Cork & Kinsale to Clonakilty

Tom and I awoke this morning to wonderful sunshine after the hard, heavy rains of last night – I couldn’t resist taking a photo out of our bedroom window overlooking the fields and seeing the mountains in the distance. Our host, Eleanor, treated us to a full Irish Breakfast. After introducing us to her husband, Sean, we all spent a pleasant hour in conversation about a myriad number of topics including family, travels, Irish weather, politics, Eleanor’s Irish Dancing hobby, skiing, and farming. Sean was born on the property, lived there his whole life, and runs the farm. He has Irish cousins in the USA – mostly police officers in Boston. Tom and I reluctantly packed and said goodbye after a too short a stay with them – and then headed south in the trusty Skoda Citicar.

Cork City, on the banks of the River Lee, lies just inland from Ireland’s southwest coast; is a university city with its centre on an island in the River Lee; is connected to the sea by the huge Cork Harbour; and is the 3rd most populace city in Ireland. Cork was originally a monastic settlement, reputedly founded in the 6th century. Cork achieved an urban character at some point between 915 and 922 when Viking settlers founded a trading port. It has been proposed that, like Dublin, Cork was an important trading center in the global Scandinavian trade network. We only spent a short time in Cork City as it is Sunday, and the city was virtually closed. We did some exploring mostly in the Huguenot city center – now an area of small shops and cafes. Tom and I did a quick tour of the cathedral in between Catholic Sunday masses, and decided to move on to our 2^nd destination today along the southwest coast.

When we arrived in Kinsale, originally a medieval fishing port, the town was filled with cars and people enjoying the beautiful harbor and the colorful shops on the tiny winding streets. Kinsale has been a center of population, trade and fishing for centuries. The combined attractions of a sheltered harbor, fertile land and abundant fisheries were not lost on the invading Anglo-Normans who in the 13^th Century displaced the local Irish to establish control and create a medieval walled town on the shoreline. They forged trade links with England and Europe and became prominent in the wine trade. In the 17^th and 18^th centuries Kinsale was an important naval base and ships were built here using timbers from the surrounding oak forests.

A short distance away is the Old Head of Kinsale – it was close to here that the Lusitania was sunk by a German U-Boat in 1915 with a loss of over 1500 lives.

We were fortunate to quickly find a parking space in the centrum, and enjoyed our stroll through the town. There were shops to discover (yes, I made some purchases), then a visit to St. Multose Church. The Norman architecture Church was built in the 12^th Century with a stone doorway, and has marks in the stone from Cromwell’s soldiers sharpening their swords on each side of the front door. In the cemetery behind the church, there are two large graves containing victims of the Lusitania.

It was now time for Tom and I to make our way to Clonakilty, where we would be spending tonight and tomorrow night in a “country cottage”. When we arrived in the town, we parked near the city center, to take a look around before we got ourselves settled in the cottage.

I heard Celtic music coming from one of the pubs – it was the Tigh de Barra – the “mecca for musicians” that I had read about. We stepped inside, and Tom had a very hard time dragging me away from the music – packed shoulder-to-shoulder with people, standing room only !

We actually had some difficulty finding the cottage, and I was a little concerned when we found the steep rutted driveway, and saw the cluttered open shed between the owner’s house and the cottage. Our host, Brigid, wasn’t there but her son let us into the cottage.  

It was actually quite charming inside, and our windows looked out onto a beautiful Irish garden. From the driveway we could see the sea ! Brigid’s husband Tom soon arrived and introduced himself, and in chatting, we discovered that he and Brigid are musicians. He will be performing tomorrow night at the Tigh de Barra – we must come – he will loan me his guitar so I can join in. Hmmmm . . . we will see about that ! ! !

p.s. Our wee cottage not only has a washing machine and dishwasher, but when I went to take a shower I discovered a towel warmer ! Such a luxury !

Glen of Aherlow & Athassel to Cahir

Thoughts on Waterford – steeped in history as one would expect; heavy reliance on tourism; services support tourism and local populace; other than Waterford Crystal not too much industry in town; our encounters with the locals all demonstrated they were particularly proud of ‘their town’ and how it was so much different than Dublin; Irish brogue is more lilting and sing-song than in Dublin.

Tom and I were sorry to leave our comfortable Waterford apartment but new travel adventures and sights were waiting for us. We finished our Irish ham and cheese for breakfast, with coffee and tea of course. We packed up our little Skoda Citicar, and headed off in a new direction away from the east coast – south central Ireland.

After driving through picturesque small towns with their myriad roundabouts, we left the developed road system and now skirted the KnockMealDown Mountains – roads were getting smaller as we entered the Glen of Aherlow. The Glen is a fifteen (15) mile long valley dotted with megalithic and early Christian sites, and contains a network of popular hiking trails. One tiny village was hosting the Aherlow Hiking Festival. There were about thirty (30) cars parked on the sides of the road, but we saw no hikers.

 

We stopped at the ruin of the Moore Abbey founded by the Franciscans in 1204. Over a period of 300 years the abbey was repeatedly destroyed suffering at the hands of the English exerting control of the island. The building that remains today, however, dates from 1471. The abbey was destroyed by fire the following year. The ruin is situated a mile outside of the small town of Galbally in the Glen of Aherlow. The site is now a national monument.

Our route took us to Tipperary made famous by the song ‘It’s a Long Way to Tipperary’ which was written in 1912. It became the British World War I song, and its popularity was increased by the thousands of soldiers (50,000 Irish men volunteered for the British army) who passed through the town. There was a small World War I museum devoted to the Irish who served in the British army. Tom and I took a short walk to the St. Mary’s Church of Ireland built in 1832. The unkempt cemetery and church yard is much older than the church itself. Some of the burials date from the 1700’s.We didn’t spend too long in Tipperary as I really wanted to find the ruins of Athassel Priory.

Tom and I turned onto what looked like a farm lane, barely one car width wide, not even sure we were going in the right direction. Suddenly the massive ruins appeared on the left hand side of the road about 150 yards deep into a cow pasture. We found a small country lane where Tom was able to pull the car over. With the angry grey sky and emerald green pasture this is what I truly imagined Ireland to look like.

Athassel Priory is the largest medieval priory in Ireland, with its courts stretching over a four acre site. The priory dates back to the 12th century and was the most impressive achievement of the Augustinians when it was founded.

The priory was burnt twice, once in 1329 and again in 1581. A large town had grown up around the priory but was destroyed during the two raids. The Priory was finally dissolved in 1537 and the lands given to Thomas Butler, 10th Earl of Ormond, who neglected the abbey and it subsequently fell into ruin.

Following the death of Strongbow, Henry II wished to pursue a more peaceful policy in his governance of Ireland. In 1176 he sent his cousin, William de Burgho, to govern in his name, and Henry II charged him with replacing the harsh diplomacy of the sword with the serenity of religion. The Priory at Athassel was quickly established by William, and the church was dedicated to St. Edmund, King and Martyr. The years that followed saw the Abbey flourish into a center of great spiritual and political importance.

The Church was over 200 feet in length, and the building was altered and renovated over the course of three hundred years, roughly from 1200 to 1500. The nave had vaulted aisles supported by columns, and at the crossing of the building was built a tower. Two side chapels were placed in each transept, and all around the walls are groups of tall, slender lancet windows. Interior decoration of the church was quite plain in comparison to more elaborate, contemporary, churches and cathedrals in keeping with Augustinian principles. To the south of the nave was the cloister, and the Abbey was well defended by a surrounding wall and gatehouse, complete with portcullis, which was accessed by a bridge.

By the 1480s, the abbey was in decline. It had suffered during the fourteenth century from raids, burnings and plague, and by the fifteenth century Ireland was becoming more lawless as the power of the Anglo Norman lords was dwindling. In 1512, the strong connection with the de Burgo family was broken.

Athassel stands today as a testament to the different fortunes of the Anglo Norman families who came to Ireland in search of opportunities and land. Athassel is incredibly well preserved and highlights the strong connections between the Norman Lords and the church and the value of strong patronage. The complex features one of Ireland’s only medieval gate and bridge complexes, and Tom and I found it to be a truly wonderful site to explore.

Tom and I had arranged to meet our next AirBnB host, Eleanor, at Cahir Castle around 5 PM, and it was just beginning to rain – so, it was back into the car for the next short drive. We were fortunate to find an Aldi market near the castle where we chose microwaveable Irish dinners and a large bottle of English Ginger Beer to share. We would have our dinner once we got to our apartment described as ‘..a picturesque house in the country’. Eleanor was in her Audi and we followed her to the farmhouse – about 5 kilometers outside of Cahir. The description was perfect. Her house was down a country lane and surrounded by green pastures and happy looking cows – again, just how I imagined Ireland !

 

We had a lovely suite on the second floor, but – uh oh – no kitchen. We explained that we would need to heat our dinners, and Eleanor graciously invited us into her kitchen for dinner and a chat. She told us about her family, her calves, and showed us her chick named ‘Lazarus’. Although she and a friend had plans for the evening, Eleanor got her guitar out and the three (3) ladies sang in front of a cozy fire in her parlor while the rain tapped on the windows. It was a ‘brilliant’ way to end another day in Ireland !

 

Waterford and Killkenny

Last evening when Tom and I went to the market, we purchased yogurt, Irish ham and cheese, rolls, and fruit for this morning’s breakfast. Nicholas our host provided us with coffee and tea. Our apartment is just a short five (5) minute walk to the Viking Triangle – the historic heart of Waterford – the oldest city in Ireland. In 914 the great Viking adventurer and pirate, Regnall, established a port and wooden defensive tower which is considered by historians to be the beginnings of Waterford. The city was captured by the Anglo-Normans (King Richard, known as Strongbow) in 1170, and the Vikings were expelled. This is a very significant year in Ireland’s history as it marked the period when all of Ireland fell under England’s control and domination – this lasted for centuries until December 6, 1921 when the Republic of Ireland was formed. To this day there are long-standing resentments of the Irish citizens towards the English although they seem to be subsiding gradually – we experienced this on numerous occasions in private conversations with the locals in Ireland.

Tom and I embarked on our walk around the historic center of Waterford in the Viking Triangle. Our first stop was a private tour of Christ Church Cathedral (or more formally known as the Cathedral of The Holy Trinity). It is located at the site of a former Cathedral that had been built in 1096 by the now-Christian Vikings. It was here in 1170 that Richard de Clare (Strongbow/becoming King Richard now) married Aoife (Gaelic for Eve), daughter of the King of Leinster, which sealed the fate of the Irish people to England for centuries. Later in the 13^th century, the Normans took over Waterford and built a Gothic Cathedral, which remained until the community decided to construct Christ Church in 1773. In that year Cromwellian Protestants engaged upon reconstructing and creating a neo-classical cathedral more in style with the rapidly developing Georgian architecture in Waterford.

The Waterford Crystal Factory and Showroom were right across the street from Christ Church Cathedral. Although we did not take the tour of the factory Tom and I spent considerable time in the showroom where we could touch, admire and photograph the exquisite pieces painstakingly crafted by very talented artisans. Unfortunately, all of the pieces were beyond our meager budget – unless one of us wins the Irish Lottery while we are here. Among the items on display were the trophies for the US Professional Golfers Tournament held at Pebble Beach and the winner’s trophy for the Kentucky Derby – very impressive to pick these items up !

We left the present day at Waterford and travelled back in time to Reginald’s Tower (named after Regnall) which was built in 914 as a wooden structure to defend his settlement. In the 13^th century a new tower made of stone was constructed on the same site. Another level was added to the original two (2) stories in the 15^th century. Tom and I climbed the very narrow circular stairway to the 3^rd floor containing a video presentation along with various Viking and Norman artifacts. These historical treasures were unearthed during at various times during the building of Waterford city – needles/cases, swords, arrowheads, circular pins to hold capes, a leather shoe, coins of various eras. The tower has been used as a mint, a prison where female prisoners held dances of reels and jigs, a military storehouse, and a residence.

A short walk with the Viking Triangle took us to Greyfriars, a 13^th century Franciscan friary built in 1240. The building was used by the Franciscans as a friary for 300 years until 1540. In 1544 the religious estate was converted into Holy Ghost Hospital and fell into disrepair after 1882.

Following a quick and late lunch Tom and I hopped into the Skoda rental car for the 45 minute drive to Killkenny. Tom was really getting the left side of the road driving down today – but the roads were certainly not the back roads we encountered yesterday either ! Killkenny had a decidedly different flavor than Waterford – more commercial and lively, but still retaining a distinct historical perspective.

Tom and I strolled the medieval streets until we happened upon the tourist information office where they recommended several ‘must see attractions’ for the remaining time we had left today.

Our first stop was Kilkenny Castle. It was built by the Normans in the 12^th century, remodeled in Victorian times, and set in extensive parklands. In 1360 it became the principal Irish reasidence of the powerful Butler family for almost 600 years. The Butler family sold almost all of the contents of the castle in a 10 day auction in 1935. The castle was magnificent, but it was pointed out to us several times by the tour guides that the building fell into horrendous disrepair. The castle was presented to the people of Killkenny for a token payment of €50. The buildings have been in  the care of the Office of Public Works since 1969. Restoration began in the 1990’s and was completed in 1999 – there are continuing efforts underway to attack middle and low level renovation projects.

Tom and I wanted to get into see the 19^th century St. Mary’s Cathedral, but unfortunately it too was now undergoing restoration. The most conspicuous building in Killkenny, ancient or modern – from whatever side and by whatever means you approach the old city the first sight to be seen is the graceful limestone structure of this fine church. The exterior was covered in scaffolding, and the interior (altar and stained glass windows) was draped in workmen’s cloth.

Just beyond St. Mary’s Cathedral was the Dominican Black Abbey, one of Ireland’s oldest churches, which dates back to 1225. The official title is The Abbey of the Most Holy Trinity and has been in continuous use for nearly 800 years – putting this into perspective the Abbey was 270 years old when Columbus sailed ! The exterior of the abbey appeared stark to me while the interior was exceptional. The stonework surrounding the truly stunning stained glass rosary window has remained entirely intact from original times - the window holds nearly 500 square feet of glass. There were numerous other stained glass windows in the abbey, but none of them approached the scale and grandeur of the rosary window.

It was approaching 7 PM; we were getting hungry; we wanted our Irish beer; and we still had a 45 minute drive back to Waterford . . . thank goodness it stays daylight until after 10 PM in Ireland in May !

Dublin to Waterford

Thoughts on Dublin – not as charming as many European cities that we have visited in the past; steeped in history; everyone there seems to be engaging, witty, humorous, helpful, and easy to talk to; very little middle class and our AirBnB apartment was located in a working class neighborhood; bottom line is we enjoyed our time in Dublin, but we knew we wanted to see more of the country as opposed to a European metropolitan city.
This morning Tom and I checked out of our Dublin apartment and said goodbye to our host Fionauala – but before doing so she gave us a lift to a little café just a block away from where we were to pick up our rental car.

 At the Café Madeline Tom and I shared a full Irish breakfast consisting of fried eggs, mushrooms, bacon, beans, toast, and sausage – plus our coffee and tea. We figured we better fill up not knowing what the unknown road ahead may bring today. The owner and his staff, plus all of his regular patrons, were quick to make us feel welcome – laughing and joking about all the Leprechauns gold in our suitcases that we were taking out of the country – no wonder Irish taxes were so high !

Now, after picking up the rental car, a Skoda Citicar – smaller than a Mini-Cooper, it was time to drive on the left hand side of the road with Tom in the traditional US passenger seat doing the driving and shifting left-handed. OMG – what a befuddling experience for both of us – especially me sitting in the customary US driver’s seat. Truth be told I only grabbed the ‘Oh $@*% bar’ maybe 6 times total !

After taking the highway around the city, we turned onto our first “back road” – it was so narrow and twisty. Our very dear next door neighbors recently completed the Tail of the Dragon road tour in Tennessee – I assure everyone that we did the whole Dragon head-to-tail ! The road was bumpy, washed out in sections, just 1½ car widths wide, sheep everywhere, alternating beautiful sunshine with wind then rain, and speed confined to roughly 22 mph (of course, kph here in Ireland) – all the while Tom was driving and shifting on the left hand side !

We came upon a hamlet named Glencree which we decided to investigate a little further. There was a small Visitors Center which gave us some history on an interesting ruin and St. Mary’s church and cemetery. The ruin was originally an English barracks along the Military Road we were travelling; then a Reform School for Boys. In the cemetery were German soldiers form World War I who were killed on the nearby coasts. The complex is now a Center for Peace.

Tom and I left to drive up and over the Sally Gap – it was not as pretty as we expected being rather windswept and desolate. To our surprise there were many off-the-beaten-path hiking trails, and bicyclists sharing the very narrow back roads.

Our goal for the late morning was to get to Glendalough, a 6^th century monastic settlement, one of Ireland’s most beautiful visitors’ destinations. For thousands of years people have been drawn to ‘the valley of the two lakes’ for its spectacular scenery, rich history, archaeology and abundant wildlife. The substantial remains of this important relic sits tucked into a glaciated valley containing two dark and mysterious lakes. This early Christian monastic settlement was founded by St. Kevin in the 6th century and from this developed the “Monastic City”. The ecclesiastical community, with the remains includes a superb round bell tower, priests’ houses/homes, cemetery, stone churches, and decorated crosses.

This is where we found out that the yellow bushes across all hillsides were called ‘gorse’ – against the lush green landscape the bright yellow was visible at a great distance. I imagined the vegetation to be sweet-smelling and soft to the touch – nothing was further from the truth - prickly foliage and no smell. We spent way more time than we had planned and just couldn’t tear ourselves away from the majestic ruins. If we had more time, we could have explored all of the hiking trails leading into the Wicklow National Park.

We were soon on the back roads again heading across the Wicklow Gap, where several movies have been filmed including Braveheart – it was the perfect setting and now Tom and I have to watch the movie again when we return to South Carolina. The area was markedly different than Sally Gap which we passed through just a short while before.

It was now time for us to leave the ‘back roads’ and take the highway toward Waterford on the southeast coast of Ireland. In the village of Baltinglas we passed the ruins of Baltinglas Abbey with it bridge across the River Slaney. The abbey was built in the 1150’s and finished in 1170. At its closure in 1537 Baltinglass was one of the richest Abbeys in Ireland.

During the last part of our journey to Waterford we were surrounded by emerald green rolling hills and lush pastures filled with sheep, cows, and horses. When we arrived in Waterford we were delighted to discover our AirBnB apartment was located in the top floor of a charming Georgian style row house built in 1900. The apartment is within walking distance of the Viking Triangle in Waterford which we plan to thoroughly explore tomorrow.