Category: Ireland

DAY 11 – Blarney Castle was built in 1446 by Dermot McCarthy.  The medieval building we see today is the third structure built on this site.  The first was a wooden structure built in the 10th century, which …

DAY 11 – Today we crossed the rugged Derrynasaggart Mountains to Blarney to visit its ancient castle which was built nearly six hundred …

DAY 10 – An excursion took us around the magical Ring of Kerry where we encountered a world of towering cliffs, lush lake …

DAY 9 – After our introductory lesson on stud breeding, we had time to visit the Japanese Gardens, which was part of the National Stud grounds.  The Japanese Gardens were also created by Colonel William Hall-Walker between …

DAY 9 – This morning we drove to County Kildare, Ireland’s premier thoroughbred horse region, and had a guided tour of the National Stud.  Initially I thought I would find this tour uninteresting as I was not keen in horse …

DAY 8 – Dublin Castle is situated in the very heart of historic Dublin.  The city got its name from the Dubh Linn or Black Pool (dubh means black), on the site of the present Castle Gardens …

DAY 8 – The Temple Bar arts and entertainment district is a maze of narrow, cobbled streets lined with shops, galleries and cafes.  If you work up a thirst during your walks, there’s plenty of pubs around where you could …

DAY 8 – No visit to Dublin is complete without a pub crawl.. and there are indeed many pubs where one can crawl.  In the past, …

DAY 8  – There is a lot to do and see in Dublin and the guide took us through a cracking pace.  Our first site was Phoenix Park, Europe’s largest enclosed city park.  Phoenix Park originated in 1662 when …

DAY 7 – At Holyhead we boarded our ferry for Dublin.  For those interested in technology, this high-tech gangplank was interesting to watch as the gangplank itself consisted of metal slats that were raised electronically….