We are leaving today, April 15th, 2009, on this plane....you can see it is dark and rainy.
Virginia at the JFK Arboretum

Ed at the JFK Arboretum
Here's another Irish fixer-upper on the way to our hotel this night.
This is the fountain in the plaza at the John Fitzgerald Kennedy Arboretum. We stopped there and watched a video which showed the grounds and lovely flowers, shrubbery, and trees.
A view of the Kennedy Homestead houses.
This is a sign on the wall at the Kennedy homestead in Ireland. Patrick Kennedy, JFK's great grandfather hailed from here. The home was closed for tours until June.

View of a lake on the way out of Kilkenny in the Ireland National Park en route to the hotel
I think this is St. Dominic...we passed a Dominican residence in Kilkenny, but didn't stop.
View of downtown Kilkenny and the residents
This may be the emigrant ship, but it's too dark to determine. Forget this photo. Many of the Irish residents fled Ireland in the 1840's due to the potato famine. The potatoes were rotten and the residents were starving as this was their main food staple. Many came to America to start a new life via emigrant ships which sailed from Bristol and London England. This is how our ancestor Charles Peter King got to America. They really went through a lot to get here to America with the promise of a good future and new life. Had he not come to America, none of us would be here today. Thanks Charles! You are a true hero.
Another view of Kilkenny across the river. The emigrant ship is somewhere here if I can just find it in the photos
Looking across the river in Kilkenny at the various colored houses.
This is a view of a bridge under construction in Kilkenny
Here are Virginia and Judy on the grounds at Kilkenny Castle
This is the castle at Kilkenny....very nice inside. We went all around it in a u-shape tour. It was raining most of the day, but that didn't stop us. We first viewed a video about the castle before going inside on the tour.

Today after breakfast at the Inverary House we loaded the car up and proceeded northeastward to Kilkenny where we checked into a hotel called Days Inn. It is lovely and with breakfast is E78.00 per room. We then went to the Kilkenny Castle and took a tour and then to KFC for dinner. The girl behind the counter didn't speak very good English (Indian from India) and they didn't have any mashed potatoes like KFC does at home, and no salad dressing for Ed's saland. We took a few pictures at the castle but I'm too tired to mess with the camera tonight...I'll do it tomorrow after we get to swords. Our vacation is almost over and we are all giddy and nuttsy. Another night of Farkel....we have farkeled our way through Ireland for sure. Love you all. M,D,G,G, V,J.

Today is Easter Sunday and we started out by going to Mass...the place was packed with standing room only. Virginia and Judy dropped us off and then went shopping. When they came to pick us up 45 minutes later, the parking lot was filled to the brim and cars were parked up and down the street in both directions. this above is a picture of a site at the Muckross farm house. I did not go on the tour as I knew I'd never be able to walk that far. The other folks all went while I waited and watched the people come and go from the restaurant.
This is a picture of the grounds at the Muckross House which I took from inside while on tour of the house. It took them 6 years to prepare for a visit from Queen Victoria and when she arrived she stayed for 2 days. the place is filled with beautiful period furniture. The tour lasted 50 minutes and was quite informative.
Muckross House
TheCathedral in town of Killarney...we got into such a traffic jam you would not have believed it. Good thing one of the local young men got out of his car and directed traffic and got us unsnarled after about 45 minutes.
Traffic jam in Killarney...Easter Sunday morning outside the cathedral.
The church Ed and I attended mass at in the town of beaufort.
Statue of Mary inside the church we went to mass at.

Here are a few of the pictures we took while driving around the Ring of Kerry. It was so beautiful....the landscape went from ocean and green fields dotted with sheep to stark black and brown mountains with a lake here and there. We ended up going through the Killarney National Forest/Park which was also beautiful and ended at the farmhouse playing four games of Farkel.
This rainbow actually went all the way to the ground on both ends and stayed for the longest time. The day started out rainy and cold and ended up sunny and warm.
Virginia and Judy on the Ring of Kerry outside a restaurant we stopped at to eat and buy souvenirs. The Inn keeper was so talkative he'd have put legs under a chicken. But he was special and very nice.
This is a view of the Dingle Bay outside Kells
Ed at the beach
Virginia and Judy are down at the beach someplace.....I can't see them here, but nonetheless they were here. Virginia slipped and fell on the rocks getting down there, but she didn't get hurted.
This is bog peat stacked for heating the homes and cooking.
This is a stairway to nowhere now...actually, there is probably a house up there that was once inhabited.
Gateway to another Irish fixer-upper

This plant is quite intriguing...it almost looks like rhubarb, but it has these funny things growing on it.

Ireland Saturday April 11, 2009

Happy Easter Sunday morning!!!! Yesterday we were gone the entire day to see the Ring of Kerry and the National Park of Kilarney. It was breath taking and beautiful. I'll put a few pictures here and try and do more later as we are on a timed schedule today to get to Mass. Last evening we got in so late we didn't have time to write on the blog. So this will be short today....10 minutes to time to leave for Mass. Love, Mom and Dad/Grandpa and Grandma/Virginia and Judy

Ireland Good Friday April 10, 2009

A church in a small town on our way to Beaufort's Invarary Farm House. We got into all the Good Friday traffic in two towns on the way. We arrived at around 5:30 p.m. and the Inn Keeper Eileen fixed us a spot of tea and cookies and then a lovely dinner of soup, bread, salmon steaks, potatoes, broccoli, carrots, peas and pears and ice cream for dessert.
We rolled down the hallway to our room where we are now playing Farkel. I won for the first time, and Judy won the 2nd one and we're on the third one now. Auggie is tired from driving so far and the rest of us a giggling lot. We must all be tired. Adios for today.
Here's a thatched roof from the outside
This little Shetland Pony was on the Bunratty Castle grounds. He didn't have much personality though.
Another view of a thatched roof from the inside.
Well, if this wouldn't give you a hankerin' for a thatched roof. Taken from inside the house WOW!
The wench that reels out the bridge over the castle moat
We let Ed come out after he'd done his time in the dungeon
Entrance to the dungeon
Another dining room scene--I was entranced with the ceiling hanging
I guess this is the wine keg keeper...this display is in the dining room
Entrance to Bunratty Castle
It is now sunny and warm outside and we stopped at Bunratty Castle...this place was cool!!!! Winding stair cases, large dining room with lots of room to feed a bunch of people, a dungeon off the dining room. Ed and Judy walked to the top and peeked out over to see the grounds while Auggie went to lunch and I came down off the second flight of stairs....round and around you go in there.....winding stairs and skinny hallways. Those people must have been tiny!! I'll put more pictures of the inside here.

Virginia and Judy greeted by this little Irish filly. She was so friendly and wanted to be talked to and fed. All the other people flocked over from the bus once they saw her.
This is the castle at Dungwaire It was closed. But we got a surprise from the field in front of us....see her?
We stopped in Galway to see the Cathedral...but Judy and I walked all around it and no door was open. Virginia and Ed were still back at the car trying to figure out the parking meter by the time we got back. Good Friday and the church was locked!!! What's up with that?????