Out Of Dublin - On To Kilkenny
Mood:  special
Now Playing: The Green, Green Fields Of Home
Lonnie, not being a city person, finally feels he has arrived in Ireland. Even 30 miles out of Dublin, the scene transforms from urban to remote countryside: sheep, horses, cows everywhere and yes, the famous green countryside and rolling hills.

We started by breakfasting and then a taxi to the Sixt car rental facility out by the airport. They give us a nice-sized 4-door Nissan. It has a CD player so we can play all the Irish CD's Lonnie has purchased. Out onto the M80 motorway and then to the N7 which takes us to the south and west toward Kilkenny, the midevil center of Ireland.

We only have Monday and Tuesday left after today so I'm afraid we're trying to cram too much into the remaining time but we'll play it by ear. We're headed ultimately to the Ring of Kerry with its breathtaking views of ocean and mountain. Then on Wednesday to Shannon and the flight home. (We were supposed to fly home from Dublin but have made arrangements that better fit our tour.

Our first stop today was in Kildare where lunched at the Silken Thomas pub with soup and a Thai chicken panini. It's a tiny town but very quaint and picturesque (are there any towns that aren't?)


Lunch at the Silken Thomas.


Matt enjoys a Guinness at the Silken Thomas.

After lunch we got back on the motorway but quickly ditched it for some back roads. They were not quite an inch or two wider than our car (and we're driving on the left "side" of the road, remember?) A little freaky but beautiful farms. Hedges line the road. We come across, totally by accident, the ruins of a 12th century castle sitting atop the Rock of Dunamase. It's not a rock but a giant outcropping of rock in a rather flat topography and hence it's called a "rock." The sun is setting, an old church sits at the base of the rock and fabulous fields of green stretch into the distance. Idyllic!


Fields surrounding the Rock of Dunamase.


A lovely old church sits at the base of the "rock."


A young American lad with the Rock of Dunamase rising in the background.


The ruined castle at the Rock of Dunamase.

Onwards we go and pass through the tiny town of Castlecomer where we stop for some coffee but it's Sunday afternoon and nothing's opened. Some kids are standing around and I snap their picture because I love the Irish sign posts telling you which way to everyplace in creation (or so it seems).


Some lads hanging out in Castlecomer.

It's just a few miles to Kilkenny and we debate on how to find the right B&B for the night. We decide to just drive in and there's a beautiful place, the Kilkenny River Court Hotel. Lovely! Now a nap and then, despite its small size Kilkenny has 60 pubs on its one main street, we'll be off to dinner.


Our room at the Kilkenny River Court Hotel.


Strolling to dinner we view the fabulous castle at Kilkenny. Our hotel's patio is at the left. Not bad, ay?.

See ya. - Matt