One of our very first stops was Kinsale, which we viewed over this large lake.
It was extremely windy here, blowing directly at us from the water.
This is a closer look at one of Kinsale's harbors.
Another nice view from across the lake.
My family's hosts, John and Anna O'Keefe, lived out in the countryside outside of Cork, and their view out their kitchen window was the classic Irish landscape.
The bluegrass band met up with John and Anna's Irish band in pubs and homes for musical evenings during the first few days of the tour.
Here we are looking downhill at this Irish street.
This is a closer look at one of Kinsale's harbors.
Another nice view from across the lake.
My family's hosts, John and Anna O'Keefe, lived out in the countryside outside of Cork, and their view out their kitchen window was the classic Irish landscape.
The bluegrass band met up with John and Anna's Irish band in pubs and homes for musical evenings during the first few days of the tour.
John is the banjo player in this group of Irish musicans.
We got to enjoy Irish dancing too. Anna is the dancer on the right, with John on the left side.
John took us to Barryscourt Castle, which is a restored Irish castle.
Sitting around the table in the Great Hall...
Emma and I posed outside the castle. Emma was close to six years old at that time.
We got to enjoy Irish dancing too. Anna is the dancer on the right, with John on the left side.
John took us to Barryscourt Castle, which is a restored Irish castle.
Sitting around the table in the Great Hall...
Emma and I posed outside the castle. Emma was close to six years old at that time.
John had also arranged a trip to go to Blarney Castle, home of the stone that is said to give elequent speech to everyone who hangs upside down from the castle's topmost tower and kisses the stone. I had visited Blarney Castle before when I accompanied the Berea Festival Dancers to Ireland in 1998, and fell in love with the place, even though I didn't have any desire to kiss the stone. I like my own way of writing. I still wanted to look at the stone but it was tough to go upstairs either up the spiral staircase or the great hall staircase, since neither had any railings. I made it up the sprial staircase as far as the murder hole before we turned around and headed back down. Daddy went back up and kissed the Blarney Stone. However, I don't think Mommy kissed the stone, being pregnant with Emma at the time. It would have been kind of tough for her to hang upside down many feet high in the air. I enjoyed peeking into the cavelike dungeons during that trip with the help of someone else's flashlight.
On this trip, the band members Megan and Amber accompanied us, though Deborah, Jonas, and Ryan voted to look at a big boat instead, having already been to Blarney Castle. I loved walking through the long path through the trees and grassy areas, with the castle eventually coming into view. John took this picture of the rest of us posed in front of the castle, which was quite similar to me taking part of Festival Dancer group pictures in this same spot. This time, I was carrying a bag that held a bear with an Irish dancer dress that I had bought in Kinsale. I adored my Irish bear, and from the time I bought her, she peeked out of my bag, enjoying the same sights that I saw.
Here is a close-up view of Blarney Castle, walking around to the back entrance.
When we entered the castle, we discovered that this time, there were railings on the stairs! We crossed the great hall to its staircase and headed up it. We could see a fireplace on the second story, where there is now open air. It was interesting to imagine what Blarney Castle was like in its earlier days, before it became empty ruins.
On the way to visit the Cliffs of Moher, we stopped at this fairy fort, where Irish fairies were said to have resided.
My family walked along the cliffs where we found this small castle perched alongside it. Since I have a big love for castles, I posed in front of this one while Mommy took my picture.
A nice band picture with them relaxed and enjoying themselves...
When we entered the castle, we discovered that this time, there were railings on the stairs! We crossed the great hall to its staircase and headed up it. We could see a fireplace on the second story, where there is now open air. It was interesting to imagine what Blarney Castle was like in its earlier days, before it became empty ruins.
I went up a smaller sprial staircase and then up some very steep stairs. The castle was still challenging enough to fulfill my sense of adventure. Here I am emerging from those stairs about to enter an open courtyard. We were just below the top of the tower where I could see people lined up to kiss the Blarney Stone. The sprial staircase that I had earlier gone up to visit the murder hole was in the corner of the courtyard, continuing on to the towertop. It too now had railings.
After looking around the courtyard, Mommy and Daddy insisted it was time to go back down. We entered the main spiral staircase, which was thankfully easier now that it had a railing. I enjoyed peering into the murder hole again, reminiscent of my earlier experience at Blarney Castle. This time, we had time to explore the gardens around the castle, something I had also really wanted to do. It was so beautiful there, and I wanted to see more.
John showed us this circular wall, and I enjoyed boosting myself to sit on it, with my feet dangling in the air. I couldn't help reminding myself of Humpty Dumpty. I hoped I wouldn't have a great fall. Even though we were nearbly a castle, there wouldn't have been any of the king's horses or the king's men to try to save me. I wasn't really worried however, just mostly enjoying myself. I knew to be careful.
After the Blarney Castle visit, we gathered together at a home for a big evening of music. Here I am sitting next to Deborah Payne, holding on to my Irish bear while enjoying myself. I often made my bear dance to the music.
On the way to visit the Cliffs of Moher, we stopped at this fairy fort, where Irish fairies were said to have resided.
We arrived at the famous Cliffs of Moher bordering the Atlantic Ocean, and the band members enjoyed lying on the rocks to get a good view.
My family walked along the cliffs where we found this small castle perched alongside it. Since I have a big love for castles, I posed in front of this one while Mommy took my picture.
I had this close-up picture taken of me with the Cliffs of Moher in the background.
A nice band picture with them relaxed and enjoying themselves...
Things got a bit wild here. Daddy was just pretending to fall off the side of the cliff, with the band members taking part of the dramatics. There was in fact a lower ledge that kept Daddy safe.
After hurrying to keep up with the horses, they were still too fast for me, so the farmer's wife led me back to the horse stables to rest. I noticed a grey horse looking out of its stall, and I felt like it looked rather bored and lonely. I felt the horse could use a friend, so I came up to the horse. To my surprise, the horse started licking me all over my face with its huge tounge, as if thanking me for coming over! I had never been kissed by a horse before! Suddenly, the horse snatched my glasses right off my face and dropped them into its stall. My glasses had been stolen by a horse! Partly amused and partly panicked, I ran to the farmhouse where the farmer’s wife was despite my blurry vision, and told her what happened. She just gave me a red crate to sit on, and told me to wait for the others to return. Part of the time I was laughing about the horse stealing my glasses, and part of the time, I was in despair, longing to have my glasses back. In one of my desparate moods, I looked back to the stall door and I noticed a gap between it and the ground below. I came up with the idea that I could reach under the stall door and possibly grab my glasses. I went down onto the dirty shavings, reached under the door, and found my glasses! When I pulled them out, I saw that they were very bent up with horse teeth marks on them, but at least I had rescued them and they were back in my hands. I managed to straighten out my glasses and put them back on my face, hoping that I wouldn't get in trouble for what just happened. Thankfully when the others came back and I told them what happened, they were amused and not upset at me. I have forgiven that horse for what he had done, and amuse myself by imagining him wearing my glasses. Here is a group picture after this experience, with my horse friend unfortunatly hidden from view, though a young boy is seen greeting the horse. I am sitting on the same red crate, with the stall door behind me. You can see the gap where I rescued my glasses.
We stayed overnight at this youth hostel with vines covering its sides. We enjoyed being outdoors before a concert that evening at a big cathedral in a nearby city.
The front lawn was a nice place to practice music.
I was making my bear dance beside me in the grass.
We also went to Killarney National Park, which is Ireland's first national park. We walked along a wooded trail that went alongside the lake until we reached a place where we could walk along the rocks that bordered the shoreline. I loved being there and looking around.
The Bluegrass Ensemble chose a spot on a log to pose for a picture.
Even after getting up from the log, the bug bites continued. We could hardly take time to enjoy the view of the lake as we struggled to get away from the invisible predators who were angerily gnashing at us. My hands and face kept getting attacked, with Mommy and me being behind everyone else, trying to get up a difficult ledge that led to the trail. It was quite an experience, running to get away from attackers I couldn't even see.
We drove to an upper section of Killarney National Park, where we could get out of the cars and enjoy these views of the beautiful Irish countryside without any animals attacking us.
We eventually reached Lismore Castle where the castle grounds are available for the public to tour, though the inside is off limits. The band members decided to walk into town instead, leaving my family to walk around Lismore Castle by ourselves. I was loving it here. It was another great castle to visit, with beatutiful gardens.
We walked in between a great aisle of giant trees.
We went to an Irish horse farm, where the farmer let the band ride horses. I was rather nervous to be up on a horse, so I was going to try to follow them on my feet instead.
After hurrying to keep up with the horses, they were still too fast for me, so the farmer's wife led me back to the horse stables to rest. I noticed a grey horse looking out of its stall, and I felt like it looked rather bored and lonely. I felt the horse could use a friend, so I came up to the horse. To my surprise, the horse started licking me all over my face with its huge tounge, as if thanking me for coming over! I had never been kissed by a horse before! Suddenly, the horse snatched my glasses right off my face and dropped them into its stall. My glasses had been stolen by a horse! Partly amused and partly panicked, I ran to the farmhouse where the farmer’s wife was despite my blurry vision, and told her what happened. She just gave me a red crate to sit on, and told me to wait for the others to return. Part of the time I was laughing about the horse stealing my glasses, and part of the time, I was in despair, longing to have my glasses back. In one of my desparate moods, I looked back to the stall door and I noticed a gap between it and the ground below. I came up with the idea that I could reach under the stall door and possibly grab my glasses. I went down onto the dirty shavings, reached under the door, and found my glasses! When I pulled them out, I saw that they were very bent up with horse teeth marks on them, but at least I had rescued them and they were back in my hands. I managed to straighten out my glasses and put them back on my face, hoping that I wouldn't get in trouble for what just happened. Thankfully when the others came back and I told them what happened, they were amused and not upset at me. I have forgiven that horse for what he had done, and amuse myself by imagining him wearing my glasses. Here is a group picture after this experience, with my horse friend unfortunatly hidden from view, though a young boy is seen greeting the horse. I am sitting on the same red crate, with the stall door behind me. You can see the gap where I rescued my glasses.
We stayed overnight at this youth hostel with vines covering its sides. We enjoyed being outdoors before a concert that evening at a big cathedral in a nearby city.
The front lawn was a nice place to practice music.
I was making my bear dance beside me in the grass.
We also went to Killarney National Park, which is Ireland's first national park. We walked along a wooded trail that went alongside the lake until we reached a place where we could walk along the rocks that bordered the shoreline. I loved being there and looking around.
The Bluegrass Ensemble chose a spot on a log to pose for a picture.
Emma and I then joined them. Unfortunatly, that log didn't prove to be a good choice. We discovered a colony of tiny bugs who were angry at us for invading their log and flew around us, giving very painful bites. They were so small that we couldn't see them, but we could certainly feel them attacking us.
Even after getting up from the log, the bug bites continued. We could hardly take time to enjoy the view of the lake as we struggled to get away from the invisible predators who were angerily gnashing at us. My hands and face kept getting attacked, with Mommy and me being behind everyone else, trying to get up a difficult ledge that led to the trail. It was quite an experience, running to get away from attackers I couldn't even see.
We drove to an upper section of Killarney National Park, where we could get out of the cars and enjoy these views of the beautiful Irish countryside without any animals attacking us.
We eventually reached Lismore Castle where the castle grounds are available for the public to tour, though the inside is off limits. The band members decided to walk into town instead, leaving my family to walk around Lismore Castle by ourselves. I was loving it here. It was another great castle to visit, with beatutiful gardens.
We walked in between a great aisle of giant trees.
We eventually crossed into the upper gardens, which were more organized with planted trees and shrubbery.
A view out the windows...
Among the last places we visited was Ballymaloe House Hotel. It was a very large and fancy house where the Bluegrass Ensemble was going to give a performance. We were going to be treated for dinner afterwards. Emma and I are seen in the sunroom awaiting the performance.
A view out the windows...
The band played in the corner of the living room, which was filled up with people watching.
We returned to Cork, Ireland, and had some last minute fun with John and Anna O'Keefe and friends before heading home. Just as we were driving to the airport, this rainbow appeared in the sky. This was a special Irish farewell.
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