IRELAND – 2024 – An Old Lady with a Backpack

MAY 20 – 25, 2024

We flew into Dublin. We had booked a car in Pierre’s name because I said I did not want to drive on those narrow winding roads and on the left side of the road. However, Pierre did not have his new, and valid, driver’s license. He applied for his new class 1 license before we left Canada, but it had not arrived prior to our departure. He had his daughter, who was collecting our mail, take a photo of it and text it to him. The car rental company did not accept it. They could not change the reservation to my name. We had to cancel the entire booking, hope for a refund (we got it) and rebook in my name. The process took a couple of hours. And I still ended up being the sole driver – on the narrow winding roads driving on the left side. Did I mention that I was also very sick? I had a sinus infection from hell. I know I am allergic to feathers and cats. I think Mango, my son’s cat in London, did me in.

By the time we got to our guesthouse in Belfast and settled in, I was knackered. We found a take-away shop nearby and settled for that. I was ready to hit the sack. Oh no! Feather pillows!! My sinuses were in snot overdrive!!

NOTE: There was no border crossings to enter Northern Ireland from the Republic of Ireland.

The next morning we went to the BELFAST TITANIC MUSEUM. Located beside the Titanic Slipways, the Harland & Wolff Drawing Offices and Hamilton Graving Dock – the very place where Titanic was designed, built and launched, Titanic Belfast tells the story of Titanic from her conception, through her construction and launch, to her maiden voyage and subsequent place in history.

The building opened in 2012 and contains more than 12,000 square metres (130,000 sq ft) of floor space. It is built in the shape of the ships bow and is the same height as the actual Titanic. Most of the visitors come from outside Northern Ireland, which has proven to be a huge tourist boom for the country.

The museum did not just talk about the Titanic. The first gallery recreates scenes from Belfast at the time of Titanic‘s construction in 1909–11. It illustrates the city’s major industries in a detailed a picture and story form that was easy and entertaining to learn. For example, in 1900 there were 65,000 people employed in the linen industry. They worked from 6:30 am to 6:00 pm for low pay in hazardous conditions. The dust from the flax caused lung infections. Pregnant women and children were not exempt from working. The children still went to school, but only half time. The final embroidery stages were nicer working conditions.

Belfast also boasted a world class ropeworks, thanks to its shipbuilding industry. They also had a tobacco industry and whiskey. The historical stuff was really interesting and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

The main portion of the museum was about Titanic. We all know the story of the maiden voyage, the unsinkable ship and the tragic sinking. The museum was all about how it was built to begin with. Right from the original idea, to the engineering to the construction.

3 million rivets were used (apparently not enough). The rivets were heated and thrown up to the riveters. One guy caught the red hot nugget and held it in place on one side of the sheet of steel while another guy, on the opposite side, hammered into place. It was a very hot and dangerous job. The foreman wore bowler hats, to stand out amongst the workers, but the hat also acted as protection from the hot rivets falling from above.

There were silly details like there were 45,000 table napkins on board and 18,000 bed sheets. And not so silly details, like the rudder was 23.7 metres (78 feet) high, 4.6 metres (15 feet) wide and weighed over 100 tons. It burned 600 tonnes of coal every day, 3000 times the emissions of the Museum.

There was a virtual ride that took us through the inside building of the ship. The bucket that carried us swung right and left and had us viewing screens that made it appear that we were right in the heart of the construction. It was only a few minutes long, but it was fun and very educational.

There were mock berths so one could see the difference between first, second and third class cabins.

The entire tour took us several hours, but it seemed much less.

Our ticket included a tour of the SS Nomadic. It was also built by the White Star Line to transfer passengers and mail to and from the RMS Olympic and RMS Titanic, as they were too large to dock in Cherbourg Harbour. She is the last surviving ship of the White Star Line. The ship is 220 feet (67 m) long overall and 37 feet (11 m) wide and can carry up to 1000 passengers. I don’t know where they all fit, because it did not seem big enough.

Because it was built to serve the Olympic and Titanic, it was kitted out in the same standard as the Mother Ships. As such, she had more luxuries than most tenders of her day, with cushioned benches, tables, porcelain water fountains, sex-specific bathrooms and a buffet bar. She contained ornate decorative joinery and plasterwork, particularly in the first-class lounges of the ship.

She even served as a minesweeper and later an accommodation ship during WWII. After the war she was purchased by a Frenchman and served as a restaurant and function vessel on the Seine in Paris. The business went bankrupt and the French harbour authority seized her and had every intention of melting her down for scrap metal. On learning of her fate, heritage and maritime enthusiasts began campaigns to raise funds to buy the vessel. She returned to Belfast on 18 July 2006, close to where she was built.

We left Belfast and headed toward the west side of the island, and wound up in Killeybegs, where we drove around the harbour and took in the many, many fishing boats.

We stopped at a tourist information centre and got some good advise and maps from the helpful ladies. The next day we began our Wild Atlantic Way journey in earnest. Thank you, Brid, for suggesting it. It is a 2,500 km(1, 553 mile) driving route. The route passes through charming towns and villages

that offered a taste of Irish culture and hospitality.

We enjoyed locally produced food and drink,

and explored the unique arts and crafts of the region.

We did not have time to take it all in, but we got enough of a taste that I know I want to return.

We knew we were somewhere special when we began to notice road signs in Gaelic.

Our first stop was Slieve Liag, meaning ‘mountain of stone pillars’, on the south west coast of County Donegal. At 601 metres (1,972 ft), it has the second-highest sea cliffs in Ireland and the some of the highest in Europe.

The information lady told us that we had to park at the entrance gate and walk up a few kilometers to the lookout. However, if we told the guard that we were ill (remember, I had a sinus infection) then he would let us pass with the car. In normal circumstances, we would have loved to do the hike. It was beautiful.

But we opted to take the wimpy way out and drove, sharing the road with free roaming sheep.

There was a walking trail that led further up. In hindsight, we should have taken it. However, we only had so many days to cover a lot of miles. Once again, we learned never to be in a hurry and to book more time to explore more.

We carried on, north east, to Gleann Cholm Cille, where they had a small folk village museum. There are six little cottages, each recreates a different era of Irish history, from the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries.

One of the cottages was a fisherman’s cottage. I’m not entirely sure it was a recreation, as the man we talked with was definitely a fisherman,

and he even had his socks drying by the fireplace.

We went into another cottage where a group of men and women were all making St. Bridget’s Cross. The story of the cross is that Bridget was the daughter of a pagan chieftan. As he lay dying, Bridget, a Christian believer, sat at his bedside, prayed and wove a cross out of the reeds and rushes that were used as flooring in those days. When her father asked what she was doing. He was so overwhelmed by her story, that he converted just before his last breath. The reed crosses are still hung in homes and outbuildings on Feb. 1 (her death date) to protect people and animals from evil and want. The good men and women gave us each a cross, even though they were sold in the giftshop.

We headed south west toward Donegal again, then south and east to Mullaghmore Head.

Classiebawn Castle can be seen not too far away from Mullaghmore Head. It is a country house built for the 3rd Viscount Palmerston on what was formerly a 4,000-hectare (10,000-acre) estate. It was passed down through the family until a businessman bought the castle and 1,200 hectares (3,000 acres) of the surrounding estate in 1991. He left it to his secretary upon his death. She must have been a spectacular secretary!

I wanted to go to Blarney, to see the castle and kiss the stone. On the way there, we passed through Limerick, where I made a wrong turn that cost us time, but allowed us to see the city as most people do not – down every back road the city has.

Blarney Castle was a medieval stronghold that was originally a wooden structure built before 1200. It was fortified with stone in 1210. The castle and surrounding land was captured and sold many times. Finally it was purchased in the early 18th century by Sir James Jeffreys, governor of Cork City. I don’t think there is any relationship between this James Jeffreys and the raunchy Aussie comedian, Jim Jeffreys, but I digress….

The Jefferyes must not have liked the old drafty castle because they later built a large house near the 15th-century keep. This house was destroyed by fire and, in 1874, a replacement mansion, known as Blarney House, was built overlooking the nearby lake.

Around that time, the Jefferyes and Colthurst families were joined by marriage. The Colthurst family still occupies the place.

SIDE NOTE: In May 2008, the present estate owner, Sir Charles St John Colthurst, Baronet, succeeded in a court action to eject a man who had lived on his land for 44 years. The man’s great-grandfather had been the first to occupy the estate cottage. A bit harsh, but if his great-grandkids continued to squat, it could cause problems down the road.

The castle is quite large and well preserved.

There were signs that explained what the various rooms were and how they were used. Like the trap door in the floor that could be tripped for unwelcome guests.

The Murder Hole was a hole in the ceiling where hot oil could be dropped on other unwelcome guests who made it past the other defenses.

There were also the Great Hall and the Young Ladies Bedroom.

Let’s not forget the Garderobe (indoor toilet). This castle had three! Such lavishness! All were built on the north side of the castle to take advantage of the prevailing winds coming from the south.

There would have been a bench over the hole to make it more comfortable. It may even have had a double hole so you could have company when you went.

The narrow spiral staircase finally lead us to the roof.

There was quite a queue waiting to kiss the famous limestone floor-opening. By the time we left, the queue was outside of the castle.

According to legend, kissing the stone endows the kisser with the gift of the gab with great eloquence and skill at flattery, and the ability to deceive without offending. I’m not sure about the deception part, but anyone who knows me will know that I do not need to endow myself further with the gift of the gab. LOL But I was there, so what the hell…..

After leaving the castle, we went for lunch at the old stables, which were converted to a cafe. It was quite clever and charming.

After lunch we walked through the acres and acres of gardens. I was in flora heaven!

The river Blarney used to join the river Martin near Rock Close, but the river course was altered and the gradient changed in order to drain the Inchancumain bog. The Blarney river was diverted to flow UNDER the Martin river via a short aqueduct.

As I mentioned earlier, the roads are very narrow and winding. They are as beautiful as they are challenging. There is not much room to stick the nose of the car out in order to see if there is oncoming traffic. I was driving on a lane with the hedgerows crowding in on either side. A truck was coming toward me. I moved over as much as I could. The branches were scraping the side of the car. The truck went by so fast and so close I was braced for the impact. Pierre even asked if the outside mirror was still attached.

On another occasion, it was similar road conditions when a bicycle suddenly came out of a side lane. I had zero time to react. I did not hit her, but as I went past I looked in the rear view mirror and saw her scrambling out of the hedgerows with her bike. It was a hair-raising experience, and Pierre continues to congratulate me on my driving skills. (Maybe he left his drivers license at home on purpose….)

There are arches cut in the trees and overhanging branches are cut so as not to have them hit vehicles. I saw tractors with what looked like giant sideways lawnmowers going along and literally shredding shrubs and branches to allow for these cut outs.