Ireland x2

Oh, dear. I meant to write before I took off again, but so goes life once the kids get home. I have since returned to Ireland -this time Dublin, Belfast, and the northern coast- and visited Scotland, all in service of Jack’s first college exploration trip.

But let’s back up to July and Ireland round 1.

As I mentioned two posts back, the day Tom left the Netherlands to return home, I flew to Dublin where I began my adventure with a trip to a bookstore. My tour (an 8-day Ancient Ireland Ring of Kerry loop) was set to commence at 1p the next day. So, on Tuesday morning, eager to explore Dublin on my own, I walked west from my center city hotel to Kilmainham Gaol (jail), a former prison that is now a museum.

What was founded in 1796 as a “new kind of jail” -one that would provide better conditions for the incarcerated and rehabilitate them- Kilmainham quickly became overcrowded and rife with disease, all while children and adults continued to be housed together. During the Famine in the mid-1800s, this situation became even worse as many folks tried to break laws and gain entry to the jail simply so they could be ensured some daily ration.

Today, many who are interested in Irish history know Kilmainham as the prison in which many of the 1916 Easter Rising leaders and participants were subsequently jailed (de Valera, Pearse, Connolly, etc) and executed (not de Valera or any women). You can read more about all of that here. Kilmainham is now managed by the Office of Public Works and tickets include a guided tour and entry to the museum. Admittedly an avid fan of Irish history, I could not have enjoyed the experience more: riveting tour, excellent array of artifacts, and you can feel how harrowing it must have been to be imprisoned there. The two execution sites are marked with simple, powerful black crosses, and across the street from Kilmainham stands a memorial that includes the Proclamation of the Republic and 14 bronze statues, each with a verdict or execution order at its feet and unique bullet pattern on its torso, that represent the men executed.

In my opinion, a visit to Kilmainham is a must if you visit Dublin.

Following a quick lunch, I met up with my tour guide, David, and the seven other participants (all women), and we headed off to the EPIC Museum (about Irish emigration) and the Guinness Factory for tours. I was underwhelmed by EPIC, to be honest, and while on principle and in solidarity I drink Guinness, I don’t actually love it but was impressed with the enormous visitor center and the entire operation. Definitely worth a visit!

Next day: West!

Our first stop was Clonmacnoise, an ancient monastery founded and supported by intellectually voracious monks. Sitting along the River Shannon, Clonmacnoise grew into a decently-sized community before being pillaged repeatedly by both Vikings and other Irish monasteries (tsk, tsk) and ultimately abandoned.

Westward on to Galway, but more on that tomorrow! In the meantime let me rave about My Ireland Tour, the company with whom I traveled. David was an amazing guide: a font of knowledge, a great wit, a masterful driver, and just all-around cool. Our coach was extremely comfortable, the itinerary was perfectly full such that every day was filled, but I almost never felt rushed, and the lodgings and meals were wonderful.