Ireland

For Memorial Day weekend, I made the short one hour flight over to Ireland with a friend from work for some car camping. Luckily for me, Kevin is a cheapskate just like me and we were able to keep the costs low in one of the most expensive places in the European Union (who knew?).

We started Dublin to pick up the car. After avoiding the toll roads by driving through a park, we made our way to Kilkenny, Cork, Kinsale, Baltimore, Beara Peninsula, Killarney, and Roscrea over the three day trip.

It was a good trip. We did a lot of driving, a lot of talking, and a lot of stopping at random places we looked up in the book along the way. We stopped at an Aldis and the 25 Euros worth of hot dogs in a jar, cookies, crackers, fruit, and breads were enough to get us through the weekend.

St. Canice's Cathedral, Kilkenny. This is the second largest cathedral in Ireland. After the original 6th century cathedral burnt down, this one was started in AD 1202. No one is exactly sure what the tower is for, but the top theories include a watchtower for the invading Vikings (including a door high enough up that all of the monks could hide inside) and a signalling tower for sending mirror/smoke screens to other religious sites.

Smithwick Brewery

Preparing for car camping. This picture is me starting to giggle while brushing my teeth because Kevin didn't realize that I had set the timer on the camera and started taking his pants off. Great timing.

Kinsale was a beautiful town on the sea. It had a lot of forts and history. We even randomly ran into a friend from the UK on the street. What are the chances?

I also liked one of the cheesy poems engraved next to a monument of a mast where all the tour buses dropped off:

"His hooker's in the Scilly van

When seines are in the foam

But money never made the man

Nor wealth a happy home

So, bless'd with lover and liberty

While he can trim a sail

He'll trust in God, and cling to me

The boatman of Kinsale

- Thomas Osborne Davies 1814-1845

As for specific sites, Kilkenny Castle was my favorite. It was well maintained and had a really great feel to it. If I had millions upon millions to spend on a castle, I think I would choose that one. It was a grand and imposing castle while remaining comfortable and livable.

This was our campsite the second night, just at the start of the Beara Peninsula. We picked up some Paddy's Whiskey and Beamish Stout on the way out and spent the evening hanging out and walking around the area.

It was a fun trip and, I'm happy to report, I didn't have any bad encounters with the Irish this time! I think Irish, in general, are very happy to join in a conversation and will readily offer their opinion. The issues I have had in the past have been while drinking in pubs. I think the combination of alcohol and a strong desire to express one's opinion is where we ran into the troubles. Drinking with a dude you already know in a car in the middle of nowhere leads to fewer altercations in Ireland, apparently.