Travel Notes: Dublin to Kerry — Day 6 & 7

Sunday & Monday

14 September 2009

Sunday

Okay—now I know I’m really in Ireland.

I’m sitting in O’Neill’s Pub in the city center. I’ve just finished a roast beef dinner complete with Yorkshire pudding, I’m drinking a Guinness, and I’m watching a hurling match on TV being announced in Irish (Gaelic).

The language has a guttural sound, similar to German—which makes sense, since the Celts who came to Ireland around 1500 BC likely migrated from Central Europe, in what is now Germany. Hurling looks like a combination of field hockey and lacrosse. The stick resembles a field hockey stick, flat at the end, and the ball looks like a lacrosse ball—except players can catch it with their hands and then strike it downfield with the stick. Beyond that, all I really know is this: County Clare won, and County Kilkenny lost.

Earlier in the day, after breakfast, I attended the 11:00 a.m. Mass at St. Mary’s Pro-Cathedral. The reason I chose this Mass was to hear the choir sing in Latin—there’s nothing like four-part harmony in a cathedral. These buildings were made for sound.

I was surprised by how full it was. The Mass was packed—and it wasn’t Christmas or Easter. But then again, that makes sense. For centuries under the Penal Laws, Catholics in Ireland were forbidden to own land, vote, hold public office, or practice their faith openly. Many worshipped in secret. Whenever religious practice is outlawed, it tends to deepen devotion. It’s basic human psychology: what is denied becomes more deeply desired.

Knowing Monday would be an early start, I did some grocery shopping after Mass. I was surprised the shops were open at all, but grateful they were. I needed a few things since I’d be leaving my B&B before the 7:00 a.m. breakfast time.

After dropping off my groceries, I crossed south over the River Liffey to visit the Archaeology & History Museum—only to find it closed for renovation. Oh well. I moved on to the Chester Beatty Library instead.

Chester Beatty was a wealthy American mining engineer who retired to Ireland and left behind an extraordinary collection. There are hundreds of jade and glass snuff bottles from China, rare manuscripts, and books from all over the world—including the oldest surviving copy of St. Paul’s Letter to the Romans.

As I wandered through the exhibits, I thought of my dear friend Margie, a discerning collector of books and treasures. Margie—now I know what we’ll do with your collection someday: leave it as an endowment to the University of Maryland or Johns Hopkins University. Just a thought…

Since Monday would be an early day, I left O’Neill’s after the hurling match and headed back to my B&B for some much-needed rest.

Tomorrow: a train ride.

Monday

Ah, the romance of trains—made even better by bright, modern, clean ones.

Up and out by 6:00 a.m., I took the light rail to Heuston Station, the departure point for trains heading south. Today’s destination: Killarney and the Ring of Kerry.

I’d purchased a rail tour, so my train ticket, tour bus seat, and driver-guide were all included in one price. At 7:00 a.m., we departed Dublin by train for Cork. In Mallow, our Ring of Kerry group changed trains and continued on to Killarney.

There, we met our driver-guide, Pat McNamara, who expertly navigated narrow roads around the Ring of Kerry while delighting us with stories and dry Irish wit—describing life in Kerry, past and present.

The Ring of Kerry is a scenic route encircling the Iveragh Peninsula in southwest Ireland. The views were stunning: sweeping vistas, charming towns, and my very first glimpse of the Atlantic Ocean from Irish soil.

We visited a traditional Bog Village and the town of Sneem, which regularly wins Ireland’s “cleanest town” award—and deservedly so, from what I could see. I’ll post photos on Facebook so you can judge for yourself.

I’m grateful for the beautiful weather. Nights are chilly—in the 40s—but the daytime sunshine is warm and generous.

Tomorrow I leave Dublin for the northwest… and begin my next adventure: driving on the wrong side of the road.

Stay tuned.

Love,
TJ