i heart ... ireland

i've been debating whether or not to write this post.
on monday and tuesday this week "the today show" broadcast from ireland and it just really, really, really made me want to be in ireland!
and it made me think about my own trip to ireland with brook and jody.
i just thought if i did write this post

that it would only interest brook and jody.
and i finally decided that was okay with me!
so go ahead and just skip over this post if you're not interested.
i won't feel bad!
this is for me and them!

(view of ireland from the ferry)





i remember being on the ferry from wales into dun laoghaire, ireland
and getting my first glimpse of ireland and panicking a little bit -
wonder if ireland was not all that i hoped it would be???

well, it was - and more!

we took a bus to the airport to pick up our rental car.
driving on the left side of the road?
not as hard as i thought it would be.
and even more surprising,
i could actually do stick-shift with my left hand - and i am soooo right handed!
the hardest and weirdest thing was judging how far the left side (passenger side) of the car was away from things, like hedgerows and curbs and other cars!
i never got the hang of that, but i also never lost a side mirror or hit anything (or anyone!).

we drove to laragh, co. wicklow where we spent the night
and went to the nearby monastic ruins at glendalough the next day.

(st. kevin's church)


(the round tower)

and the next day to powerscourt house.

next we took the country roads down to waterford.

at one point one of the road we were on wasn't even on the map!

we did have to ask directions twice,

but i think we did a pretty good job because we made it to waterford.

we spent the night in waterford and the next day went to

the waterford crystal factory.

next we drove to blarney castle

where yes, we did kiss the blarney stone, and no, we did not contract any diseases.

from blarney castle we took a drive around the beara peninsula.

the clouds were very low and misty and made everything more green
and gave the place a very magical feeling
just like ireland should have.

we spent the night in killarney
at the aghadoe an oige
(sure, it's beautiful, but there are some awkward memories there that will never be revealed!)

the next day we drove to adare manor








and then on to the cliffs of moher
where we crawled to the edge of the cliff and peered over
and it was scary! and thrilling!








next we went to galway.








we stayed at the woodquay hostel, which was just fine...














...but next time i'm staying here, at the g!














we shopped on the cute and cool quay street ...














... where we bought our claddagh rings at thomas dillon's,
the original makers of the claddagh ring!

we did go to claddagh quay, but funny thing, there were no ring shops there!

that's okay. we wanted the original anyway.

next to dublin

where we strolled through st. stephen's green ...

... on our way to trinity college ...

... where we took a tour and saw the beautiful library ...

... and the even more beautiful book of kells!

(my favorite image from the book of kells)

next we visited dublin castle ...

... and hung out at temple bar

(which is an area of dublin, not a bar!) ...

... and went to the cute ha'penny bridge over the river liffey.

next we enjoyed the cute famous doorways of merrion square ...

... then st. patrick's cathedral.

we strolled down grafton street ...

... ireland was more amazing than i ever hoped it would be

and there is sooooooooooo much more i want to see!

can't wait to go back!