Ffolkes,
All of my life, I’ve read stories and books set in Ireland, or by Irish writers, and have always felt an attraction to the country, possibly due to being part Irish myself (at least a quarter, with one grandparent’s family from there….). Yesterday, for the first time in my life, I stepped onto Irish soil; the earth didn’t shake, but I did feel welcomed, by the people, and the land…..Even now, as I write, sentimental fool that I am, it is bringing tears to my eyes, to know I’ve fulfilled a life-long dream, if only partially and incompletely. I guess it isn’t often one gets the chance to connect with their inner soul…..

Whew! Sorry, took me a minute to regain control…. it’s what I get for trying to write before I’ve had any coffee. I’d best wait a bit, so I don’t do anything to embarrass myself any further….  Okay, well, hmm…. It’s now almost dinner time, with a day spent in Dublin between the entry above and now. It’s been one of those roller-coaster days, with high highs, and low lows, most of which isn’t worth discussing. Let’s just say that I spent a good deal more than I’d hoped, but managed to get something for everyone….. I know this is a bit cryptic, but, such is life sometimes; we all have to learn to live with some frustration, I guess, and this is yours…  🙂

I’ve had a great time in Ireland, in both cities in which we stopped. I tried to get in to see the Book of Kells, at Trinity College Library in Dublin, three times, but the lines (queues, as they say here…) were too long for me to stand in line for without causing a lot of severe pain, so that will have to wait for the next trip, whenever that may be. I did walk around the college a while, & got some good shots on the camera, as well as in the surrounding neighborhood, where I had a bit of lunch at O’donoghue’s Pub (A fish bap, with chips, don’t y’know?…), and found the last items I needed to get for people at home. I figure that makes me a champion shopper, as I’ve managed to get all I need in the first five days of the cruise, and can now just walk around to take pictures, enjoy the scenery, and talk to the people.

I suppose that is enough of the chatty intro stuff…. Tomorrow we’re off back to England, first to Liverpool, back to Ireland for one day in Belfast, then I believe it’s Edinburgh, or Inverness, or somewhere else in Scotland, then Wales….. For now, shall we Pearl?…..
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This trip has put me a day late and a Euro short…. It is now Saturday, and I have yet to post this… so, section one will be pictures of Cork, and section 3 will be pictures of Dublin…. and, lucky for y’all, little commentary from me…. Enjoy….

St. Colman’s cathedral at Cork (Cobh) port
A local pub…

…. where they built this Guinness….

Ballyrocks Castle, between Cork and Cork port….

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Dublin, home of the Book of Kells, with lines a quarter mile long, all three times I tried to get in to see it…. SIGH….

The Library Square at Trinity College, Dublin

A statue of George Salmon, one of the college’s provosts….

A Dublin street scene, just outside the Trinity entrance….

A fittingly beautiful sunset to a gorgeous day, headed for Liverpool…

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Which is Why….