April 3 - End of the tour for Glenbard

Last drive around.  Gerry takes us to the shipping area in Dublin.

 Port of Dublin

Saying goodbye to the great Glenbard musicians.  They were wonderful American representatives.  Each of the 4 tour guides complimented us on the well behaved, well mannered teens.  One said, "they are a credit to their parents and to their school. "  Our guide Gerry complemented Jon on the high level of discipline.  No one got lost, delayed the buses, had any melt downs.  It made his job so much easier.   So, a wonderful, enjoyable, slightly tiring tour of Ireland!!!

We're off to get our rental car and head to Wicklow for 4 slow paced, more relaxed days.

April 2, Road back to Dublin

Time to head back to Dublin.  Of course, a roundabout to start us on our way.

 Even a roundabout so famous it has a name!!!

 Another beautifully thatched roof

 Holy Trinity Abbey Church, Adare, Ireland.  The band gathered there to get a tour picture

I got this off Adare Heritage Center's Facebook picture

 This wall encircles the Abbey.  Jim and I wondered how on earth these stone walls were built with such precision.

 Next door to the church was the Adare Heritage Center.  More shops, restaurants, and this very interesting historical exhibit.  My pictures did not turn out, but the exhibit showed early settlers from the arrival of the Normans to the foundation of ancient abbeys in the Middle Ages. 

 Back in Dublin traffic.

Ireland's RTE Station antenna (Radio and TV)

 Remember, Gerry never drives in Dublin.  "Dooon't get me staaaarted on the traffic

 1866 Church of the Sacred Heart, Donnybrook

 This is the Bewley Hotel, the last hotel for the tour.  Really impressive.  It has to be because it is in Embassy Row.

Of course, an impressive building needs an impressive entry

The view from our room.

 The last event. We attended the dinner show at Taylor's Three Rock Irish Cabaret.

 The large dining room must have seated 200 people.  We were one of three groups, one other group of teens from Canada.  Dinner was the usual choice of 3 starters( appetizers), 5 main course choices, and a wonderful dessert.  Then the entertainment.  The opening group was this guitar singer, banjo and base players.  The first song they sang was "Country Roads" written by John Denver.  It was a rousing rendition sung with a lilting Irish brogue.  The banjo player was the star.  He could play so fast. He played the most difficult "Danny Boy"  I didn't get pictures of the 4 lovely River Dance Irish Dancers.  They were all in their 20s and had many ballet moves mixed into their dance. There was also a young man who flew all over the stage in his river dance moves.  The dancers and guitar/banjo/base players alternated.
We're all up dancing to the Irish music.  Aidan has the hands on the hips pose.  Then the announcer said, "We understand there is an American Choir in the audience.  Would you come up on the stage and sing for us." The choir kids scrambled up on the stage and sang this blessing beautifully.
"May the Lord bless you and keep you
May the Lord lift his countenance upon you
And give you peace
And be gracious unto you.
Amen, Amen, Amen, Amen."
It was a wonderful end to the Ireland tour!!

April 1, Ring of Kerry

Now we're in Killarney.  The group is so large that we are booked into 2 adjoining hotels.  We're in the Randal's Court Hotel which the kids described as an "old people's hotel"  It had every imaginable Victorian statue, sconce, painting of sheep, dogs, horses, etc.  Imagine a 5 foot statue of a young girl holding a light bulb. Ingenious to make the statue into a lamp.  I babysat the grandkids while Jon and Kristin went shopping and we toured the entire 3 floors and named all the statues and some of the people in the pictures.  There was a Carlos seated on a horse named Diego, a very thin Victorian man carrying a very thin Victorian lady that Linaea named Mr and Mrs Skinny Whinny.  Aidan feel over in paroxysms of laughter at the Skinny Whinnys. Linaea dug deep to find names for all the ladies in the pictures coming up with Priscilla for one.  Aidan had a list of boy names which he had to use twice since there were so many boys

The fountain is an early indication that the inside will be very "decorative."

So begins our panoramic tour of the Ring of Kerry.  Gerry keeps up a travelog of the various historical events and geographic highlights of the area.  He also plays some Irish music CDs.

Bless those side mirrors which are tucked up very high and close in.  Otherwise, they'd be smashed on those narrow streets when we pass so close to buildings and other buses. 

 Another abandoned railway bridge

 Thank Goodness for signs.  We're stopping at Waterville for snacks and bathroom breaks

 Across the street from our Beachfront Cafe.  This area has a very popular beach.  I can't imagine it in warm weather.  We've seen so little sun.  Gerry said, "Dooon't get me staaarted on the weather'"

 There he is, the nattily attired Irish (retired) librarian complete with matching brown tweed hat, brown tweed waistcoat and faithful shellelagh.

I thought I'd include a picture of the rain in case you hadn't noticed before.  More sheep snuggled against the wall looking for protection from the wind and rain.

 Oh, if only is wasn't so foggy.

 Our Lady of the Wayside

 Enterprising Irishman with baby lambs.  He was hoping for some payment for his attraction

 Gerry recommended much handwashing

" Over hill, over dale as we hit the foggy trail and the coaches keep rolling along."

 Arriving in Sneem for lunch.

 Lunch at the Blue Bull Pub.  Jim had seafood chowder again - delicious as usual

 Only fair to get a picture with books

 Off we go to Lady's View named after Queen Victoria when she visited the area.

Back to Killarney for the Dinner Ghost Show which was held in the Dromhall Banquet  Hall again set with full china and silverware, white tablecloths, white chair covers with gray ribbon and real candles in a candelabra on each table.  The program included a wonderful Irish singer who did great justice to the Irish folk song style, and demonstrated bodram ( Irish drum),  two 12 years old River Dancers accompanied by an accordion, a fiddle and a guitar, and a Irish storyteller who did manage to tell scary ghost stories.    Off to bed to be ready for a return trip to Dublin.