Leaving Ireland

I’d had an unexpected great ten days in Ireland because no matter where I went, people were friendly. In Cork, a woman joined me in a restaurant, and I heard every detail about her perfect son who never drank. No matter who sat next to me on trains and buses, a conversation broke out. It reminded me of growing up in Australia where, travelling with my mother on a tram, she would always talk with strangers around her.

Last stop – Kilkenny

Although Kilkenny was small, it was lively during the Arts Festival. I visited old sites: I wandered through Kilkenny Castle and lounged on the lush grounds; I went into spooky Rothe House; climbed St Canice’s Cathedral’s tower where I could see farms dotted in the distance; walked along the Butter Slip where maids once sold their butter; and even took in an Australian movie.

Bennettsbridge? Where’s that?

My daughter’s husband had a family connection to Bennettsbridge and when he spoke about his visit some years earlier, it sounded like a perfect setting.

Kilkenny’s Thomastown

I bused north from Cork to Thomastown. It was a little hard to find accommodation in this tiny place because, you guessed it, there was another wedding celebration and an entire hotel was booked.

After securing a roof over my head, I wandered the graveyard. At the edge of the town stood a section of the old stonewall dating back to 1373.

Cork’s famous port – Cobh

Cobh photo courtesy: jmenard48 – wikimedia.org

I strolled Panna and crossed the River Lee but wasn’t overly excited by Cork. I collected the research I needed except for one last location – Cork’s port, Cobh. Brought to fame by being the last port of call for the Titanic, the town was only a half hour’s train ride away. The train rattled beside the River Lee where a lush landscape bordered the stream.

Irish food and a Cork “delicacy”

Tripe photo courtesy: Kent Wang – wikimedia.org

After a few days in Ireland, I can’t say I was a fan of the food. The dishes were the same bland English style. I solved my dilemma by finding Indian restaurants where I never saw an Irish person eat. Then I read about a Cork “delicacy.”

Cork’s Red Abbey

After I bused to Cork’s university, I walk back to the city. I passed the Red Abbey on the way. There wasn’t much to see except the 14^th century tower but the area around the abbey, though not what would grasp a tourist’s attention, gave me a perfect setting for a small section of my story.

Cork’s university campus

My research began in earnest in Cork. My first stop in this southern city was University College Cork.

The old part of the university consisted of a stately building before a quadrangle of emerald green lawn. Near by was the mysterious Crawford observatory that appeared abandon.

Dublin’s time warp

Photo courtesy: Diliff – wikimedia.org

I travelled back hundreds of years in Dublin. Tracing the cobbled stone walkway of eighteenth century Trinity College, I found the Book of Kells. The thousand year old book was displayed under glass within the college. Equally as impressive was its library with books towering from floor to ceiling while my footsteps echoed off the wooden floor.

Dublin City

I hung out in Temple Bar for a while where pubs with brightly coloured doors belted out music and smokers idled near doors puffing. There were the usual tourist shops, so I wandered to Half Penny Bridge, a walkway that arched over the River Liffey.