Farewell to Ireland

All packed and ready for an early morning departure for home. I'll be getting off the flight in Toronto to spend the weekend with family. Easter Sunday I'll get back to my own place to start the great re-settling.

Heather and I have had a wonderful time. We've done Dublin from Epic Ireland to Gogarty's Irish pub in Temple Bar. We rode the Hop-on Hop-off to great advantage. Today we toured Dublin Castle. Timing was perfect as the forecasted rain arrived while we were inside. We lunched in their cafe where the food was good but the service was appallingly slow.

We didn't want to tour the Guinness Storehouse, but we wanted to shop at their store for requested souvenirs. I've been on the tour twice already. So, we hopped on again and disembarked at Stop 15. As it happens, you have to take the 20 Euro tour just to get into the shop. We weren't that anxious to give them money, so we moved on. We were lucky because we were able to hop right back on the same bus. The driver assured us that Carroll's - a huge souvenir store - would have all the same Guinness gear. Well, they had some things but not really what we wanted. I hope the substitutes are acceptable.

Back on the bus again. Our final destination was the Kilmainham Gaol. Rumour has it that the tour is wonderful. I tried to book tickets online last night but they are all sold out for the next week except for a few tickets for Sunday at 11 and next Tuesday at 4. That's just a tad late for us. They keep tickets back for walk-ins, but we weren't lucky enough to get them. So, we had to settle for wandering around the museum there. Too many stairs - and more or less only signs to read and a few items from when the prison was open. It is very sad to see the sentences imposed for stealing a loaf of bread to feed the family. So - off to the bus once more.

Back again at O'Connell street we waited at the Air Link bus stop for the trip back out to the airport. From there the hotel shuttle returned us to the Clayton Hotel. Our key cards, for the second day in a row, would not open the door to the elevator lobby. Back to the desk we went for new ones. Those didn't work either, so we were given brand new cards. Bingo - we could get back to our room.

We've packed up and will shortly call it a night. It will be an early morning and hopefully the flight will be on time. I'll miss Ireland, yet am very much looking forward to seeing family and friends again.

I will keep writing this blog from time to time to keep track of my adventures in genealogy. It is unlikely to be of any interest until my next trip, except to diehard family historians.

Slan