Ireland

[hsguy]

Just returned from a trip to Ireland. I haven't been there for about 25 years and had forgotten how much fun it was. Beautiful country, great people and very welcoming. A few pictures, the pub in the picture was built in about 900 AD but the Guinness was fresh! Already thinking about a return trip for some sightseeing and fishing.

 

[hsguy]

Northern Ireland

As a continuation we also visited Northern Ireland, part of the UK. I found Belfast to be a very grim city as compare to Dublin. Perhaps the most striking thing was the "Peace Wall" that separates the divided religions, longer than than the Berlin Wall was and gates that are locked at 10 pm. However the scenery along the Irish Sea was spectacular!

 

[hsguy]

A few more pictures.

 

[Rudi]

Looks like a great trip. Never made it there, did stick my feets in the Irish Sea, but on the other side. Did you sample any whiskey? Guinness Is Good For You, as the adverts used to say.

 

[Onomea]

My niece and her fiancé just returned from Ireland, and can’t get over how drop dead gorgeous it is. I can see that in your pix. I’ve never been, but maybe someday I will have the good fortune to visit.

Thanks for the pix!

 

[rwsmith]

Mysis was blown away.......

My sis was blown away at how beautiful it is.

Two memories.........It is GREEN!

Curving a highway to make sure not to interfere with the 'Farie Tree' which everybody knows not to mess with.

 

[shouldazagged]

My roots are in County Cork, on the southwest coast--a little fishing village near the city of Cork.

I would love to see it before I die, but it can never happen.

 

[OLDSTER]

Great pictures of a wonderful place to visit. My son travels to Galway for a week every month, and my grandson studies there.

 

[ACORN]

My dream trip If I could convince the wife and hit the lottery.
I don’t know about that swinging bridge though.
Did you kiss the Blarney Stone?

 

[Shark Bait]

Is that bridge near Ballintoy? Apparently I have roots in that area. Would love to see it some day.

 

[hsguy]

Thanks for the interest, to answer a few questions: Didn't try the whiskey, was fine with Guinness, the Carrick-A-Rede rope bridge is just outside Ballintoy a nice little village and didn't kiss the Blarney Stone this time, did it many years ago. We lucked into great weather, 70's and sunny 8 of 10 days, the local weather shows were all talking about the "shocking" heatwave. On Easter weekend the beaches were packed with people escaping the heat, I couldn't imagine swimming in the Atlantic or Irish Sea, both were extremely cold to me.

 

[H Richard]

I spent two years in England, and did visit Scotland, but the only time I was in Ireland was for a plane to refuel in Shannon. Guinness is one thing I never developed a taste for, drank mostly Worthington E, but did begin the development of a taste for Scotch. It has been nearly 60 years since I was there, but wife and I are hoping to make a British Isles tour next year.

 

[joe44va]

Felt more at home and welcomed in Ireland than anywhere in the world except the US. Actually, more welcomed in Ireland than the US. Just don't understand how they can run a whole country without McDonalds and pickup trucks.

 

[hsguy]

Plenty of McDonalds now, didn't see any pick-ups, lots of tractors though even on the motorways!

 

[31FordA]

I’ve been to Ireland three times. Drove all over the Republic in Ford Mondeo’s, never been to Ulster. Almost all my Dad’s living relatives are in Mayo, so I spent the most time there. I never had a bad day in Ireland, even with the fact that it rained over 75% of the time. That’s not Ireland’s fault, it rains anyplace I go on vacation.

Everyone I met in Ireland was pleasant, and I met more people than the average tourist. I stopped in the Gardai (police) station in Westport to talk shop with the local officers, and dropped by the local court to see how they operated. The salesmen at the Ford dealership in Castlebar were very accommodating when I visited, even though I obviously wasn’t going to buy a car. Spent an hour talking cars with them. Road the train from Waterford to Dublin and back. Dropped by garages, construction sites, butchers, grocery stores, etc. Everyone seemed happy to talk with me. It was obvious that I wasn’t in Pennsylvania anymore.

Ireland is a great place to visit. Just be careful, they drive like maniacs on those tiny roads.