to this).
One of Ashford’s claims to fame is that the movie The Quiet Man was filmed on location here in 1952. The room we stayed in was occupied by John Wayne, and Maureen O’Hara stayed directly above. What better way to close off a day than to watch The Quiet Man while sipping Jameson in cushy Ashford bathrobes?
We decided to take a route along the coast to get from Enniskillen to Sligo. The beauty of going by car and minimal itinerary for the day is the ability to venture off the main roads whenever we felt like it.
We found our way westward to the ocean, along a narrow lane way. Continue reading
Day four started with a drive from Birr to Enniskillen. Another beautiful day, and the three hour drive was a scenic one. Enniskillen is located in Northern Ireland. There’s really no change when moving from one country to another. The big difference is the colour of the road line change, and the signs in Northern Ireland do not include Gaelic.
County Fermanagh, where Enniskillen is located, holds a special connection for Greg as it’s where the Maguire (his mothers clan) roots originated. Continue reading
As has become typical of the trip we started the morning with a wee hour stroll of the core of Dublin. The stroll helped to stabilize the noggin from the night before in the pub (see Day 2).
On to the car hire: The best way to test a relationship I suspect is to put the two of us in a car together in a strange country where the steering wheel is on the right side. Continue reading