Almost time to wander home but ...

Last night in the cottage. All is calm as I type this but Storm Debi is to roar across Ireland overnight and tomorrow morning. Driving conditions will be awful. Falling trees, winds up to 100 KPH and driving rain are expected. I foresee a late return of my car. Better safe than sorry.

I had a lovely day today with Mary Harte at Ann and Tom's place. Ann cooked a lovely dinner and when I was about to say it's time to leave, some of the Kavanaghs arrived so we extended the visit. I took Mary back to Carnew and made my way "home."

Just the packing up to do now. I will be ready to depart tomorrow when the roads are again declared safe to drive. This area won't be hit so hard, but I'd be heading into rough weather en route to Dublin. The schools are closed until at least 10 am and people are advised to work from home if possible. The storm puts a fitting end to this visit. I arrived at the tail end of Storm Babet. We were more or less bypassed by Storm Ciaran, and Storm Debi will usher me out. I imagine flights will be affected tomorrow. Luckily, mine is on Tuesday. I'll be staying at a hotel near Dublin airport tomorrow night.

So I bid adieu to another Irish adventure and will resume my travel narrative at some future date.

Genealogy alert

No real progress with finding another generation back, but some sources have been examined, found wanting, and crossed off the list. More to come. New sources found. More research in December at the National Library manuscript room. No, not me, but a trusted researcher. Who knows what will turn up.

No, not washed away

As I type it's raining heavily, in the daytime, although it's been mostly dry since last weekend. There have been some overnight showers and that's the schedule I wish they'd keep. It has been  chilly, dry and often sunny. I guess the daytime rain just couldn't stay away too long.

There's really nothing much of note that has happened this week. No socks went missing in the laundry, no morning coffee was abandoned, the recycling was recycled. I've been in and out, visiting here and there and had some of the Byrnes over for pizza and sweets on Tuesday evening. Had dinner yesterday with Mary and Mai at Carnew Community Care where Mary lives. 

After dinner we played a variation on Bingo that I've never seen before. Instead of numbers on your card, you had song titles. As a song was played you had to cross it out if you found it somewhere on your card. A card fully crossed out was required for Bingo. I won twice, along with several others, and for the €2 fee to play, I ended up with €4. Not a bad ROI. Now I have to plan how to spend that princely sum. The best part was that they used old music, mainly from the 50s and 60s, popular songs and folk songs. It was fun.

Once BINGO was done we adjourned to the dining room. Afternoon tea was available along with a three-tiered plate of savoury and sweet goodies. After all, it had been almost two hours since dinner. Who wouldn't need to top up the day's calorie count?

And then, late last night, there was the battle with the moth! Just after lights out I was aware of something flapping around that was bigger than a fly. So, lights on to figure it out. I was reasonably certain it wasn't a bat, and it was not. Huge sigh of relief. If it had been a bat I would have adjourned to the car. 

It was a moth or possibly a small butterfly. And it was an elusive critter. After a while when I was the the one flapping about, wielding my jeans as a moth-swatter, I remember that moths are attracted to light sources. The bedside lamp was on and while it did venture around the room, it had been more or less in the neighbourhood of the lamp. Near my head. Not ideal for sleeping. 

OK, the challenge was on. I turned on the ceiling light and turned off the bedside lamp. That's when I captured this photo. The critter was too pretty to consider execution.

As it happens, my bedroom is a loft with two skylights. One of them opens. That's where I took a photo on a sunny morning last week. You might have seen it. But I digress, the ceiling fixture, now the temporary resting place of the moth, is not near the window. BUT, I could move the bedside lamp. And I did. Then I turned off the ceiling light and turned on the lamp. Sure enough, the moth was attracted. 

Next step - open the skylight. OK - nothing happened. I began flapping the jeans again in the direction of the moth. Eventually it took the hint and flew off into the night. Problem solved. Skylight was closed. Lamp was returned to its habitual place, turned off, and the pursuit of sleep resumed. 

Today is a writing and research day. Maria is joining me this evening in pursuit of her branch of the Byrne line. I've recently come across some Byrnes who may be brothers of our ancestors. Hope springs eternal. Maybe I can put a couple more puzzle pieces together. 

So, I've managed to put off the writing once again. Ah well ...

The clock is possessed.

Well, maybe not possessed exactly, but it does frequently jump two hours ahead. And then the next time you look, it's exactly correct. I had noticed this several times over the last week and wondered if perhaps I'd gone bonkers. No need to comment on that. I have never actually seen the time change and because it makes the leap forward and back on a schedule unknown to me. I won't sit and stare at it for hours hoping to see when it happens.

Last night, since it gets dark very early and I'm just getting used to that, I felt quite tired. I looked at the clock which was reading 10 pm. Not too early to go to bed. So, I got ready. As I was about to settle down for the night I happened to see the screen on my phone - it was only 8 pm. The clock had done it again. Ah well, that gave me more time to read and I started to feel more awake. 

This morning it was fine, reading the same as my watch and phone. This afternoon I had someone in for a cup of tea and at 10 to 4, the clock agreed with my watch. I told John about the discrepancy and of course he had no idea what was happening.

So, I emailed the manager of the cottages. This was the reply:

It's supposed to be connected to some global wifi clock somehow.

I'm actually not sure how it works but I've heard it doesn't work great.

Anyway, it's not possessed! it's just badly designed.

He offered to replace it but I said that since I have other sources for the correct time to simply ignore it.

At dinner time, according to my stomach, my watch said 6 pm. The clock, by then, said it was 8 o'clock. Whaaaat? Just a few minutes ago I took a picture of the clock and another of my watch. See!

The clock reports the time

And just after the clock, I took a picture of my watch

So, no need to retire for the night. It's not so late. I wonder what time will be displayed when I wake up tomorrow.

Wonder of wonders, tomorrow could be the third day in a row without rain. I feel an outing in the offing. Well, at least a little grocery run. Maybe I could find a walking trail that's dry enough to use.

Slan.

Where did the weekend go?

Friday's lovely day was offset, of course, by the weather on Saturday. Let's just say it wasn't nice. Sunday was a decent day, starting out cloudy but brightening up soon enough. I collected Mary Harte in Carnew and we drove to St Brigid's church in Askamore for the 11 Mass which was celebrated in part for Mike Byrne's Months Mind. The whole family was there. Here's a 360 degree video of the view we enjoyed. Everywhere you look here, the scenery is stunning. 

I couldn't upload this video but here's a link that should take you to it. If the link doesn't work directly from this post, copy and paste it into the address bar in your browser.

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/enx1h41ejr5hwl26h3aiz/398493519_6846988905395468_7650591111049376469_n.mp4?rlkey=ogm5qgkehlsyy93kdhbexfgu7&dl=0

We adjourned to Jim's pub in Carnew for a great reception with delicious vegetable soup, brown bread, sandwiches and cupcakes. Luckily for me, coffee was on offer as well as tea. I met a lot of cousins I'd met before and many that I hadn't. I hope one day that some will visit me in Ottawa.

The remainder of the day was spent reading and watching tv. I retired early and slept well. I also forgot to put my hearing aids on the charger when I went to bed.

Now it's Monday and it's wash day. The laundry is on the drying rack in my sunroom. It would not enhance the look of the courtyard if I were to put it outside the front door. I'll be sticking close to the cottage for a while, having forgotten to charge my hearing aids last night. 

My plans for the day were to stay in and do some more writing. But that sunshine is beckoning and here I am without a plan to enjoy it. It's only 8C but I have warm clothes. 

Genealogy warning. Read on at your peril.

I have long wondered about the correct spelling of a surname. One of my ggg grandmother's first names was Bridget, and her surname has been transcribed and guessed as: Loughnan(e), Longham, and this morning I think I got it right: Loughran. I was excited after seeing the name on a website that produced family names in Ogham script and also in Irish. I've yet to find the Irish other than the Ogham script is longer. My best guess is that it is the Ogham script version of the spelling in Irish. Anyway, scrolling through to see how many of my ancestral names had already been produced, I came upon Loughran. They seem to add to the collection as people request particular surnames. That name rang a bell and now, scrutinizing Bridget's marriage record, I think that is probably the correct spelling. 

Alas, I've not made any further progress finding out about her family, but in Quebec in 1842, I did find a John Loughran, farmer, in the Deux Montagnes region near Montreal. Bridget had married and lived in the Eastern Townships, but it's not that far away. Her father had been John. The John in the record was part of a family of 10. So, more research will be done trying to track down further information. I guess it's time to get a one-day access to the Drouin Collection where I'm more likely to find Quebec records.

I'll say farewell for the moment and start digging into records again. It's always easier to do research than to write, so the writing will be deferred, at least for this morning.

It's a beautiful (chilly) day in the neighbourhood

Finally a bright sunny day, with very little wind. It was only 6C when I went outside but warmed up through the day to about 10C. No rain all day - wonderful. This is the view from my bedroom skylight this morning. I didn't need a ladder - the ceiling is sloped and quite low where the skylight is located.

Given the excellent weather I drove to Coolruss to see "Bob's Tree." That's it's offiicial name. Jim planted it in 2009 when we brought some of Dad's ashes to Ireland and they now rest under that tree. After a difficult start, the tree has flourished and is quite a beauty. The landscape around it is gorgeous and there's no better setting to rest forever. 

After a cuppa and a chat with Jim and Maria, I discovered that I have copies of some of their old family photos that Mary Harte has been harbouring for years. I'd scanned them years ago but don't have names on them. We were only able to see a few on the phone but sending the Dropbox link to Maria was successful and they can now download and get printed any that they want.

Later I drove to Gorey and bought myself a decent sweater to wear to Mike's 'Month Mind' on Sunday. It should go nicely with my good running shoes. Ah well, anyone interested in my feet will now have something to natter about.  While in Dunnes I picked up a warmish jacket for Mary Harte, and despite her refusal for years to wear a coat even in cold weather, she seemed to like this one. I told her I expect to see her wearing it on Sunday.

She mentioned having recently got some of the old family photos that were retrieved for her from Ashford. So, I told her that I'd like her to tell me the names of the people in the pictures I have from her collection. She and her niece Mai are coming for lunch tomorrow and we'll spend part of the afternoon identifying the folks in the pictures. Ta-da. 

A few photos of Minmore Mews

Having deprived you of pictures lately, I wandered around the property here and took a few photos to share. That will give you an idea of the nail-biting excitement of my days. 

The long view from the back of the main house. My cottage is the lowest one in the row, behind the car in the distance. 

A few of the neighbours who are very quiet. Note the ever-present windmills that are seen in almost every view here, generating power. Some days they barely move. Mind your eyes with the brilliant (lack of) sunshine.

Main entrance to John's house.

The beautiful views are endless

Pretty nice digs for the hens although I don't think they actually go in here

Composition of the hedges #1

Another part of the same hedge - the variation is endless

There is lots of holly around - getting itself ready for Christmas decor I guess

Longer view of the same hedge - impossible to list all of the different forms of vegetation

Thankfully a non-event

Storm Ciaran came and went. There was rainfall overnight but no flooding as a result. This morning it's cloudy but the trees are barely moving. Obviously the storm took a different track. Surely there is no more rain left to fall. 

Despite the reasonably nice day, I have no plans to go anywhere. It's still too wet underfoot to enjoy a walk. My shoes would become sodden very quickly and the lovely Tomnafinoge woods where I'd love to stroll, would be too muddy and the trees would be shaking off all that rain. Maybe tomorrow.

The most exciting thing I did yesterday was buy some Frank and Honest coffee at Centra in Carnew. It's very nice and got my day off to a good start. In fact, maybe I'll have another cup for quality control in case the first cup was an aberration.

The most enjoyable thing I did was return the borrowed guitar and enjoyed a lovely piece of fresh-from-the-oven apple pie with Ann and Tom. I managed to get home just before dark in preparation for the storm that never was.

There is flooding in the south and the north and the damage is severe. But that all happened before Storm Ciaran waved at us on its way to England. It did considerable damage in the Channel Islands but the north of France seems to have been the worst hit. There were cancellations of flights and lots of power outages. Lucky for me, and those around here, we can only send thoughts and prayers. They will do as much good as they do when a mass shooting occurs in the US.

Still no pictures to show you. I could take a few around here but have done that on many previous occasions. Maybe I'll go and walk around the yard and try to capture a few artistic shots. LOL 

Slan 

Sunshine? reallly? well, for a while

As I write this, right this minute, it is not raining. It's 9:30 am and there has been no rain for at least two hours. The forecast is for scattered showers during the day and serious rain beginning around 7 pm. At that time, the rain will intensify with Storm Ciaran's visit to SE Ireland en route to creating even more havoc in England. No problem though, as the winds won't be howling until the next morning when the rain abates. 

There is serious flooding around the country and specially in Newry, in Co Down in Northern Ireland. We are not near a river or the sea and are on high ground here in Minmore Mews.

My adventures in the last couple of days have been few. There was a brief standoff with a giant slug that I saw crawling around the edge of the bathroom. Seeing that disgusting antennae-equipped moving blob made me temporarily forget the large snail on the tiled wall above the WC. 

It was bedtime and I wasn't certain whether or not the slug would disappear and how I would feel about that. Where would he disappear to? Would I inadvertently make contact by stepping on it? That was unlikely because it was almost 3" long and had antennae that twitched and by this time my gaze was almost constantly on the floor. How fast can that little sucker move? Would I find him in the shower? Perish the thought.

I went to bed only to lie awake thinking about that disgusting thing. So, I got up to check on its progress. The little sucker had moved about 6 feet so it was just on the outside of the kitchen door, fortunately near the hinged corner. Now what? I was not going to invite it to join me for a cuppa. 

Then I remembered hearing somewhere that a dose of salt poured on such a bug would take care of the problem. The salt shaker was handy so I ground a good amount and dumped it on said slug. Bingo! Instant satisfaction on my part. The problem was being solved, er dissolved, before my eyes. I could use my powers of description here but I'll spare you the details. Let us just say that the salt is no longer visible, the size of the beast has been substantially reduced and the "spot" is still there. I've yet to determine how to get rid of the mess. If I use the broom that will finish it for further use. I have a good supply of paper towels but no interest in that close a mop-up operation. I'm still thinking about it. It's not smelly.

Back to the snail. It has moved location to unseen places. Its good and smaller friend, has appeared just about above the shower on the top of the wall. No longer moving around, I'm hoping it's insanely happy there and will just stay put. I can only see the shell, not the occupant. And I still wonder what happened to the big one.

There was a break in the rain for most of the day yesterday and I took advantage to go out and renew my supply of brown bread. I was also looking for ground coffee, but they don't have any in Shillelagh. I forgot to stop at Centra when I got to Carnew. Candy's Costcutter also stocked only instant coffee. Bleah!

But, a visit with Mary Harte was in order. She was in good form but declined to go for a drive. Her hearing aids must have new batteries because she could hear me and we chatted for a while. I persevered with the position that having had my lunch, I needed neither food nor drink. 

We made plans for me to pick her up on Sunday to go to the "month mind" mass for Mike Byrne in Askamore. 

It's now threatening to be sunny for a bit so I'll get myself in gear and drive to Bunclody for some coffee. I have enough for a couple of days but don't want to run out of it when the weather is really foul. 

The rest of today should be spent doing some writing as per my original plans. The cottage is fine. To control the heat there is a timer for times on and off. There is no thermostat. Generally it's not freezing even when off and it doesn't take long to warm up when it's on. The bathroom should be warm enough now for a shower.

This has really been much ado about nothing but I didn't want anyone to think I'd floated away. The rain is not affecting me as much as the farmers. Their situation is pretty bad. The ground has no chance to dry up at all before the next downpour comes along. 

Just a warning

The weather news is getting worse. No good weather in sight and a storm coming in on Wednesday night. The south and east (where I am) will apparently be hit hard.

Co Wexford, especially around Wexford town, is already afloat. The National Heritage Park is underwater and even the main reception building including the café was flooded. Of course it had to close. There's no report that I've heard with an estimate of the damage but some of the recreated Viking buildings are half under water. We were lucky to have visited when it was merely sort of flooded but workable.

Plans for this week are not finalized, other than staying dry and not driving far. Fingers crossed that if something comes up the roads will be open. There might not be much to report. The cottage where I've set up camp, is not equipped with life jackets. Maybe I'll make enquiries about getting one.We are on high ground so maybe that would be over-cautious.

Wandering? not today

Today I gained an hour as the clocks went back overnight. My apple watch, Macbook and iPhone all behaved well and reset themselves. I woke up to the news that Braden and Sammie were at the airport at the boarding gate and ready for the trip home. They'd spent the past couple of days in Dublin taking in whatever sites appealed to them. Their special souvenirs from Egan's made it through security and will be enjoyed at home. 

I miss having Heather, Braden and Sammie with me. They are all excellent company and travel companions. None contributed greatly to the Irish economy by splurging on souvenirs although a couple of items returned to Canada with them. The beauty of carry-on luggage is that it restricts the number of purchases one can take back home. Heather's souvenir sweater from the Alpaca walk (it was cold and she needed something warmer to wear), and Braden and Sammie's Guinness glasses will help keep them warm back at home.

Yesterday was a relaxing day at The Store. Donal delivered some fresh eggs from the resident chickens and John O stopped in for a coffee. Aside from that I stocked up on groceries at Aldi, topped up the gas tank at Texaco and withdrew my rent money from the ATM - all in Bunclody. For a small town the traffic would rival many larger places. 

Last evening I had a lovely dinner with Susan and Damien, just up the way. They have a remarkably long and winding driveway on which you would never want to meet another oncoming car. There was no need to worry as I was expected. To keep people on the narrow road, they have some signs like "do not pass" all installed for the purpose of keeping drivers on the track. If one should ignore the signs your fate would be sealed, tumbling over the edge. It was very dark and pouring rain, but on leaving, Damien with his umbrella, guided my reversing so that I'd safely manoeuvre my way back to the "main" road. It was barely wider than their lane.

We enjoyed a mainly genealogical bent to the conversation. Susan has done extensive researching of her roots and Damian's. Both she and I are writing the family stories now. Why is it that everyone else's family seems more interesting than my own? We are both very keen to have accurate records, while being very aware that there are errors on our family trees. That doesn't deter others from wantonly copying people from one tree to another without regard to any real relationship to their own, nor to any notes we've included to say that a particular person or fact has not been sufficiently verified. I've given up caring.

It was a relatively early night, followed by an extra hour's sleep. Today is a lazy hermit sort of day. It's raining now (quelle surprise!) and promises of similar weather all week could mean progress with my writing or research. I might only need slippers as plans don't involve the outdoors.

So, cosying up with a coffee and the trusty laptop, here's to progress in writing.

Finding a new theme song

This morning when I got up it was bright, dry and quite mild. So, I was ready to burst into "It's a beautiful day in the neigbourhood." Since I wasn't alone and I have a terrible voice, it would have been more of silent lip singing. That thought came and went quite fast.

It was my last day with company and I suppose I'll have to start not only talking to myself, but also doing all the cooking and cleaning up. It's been wonderful having live-in help who are also cheerful and easy to please. They were amenable to all suggestions and had some of their own. Now I have to plan my own days and meals too. And there's nobody to clean up after me.

The second song I considered for my theme, and this one is a recurring theme, is an Irish song that includes the lines: "we're on the one road, maybe the wrong road" and that is a very accurate statement about my directional ability. We set the map app for our destination of Greystones DART station and for some reason she didn't start yapping right away. I had a look at the map of our proposed route and immediately misunderstood. The voice was so annoyed with me that she continued the silent treatment. Try as we might she wouldn't give oral directions. And, setting out anyway, I went in exactly the wrong direction and wondered why, when she started to talk, she kept directing us onto L roads leading who knows where. 

The penny finally dropped and we turned around, having wasted about 20 minutes. No sweat, they could get the next train and I'd still be on time to meet my friends for lunch. Once we saw signs for Arklow and the M11 which would take us to the destination, I stopped following "the voice" and used the road signs. It probably took a bit longer but it was time to take a stand. 

After dropping Braden and Sammie in Greystones, I let "the voice" direct me to the Avoca shop at Kilmacanogue. This time it was blind trust. I could only do what I was told and couldn't look at the map at the same time. The trust was justified as I arrived at the right place only a few minutes late. Parking there is a bit of a nightmare but luckily I saw someone pulling out and was able to replace them before the next raindrop hit the pavement.

We had a lovely lunch and caught up on happenings since our get together last year. Some folks just get along well and our little group of four certainly does. We met at the Canada Come Home Gathering in 2013 and have stayed in touch.

Once again trusting the voice to direct me back to Minmore, I set out on the N11 and happily sailed along the highway. The sun was beginning to lower and from time to time it was quite a nuisance having it shining in my face. Luckily, the clouds stepped in front and saved the day once I reached the dreaded L roads. This time I had the pleasure of following a large truck for about 15 kms. Happily that meant I would not be surprised by an oncoming car swooping around the next corner. Bad road+truck=benefits.

The owner was still waiting for the plumber to repair whatever ails the pipes to the shower when I arrived back. The shower was by then completely out of commission. So, I accepted the invitation to move into The Store a day early. I packed in a hurry and once I got sorted out in the new digs, realized I'd forgotten a couple of items in the freezer along with my toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo and soap in the bathroom. Thanks to text messaging I contacted the owner and he's going to deliver the items to me in the morning. Great service. It's a couple of hundred yards away - right across the road. But I no longer have the keys.

I hope he's able to get the shower situation sorted out. The next lot of visitors arrives tomorrow afternoon. He's a very nice man and was very apologetic. Things happen, and besides, it gives me something to say.

Anyway, here I am, with my latest candidate for song of the day "Raindrops keep falling on my head." This time it's "raindrops keep falling on my roof" because I'm warm and dry indoors.

No photos were taken today so there are none to share. I can't promise anything for tomorrow. It may be so non-memorable that I won't even post. 

If you (don't) like the weather, wait 5 minutes and it will change

It was a lovely mild morning when we got up and got the laundry on. It wasn't yet quite sunny but very acceptable. The usual fog or low clouds were easy to see as we checked the view. Braden tested for Covid and he was negative. It's really just a cold. He wore a mask to keep from "sharing" and we set out for Hook Head. The laundry was done so we didn't need to decide which socks were the cleanest among the dirty ones. 

No detours were suggested by the voice in my phone today. I think the Apple Map navigation is more accurate than Google. Then again, we did have that misstep yesterday where we were in the middle of nowhere and told we'd have to walk the final 500 metres. I still have no idea where we were when we reversed course and got to where we should have been earlier.

And the navigation voice I'd been mistakenly calling 'Ms Google,' is getting a bit demanding. When we are about 100 metres from a turn she'll almost bark "Turn right."  I guess that's so you follow her directions. Even if I complain about her mood or instructions, she has been a godsend and will continue to be one, although my travelling is pretty much over. I'll just be around here for the final two weeks.

The route was mostly on good roads and we experienced everything from glorious sunshine to rain while driving. It was raining when we arrived at the lighthouse, but tickets were obtained for the next tour, and we had time for soup and brown bread for lunch. I indulged in the wonderful seafood chowder - having enjoyed it both other times that I visited. This time I declined to take the lighthouse tour, leaving the 151 steps for others. Instead, I ordered a capuccino and relaxed in the cafe. That's getting to be a very pleasant habit. By the way, Hook Lighthouse is the oldest continuously and still working lighthouse in the world.

Arrival at Hook Lighthouse, in the rain

The end of the capuccino and view of the sea

The return trip included a stop at Fethard Castle - now a ruin. And it rained again, but were not deterred. Well, I was, but the castle expert was not. 

Remains of Fethard Castle

From there it was on to Egan's pub to say hello and basically confirm that our musician was not up to performing due to his cold. Instead, Guinness was consumed by all and we enjoyed a couple of hours of conversation along with the black stuff. And there was that shot of Poteen for good measure. Nope, not me, I'd tried it before and found it "wanting." Wanting to be consumed by someone else. We tasted some hazelnuts, after shelling them, collected and brought in by Aiden who later played some pool with Braden and Sammie. That visit seemed to banish his cold. Possibly it was the poteen. The only thing comparable in my mind is Screech from Newfoundland.

First Guinness coming up

Aiden with the hazelnuts to share

Larry and I talked history and genealogy and I have some new avenues to explore and possibly a clue to finding out "who was Mary Foley?" She was a child who was born very near the Byrnes in Coolruss, apparently went to New Brunswick with her parents in 1848 and yet ended up living with the Byrnes from at least 1851 to 1861, before simply disappearing from any records I can find. That's for another day, but very soon.

Now back at the cottage, the kids are packing up their belongings for tomorrow's drive to Greystones to catch the DART into Dublin. They will complete their trip in the big city. I will meet some friends for lunch and then come back to pack up my own things for the move across the road on Saturday.

Brief update

 It's just a cold. Taking it easy but still going for a drive today.

A little bit of heaven

Do you know the song "A little bit of heaven fell from out the sky one day?" Well, that almost seemed to be the case today.

As we left the cottage on the road to Shillelagh, the view was a little bit different. It was clear enough, not quite sunny, but as we drove along and looked at the view, the clouds had settled very low in the vallley with the hills visible above them. It was quite lovely, and the kids took some pictures as I stayed in the car pulled as far off the road to the left as I possibly could get it. 

That was just a taste of what was to come en route. Our destination was Limerick, literally across the country. The roads were good, no more washouts, and for the most part we were on major roads. But as we drove west we hit some patches of severe fog, making it feel like the clouds had dropped down on us. And then over the next hill, the skies would clear, and the low clouds hung over the lowlands and the hills were visible above. Heavenly.

While the drive to Limerick was pretty straightforward, it was nearly three hours of driving before we arrived. Limerick is a very old city. It was never designed for cars. It's bad enough driving on the left, shifting gears when I'm accustomed to automatic transmission, and using good roads. At almost every new street we had to make a turn. It often looked like the car would have to be an accordion, shrinking between cars parked on both sides of a two-way street, and the lane only wide enough for one vehicle. I was a very shifty character until we came to the castle.

We looked for the pay and display machine but after reading the sign – very high up on a post – it seemed we were in an e-parking zone. What is that? Well, to pay, you have to call the number on the post. So I did. Not helpful the first time. I was not fast enough entering the license plate. Second time was a winner – or at least I think so. No charges were shown on the post. I suppose it will be billed to Hertz from whom I rented the car. Just another little kink in proceedings. I'm sure it's not as expensive as parking at home but I will find out when I return the vehicle. 

King John's Castle has a long and of course violent history. The story was told very well in the museum you pass through before seeing the castle itself. I remember almost nothing of what the signs said. I do remember that I'm grateful for not having lived through any of those awful times. In one passage they posted signs of how waste was disposed of and how awful the smells were. I momentarily feared that they had somehow conjured up a way to let us have that experience. Whew. They didn't.

It became quite cloudy as we moved out past the more-or-less underground bits showing the original walls and tunnels (dug by hand with enemies approaching each other underground). This is the reason behind the term "undermining." Who knew? Well, if you did, please don't make me feel stupid, because I didn't.

I opted to do a taste test of the capuccino in the cafe while Braden and Sammie climbed the walls. Well, not the walls, but nasty winding stone staircases inside the parts of the castle open to exploration. The capuccino passed the test and I'll be happy just to see their photos. 

We had a late lunch at Katie Daly's pub across the street. It apparently dates to 1798 and Katie Daly was born in California, daughter of a man born in Roscrea, just down the road. She never came to Ireland as far as I could see, and ended up dying in Alcatraz. The family business was moonshine and things didn't quite work out the way she'd planned. Anyway, the seafood chowder was wonderful along with the every-present slice of brown bread. But why is the pub named after an American criminal?

Off we went to see the Rock of Cashel. No problems en route. I decided to stay in the car for a nap while the kids set off up the hill. They arrived 2 minutes too late to be admitted. Last time I was there we were 5 minutes too late to get in. Today the last entry was 3:45 and last year it was 5 pm. Different month, different closing time I guess. Anyway, they were not amused. 

And then the driving fun began. We decided to take a detour to Clonegal, very near our cottage. But our navigational aid (turns out NOT to be Ms Google), was seeking revenge. Either that or she was confused or just messing with us. As we drove towards what I knew was the road to Clonegal, we got a directive to take an "L" road. Hmmm. OK - worth a shot? Turns out the answer is "Nope." 

We arrived on the backest of back roads and were told "park the car and walk from here" in a slightly different version of that statement. Park? Walk? We are NOT in Clonegal. It's a town with streets, and businesses and houses. This was not that at all. So, I backed up into a lane and turned around. We reset the app to "Clonegal old RC graveyard" instead of "Clonegal" and were guided back on the path from whence we'd recently arrived.

After a brief stop in Clonegal, the real one, for historical verification, by the Derry river, near the narrow stone bridge, it was time to head back home. That part was a piece of cake.

BUT - Braden has developed what we hope is just a head cold. Mary Byrne gave us a recommendation for a cold remedy "Lemsip" which has been purchased and consumed. In the morning, we will use the other thing Mary provided: a Covid test. At present all of our fingers and toes are crossed that only one line appears when Braden does the test tomorrow.

Plans are on hold until we know how he feels and what the situation is. Update when available. Meanwhile, enjoy a few pictures from yesterday and today.

Entrance to Johnstown Castle - note the Hallowe'en decorations

View from inside the castle - just before the rain started

Tower at Ferrycarrig bridge

Amazing clouds over the Irish Sea at Courtown, Wexford

King John's Castle, Limerick on the Shannon River

Low clouds over Shillelagh

It's not raining - let's go sightseeing

The day started dry and ended dry and had lots of sun, a huge rainbow and a few strategically timed heavy showers.

The drive to the Irish National Heritage Park near Wexford town was uneventful. Traffic moved well and the roads were OK. No major puddles. After yesterday's road closures and scary encounters with deep water (not OUR encounters, just some on video) we had great conditions.

Braden and Sammie toured the park and were intrigued with all of the Viking displays and replicas of buildings, costumes and tools. That was to be expected. What wasn't expected was seeing a heron catch and play with a snake. I thought there were no snakes here. Do I have to re-think my visits? Anyway, this heron was standing on a gravel path that was completely flooded and we noticed he was "biting" on something that he was sort of flinging around. I hate snakes so there's no way I was going to take a video or even a photo. It looked like a garter snake but believe me, we were nowhere near close enough to be sure. 

They almost finished the walking tour when the heavens opened. Good rain jackets saved the day. Meanwhile, back in the café, I enjoyed a pot of peppermint tea and finished my book. I'd been there before and am indifferent to Vikings so there was no need to visit again. We had lunch there as it was still raining and outside the window was a huge rainbow. The problem was we could see it through the trees but a picture wouldn't have shown anything. 

The road to Hook Head Lighthouse is not exactly a motorway and yesterday was under a foot of water. Our car is not that far off the ground and I imagine Hertz would frown on us using it as an amphibious craft.

So, Johnstown Castle was the next stop. The castle restoration has been completed and we took the guided tour. Very interesting. A fully intact castle is not what Braden loves. So we sought out one in ruins. Google showed us one quite close by so I set the map app and we set out. Well, there is no Artramon Castle. We did get to the townland of Artramon. The houses are nice. The road is narrow. But no castle.

On to Curracloe Beach - well, almost. We were within sight of the parking lot when the road signs warned of flooding. The huge puddle, well minor lake, was enough to say "Hey, I think I'll just reverse up this road." So I did. We couldn't find a place that overlooked the beach. On to Courtown. There we found the harbour, took a few photos and headed back home.

We're about to visit Mary and Jim and then on to the Dying Cow. Photos next time.

We never made it to the Dying Cow. But it was a nice visit to Coolross.

Liquid sunshine - no, I'll be blunt. The weather was wretched all day long.

Jet Lag has been slept off, we hope. Despite the endless rain, we set out for New Ross in late morning. The roads weren't too bad and we got to the Dunbrody famine ship easily enough. The parking machine for the "Pay and Display" was not working so our parking was free. A chap inside the entrance to the tour said that the fellow who checks that all cars are paid up, never checks the vehicles when the weather is this bad. That was a little bonus for making the effort to get out. He was right - no ticket and no pay.

Braden and Sammie toured the Dunbrody while I, blissfully ignorant of what was going on outside, enjoyed a Capuccino and my phone. OMG am I turning into a person attached so tightly to their phone? Maybe. I did see a couple of staff members in the cafe looking out the window but I figured they were just checking to see if the rain had let up. Nope!

When B & S finished their tour they asked if I'd seen the helicopter hovering over the river beyond where the Dunbrody sits at anchor. I had not. On the tour they were kept below deck, not just because the rain was so heavy, but the guide didn't want them to see the recovery of a person who'd drowned. And I didn't see a thing, although I think I would have had a pretty good view. I don't regret my ignorance of that situation. Very sad.

Fortunately I called Hook Head where we'd planned to drive to visit the oldest continuously working lighthouse in the world. The narrow roads leading to the lighthouse were open but the water was deep in spots and the person I spoke with asked if our car was very high off the ground. It is not. Now, a little adventure can be fun, but stalling in the middle of a foot deep washout, without wellies or a way to tow the car out, is not high on my bucket list. We opted to drive to Waterford instead.

Vikings played a significant role in the history of that city. They settled right in and married the locals. We had plenty of time to visit Reginald's tower. I don't recall when construction began but it was many hundreds of years ago. It had been modified and added to over those centuries. Inside is an interesting video presentation and a bit of a museum. Once outside again, we had hoped to pop directly into The Reg (pub) for something to eat and a pint of Guinness for Braden. It didn't open until 5.

We wandered around the Viking triangle of narrow streets and had a brief stop at some outdoor curiosities and a free visit to the Medieval Museum because it was close to closing time and they didn't charge us. It is very well done. I'm not a Medieval fan nor do I know pretty much anything about that time, but Braden enjoyed it. He's reading about Brian Boru (go look him up if you have time on your hands) and there were several references found there. 

This thing is called something like The Sword of the Dragon

Details of carvings on the "sword"

We were the first customers in The Reg when it opened at 5. The fish n chips with mushy peas (why?) were delicious and half of our portions were brought home to enjoy another day. As I had to drive in the lousy weather, but on decent roads, I imbibed only water.

Smiling in anticipation of his pint of the black stuff

The drive home was pretty straightforward. Ms Google must have realized that the weather necessitated using main roads. On the last stretch back from Bunclody, deciding to take the longer route that gave us easier access to our awful laneway, we encountered a sign saying the road was closed due to flooding. Two other vehicles went ahead anyway, but we turned off onto the shorter route, encountered only a couple of not-so-impressive puddles, and got back safely. Turning into the laneway took a bit of manouevering but we're here.

The plan to go to The Dying Cow pub were shelved. It's on a narrow road and I was unwilling to take a chance on conditions. We've called it a day.

Brilliant sunshine and all was bright and good

We got up early and were on the road to the airport by 7:30. Google was pressed into service and today she was a star. Nary a narrow road and nary an error.

Arriving at Terminal 1 about 9, we parked and only had to wait a few minutes for the new visitors to walk into the arrivals area. We all had a bite to eat in the terminal, then said farewell to Heather who has been a wonderful roommate for the past week. 

En route back to the cottage, we made a stop for a wander around at the ruins of Baltinglass Abbey and all were impressed and some photos were taken. From there we drove to Bunclody and part way up Mt Leinster for a fantastic view of several counties. Of course there are no signs waving to tell you which county you are looking at, far off in the distance. I don't think we could see as far as Fermanagh. The day was too sunny and clear to waste the opportunity.

Picking up some groceries at SuperValu, was followed by the drive back to the cottage where said groceries were stowed away. The plan was to feed those who arrived for our chats about history, family and music. Not enough was consumed so we shan't go hungry. 

Patrick had his concertina, Nicola her Uileann pipes and Braden had a borrowed guitar. It was a fabulous evening. Some tea, cookies, cheese and crackers were consumed, along with some beer. Larry was in first and went back to the pub, sending Mary with a special delivery for Braden - a hand pulled pint of Guinness. He'd been forced to drink the canned variety but was in heaven to get a taste of the real thing. Mary had put a Pringles lid on the Guinness glass so not a drop was spilled getting it here. 

It's been a long day that began at 6:30 and I'm about ready to drop. I'll post a few photos and you can see how we spent our time.

Special delivery Guinness - not from that can you see

Joined by the Egans 

The musicians

The whole gang at sunset

Nicola, Patrick and Ita

What's that bright light up in the sky?

Well, a sunny morning. Are we still in Ireland? 

It wasn't an early start but at 10 am we headed for our Walk with Alpacas near Newtownmountkennedy. I decided to drive as much of the route as possible without the bossy Ms Google wanting us to use all the tiniest, narrowest roads. We fairly sailed along to Blessington and had gone too far. But we still had plenty of time and I actually needed my sunglasses to drive. We did get a scare when it clouded over but that didn't last long.

The directions, when we let Ms Google have her say, took us over the Wicklow gap where we encountered a few healthy-looking sheep beside the road in a couple of spots. The ride was uneventful and thanks to a slow-moving van ahead of us, we could do a bit of neck-craning to see the views. Relax, it was Heather who looked around, I was watching that van and trying to shout that it was possible to shift up to 3rd gear if he'd give it a try.

Making good progress we got a message from K2 Alpacas that there had been an accident on the road and to use a different route. We didn't know any other route but they didn't say from which direction, so we just chugged on. All the while we were getting hungry. Breakfast was a piece of toast and a bit of scrambled egg. But our mouths were getting ready for some soup with brown bread. It's everywhere.

Well, now we know that's no longer true. There was a Taco Truck with some unappetizing options, but otherwise, K2 has no cafe and offered coffee and hot chocolate machines, chocolate bars, Pringles, cookies and cupcakes. I settled on a hot chocolate and a small can of Pringles that I didn't finish. I wondered if I'd have the energy for the walk. I did - barely.

It has been a little wet - have I mentioned our weather? The grounds were a bit muddy but one of the guides suggested that I use a pair of their rubber boots. Thank goodness I did. The ground practically sucked them down and I might well have walked right out of the old runners I'd thought would work. Heather had brought Wellies from home so she was all set.

Eventually the guides and us and fellow trekkers, rounded up the alpacas - quite the feat in itself. I'd like to think that the trekkers helped and I suppose by holding the rope and moving ever forward, we did. Once the small herd of males was in the designated enclosure they were put on leashes, ready for our walk. Each of us was given our own alpaca. Heather had Tom and I had Little Ted. Tom led the way and Little Ted brought up the rear. He has little leadership ambition but is a reasonable follower. He did stop along the way to take in the scenery and munch on the grass but we were never too far behind.

We fed them a sort of enriched kibble and posed for photos. It was a delightful experience. There were 9 trekkers and a leader in each of today's two groups. It was chilly but not too windy and the sun shone the entire time.

The trekkers with Little Ted and Tom

Following a suggestion from Lynne, we drove to the Horse and Hound in Delgany and enjoyed a prawn stir fry with bok choy in a delicious broth, along with some tasty flatbread, served hot. It was just enough and very tasty. By then I might have even enjoyed some of the kibble we fed to Little Ted and Tom.

We decided to take the quickest route back. The part on the M11 was super. There was a fair amount of traffic but no slowdowns and it seemed like no time when we had to exit and follow a secondary road. Those R roads are very good. They have a centre line. But then it came time to let Ms Google have her way with us again on the L roads. Some even have grass growing in the middle. There is no centre line. In many many places there is no room for two small cars to pass. We were exceedingly fortunate that no passing was required.

The problem became the sun. Parts of our route had us headed west. On more than one of these L roads, it was low and directly in our eyes. Even putting one hand up to try to block the glare wasn't enough. On those occasions I used 1st gear and tried to peek at the hedge on the left and keep as close to it as possible. We had no idea if anything was even coming. Luckily, nothing did. I guess there were 3 or 4 of those terrifying occasions which each covered a few dozen yards of distance. 

When we were nearing Shillelagh, and almost home, there was a flock of pheasants on the road. They almost always fly out of the way. Almost. Sadly, we heard the stupid one who refused to budge, make contact, possibly a couple of times, with the underside of the car. I sure hope it finished him off because he would have been terribly injured. We couldn't stop nor could we have done anything if we had. Heather was aghast, but I was not about to jam on the brakes, with a car not too far behind, just because a single stupid pheasant stood his ground.

Anway, we are home and going to have a little nap before meeting the Byrnes for Heather to say good-bye and a possible visit to Egan's where much of their family has gathered in the pub. It could happen that music will break out. Fingers crossed.

Orange is not just a fruit

Today we had and still have an orange rainfall warning. It's the second highest level of intensity, followed only by red which means, "we hope your Ark is almost ready to launch." 

The original plan was to head south to Cahir, Tipperary and visit the Swiss Cottage and maybe Cahir Castle. The rain was quite steady and the two-hour drive no longer held much appeal, so we, almost literally, set sail for Avondale, Beyond the Trees. Our optimism that the rain would abate by the time we got there was definitely not justified. I mean, there was an orange warning. In fact, it was positively teeming by then. 

We paid our €5 to park, but then once in the parking lot, decided that it was total folly to continue. The high-above-ground boardwalk (Beyond the trees) could well have been closed and indeed should have been. Slippery would not have come close to describing the walking conditions. After availing ourselves of the "amenities" following a quick dash from the car, we took a selfie to prove we'd been there. But we can't say "Done that." And we certainly didn't buy the t-shirt. We were underneath a fairly thick canopy of leaves and the photo doesn't show the conditions accurately.

See the sign - we were there

We still had the map of Wicklow from yesterday's day in the sun and decided that an indoor venue would be best. Wicklow Gaol! It was not very far away and we would be out of the elements. 

Getting there was half the fun. The last part through Wicklow Town was a bit hairy on the narrow, hilly streets. But parking was free for visitors to the Gaol. 

We began with a virtual reality experience which was an overview of the history of the gaol from the early 18th century to the closure of the gaol in 1924. Conditions were horrendous and the crimes were barely misdemeanors in today's terms. Men, women and children were crowded into the same cells. They were maybe big enough for 2 prisoners but often held more than a dozen. There were no "amenities" so one can only imagine the smell and the lack of privacy. Ugh. It was both of our first experiences with virtual reality and both of us found it remarkable. 

The numbered exhibits and monologue that started when you entered a cell - representing the voice of a prisoner who had "lived" there. I'd send a link but I've tried that twice already and neither one worked so I'm giving up on that optional info opportunity. Note that Hallowe'en decorations have been added.

Interior of Wicklow Gaol

We paused our tour to enjoy lunch in the cafe and then completed it afterwards. We were given directions to the nearby library to check the genealogy section. And, the directions came with an additional three hours of free parking.

It was quite the wet walk even though it was nearby. Alas, the genealogist doesn't work on Fridays. We did take the lift to the top floor for a view of the coast. The picture is about as clear as the view. The waves were numerous, high and threatening-looking. We declined the opportunity to walk out onto the balcony to enjoy the fresh air and bucketing downpour.

View from the top floor of Wicklow Library

Then I had the brilliant idea to take the coast road from Wicklow to Arklow. No motorway for us. The excitement of the narrow winding climbing roads that took us out of town should be adventure enough. But not for us. We are not going to be remembered for 100% wise decisions. This was among the worst.

Initially there were large puddles, which later caused rooster tails as we drove through very slowly, and I swear we left a wake. The puddles grew in length and depth. Then we came to a part of the road that looked like Lake Inferior. No way was I going to attempt that, even with fingers crossed. Now THAT was a smart decision. 

I backed up about 100 yards to a turn-off. As we sat at the intersection wondering if that road would lead to Arklow, a car approached from that direction. The driver stopped and with windows down we learned that the road we'd just backed out of, was actually closed at the other end. Not, of course, at the end where we were. But we were assured that the narrow road they'd just left, would lead to Arklow, or more helpfully, the M11.

Fortunately we didn't meet any oncoming traffic because we never saw a single spot to pull over and let another car pass. And it did lead us to the M11. Never was I so pleased to find the motorway.

From there it was a better and safer drive, even with overhead warning signs that this was an orange rainfall alert. 

En route to the cottage, we stopped briefly at the Rocktavern to pick up Laura's guitar which Braden is going to borrow next week. Thank you Laura. And we had another nice visit. 

Now home, fed and relaxing, we are weighing the decision to visit the Byrnes and/or the pub. Maybe we'll tell you our decision tomorrow.