More Ireland

this was a very last minute trip

as we were unsure if steve could

get the time off from work.

we pulled it together pretty quickly.

here is our itinerary...

we booked our car on 

the Oscar Wilde ferry

leaving from Cherbourg, France...

about 3 1/2 hours northwest of us.

the ferry was not leaving until 

9:30 at night so we took advantage

of our time and visited Normandy.

visiting the american cemetery was emotional.

i'd love to go back with the

older kids and take a guided tour.

the ferry ride from cherbourg to rosslare ireland

left at 9:30 and we arrived at around 3:30 the next day.

it was a rough ride that night

and we were all looking a bit green the next morning.

we drove from rosslare, which is south

of dublin..to cork.

we stayed in a hotel that night.

the kids loved the indoor pool.

the next day we checked out and

drove to the charming town of 

kinsale.

it was COLD and windy and snowing.

but the sun was out

and this being a tourist town in the summer

we had the place to ourselves.

(photo cred's to Will :)

i loved the brightly painted store fronts in kinsale.

we popped into one shop

and bought some new wellies.

we lived in our wellies in ireland!

lunch at the fishy fishy cafe

was delicious!

we had our fill of

fish and chips and seafood chowder.

and maybe a guinness. 

if you're ever in kinsale..

visit the fishy fishy cafe.

i bought their cookbook :)

full belly's

and new wellies

we headed northwest for the 

town of dingle.

(let me say that the boys

had a field day with the name 

of this town...and not just the

young boys)

we arrived

after dark at our cottage.

what a surprise the next 

morning..waking up

to a view of the  snow capped mountains,

grazing sheep all around

and the ocean.

this cottage was charming..

and cold. 

steve kept the fire going all 

night that first night

and i think the kids slept

with their coats on.

our view from the front of the cottage

view from the back

little hike up to see the sheep.

dingle also was painted brightly.

we ate lunch two days in a row

at Murphy's pub.

we loved the food,

the hospitality

and the free wi-fi.

and then went for ice cream

at murphy's.

lots of murphy's.

:)

the next day we drove

the ring of dingle.

we followed a guide book

and it took us

most of the day.

the sights were breathtakingly

beautiful.

at one stop on the tour

there is an old ruined church

from the 12th century.

we got out and walked around

and as i read more from the book

it talked about an old stone that was

there 900 years even before the church

was built.

it marked a grave, indicating that this

was a pre-christian holy spot.

a hole was drilled centuries ago

through the top of the stone as a place

where people would come to seal a deal..standing on

the graves of their ancestors and in front of the house

of God, they'd "swear to God" by touching their 

thumbs through this stone.

you can still use this to renew your marriage vows..

and that's what we did.

(photo cred's to hannah :)

sun going down on 

part of the three sisters mountain range.

we loved dingle! 

more tomorrow!