We Spent It in Good Company
- Aug 20, 2016
- 3 min read
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The morning was spent packing our belongings, filling the cars, and making a clean sweep of the castle. We said our good-byes to the Russells and offered our gratitude by way of song with the girls singing "The Parting Blessing" in the foyer.
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Here is a link to the song we recorded in the foyer of Bansha Castle. Carrie arranged this folk song and rehearsed us through the week. Sopranos are Kaylin, Maggie, Julia, and KAthy. Altos are Carrie and Meara. Sally is on tenor.
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Rich's car headed straight to the airport with Neil, Maggie, and Padraic. David's family car drove to Dublin for one more night in the city before flying home tomorrow. Our two cars took off south to Cork. First, we stopped to get gas at an Amber station. There, we had access to really good coffee and delicious breakfast options. Steve and I got scones and Carrie got some kind of egg/cheese/meats sandwich, Greg got a chicken salad, Sarah got a turkey club.
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Both Sarah and Kaylin's families are from County Cork. We found ourselves drawn to the Jameson distillery in the lovely town of Midleton. Deciding against the guided tour, we spent some time with one of the guides, Michael. He offered us a sample of a Irish Black Label whiskey which was very strong at cask strength, but tasty. He also helped us pick some whiskeys to bring home. We treated ourselves to a whiskey ginger in the little pub and walked around a bit. It's a very cool facility and set up for tourists to witness the "Jameson Experience."
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From there we headed into the little village of Midleton. Sarah and Dan stopped into a local jeweler's store and bought Sarah's wedding band! It's a perfect fit with her engagement ring.
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And off we go to Dingle Bay!
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The ride took about an hour longer than expected, since we were treated to all kinds of back roads on our journey. One man's "lost" is another man's "adventure." We drove through The Currans village, and past establishments with names like Kennedy's, Sally's, Lady Gregory's, and The Shire (Carrie almost jumped out of the car when she spied that one). The roads are very narrow and windy and many of the stone bridges are one way only, often situated at the end of a sharp turn. The berms and walls, and trees and shrubs make it fairly difficult to anticipate the oncoming traffic at these hairpin turns. Many times we had to back up or wait for the oncoming car to reverse into a little shoulder spot to squeeze on by. Steve and Dan seem to be comfortable in these driving conditions, but I find that my best strategy is to look out the side window and wait until the car, truck, or bus passed to resume breathing. Approaching tour busses are especially rattling.
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We checked into our townhouse at Ard Na Mara by 7:30, where we met Marian. We unpacked, settled in, and then took a walk into the center of Dingle town. About half way there, the skies opened up for a brief shower. We strolled through main town and landed at Murphy's for dinner. Some of us got the fish and chips. I met a traveler from Virginia named Rebecca while waiting for a table.
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We had a nice dinner and listened to a great Irish group who seemed to play quite a few familiar songs. Far and away, however, the best part of the evening was when Dan got a text and read it aloud to the group: Megan and Frank are engaged!!! WoooHoooo!! We toasted the happy couple and had our own little celebration to welcome our new family member! Great news!!
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