The craic was 90
Last October, we took a group of 20 to Ireland. I worked with our partners at Brendan Vacations to create an escorted tour of Ireland with a focus on local; local food, local distillers, local experiences. I still wanted all the things you MUST see in Ireland so we included the Rock of Cashel, the Blarney Castle, the Ring of Kerry and the Cliffs of Moher. I also wanted extra, so we also visited Belfast, the Giant’s Causeway and stayed at the Titanic Belfast Hotel.
I knew we would love it but I didn’t prepare myself for how much we would all love it. It is 3 months later and everyone I talk with says that they can’t stop thinking about Ireland. I feel the same. It was magic.
We had a fantastic team of guide and driver. Gillian, our guide was funny, creative, and kind. She taught us all so much about Irish legends, language, history, music, literature, movies and more. Our driver John was a guide also, but on this trip he was our driver. He was so skilled at managing the bus. But he was more, he was jovial and sweet. We laughed, we danced, we sipped whiskey (not while he was on duty!), we even cried. He became a kind patriarch to me as I fretted over the group still wanting to be sure it was all perfect, even though it already was.
The terrain is beautiful. It is soft and rugged at the same time. It is rolling, and rocking, curvy and straight. A little wet and windy, but not always. We had clear blue skies as often as not. It is colorful and it is gray. But even when it is gray it is gorgeous.
We experienced such amazing treats. We had a private group dinner at Muckross Farms near Killarney, where we enjoyed a delicious, traditional Irish dinner and music by Sheila O’Donahue and her musical partner, Declan (SP?), We were were treated to an impromptu oyster feast at Paddy Burkes in Clarinbridge on our way to Galway. We had private tastings at Teelings in Dublin, The Shed Distillery in Drumshanbo and a private tour at Bushmills. We had 2 fabulous private guides. Dierdre in Belfast, who gave us a behind the scenes experience and Mark at the Giant’s Causeway who was a masterful story teller. We even had a private food tasting tour in Galway. The experience that surprised us all was how much we loved our visit to Long Meadow Cider and their farm in Portadown, Co. Armagh in Northern Ireland. We enjoyed a tour, tasting their ciders and vinegar, but the real treat was a soda bread baking class complete with a delicious cheese and chutney spread. So yummy and easy, several of our guests made soda bread the instant they returned home.
Our tour started and ended in Dublin. We stayed in city center at the Hyatt Centric, The Liberties. It was a great location for getting out and around. We stayed at a gorgeous manor in Killarney; The Cahernane House was really a treasure. Such a beautiful location on the edge of the Killarney National Park. A bit out of the way, but a beloved visit, we stayed at the Abbeyglen Castle Hotel near the cute little town of Clifden. The castle was warm and lodgelike, and the hospitality was even warmer. Our last hotel was the Titanic Hotel, Belfast. This was like staying in a museum. It is THE building of the engineers and designers of Harland and Wolff, the shipbuilding company that built the Titanic, next to the very slip in which she was created and the recently opened, unique and immersive Titanic museum.
And the pubs. Oh, the pubs! We might have visited a few Irish pubs! There is no way to explain the joy of sitting in an Irish pub. You just have to go. You will be welcomed by the kindest, funniest, most interesting people.
The only way to sum it up is to say the craic was 90! (If you know, you know.) The experience has left me half broken and the fix is a return to Ireland.
