Wandering Through Ireland

Well, sweet as Ashford is and much as I was interested in heading north to see the Giant"s Causeway and Belfast decided to skip Northern Island in hopes of maybe returning another time. There's just so much to see here in Ireland and we've decided to do that unheard of thing for tourists looping the island...we're going to backtrack.

Dingle here we come!!!!!!!!!

We both of us have decided the music was worth a second go and though it pretty much means a day driving we turn around and make our way back...this time to say at the Pax House with John and his dog Rio, a ball loving dog challenging Carmen for it's constant 'come play ball with me' attitude. John's guesthouse is lovely, a bit more than a B&B but still with a most personal touch.Full of art He's collected of a more modern bent than what we've been seeing it had one of the most incredible views from it's perch high on a hill overlooking the bay and John was a a wonderful host, wanting to chat up each and every guest and supplyin g a beautiful collection of books to peruse, most of which I would have liked to bring home. We even found a picture of Oliver from Dick Mack's in a book of the 'Pubs of Ireland' which pleased Norm to no end.

Back down to the CourtHouse Pub Friday night we were well entertained by a guitar player accompanying a young vocalist named Pauline, as clear and traditional voice as you could hope for. Later they were joined by a man playing the wooden Irish flute, such a haunting sound and when He went off a a rollicking melody one could imagine the fairy's dancing amidst the hills of Tara.

Saturday was the reason for our return, the folks at the Courthouse were throwing an event to fundraise for a village in Guatemala. Turns out there are a number of adopted guatemalese ? children in this area and the wife of the owner of the pub, originally from Texas is a nurse so when she found out the hospital was looking like it might have to close due to lack of funds they decided to do something to help. A big lineup of musicians for which nthey were asking a two euro donation ( three bucks ) and for another five a feast in true texas style..a bbq of beef brisket in the walled courtyard with potato salad and coleslaw.

Once again we find the beef!

The music was great once again, uillean pipes, banjo, guitars, fiddles, flutes and tin whistles as well as an accordion and different people singing over the course of the afternoon and the evening. Several good conversations and a typical irish drunk thrown in for good measure made for a real irish experience and it was topped off by a wonderful chat with the owners at the end. Tommy O'Sullivan, obviously a man who's been in the folk music scene for many a decade as was evidenced in posters advertising festivals dating back to the seventies that decorated the pub was an affable sort and his wife a charm, full of tales of how they'd met and a plea to have us on their email list for future events.

Definitely something we'll both remember for years to come.....yayyyy Dingle1

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Ashford Castle was everything I could have imagined! I was completely amazed that Norm decided to treat me to a night there and though I'm sure we stayed in one of the smallest of their rooms it really was lovely. The amenities within the room were spectacular, right from water in their own branded bottles to the heaviest complimentary stationary I've ever seen as well as a beautiful turn down in the evening. 

It's the little things like the fancy folding of the end of the toilet paper rolls and the Ashford Castle sticker on it, the free mailing of letters and being waylaid in the halls in the morning by staff offering coffee that really make a person feel like royalty. They even called the duty manager to come open the gift shop for us seeing as it was closed and we were leaving and had asked about purchasing a souvenir!

Norm and I walked around the gardens, much different than at home as they were on a large scale, more about trees, form and shape than flowers and I remember thinking this is what an 800 year old garden looks like. As spectacular as the exterior of the building and grounds were...grounds that included not only tennis courts, equestrian activities and Ireland's School of Falconry it was the interior of the castle that really captures  a person's imagination, to me it was like staying in a museum! Everywhere you looked there was something worth looking at closer. The furniture was magnificent as were the multitude of fireplaces and the wood work was like nothing i've ever seen before! The walls were covered in art, ancient oil paintings and tapestries, combinations of ceramic works with insets of other forms of art and then loads of sculptures and beautiful bronzes not to mention chalices and fancy bowls on exhibit here and there.

Scattered amongst sitting rooms and lounges there were plenty of little hideaway nooks, some with big dramatic chairs set around a game set up for chess or backgammon, others just little places to relax and take in the luxury...it really was an experience I don't expect to ever enjoy again!

We dined in the dungeon that evening as the George the Fifth dining room expects jackets and ties for the gentlemen but the following morning we were allowed in for the breakfast buffet. Once again very nice, the service was impeccable and the Maitre'd was immaculate..He'd worked for the castle for 37 years! 

What more can I say????  I think my ending words would have to be simple...thank You Norm!