Maybe, Our Last Great Family Vacation ☹

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This year has featured the Highest of Highs and the Lowest of Lows in our household, and we could not have been more ready to escape from it all as a family.

The purpose of this trip was to celebrate Zach's graduation from the University of Pittsburgh.

Zach had the unfortunate loss of his High School Graduation due to Covid, and this was going to be a super makeup trip with the whole family, but the passing of Scott a few weeks before traveling to Ireland certainly put a pall over the upcoming trip, and many last minute adjustments for Joan, Connor, Zach and I to make before departing to the Land of Guinness and Jameson, and the most amazing people you can encounter while traveling.

Part 1 Ireland​
​On this trip, we packed 12 days of Ireland into just 7 days (Not Recommended), but due to the time available and Parts 2 and 3 of this adventure, we made it work!

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Day 1: Delays, Bags, Dublin
Joan Zach and I left from Newark on United and Connor Departed from Pittsburgh on Delta. Due to flight delays, our arrival before Connor turned into a two-hour delay in getting to Dublin. No worries, it worked out great. Connor Arrived 15 minutes before us and was waiting in Baggage Claim when we arrived.
After collecting our bags, we had our first drama, and the beginning of a funny theme that lasted the entirety of the trip. Joan, Zach, and I packed Light; Connor, on the other hand, arrived with 3 bags, one as large as can be checked. Needless to say, the abuse Connor had endured over the next 3 weeks was unmerciful. I know I will never let him live it down ☺️

We did an express trip to the Dublin area, and our first stop was Howth and the fantastic Cliff Walk overlooking Dublin Harbor. After a few hours of exploring, we headed to our hotel to check-in. We then were off to Guinness to enjoy the Guinness experience and enjoy our first Pints. From Guinness we headed to the Temple Bar area, exploring Dublin.

The real treat was dinner this evening at Sole, Zach's College roommate's uncle's outstanding restaurant, The Seafood tower was incredible.

After our fantastic dinner, we continued to explore Dublin before Joan tapped out due to exhaustion. After dropping Joan off at the hotel, the boys and I headed to Temple Bar for a whiskey-tasting bar we had seen earlier in the day. By this time, Temple Bar was hopping and crowded, so we decided to head back towards the hotel in search of a Pub, and we found the perfect welcome to Dublin pub O'Connell's Bar. We entered, pulled up a stool at the bar, and had a round of Guinness. Seated next to me was a true Regular at the bar, Robbie. Robbie couldn't have been more excellent. His curiosity about our trip and kindness was a treat and added to our enjoyment of the evening. After the Guinness, we gave Power's Irish Whiskey a try on Robbie's recommendation and were happy we did.

After this round, Robbie bid us farewell, and our bartender introduced us to our new favorite sport, Hurling. His excitement about the regional final happening the next night had us consider extending our stay or returning before heading to Galway. More on this later.
In the downstairs area of O'connell's, Karaoke was starting, and the cute waitress convinced Connor he needed to have a go. After another round or two, Zach also said he would partake in the fun, so downstairs we went. This was not 5-star Karaoke, but it was the best kind of simple fun. Both boys provided memorable renditions, and we don't think Connor had ever sung or thought about singing his choice before singing. It was such a great experience to have with your twentysomething sons. The only thing missing was the very sleepy Joan.

Day Two: Whiskey, Coffee, and a drive to the West
The following day, the Boys and Joan were at Breakfast early while I slept in (or recovered) a little. We had decided to break up our drive to Galway with a tasting tour at Tullamore Dew, the prettiest tasting room experience I have had.
We were a little early, so we went into Tullamore town for a coffee at the Foxy Bean, excellent coffee and sweets to die for.
Back to the tour, the Facility at Tullamore Dew is new and spectacular. The very first part of the tour consists of a demonstration of how to make a Perfect Irish Coffee (The secret is 38% milk fat cream), and I can attest it was perfect. I had thought I had many Irish Coffees in the past, but no, this was undoubtedly my first real Irish Coffee.
On with the tour, I'm a huge bourbon fan and have been to loads of Distilleries, but the facilities at Tullamore are spectacular. After the tour, we had our tasting of limited-release offerings from Tullamore, all were excellent.

From Tullamore Dew, we drove to our Apartment in Galway and checked in, after a bit of a struggle, but with the help of the onsite manager, we alleviated the problem.
We took a stroll on the promenade along the sea, and I took a quick dip in the freezing water Brrr.
We had excellent Fish & Chips at O'Reilly's, watching the fishing boats head to sea. We then went to an authentic Irish Pub (Drinks Only, No Meals), O'Connor's Famous Pub, which was an experience. For an American, you have to get used to the communal spirit; the drinks and décor and vibe are excellent.

Day Three: Connor's Raincoat, Connemara, Kylemore Abby, Sheep, Hurling, and a Place For those of you who like this sort of place, this is the sort of place for you.
We started our day with an incredible breakfast at Dela in Galway; this is a must-try breakfast and lunch restaurant, just wow.
​We had a couple of hour's drive ahead of us to Kylemore Abby, and the weather was not dry. Still, also not super wet, creating a magical mist along the mountains as we traveled further into Connemara until we found a Place For those of you who like this sort of place, this is the sort of place for you. For some retail therapy in the middle of nowhere, fun stop. As we continued to Kylemore Abby, we were greeted by sheep painted in different combinations of color strolling along the rolling roads. We took a break at the Lough Inagh Viewpoint to visit with some locals, enjoy coffee and sweets, and see how peat is collected firsthand.
Back on the road to the Stunning Kylemore Abby (It's Really Worth the Drive), when we arrived and crossed from the parking lot to the bridge to the Abby, I dare you to take just one picture. FYI, it's not possible, so beautiful.
We explored the Abby and Chapel, then started our walk to see the magical gardens of Kylemore Abby.

Now begins the story of Connor's Raincoat.
A light rain had begun, and Joan, Zach, and I donned our Rain Jackets while Connor continued wearing a long-sleeved t-shirt. Thus began Connor's second Inquisition of the trip, on how it was he came to Ireland with three bags, but no Sweatshirts or Rain Jackets packed :0
The intensity of the rain increased as we headed to the shuttle bus that would take us to the Gardens. Luckily for Connor, we got to the bus before the heaviest rains fell. We waited until the rain lessened, then ventured out to the gardens, busting on Connor the whole time. After an enjoyable exploration of the gardens, we returned to the visitor center, where we convinced Connor, it would be a good idea to purchase a raincoat. Luckily, the store had an excellent selection of top-quality rain gear. Raincoat and fudge purchased; we were back on the road. Our intended destination was the westernmost point of Connemara, but the weather was not our friend, so we regrouped and stopped for a late lunch and drink at M.C. McGraths Pub. What a fortuitous stop on the telly, was the Regional Hurling finals for County Munster featuring Limerick and Clare. Before today, I only knew what I learned 2-days before in Dublin, so almost nothing. The Pub Keeper explained what was happening, and it's intense and fast-moving (I recommend you look up Hurling). For the second half, we moved to an area of the pub where the game was on a large screen. The match was exhilarating and nonstop; unfortunately, the local Clare team lost to the powerhouse Limerick.
The second new thing I experienced at McGraths Pub was Guinness 00 NA Draft. I was driving, so precautions had to be taken, and with Guinness 00, I didn't feel I was missing out.
Pro Tip; Consider a 00 Beer when driving.
We ended our evening with a surprise fantastic dinner at Magnetti located below our Apartment. From the outside we didn't have high expectations, but we were exhausted. After stepping through the door, we found a lovely restaurant with excellent food and fantastic service, highly recommend.

Day 4: The Spectacular Cliffs of Moher, Killarney and Scotts
This morning, we checked out of our Galway Apartment and headed for the Cliffs of Moher. The drive to the Cliffs is spectacular, rolling hills, beautiful vistas and winding roads. After 1;30 drive we arrived too spectacular Sunshine and temperatures in the mid 60’s. Pro Tip: plan on at least a 3-hour visit, more if you can. For cliffs of Moher a good pair of walking shores or sneakers is a must. If you’re time is limited, head to the right first, and walk as far as you dare, there’s an incredible view around every turn. I highly suggest you pack a lunch and enjoy as you revel in the power of nature.

From the Cliffs we were off to Killarney, one of my favorite towns in Ireland. The town is very walkable, with numerous outstanding dining options. We started our exploration with Fish & Chips at Kitty O Se’s. As expected, the food was excellent, and the service was top notch. We didn’t have a reservation, but the Manager worked with us and asked if we could be done in an hour, and we said no problem. We experience Kitty O Se’s sister location latter in the trip, the two locations could have had a more extreme difference in vibe, but both are Highly recommended.
After dinner Joan and the boys partook in Retail Therepy, while I patiently waited. I was surprised to see the World Famous Trump singer was still busking on the streets of Killarney, he even added some new lines to his funny, and widely inappropriate song. After retail therapy, we discovered a bar named Scott’s. We lost our Scott this spring, and it has been hard on all of us, sporting a bar with the name Scotts featuring his favorite drink G&T, and favorite dessert Sticky Toffee Pudding, we headed in and enjoyed G&T’s and Sticky Toffee Pudding. We may have scared our server a bit with the tears we shed while thinking and share stories, the magnitude of our loss is immeasurable, but finding this connection, was moving, and cathartic. Travel has incredible power to heal your sole and open your mind and heart. Did I mention the weather this on this day was spectacular.

Day 5: Our time is quickly escaping, Rose, Inch Beach, Dingle, and Rhubarb Pie.
If there was only one place I could go to in Ireland, it would be the Dingle peninsula, it is so beautiful it’s impossible to put into words.
We started our day on the Peninsula at Inch Beach, were we drove our rental out on the Beach, making Joan extremely nervous. After parking on tarmac, we took in the Beauty that surrounded us with a coffer at beach café. We had to go, but I could have stayed all day.
Next stop was Dingle Sheepdog demonstration and the incomparable Rose. But first Joan held a lamb, as mamma bayed from the pasture above. After convincing Joan she had to give the lamb back we headed up the hill checking out the sheep and donkeys, and Beehive huts.
Now it was showtime, while we waited for the owner one of the dogs joined us at the pasture, she was so friendly, and just wanted as much attention as you were willing to give. We came to learn this was Rose, and she was just 11 months old, and boy was she an energizer battery. I really appreciated that the owner shared with us the trials and tribulations of working with a young dog. The other dog Captain was a welled oiled machine. Rose was the best athlete you ever saw, but the who would always mess up something to prevent winning. My apologies that I can’t remember the owners name, but I appreciated his willingness, to share his frustrations with Rose’s training process. I could recommend a visit more.
After departing Rose and Captain we continued our drive around the Dingle Peninsula with a stop at the Cross at Slea Head. Our next stop was one of my favorites, Teac Couminole Café, all it is is a tiny coffee/pastry shop, located on a point with a heavenly view of Coumeenoole Beach. The lady of the house, prepares excellent coffee and tee drinks, but the real star are her pastries. Today we were fortunate, on the menu was Rhubarb Pie, this is a family favorite, that the boys Grandfather makes every summer. Jim, I’m sorry to report, this was the best Rhubarb Pie I have ever tasted. The combination of the quaint setting with the incredible views, makes the café a must visit. We continued our drive around Dingle to Dunquin Pier, were you can follow a winding walk to the sea. The walk offers a view of an inlet you would swear was located in Greece or the Caribbean. At the bottom of the walk is the pier where you can catch the ferry to the Blasket Islands. We didn’t take the ferry, but I did step into the sea, brrr. After hiking back the top of the trail, we stopped in at Krugers Bar, the most westerly bar in Ireland. At Kruger’s we discovered our new favorite salty snack Walkers Bacon Fries, and Scampi Fries, they are so good, I ordered a 48-pack to be shipped home (Thank you Amazon).
Short lesson on Irish Stout; everyone knows Guinness, but unless you have had a draft in Ireland, you haven’t experienced Guinness. The other two stouts are Murphy’s and Beamish, all three are excellent, Zach Preferred Guinness, Connor’s choice was Murphy’s and my favorite is Beamish. Guinness is available everywhere in Ireland, Murphy’s is widely  available in the south, and Beamish is mostly available around Cork. That’s it for today's lesson one Irish Stouts.
From Krugers we continued our drive around Dingle in Search of Star wars at Sybil Head. Sybil head is off the beaten path and you park in driveway, leave a donation then hike a mile or so through sheep pastures to the cliffs. It’s a beautiful setting, and it was just the four of us there to enjoy. This location was from The Last Jedi, and is the location used to Shoot Rey’s first training session with Luke Skywalker. Okay enough geekdom! On to Dingle Town for some retail therapy, and a cold drink. Did I mention our weather has been fantastic, and warm.
​We headed back to Killarney for another fantastic meal at Harrow Killarney. This leads to a funny incident caused when our server accidentally refunded my credit card instead of charging it. She did not realize until after we had left the restaurant. She tried calling a couple of times, but to me it was a number I did not know, so I didn’t answer. She finally left a message, and I returned and she processed the charge, and we had a really pleasant conversation about small businesses and the struggles involved. All I can say, if you want a great meal in Killarney, do eat at the Harrow.

Day 6: Ross, Kerry, and Kinsale

​Ireland is loaded with outstanding coffee shops, and today we started or day at Petit Delice with excellent coffee, and yummy pastry’s. Then we were off to Killarney National Park and Ross Castle for a quick visit before heading towards our drive around the Ring of Kerry. Pro Tip, take your selfie or family picture from the small wooden bridge to the right of the Castle.
We then started our drive around Kerry, to be honest, I have never done this drive in my numerous trips to Ireland, I have always focused on Dingle, but after this drive, I realize, that I need to carve out more time on my next visit to Ireland for Kerry. We had no real plan today, but I did know I wanted to see the Kerry Cliffs, and I’m so glad we made the drive. The drive down was so beautiful, as we got closer to the cliffs, the roads got narrower, which always adds to fun of driving in Ireland. As we got closer we could see the Cliffs, and parked in a B&B car park, walked up paid our admission, and headed to another magical view of incredible vistas. I will never tire of watching the cliff dwelling birds from above, as they sore majestically along the coast. The Kerry Cliffs have two viewing areas, both are excellent and, if mobility allows, hike both trails for different perspectives, and views of Skellig Islands. From the cliffs we took the one lane (Ha Ha its not one way) Road to the top of the mountain, then down the winding lane, before deciding to head back and stop at Tobairin Holy Well for a quick prayer for my wife. Personal note, we stop at all shrines in the search of a miracle to cure for my wife’s autoimmune disease.
As we continued on our exploration of Kerry we made a stop in Portamagee at Fisherman's bar & skellig restaurant. If you haven’t noticed, in our family have great meals together is some best parts of vacation. The Fisherman’s Bar did not disappoint, as we sat outside on another glorious dat at one of several picnic tables. As has been the case on this trip, we all had excellent dishes, and would highly recommend. From here we continued our journey to Kinsale with a quick and cold stop at the Ring of Kerry viewpoint.
After reaching Kinsale in the late afternoon we explored the waterfront area, and downtown Kinsal. Kinsal is famous for it’s musical scene, and the whole reason we added a night here at the last minute. After exploring downtown we stopped at the White House Kinsale for a drink, and ended up staying for an excellent dinner. Quick side note, on our drive to the airport Joan did her second interview for a new job she was applying for. While traveling around Ireland she got a request from the company to do a third interview, with time change it ended up being 9 PM in Kinsale while she interviewed, and got the job! While Joan was interviewing, the boys and I moved down the the street to Kitty o Se’s Kinsale, the same owners and the Killarney location, but wow, what a difference in vibe. On this night three different bands played in the small space, the bar was packed, and the boys and I had a great time. Joan texted that her interview was over and I walked back and retrieved her, and she joined us for the fun and live music. It was another great night in Ireland, and I was so glad we adjusted our itinerary to have the night in Kinsale.

Day 7: Last full day in Ireland, Blarney, and Midleton
This morning we started with walk in a downpour to Blue Haven for a full Irish Breakfast. We were then off on another brilliant sunny day to Blarney Castle. Yes this is a very touristy stop to kiss the Blarney Stone (remember we’re looking for a miracle) but it’s also a fantastic stop you should budget two to three hours for. The grounds and Gardens that surround the Blarney Castle are fabulous, and a must see. I’m of the belief that kissing the stone is a worthwhile experience, but exploring the grounds is a must do. From Blarney Castle we checked into our hotel, then headed off to our tour of the Midleton Distillery. If you enjoy whiskey as I do, you will know this is the home of Jameson Whiskey, as well as the Spot Whiskeys, Redbreast, and Powers Whiskey. The tour is a good one, and the tasting is good. Pro Tip, opt for the Premium tasting for an even better experience. After having two tastings  we opted to walk to dinner before driving back to our hotel, this was a good call 😅
A regret I had with our lack of time is we didn’t get into Cork, as time was short and we had a 5 AM flight in the morning, More on that in a minute. We stayed our last night at the Cork International Hotel, it’s pretty swanky, and right next to the airport, so super convent for an early flight.

Day 8: First time on Ryan Air, Windsor Castle, Stonehenge, and how do we get to the ship?
I booked us on the only flight that would get us to London in time to get to our Cruise to Norway, from Southampton.
This was my first time on Ryan Air, and I have to say I was impressed with the efficiency of the Cork operation. The secret to Ryan Air is buy all the extras you need when you purchase the ticket, this will save you in the long run. When booking our guests, we always bundle the necessities. You still end up with a good price and no surprises. The seats are okay for the majority of flights offered by Ryan Air. I would be hesitant to Fly on a flight longer than 3 hours. All onboard services have a fee, even water! I would certainly fly Ryan air again, it’s the perfect product for any inexpensive getaway. Our flight was from Cork to Stansted/London, and the beauty of flights from Ireland to the UK is no Passport control, making arrival a snap. We were quickly off to collect our rental car which turned out to be a Mazda C9 manual which was large, but a tight fit with all of Connor’s luggage 😀
Driving in the UK around London, was much different then Ireland, the roads were multi lanes and traffic was heavy. We set off on the 1:30 drive to Windsor Castle with intermittent rain and blazing sun. We naively believed we could show up to Windsor Castle and buy a ticket to walk around the grounds, we were to strapped for time to take a tour of the Castle. After have a coffee we headed to the gate to buy tickets to get in, and then we saw the line, that stretched longer than we could see. If going to Windsor, do buy a ticket in advance! After marveling at the size of the Castle as we walked around the perimeter of the ground. We then did a bit retail therapy, including a stop to get wine to take on the ship. As we continued our roundabout trek to Southampton, we were off to Stonehenge. This was my first time to Stonehenge, and it was only a few days to Summer Solstice with people already camped out to witness the solstice. We decided to walk instead of taking the free shuttle buss, the walk was significantly longer than expected, but the day was beautiful and the four us enjoyed the walk, but it did limit the time we had at to spend at Stonehenge, after 30 minutes we made a beeline for a shuttle bus back to to the visitor center and our rental car. Next stop Southampton, did I mention we were pushing it on time, and we had an hour plus drive to the port with an ETA of 3:15, and cruise departure of 5:00, did I mention I would also have to take the rental back to the office, an hoof it to the ship. Still plenty of time, as long as we have no issues! Well we couldn’t find the gate to enter the pier, GPS took us to a location, but it wasn’t the right location, and signage was non existent. Finally we got directions from a security guard and found the drop off for the ship. I dropped Joan, the boys, and the luggage off, and headed for the Rental Car office were GPS failed for the second time today, have me turn into a lot that was not connected to the rental car office, after a painfully long detour, a made it back to the rental car office. Great I’m here, but the agent decided to do the most through car inspection I have witnessed, going as far as crawling under the car to check the under carriage. Time was ticking very fast, after having the agent finally signing off, I was on my walk back to the pier and to check in for the Ship. When I got to the pier it was 4:30, giving me 30 minutes to spare 😅. The benefit to arriving 30 minutes before sailing was there was no line and I was on in 5 minutes, but not before the gate agent informed me my family didn’t wait for me, and that she would have waited for me 😍

To be continued…