Blarney Castle, New Ross & Waterford

We left Killarney early in the morning and drove through County Cork, where my third great grandparents (John and Alice Dean) lived before settling in Canada.  The following picture was taken about twenty miles from where they lived.

We stopped at Blarney Castle.  Bob walked up the 100 stairs so he could kiss the Blarney Stone.  It is necessary to lie on your back, hang on tight and lean over the parapet' edge in order to kiss the stone.

Bob on his back to Kiss the Stone

The next stop was New Ross where we toured a replica of a sailing vessel built in 1845 to transport emigrants from Ireland to North America.

The last stop of the day was Waterford, where we stayed overnight.  We visited the Waterford Crystal store and did a walking tour of the city.

Ross Castle and Muckross House

We went for a ride in a horse-drawn jaunting car through the Killarney National Park to Ross Castle.  Later we visited another park and saw Muckross house.  We drove the Ring of Kerry and Moll's Gap.

Bob's favorite part was the evening.  There was to be the "Ralley of the Lakes" the next day and the cars were being weighed in on the street in front of the hotel.

Love the Thatched Roof

Ross Castle

Muckross House

Dingle Peninsula Tour

Most of the day was spent on the bus with a few stops for photo taking.  Some of the roads were narrow with sharp corners. The Dingle Peninsula goesout into the Atlantic Ocean - the furthest west you can go in Ireland.

 In the evening we went to "Gaelic Roots", a live show of Irish Song, Music and Dance.

Too Cold to Surf

Sandy Beach at Inch

Another Long Day

After leaving Westport we drove  to Ballintubber Abbey.  It is partially restored and is still being worked on.  It has extensive grounds and a walk that follows the stations of the cross.  We had to wait for Mass to end before we could go inside.

Next stop was Galway where we did a walking tour and had lunch.

Excavating in the Middle of the City

We next visited the Cliffs of Moher.  There was a fancy new visitors center there along with a large gift shop.

After checking into the Bunratty Castle Hotel we just had time to get ready to go to the Bunratty Castle for a medieval-style banquet.  We were entertained with stories and songs by the lords and ladies of the castle as we ate with our fingers.

Catamaran Cruise and "Quiet Man" Tour

Our bus took us to Killary Harbour to cruise on the "Connemara Lady".  On the cruise we had all kinds of weather - sun, rain, wind.  After the tour we had lunch at Eddie's Bar. 

On the Way to Killary Harbour

Commemorating the Famine

Lots of  Sheep in Ireland

Mussel Farm

Later we went to the village of Cong where the move "The Quiet Man" was filmed.  It was a 1952 movie starring John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara.

A House in Cong

Statue of John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara

  The tour guide had members of the tour act out some of  the scenes from the movie.  Bob played the part of Michaleen Flynn who drove the cart and chaperoned.

Derry to Westport

Our tour continued from Derry to Donegal.  We visited the ruins of Donegal Castle which is partially restored.

Stone Ring Fort

We stopped at Sligo to see where the poet, W. B. Yeats is buried.  His tombstone wasn't as imposing as many that we saw.

We stopped at Westport House, an 18th century mansion - now a tourist attraction which includes a Pirate Adventure Park.

We stayed at the Wyatt Hotel in Westport.