Monty's Travels

On Saturday, May 25 our trip was winding down and we had a day with nothing pre-booked. Time for some shopping 🙂 After breakfast we headed to the weaving and knitted goods shops. Suz wanted scarfs for gifts, I wanted a shawl and earrings (my traditional souvenir item). We also checked out a couple of less impressive markets…although we did get a nice cheese from Cavan for Michaels parents, George and Marucia. 

The history of Ireland is naturally very old, and not surprisingly there is a history of Vikings in Dublin. When a site was found, they did a full dig and recovered significant settlement and fortifications at the site of the Dublin Castle. As it is unreasonable to keep the entire area free of development, the presentation of archaeological finds is unique and interesting. Individual finds are marked with artifacts in the sidewalk. We did not visit the museum, but there is a full display there and there are other options to explore the Viking history of Dublin.

We passed a very funky designer shop – Claire Garvey Couture. She has had her work worn by several stars at the Oscars.  And naturally when I go shopping, Michael takes the opportunity to explore street photography! On the shopping front (no haute couture!) we had success on all accounts.  For the first time while travelling, I arranged for my purchases to be shipped home rather than carry them. It turned out ok, although getting the rebate for the duty took a LONG time, and there was a fair amount of paperwork required.

Then to the Irish national art gallery where we quickly toured the Irish artist exhibits.  Unfortunately the older art room was closed so we only could see art from 1835 and onwards.  But we did get to see the stain glass exhibit and several pieces relating to the potato famine. 

And in keeping with the need to pre-book, early in the day we had managed to get a booking at Featherblade for 2:20 and it was well worth having an early dinner.  They are highly praised for their locally sourced Irish steaks. Suz and I had the Feathersteak cut and Mike and Dan had Picanha steaks.  Our sides were sweet potato wedges and broccoli with dukkah.  Both of our meals were amazing.  We definitely need to try to replicate the sweet potato especially. The waitress inquired for us and the chef shared that they are slow baked, cut into large wedges then seared in beef fat to create a blackened effect on all sides.  And of course, wine as well.

Our final tour for the trip was to Dublin Castle.  There is lots of varied history of the castle and surprisingly it still stands after the spring uprising.  Even the throne room and chair still reside there.  Rather than being the home of royalty, it is now used for state events including the swearing in of presidents and formal dinners. And times have certainly changed as even the Queen has been hosted.

Then back for more euchre, packing and finishing off the wonderful Irish cheeses and beers – such responsibility! Although we had booked separately, our flights home were scheduled within 5 minutes from Dan & Suz’s. We shared a Bolt ride (Uber alternative) to the airport and then it was back on the plane. After the long drive home we were met by George & Marucia and Picasso who all seemed to get along just fine. Another trip done & dusted, although Ireland is calling us back for another visit some day….

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In the ‘old days’ you could wing it when you travelled, but now you must plan ahead if you want to see the popular sites. And so we had pre-booked again for todays activities.

After left-over pizza (ya!!) and our regular breakfast spread, we hopped on a bus for the Glasnevin Cemetery where we had booked a guided tour. Our guide was extremely knowledgeable and passionate about Irish history and those buried there. At times he was actually choking up with tears in his eyes. He told us many stories of those buried there. But the real highlight of the cemetery is the story of its originator, Daniel O’Connell. He was a champion of Catholic rights and in 1823 he started a campaign for the opening of a cemetery where both Catholics and Protestants could be buried with a proper funeral service. Until that time, Catholics did not have a cemetery where they could legally bury their dead with a service. The Glasnevin Cemetery opened in 1832. Daniel O’Connell has a crypt in the cemetery along with a tower marking his gravesite. It is also the final resting place of about 800,000 people in unmarked mass graves due to the Great Famine and cholera epidemic. Many of the leaders of the Irish Civil War are buried there including Michael Collins whose grave is the most visited in Ireland. And as a sign of its times, there are watch towers around the central old cemetery so as to guard against the bodysnatchers of the early 19th century.

From there we hit the neighbouring John Kavanagh the Gravedigger pub which had been recommended by a couple of locals.  It certainly was a classic Irish pub with a drinking side (which was full) and a food side (where we ate). We took a peek inside the drinking section where the tables were all sectioned off with high, dark, wooden panels. It created quite the atmosphere! 

After lunch, we headed back to our neighbourhood for the Jameson distillery tour.  It is amazing how many people they can cycle through the tour machine. They have it down to the minute – as we learned when we tried to enter a staircase a minute early from the scheduled entry time.  It was very well done though.  They got you started with a drink as part of your ticket – a selection of basic whiskey or mixed cocktail.  Then we were lead through a joint video / guide presentation of the history of the whiskey.  Apparently Jameson’s’ are a great employer. Almost unheard of, they paid staff during a 2 week country shutdown which occurred during ‘the troubles’.  The pre tasting room had samples to sniff of the ingredients and barrels.  The tasting room gave us 3 tastes… Standard Jameson, Crested, and Black Barrel.  We liked the Crested best and ended up purchasing some at the duty free before heading home.

Finally back home for cheese & crackers and fruit plate with our traditional card games and bevvies. Another very fun full day!

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Thursday, May 23 saw us in Dublin, back to the 4 of us well seasoned friends travelling together again. And with all our laundry clean and dry we were finally fresher and easier to be around. Our first day in Dublin was one full, very chilly, day!

We started early with yogurt/fruit/granola and coffee at the flat before heading out for our 9:30 Trinity College / Book of Kells Tour. It was a good 1/2 hour walk (lots of photo ops for Michael) and we had booked the self guided tour. The Book itself is very impressive, but sadly photos were not allowed so the linked website will need to suffice. The Book of Kells is over 1200 years old and although not overly long it is extremely elaborate. It is perhaps the most elaborate medieval manuscript in the world, and it is difficult to imagine how they managed the ultra fine detail of the drawings. All of the dyes were from local ingredients and the velum (paper) came from animal hides. It took about 180 cows, and the hides were soaked in lye and scraped thin. A definite benefit was that it was forgiving – errors could simply be scraped off. There were 4 primary artists and there were monks who did the scribing. There is a surprising amount of symbolism built into the designs. Not just which animals etc. were chosen for a stanza, but also the way they wound the graphics with continuity between them. It is extremely fortunate that it has survived.

Next off to the Trinity Library. It was in the process of a massive restoration and all the books are being cleaned and catalogued. They are being stored in sealed boxes until the building has been restored. We were apparently ‘very fortunate’ to experience the empty shelves as a ‘once in a few centuries’ event. It turns out that the actual building will be closed in the very near future. The extra exhibits in the library were well done, but I can’t help but feel that it was still not as good as seeing the ‘greatest hall in Ireland’ full of books. Other highlights included Gaia, a giant illuminated earth representation in the centre of the great hall. The hall is lined with busts of famous men, and in 2023, 4 females were finally added to the collection. I felt an affinity for Lovelace; Augusta Ada King, Countess of Lovelace, who helped design the first analytical engine, i.e. general-purpose computer in 1843.

Next we were off to the National Museum of Archaeology. On route Michael mistakenly turned one driveway too soon and was immediately accosted by 3 security offices for trying to enter and photograph the parliament buildings. It gave him quite a surprise!

All Irish government run museums are free. We were able to see the bog people easily and up close (although they are in glass cases for preservation). Ceremonial burials were common in the bogs from ~400BC to 400AD. They were extremely brutal times when kings were tortured and killed in the most painful ways imaginable and then buried (i.e. tossed) in the bog. Most of the bodies seem to be found while harvesting peat which itself often severely mutilates the corpses.

We continued touring the city and of course had to check out the infamous bar section – and made the mandatory stop at the Temple Bar. It didn’t disappoint – it was as rowdy as ever mid afternoon with live music and lots of hooting and hollering. The entire south bank neighbourhood is full of eclectic shops and artwork – so much Irish character. Once again we had a great lunch, but not cheap – especially now we are in Dublin. After a failed shopping attempt to find an Irish sweater shop, well we found it but it was closed, we were finally we were off to our Guinness tour!

Guinness have done a great job of promoting and displaying the beer making process. The four ingredients are so basic and yet so specific in the creation of beer – water, barley, hops, and yeast. We paid a bit extra for the option of a pint with our image on it – so fun although it did feel weird to drink your face! The tour ended at the top of the building with amazing 360 views all around and yet another pint. I had to pee all the way home! Back at the BnB we picked up a pizza from the square along with some salad and wine. By 9:15 we were all ready to crash; and Dan was already ahead of us on the sofa 🙂

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Day 7: Depart for Dublin

And just like that, we were done our group trek for another 2 years. Time flies by as we get older, but even quicker when enjoying time with a group of good friends. Our gang were all headed in different directions, so we took our shuttle into Enniskerry and said our farewells. Dan & Suz and Mike & I headed by bus to Bray and then trained into Dublin. Paul & Lucy and Doug & Kaylon were off to Norway and Mick & Su were continuing on to Scotland.

Once in Dublin we headed to our BnB where we were able to drop our bags off early…. once we managed to find the building! Our walk to the apartment took us past some interesting sites including St. Paul’s church and St. Patrick’s Cathedral. We stayed in a convenient neighbourhood with shops and restaurants around a large square, and public transportation nearby. And quite agreeably, the Jameson distillery was just across the way. We spent some time doing chores – laundry and groceries, but did manage to check out the yummy local donut / pastry shop.

Michael also took the opportunity to do some additional research by heading to the Dublin Ancestry Archives where they offer genealogy services. Michael was looking for birth records of the 2 children, George & Robert, who emigrated with their father Thomas in 1825. The woman there directed Michael to reference church records. That was complicated by the fact that it would not be Methodist as that church was established after Thomas’ departure. Michael came away with more paperwork, but no real answers.

But we weren’t done yet – one more outing for the day. We headed to the local family run pub, The Cobblestone Pub – “a drinking pub with a music problem”. When we walked in, it was buzzing with a hundred different conversations. But when someone (open mic) steps up to perform, calls for ‘HUSH’ permeate the bar and you are treated. It could be a jig, a Celtic ballad, or an instrumental; all were top notch – even on a Wednesday which was aimed at beginner performers. It was a bit distracting at the back of the bar as the daily traditional Irish music lesson was being run in the adjoining space. The pints did taste better with the musical accompaniment!

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Tuesday, May 21 continued our journey through the Wicklow Mountains. Lucy arranged for a transfer to Powerscourt Estate with its magnificent gardens while the rest of us continued using our ankles. And although the weather threatened through parts of the day, we were spared.

The trail took us through several mountain passes. We never did decide whether the yellow bushes were broom or gorse. I imagine we encountered both. They are very similar, but gorse has sharp spines. Brave Heart and several other movies were filmed in this area of the country. No surprise in that as the countryside was astoundingly beautiful. The Guinness family estate was also in this region. I am not certain which one, but apparently it was one of the estates we passed over. We were often hiking along the edges of fields, many marked by stone walls which have probably been there for decades, if not hundreds of years. And around several bends we were greeted by lakes below in the valleys. It was breathtaking.

As we ascended one of the larger hills we passed a group of local men who were out trekking for the day. They hike every month as a group with whomever can make it joining in. My memory isn’t great, but I seem to recall they said they were on their 100th outing. Unfortunately I can’t lean on Michael for info. He didn’t chat with them as he had returned to the bottom of the hill where he had left his bag when taking photos.

Towards the end of the day we had distant views of Powerscourt Waterfall which is the highest in Ireland. Somewhere down there was Lucy! The day ended with a walk through forested roadways leading to our next stop. We actually did a bit of backtracking as we weren’t sure which route to take. In the end we probably could have continued on the road we originally took, but it did make for interesting spooky scenery by taking the alternate route.

Our accommodation that night was full of enchanted gardens, replete with a ‘dome of silence’ in the midst of all the garden art. As we were lounging around having a drink, a couple of Scandinavian girls hiked in. One girl had horrible blisters on her feet and couldn’t even wear her shoes any longer. Lucky for her, her partner was a doctor and was treating her feet as well as could be. Surprisingly, they set off the next morning with feet fully booted up – I’m guessing she may have been pain-killer loaded also!

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Monday, May 20.  We had a wonderful breakfast at our hotel with a very friendly waitress and then met up with the gang .  They had received advice from their hostess for a shortcut to start and a recommendation for the ‘high route’.  Our front desk receptionist was extremely helpful and even provided a map with the recommended alternative. 

And this is where my diary notes end… A few days later I had been scribing in the backseat of the car when I fell asleep leaning on the backspace key and lost a lot of text – 3 1/2 days worth to be precise. So now you will be reading what my sketchy memory can recall several months after the fact. Thank goodness for Michael’s photos to spark my brain!

After breakfast we found a local corner store where they had quite a nice deli counter. We picked up sandwiches for lunch. Lucy was staying put for the day and the rest of us headed for the shortcut. 

Once again we hiked through green hills and valleys full of moss and heath and fen and bog with intermittent boardwalks to protect the sensitive environment. The weather was perfect for hiking. The trek took us past the Gossan Stones which are two unassuming stones each about 1 metre high. They are aligned on a north-south ridge for the equinox. Another remnant from ancient culture. Very cool.

Perhaps the greatest aspect of these treks is the people. Hiking with this group is never boring. We intermingle / mix up the groups regularly and regardless of who you are hiking with, you have wonderful conversations. I am extremely grateful to be connected with such a caring, kind, funny, like-minded group of people from the corners of this planet.

Back at the hotel, we again had dinner but alas without Lucy as her ankle was still an issue. Dan & Suz and Mike & I played some euchre back at our hotel. There was a very spacious and comfortable area with sofas and tables. And in the lobby, they even had a life-size terminator statue…. I guess they are hoping you will say “I’ll be back”!

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Sunday broke with wonderful sunny weather and it ended up being a very busy day on the trail – the most people we have ever encountered on a trek.  The beautiful weather and Sunday combined to bring all the locals outdoors. 

It was a great walk over more rolling hills.  Much of the path was along peat bog and boardwalks have been built to protect the sensitive wetlands. We even had a sheep-guided tour across one section of the boardwalk for quite a long distance. A woman traversing down the hill from the opposite direction got a good view of our group trailing behind the sheep and found it hilarious.

As we rounded a bend, two lovely lakes (Glendalough Upper and Lower) came into view. It was at a lookout over the long lake where our first real injury incident occurred.  Lucy just made a little slip on the platform and over she went on her ankle.  We thought she would need a rescue, but after a bit she managed to get up onto it.  We used our KT tape to try to get some compression, but it wasn’t great.  We pumped some ibuprofen into her.  Amazingly, Lucy managed to walk down to the information point at the end of the lake.  There were hundreds of people by this point.  The girl at the desk had some better bandages and offered to drive Lucy to the bnb in an hour when she got her lunch break.  Paul tried asking the bnb hostess if they could arrange a lift, but she said the 20 min trip would take over 2 hours today due to the traffic!  So PK stayed back with Lucy and the rest of us walked on. 

PK & Lucy sadly missed out on the monastery ruins from the 600s. They were used till the 1200’s and then destroyed.  The oldest Celtic cross in Ireland was there as well as a tall tower to call the monks to service. The tower had an entry door 12ft above the ground. A ladder had to be dropped to gain access.

That night we stayed in 2 separate hotels- for 2 nights which was a luxury.  We along with Dan & Suz stayed at the Lynhams Hotel, the other 6 at Bramble Rocks up the road.  I even managed to get a soak in the tub in our wonderful king-size room.

The hardest part was that as the pain set in, Lucy couldn’t walk.  She managed to get down for dinner on the first night, but couldn’t do it on night 2. Dinner was wonderful again, but never cheap and we ate too much and drank too much…. again. 

After dinner there was live music in the pub and Doug & Kaylon and Mick & Sue danced along.  Monty had gone up to transfer photos, but by the time he came down Paul & Lucy had left and the band was taking a break.  We didn’t want to hang much longer so left before the next set and I think the party broke up. After all, it was a rigorous hiking tour and we aren’t as young as we used to be!

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Saturday, May 18 we hiked about 21 km with more elevation change than day 1.  We hiked through several foresting sections but luckily didn’t have to deal with any re-routes.  At one point we hiked for a whole kilometre in silence to appreciate the full sensory experience.  We can be a very noisy bunch when we all start chattering, and we often miss the tranquility of our surroundings. The running brooks and birds were all of a sudden part of the day.  Doug was even so inspired by the environment that he stopped to take photos 🤣.

We hiked directly into our accommodations at Coolalingo BnB.  As it was a Saturday more people were out – especially the competitors in the Wicklow Way relay.  It’s a 125 km route in 8 legs, taking about 7 hrs.  During the days trek we encountered many runners passing us going the opposite direction. Our end destination near the Glenmalure Lodge was the halfway point and it was crowded with runners.  We were lucky to get a dinner booking – they took us early from 5 till 7 .  There was a Kenneally booking for 6 people at 8pm; but that was a different party belonging to a Kevin! 

After dinner the boys played cards and the ladies drank most of Michaels birthday Bailey’s in the backyard enjoying the mushroom rock sculpture, rock benches, horses (mother and daughter), donkey and the dogs and the puppies. Counter to our group dynamic, we were staying at a ‘no alcohol’ BnB. But regardless of the instructions on the rooms we still managed to drink more than we should! There are always ways to use a coffee mug or teacup to creatively camouflage your Bailey’s or wine 😉.

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After several of these treks, we have our routine down pat now. We rose and packed and taped our feet. I think we are the only ones in the group of 10 who are prone to serious blisters if we don’t do this. I forgot to tape up my knees, but it was fine as the days trek was easy on the knees.  We visited the local shops and picked up some food for sandwiches and some dates.  Our package included vouchers for breakfast at D’lish- and it was.  We had an amazing big breakfast with wonderful homemade bread. They are clearly well thought of as the place was packed. Michaels only real birthday celebration on the day was at breakfast when the gang all gave him a signed Irish cap – a perfect gift as a memory with friends.

Then off to start our Irish Wicklow Way 6 day walk. Paul again did the heavy lifting and found us the package with Footfalls Walking Holidays.  In typical fashion, it took us a while to get sorted….it was hilarious!  It took 15 minutes to figure out where to go to start the hike!  We finally set off in the rain/ thick Irish mist.  It was a pretty easy day to ease us into it, although there was a fair bit of trekking on tarmac so it was a bit harder on the feet/joints.  That said, we passed through field after field of sheep and cattle.  The rain pretty much held off but thick fog and mist stayed with us for most of the day.  It was warm enough though – 4 of the guys chose to wear shorts. Given the abundance of stinging nettles and mozzies (aka mosquitos), I was certainly not interested in that option!

As directed in our instructions, as we neared the end of our days trek we called ahead to arrange for our lift to the nights accommodation.  Our hosts at Kyle’s Farmhouse were Seamus and Margaret and they couldn’t have been more lovely.  They have run the place for 25 years now.  It is an active farm with 110 head dairy cows.  Their 4 children all have built their homes on the farmland and the eldest son plans to continue as the 6th generation working this property.

All 5 couples had their own room with bath, and we all freshened up. We had a couple hours before dinner and managed to polish off 5 bottles of wine they supply at 10 euro each – a good deal. Dinner is no longer provided as Margaret finds it too much, but we were shuffled back to last nights square for dinner. 

Back in Tinahely we went to the ‘other’ pub which had a bit better food.  Then they picked us up again – it was very accommodating to chauffeur all 10 of us back and forth. The boys stayed downstairs playing 500, with Lucy joining them for a bit. I expect she left for her room at one point as her distinctive voice disappeared from the chatter. 

Breakfast is still supplied, and we ordered pack lunches for the morning with the aim of hitting the trail for 9am.  The next day was more hilly and also longer, so a good sleep was in order. As I hit the sack at almost 10pm it was still daylight!

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