Travel to Ireland, September 2025.

Maps of Ireland

If you need to take a break from reading about our exciting travels in Ireland, with thanks to Rick Steves, take a note of the date where you last read, start here, and click on that date below to return to where you left off. Then continue reading about the magnificence of Ireland. For now, scroll past these dates and learn about our delightful Irish experiences. Enjoy.

For anyone who will not have the time to read the details of our exciting and pleasurable journey, we had on our first trip to Ireland, allow me to summarize by saying it was a phenomenal experience, highly educational, enjoyable, well organized, professionally arranged, and executed through Rick Steves’ travel company. I have insufficient superlatives to express our admiration for how they made it an exceptional and enjoyable time for us.  We spent an additional 7 days sightseeing in other parts of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

Our trip began on September 2, 2025, and returned home on September 17, 2025. The trip cost us $17,400. My hidden agenda was to learn about Thomas Christopher Barry, who moved to Cape Town, South Africa, from Ireland in 1822.  Additional research will be required to discover conclusive facts.

My overall impression of our visit to Ireland is extremely positive, and I would encourage everyone who has an opportunity to visit the country to do so.  You might even think about emigrating to this paradise.  I cannot say enough positive things about the Rick Steves tour portion of our trip. It was professionally planned and executed to the satisfaction of all 26 of our travel companions. The subsequent one-day Black Cab trip to Belfast in Northern Ireland was truly the cherry on top.  Learning about the “Troubles” was worth every penny we invested in that portion of our visit.  Back in Dublin, we visited several fascinating places, then journeyed south to Portlaoise to spend time with Linda’s high school friend Des to learn more about that central part of Ireland. We had teamed up with Des on our tour to Italy. Coincidentally, Des was living in Italy at the time of that tour in May 2022. 

I would be remiss if I did not comment that everyone in Ireland that we met commiserated with us that we lived in a country with Trump as president.  And no, the Irish we met did not have an ounce of respect for him.

In my first draft of this blog, I began with information I gleaned about Ireland over many months before the start of our journey.  On reflection, I moved that information to the end of our travel information details.  There you will read more details about this wonderful country.

Our timing for this trip was not the best, as at the start of our travels, today (September 2, 2025) is the 18^th birthday of our twin granddaughters, Olivia and Isabel. As a consolation prize, we plan to be in the San Francisco, California area for their high school graduation next year, staying for three months from March to May 2026 to enjoy many of their year-end activities.

What caused us some anxiety?  The near-daily reports of flight drama in the U.S.  The first time I flew was between Port Elizabeth and Cape Town, South Africa, sixty years ago.  With my consulting business in South Africa, I flew to cities around South Africa, with a trip to Harare, Zimbabwe. I represented an American consulting business and travelled to the U.S. two or three times a year for three years, to several American destinations. After we moved to Wisconsin forty years ago, and with my U.S. business, my air travel continued to cities around America, including one trip to Mexico City, several trips to cities in Canada, and occasional trips to Europe, as well as one business trip to India.  We traveled to South Africa on several occasions with our family. I document this to say that I am not a novice at flying.  That said, the news of accidents and near misses associated with air travel is sufficient to trouble the most seasoned traveler, heightening your anxiety levels.  Our trips turned out to be totally uneventful and without incident.  Thank you, United Airlines.  Getting home, I read that flights in Europe were disrupted due to a cyberattack that had delayed flights.

After we returned home, we read this disturbing news item.  Dublin Airport’s Terminal 2 has reopened following a security alert. The terminal was evacuated on Saturday afternoon (September 20, 2025) as a “precautionary measure” after police were alerted to a suspicious item of airline luggage at about 11:30 local time. Gardaí (Irish police) were assisted by the Irish army’s explosive disposal team. The item has since been declared safe, and normal operations have resumed at the airport, although some disruption was expected for the rest of the day.

Tuesday, September 2, 2025, Flight to Dublin, arrive Wednesday, September 3, 2025

We were up early, showered, packed our last items, and ready for our son, Sean, to drive us 90 minutes to O’Hare airport in Chicago.  We had a beautiful day, arriving at Terminal 1, seven hours before our departure time.  Sean had to be in Indianapolis, Indiana, for an afternoon meeting, requesting to take us earlier in the day.  The alternative was to get a ride to Milwaukee airport and a bus to O’Hare.  Given the option, early arrival was by far our preferred choice. 

Terminal 1 was an unbelievable zoo with thousands of passengers crowding the building.  Yesterday was Labor Day, a public holiday, and I’m not sure if this was still people returning home after a long weekend. We struggled to find an available restaurant with a place to sit for a meal—enough of my complaining.

I had a funny incident at our bank this morning.  We have such professional dealings with Jennifer, a manager, and mentioned to her that we were off to Ireland.  She beamed as she showed me her itinerary on her iPhone for her trip.  Her enthusiasm was more than infectious.  Jennifer shared with me many locations we should visit. 

Our aircraft is a Boeing B787-8/9. Mileage to Dublin 3,673 miles (5,911 kilometers), flying time 6 hours 43 minutes. To board, they used new technology.  We stood in front of a camera, and if recognized, and showed a valid and signed passport, we could proceed to board.  The flight was full.  Possibly due to this new technology, boarding was somewhat slower in my experience.  Linda was kind in that she elected to sit in the middle seat, and I had the aisle. Currently, the arrival time in Dublin is 9:22 am, Wednesday, and with the 6-hour time zone difference, it implies we are taking off at 3:22 am, Irish time. 

While waiting to board this flight, we put on our compression hose to help prevent a deep vein thrombosis.  Aside from that, we keep moving to help circulation.  Our pilot advised that we should have a smooth flight and arrive in Dublin early.  We had a selection of dinner choices: beef, chicken, or vegetarian pasta, and we requested chicken pasta.  We were eating dinner at 10:00 pm, U.S. Central time.

As expected, at 2:00 am Central time, or 8:00 am Irish time, we were offered breakfast and a beverage.  I took a pass.  The flights landed early as the pilot had predicted on takeoff.

Before making flight reservations, I was fully aware that the Rick Steves tour started on the West Coast in Ennis.  I contemplated flying into Ennis and flying out of Dublin on the east coast.  When I checked airfares, it made more sense to fly in and out of Dublin and take a bus across the country.  I was amazed to learn that the ride took only three and a half hours.  That made me realize how compact Ireland is.  I should add that we wanted to get to Ireland a few days ahead of the tour to recover from jet lag due to the 6-hour time zone difference.

Wednesday, September 3, 2025, Old Ground Hotel, Ennis

Flight Link bus to Ennis

With the threat of rain in Dublin, we arrived experiencing clear weather. We reserved a seat on the 1:00 pm bus to Ennis, but the driver welcomed us aboard the 11:00 am shuttle. This was our initial opportunity to see the Emerald Isle.  At the airport we drew 200 Euro for spending money. The bus driver had very strict instructions: no noise, no blaring of electronic devices, or loud conversations.  We had a peaceful trip.

On the bus as we left the parking area, I was amazed at how narrow the roads are, and we were on a full-size 50-seater bus. Once we got onto their 3 and 4-lane motorways, I thought the lanes were narrower than we are accustomed to in America. The traffic was very heavy.  I guessed that they call these roads a motorway, as I saw one labeled M7. There was no shortage of 18-wheeler trucks, or do they call them lorries in Ireland?

Ireland is described as the country of 500 shades of green. With the commanding view from the bus, that statement is accurate.  We encountered some rain as we traveled west. We saw many large herds of sheep and cows grazing on farmland, all in open pastures.  We saw wide open spaces with trees growing everywhere. I even saw a cell tower in the middle of nowhere. We passed through an e-toll, slowly and without stopping. I admit that I am quite tired since I have not slept since waking on Tuesday morning.  I now need to recharge some of my electronic devices.

Most motorists drive vehicles that are smaller than those we are accustomed to in America.  We saw an Amazon distribution center. To get an idea of how small Ireland is, the bus journey took three and a half hours from east to west, including two stops to drop off passengers. The nearer we got to Ennis, the sun made an appearance. I was delighted to see wind turbine farms. The roads we travelled on were in much better condition compared to some of our roads in Wisconsin. Naturally, I assume that they do not have the extreme weather that we have back home, with heat, snow, and ice helping to damage our roads.

In Ireland, they drive on the left-hand side of the road, with the steering wheel on the right, and go around road traffic circles from the left, rotating clockwise or right. Driving through towns, I get the impression that homes are much smaller, some to the point of being tiny. They have a significant number of traffic lights. We drove through Limerick.  As we saw in Eastern Europe, after the red traffic light, it flashes yellow before getting the green light. The yellow comes before the red as well.  I did see Teslas on our drive. We made two stops in Limerick for passengers to get on and off. I get the impression that traffic circles are very popular in town.  We saw larger homes in the outlying areas.

Old Ground Hotel Front and Back

A Brief History of the Old Ground Hotel.

The Old Ground Hotel was built in the early part of the 18th century as a private dwelling by Barry Upton and John Dwyer, who leased it to Charles Mahon for “three lives”. When Mahon died in 1822, his son Charles took over the lease. On the 13th of January 1863, he handed the property over to his nephew John Mahon, who then resided in London. John left London and travelled to Ireland on horseback. Riding from Limerick to Ennis to take up residence, he arrived at the mansion to be greeted by an old retainer with the words “You are welcome to the Old Ground, sir.” The warmth of the greeting and the sincerity behind it immediately influenced the owner to call his mansion The Old Ground, and this name has been retained to this day.

Mahon became the owner of the property on the 10th of December 1875 and then sold it to John Petty, who died between 1875 and 1886. William Hymes, MD, became a tenant in the house, and in 1895, Jane McNamara acquired it and turned the mansion into a hotel.  The McNamaras sold the premises, date unknown, and since then, the hotel has had a checkered history.

After arriving at the Old Ground Hotel in Ennis, we treated ourselves to tea and scones.  The receptionist was very helpful, providing us with two maps and recommendations for where to go for dinner.  She suggested Alexander Knox. We also have the option of meals in the hotel. 

Alexander Knox

We strolled the streets around the hotel. 

 

Ennis Narrow Streets

What was fascinating to me was to see the variety of small stores lining the very narrow streets.  There is sufficient room for only one car to drive, provided everything is one-way traffic.  We did not see traffic on those narrow roads. 

Dunnes Stores and Multilevel Parking

By contrast, we saw Dunnes, a huge department store.  Dunnes Stores is an Irish multinational retail chain that primarily sells food, clothes, and household wares. It was founded by Ben Dunne in 1944. We meandered through, and it appears that they sell everything your heart might desire.  Alongside the store is a multilevel parking garage owned by Dunnes.

Ennis Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul 

We stopped and admired the Ennis Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul, built in 1843. In 1874, the tower and spire were completed, and in 1890, Dr Thomas McRedmond was consecrated as the Bishop of Killaloe.  The parish church of SS Peter & Paul was designated as the pro-cathedral of the diocese when the new Bishop decided to make Ennis his home. Major renovations were carried out in 1894 – the construction of the present main entrance and the redecoration of the building.

In 1973, work was carried out to bring the building into line with the requirements of the Second Vatican Council. The building was reopened after six months in December 1973. In 1990, 163 years after work on the building began, Bishop Harty named it a cathedral. The solemn dedication of the cathedral and the altar took place on 18 November 1990. The sanctuary was rebuilt, and the building was redecorated after a fire at a shrine in the cathedral in October 1995.

I must add one amusing comment.  Before we started our trip to Ireland, Linda and I bought ridiculously expensive umbrellas.  It is tiny in size, folded up into a small package, with a terrific mechanism to open for use.  While walking around Ennis, it rained for about 5 minutes, so not knowing the duration, we opened the umbrella to keep us dry.  Before our travels to Ireland, we knew we could get daily rain, but what everyone forgot to emphasize is that the rain was often accompanied by high winds, making the umbrella a challenge.

Hands by Shane Gilmore

This sculpture is near the cathedral

I learned that Ennis is derived from the Gaelic or Irish word Inis, meaning island.

Guinness plus fish and chips

I had my very first Guinness in Ireland today.  We had dinner at our hotel, where the food and service were phenomenal.  Linda said I should look around and see that everyone was dressed rather elegantly, and asked why I dressed in jeans.   We then saw a patron in jeans, and another, and another, and another. 

Thursday, September 4, 2025, Old Ground Hotel, Ennis

Old Ground Hotel Dining Room

We woke at the Old Ground Hotel this morning after sleeping for 11 hours.  If that does not tell you how tired we were, nothing will.  Breakfast is included in the room rate, and that too was a treat.  We had oatmeal, honey and cream, coffee, toast and jam, with fresh fruit, plus a buffet selection fit for a king.  Naturally, we did not gorge ourselves, but we look forward to what we might have for the next two mornings.  I had a banana and took an apple for my lunch, while Linda selected yogurt for hers. 

I got another education this morning, comparing life in America to what is standard in Ireland.  In the U.S. the hot water faucet is on the left, and if it is a horizontal swivel tap, swing to the left for hot water, and you guessed it, it is opposite in Ireland, but then too so is the steering wheel in automobiles, and they drive in the opposite side of the road, or the same as we were used to growing up in South Africa.  I later learned that in other hotels, hot water was on the left, cold water was on the right, so some hotels did not adhere to a standard.

We woke up to rain today and decided to stay in our room until the rain stopped later in the morning.  The hotel decided this would be a great day to have their twice-yearly fire drill.  Naturally, we did not know that until after we abandoned our room and heard the story from the manager downstairs.  The guy in the room next door woke up from a deep sleep at 10:30 am. They had hotel workers check each room to verify that there was no fire in the room.  Our room passed the test.  After that, the rain stopped, so we started touring the city.

Today, we headed out for a personal tour of the town around the area of our hotel.  The hotel provided us with a map of the places of interest. We covered 5 miles (8 kilometers or just over 12,000 steps).  If I am allowed one complaint, on this walk I took 75 photographs, but the internet is so painfully slow that I was unable to synchronize them to iCloud. 

Ennis Friary

We followed the path of the Historical Train, interspersed with the Ennis Sculpture Trail. Our first stop was the Ennis Friary, one of Ireland’s oldest Franciscan friaries, and the burial place of the ancient Kings of Clare.  It was founded in the 13^th century by the royal O’Brien’s.  The impressive building had many uses, including a courthouse, a jail, and an administrative center, with different occupiers throughout the centuries.  Founded in 1240, and in use until 1871, initially a friary, a courthouse, and lastly a Church of Ireland parish church.  Today, it is a heritage site.

I chose not to detail all the 32 sites we visited along our walk. However, on our walk, I saw cars with a large “L” and/or “N” on their windscreen/windshield.  Back at the hotel, I asked him to please explain.  Children can take a theory test as young as 15.  The “L” is required to show a learner driver, but accompanied by a fully licensed driver, when they can start with lessons at 17, and finally, an “N” for a novice driver.

Sights Around Ennis

We certainly saw variety around town.  Some homes, including apartments, were tiny in the extreme, one or two were set on large grounds with big homes, and other residences were of sizes in between.  Walking on sidewalks provided a challenge, where some were so narrow that you hardly had room for two people to walk side by side, and giving way for pedestrians coming toward you proved a challenge.  In other places, the path was very wide.  So, we saw many extremes. Traffic in the city was generally heavy and busy on two-way roads. The weather, too, provided entertainment.  We had occasional rain showers, but it cleared after a few minutes.

English and Irish in Limerick

In the late afternoon, we took another stroll in this neighborhood, selecting a route that we had not tried before, so we could experience different sights to enjoy. We saw a sign on a building in English and Irish.  We got one surprise today.  A charging station for electric vehicles alongside the sidewalk, with two electric vehicles getting a charge.  I have seen very few Teslas, and I am disappointed not to see any Subarus that are obviously not sold in Ireland.  We are driving our third Subaru back home.

Old Ground Hotel Bar and Music

We had a delightful evening.  Our goal was to go to the hotel pub and listen to music.  We arrived early to get a table for two, ordered two Guinness and later an Irish coffee, and enjoyed the music. With us meeting members of the Rick Steves tour tomorrow, we elected to have an early night and made our way to our room at 9:00 pm.  We tried watching TV, but could find nothing but soap operas, and gave up on that mission.

Ireland in 7 days

Friday, September 5, 2025, Old Ground Hotel, Ennis, Rick Steves Tour Day 1: Welcome to Ireland

 We woke up after 8:00 am today, in time for a quick shower and another delightful breakfast. I reported that yesterday I had slept for 11 hours, but last night I’m not sure that I got any sleep.  Is this jet lag, or was it the Irish Coffee, laced with whiskey?

Temple Gate Hotel

We walked around our hotel, sightseeing at local attractions. 

Today we met the 28 people on the Rick Steves tour, but two had pulled out, bringing the total back to 28, with the tour guide Kelli Malone, and the bus driver, Alan Malone, but they are not related to each other. 

Kelli Malone and some of our tour group.

Kelli has a doctorate in anthropology, is single, lives in the middle of Ireland in Mullingar, owns horses, and works for a few travel companies as a guide. Kelli specializes in historical, archaeological literature, ecological, educational, and general tours for large, small, or private groups. Kelli is currently a tour manager with RIT, Rick Steves Europe.

Rick Steves Meeting Room

Rick Steves recovered from prostate cancer, first identified in August 2024, and was cured three months later, an issue that we are very sensitive about due to family and friend connections.  

The Rick Steves tour group met initially at 2:00 pm to be briefed on rules and regulations, and provided information as to where we would visit until we arrived in Dublin. Our first order of business was to find a buddy pair. We each had to introduce ourselves and where we were from.  I was surprised to learn that Linda and I had been married for the longest time and did not think that we were the oldest in the group.  Several said that this was not their first tour with Rick Steves, with a few saying that they had already been on 5 tours. We teamed up with Rex and Diane.  The idea is that after each venture, often hiking around tourist spots, we verify that our buddies get back on the bus and are accounted for. There was a funny moment.  There were two sets of friends from the same town in Illinois.  He was Rick, and the other guy was Steve.  Kelli pointed out that they were not related to Rick Steves.

Mercedes Tour Bus with Alan.

Our tour bus is a very comfortable Mercedes that seats about 50 people.

At 3:00 pm, we set out for the Cliffs of Moher.  My first observation is that Alan is a phenomenal bus driver.  The roads are extremely narrow, with just enough room for two vehicles to pass each other, driving in the opposite direction.  In town, with parked cars, the roads are barely wide enough for two vehicles, especially when one is a bus, and sometimes the oncoming vehicle is also a bus or large truck. 

Damaged Building

In one place, Kelli pointed out a building that had been struck on several occasions by large vehicles trying to make a tight turn. 

Illegal Parking

At one place near the hotel, Alan could not make a turn because a vehicle was parked in a no-parking area, and Alan had to wait until the motorist moved their car.  There were exciting incidents on the narrow open roads, where vehicles were whizzing past each other with fractions of an inch to spare.

Cliffs of Moher

We finally made it to the Cliffs of Moher, a dramatic, wind-swept high cliff, where people have committed suicide by jumping to their deaths below the cliffs.  Consequently, many barricades have been set up to make it difficult for people to meet their goal.  These wild waters are a favorite of surfers, often scoring the highest waves in any sea.  Linda and I walked to see the dramatic views, and we were exceptionally fortunate.  This stretch is known for rain and high winds.  We experienced neither, and we enjoyed climbing long stretches of steps to ascend to the top of the hill for terrific views and photographic opportunities.  We even enjoyed an ice cream from the local vendor.

The dramatic Cliffs of Moher teeter on the very edge of Europe, more than 600 feet (190 meters) above the churning waters of the North Atlantic. About 300 million years ago, this was the delta of a gigantic river, depositing vast volumes of silt that gradually built up in the layers of shale and sandstone that you can see in cross-section as you survey the cliffs. The erosion of these exposed layers has created many little nooks and crannies in the cliff walls, an ideal habitat where about 60,000 sea birds nest through the summer months.

Monument to children

On the drive back to the hotel, we stopped at a monument dedicated to children who were forced to work many years ago in challenging circumstances.  Researchers believe that 20,000 children died from working in these hostile jobs.

Driving back to Old Ground Hotel, Ennis

Meal in Milltown.

 Back at the hotel, we took a breather before reassembling to walk to a nearby restaurant with a wide selection of dishes for dinner.  The meal was included in the price we paid for the tour, but we had to pay for our own beverages.  We were very fortunate that Kelli joined us at our table, and we had very interesting conversations.

We returned to the hotel to retire in our rooms and to get ready for another interesting day tomorrow. We have an early start in the morning with breakfast at 7:00 am, while the bus will leave at 9:00 am, after we have checked out of the hotel.

Saturday, September 6, 2025, Milltown House, Dingle, Rick Steves Tour Day 2: Ennis to Dingle Town

Today we checked out of the Old Ground hotel, and are ready for another fun day.

Listowel, County Kerry

After breakfast, we packed up and boarded our comfortable bus, setting course for Ireland’s Dingle Peninsula. We stopped in Listowel, County Kerry, and enjoyed hearing about author and playwright, the late John Keane, from his son, Billy Keane.  I bought books from John and Billy Keane via Amazon. One of John Keane’s best-known books is called The Fields (1965). Richard Harris starred in the movie based on the play by John and received an Academy nomination for his performance. It was quite controversial about women’s rights long before it became popular.

I had a private chat with Billy Keane after his stand-up routine, and he told me that he has been to Cape Town. In fact, he said that he has a family member who just got engaged, and they will be in Cape Town next week.

Shannon River Ferry

We crossed the Shannon River using a ferry, and the cost for the bus was Euro 80. The crossing took 35 minutes. If you study a map of Ireland, you will see that the river flows north into the Republic of Ireland. What is hard to imagine is how wide this river is. When we arrived, it looked like the sea or a large lake. It is not too often that we have been on a large ferry like this. We used a ferry to cross Lake Michigan from Wisconsin, a ferry in northern Wisconsin in Door County, and one in Vancouver, Canada.

The line of traffic we saw trying to get on the ferry seemed to be a mile long, and yes, there were many more vehicles than the ferry could accommodate at one time.

We had an interesting conversation with a few Canadians who assured us that they have no love for Trump and his wanting to annex Canada, with all his ridiculous tweets, none of which have gained anyone any respect for his utterances. 

Barry Keyring

Prior to getting on the ferry, we visited the shop alongside the departure point. Linda purchased four keyrings, with the story of Barry’s. As a name found amongst the Anglo-Norman invaders of Ireland, it probably derives from the French “Barri” meaning “rampart”.  In Irish, it can either derive from “descent of Beargh”, a nickname for “robber”, or “descendant of Baire”, a shortened form of various personal names.  Philip de Barri obtained extensive land in County Cork in 1179.  The motto for Barry is “Push Forward”.

The roads we traveled on are narrow; I doubt I saw any stretch that was straight for more than a quarter mile. The roads swing left or right, up and down continuously. Very often, with the absence of traffic, the driver would straddle the dividing line and pull to the left when he saw the very occasional oncoming vehicle.

There are two breeds of foxes in Ireland, which are the predominant type of wildlife. Tiny weasels, minx, hedgehogs, lots of bird species, bats, and some deer live on the island. They have lots of squirrels. Hunting is not permitted in Ireland, and guns are forbidden.

At the end of our drive, we arrived in the pastel-painted, quintessentially Irish harbor town of Dingle. After a walking tour, we enjoyed a dinner of local specialties followed by an evening of Irish tunes.

Clanmara Our B&B

Clanmara was a delight.  I don’t believe that I can call it a hotel, since it is more like a luxury boarding house.  I eventually spoke to the owner, who told me that they are classified as a Bed and Breakfast.  The shower worked great, a small round unit, and frankly, I was pleased that I brought my own soap and sponge, since what they provided may not have been adequate.  They have a tall wall unit heating device in the bathroom that Linda could use to hang her laundry after washing it last night, and a great place to hang your towel after the shower. 

Milltown House

Today ended on a very special note.  Initially, we met for dinner at Milltown House, the hotel where some of the Rick Steven’s tourists stayed.  We were assigned a room at the neighboring bed and breakfast, Clanmara.  Our B&B was beautifully arranged, with all the amenities that we could want.  If you look carefully, you will see our umbrellas drying off in the shower.  For dinner, we walked the short distance back to Milltown.  We were treated to one of the best meals I have ever had in any establishment.  We were advised that everything prepared was homegrown within this community, including the meat dishes from local animals.  By far one of the tastiest meals, reminiscent of home cooking.  Naturally, they finished it off with dessert, including a chocolate bar with whipped cream.  Before and during dinner, they served wine and other beverages, all living up to the same high standard.

 

After dinner, we had a real treat, a husband-and-wife duo, Tom Delany and Caroline Keane. They played a series of Irish songs, but also carefully explained the instruments they used with their music.  They tour internationally, and a schedule can be found on their websites, with several YouTube videos and additional music on this site.

English and Irish Examples

We got an education today from our tour guide.  Kelli told us that Gaelic is a reference to the Scottish language, but in Ireland, they speak Irish. It is fascinating to try to read names in both English and Irish.

On the road to Dingle, it felt like we traveled around a traffic circle every kilometer. Sometimes, even at a shorter distance, especially in the smaller towns and villages we passed through along our drive.

In Wisconsin, the dairy state, we see large barns that house cows where they are protected from the extreme winter climate.  In Ireland, we saw many farms on our journey, and the absence of barns with cows and sheep enjoying feeding in the green pastures.  Back home, we purchase Irish-produced Kerrygold butter and Dubliner cheese, which are popular brands in the U.S.

After leaving Listowel, we had an hour drive to Dingle, but Kelli said she was not sure what we would achieve and see there because they had a very large marathon race taking place.  Alan drove us around the city to show us the sights. 

Sunday, September 7, 2025, Milltown House, Dingle, Rick Steves Tour Day 3: The Dingle Peninsula

Delightful Breakfast

We met for breakfast at 7:00 am, in a separate lounge just for the Rick Steves group.  It was one more opportunity to meet others on this tour.  The breakfast menu was the same as we had in the general lounge on the other mornings.  One more time, the wait staff was exceptionally professional. 

 This was a perfect day, the weather was kind, we had no rain, little wind, and a warm day.

Ringforts

While on the bus sightseeing in Ireland, we saw many Irish ringforts (ráths), which are circular fortified farmsteads, enclosing a domestic roundhouse and other structures like dairies, workshops, and animal shelters. Primarily built as enclosed homes for families and livestock between the Bronze Age and the early medieval period, they feature an enclosing bank and ditch, sometimes topped with a wooden palisade for protection. More impressive stone-built variants, called cashels or caiseals, also exist.

Bob Griffin’s Bar in Dingle

Here we were treated to a lesson in Irish Whiskey.  It is a fascinating experience, so I created a separate blog to not shortchange Normán Ó Conchúir.  Please do not forget to click here: https://johncbarry.com/irish-whiskey-in-ireland-september-2025/

Dingle Crystal

Please notice the photograph of Joe Biden, who also visited this facility. 

Enjoy the Irish accent.

Dingle Crystal: Explaining the process. 

During discussions about Dingle Crystal, we were told that Ireland is delighted that for Trump’s new $200 million White House ballroom, Trump has ordered crystal chandeliers from Ireland!

Coumeenoole South, County Kerry

We traveled one of the most beautiful and scenic drives in Ireland, the Slea Head Drive.  Blasket Sound, the stretch of water between the mainland and the Blasket Islands, provided a shortcut for shipping, although vessels risked unpredictable tides and offshore rocks.  In 1588, at least five ships from the retreating Spanish Armada negotiated the rocks at the entrance to Blasket Sound to take shelter.  The “Santa Maria de la Rosa” was less fortunate, hitting the Stromboli rocks and sinking immediately.

The Dingle Peninsula, the westernmost tip of Ireland (and Europe, for that matter), offers just the right mix of far-and-away beauty, isolated walks and bike rides, and ancient archaeological wonders—all within convenient reach of its charming main town. Dingle town is just large enough to have all the necessary tourist services and the steady nocturnal beat of Ireland’s best traditional music scene.

Great Blasket Center and local authors

Much of the knowledge and life on the Great Blasket is thanks to the island’s authors.  The reason the Basket came to prominence in the early years of the 20th century was the fact that they were home to one of the strongest remaining. Irish-speaking communities. It attracted renowned Gaelic scholars to hear and learn the language. Successive waves of these scholars came to recognize it as an extraordinary island of stories.

Today was a very busy day.  We attended a 40-minute presentation, tasting, and discussion all about Irish Whiskey.  Please note the spelling.  Irish Whiskey includes the letter “E” for Eire, or Ireland.  Whisky made in other countries does not have the letter “E”.

Falconry Experience

We returned to Dingle for lunch and enjoyed the Dingle Falconry Experience for an intimate introduction to their majestic birds of prey. The presenter, Lucian (but goes by Lucas) Hills, inquired if we were from South Africa. It turns out that he lived in South Africa, specifically in Johannesburg, for 7 years. The other guide was Shauna, but I don’t know her last name.

When asking a local if he was born here, he thought for a second and said, “No, it was about six miles down the road.” When asking his friend if he’d lived here all his life. He said, “Not yet.”

Our B&B was in such a safe location that we went out to enjoy the bird experience without locking our room.  On returning, we found we were locked out of our room.  The owner quickly let us back into our room.  She was being very protective of our belongings.  They had a bidet in the bathroom, which we elected not to use.  We drank a glass of vitamin C each morning to keep us protected from some of the other tourists who appeared to have colds. The breakfast was the most artistically presented meal I have ever eaten.

I was in conversation with a couple where I was sure the wife had early stages of onset dementia, when she could not recall the names of her children or where they were at college.  She was young and attractive.  I later learned that she had aphasia due to an accident where she banged her head badly, which caused her situation, just so very sad.

Monday, September 8, 2025, Langton House Hotel, Kilkenny, Rick Steves Tour Day 4: The Rock of Cashel and Kilkenny

Langton House Hotel Shower

If you wish to use the shower at Langton House Hotel, you require an advanced engineering degree.  The shower is in a deep tub. To bathe requires turning on the hot and alternately cold-water faucets at the rim of the bath to get your desired temperature.  However, if you wish to use the shower, there are two shower heads, one exceptionally large that is fixed in a horizontal position, and a smaller handheld device.  The challenge is how to get water from the large overhead shower without freezing to death or scalding yourself.  There is a horizontal device to open and close on either end, one for hot, the other for cold. As you swivel them, water comes out of the handheld shower. Swivel some more, and it comes out of the overhead shower.  If you now try to regulate the temperature, the very best of luck to you.  As you gently adjust the taps, you get the choice of very hot, very cold, or water spraying out of the handheld shower.  No instructions were provided.  Somehow, I think that I got clean. I wonder if the engineers will get a Nobel Prize for this Heath Robinson device???

We woke up to a cool day. 

Rock of Cashel

Today, we bid goodbye to Dingle as our bus transported us across the Emerald Isle to Kilkenny. On our way, we stopped to tour one of Ireland’s most historic and evocative sights: the Rock of Cashel. St. Patrick himself was here more than 1,500 years ago, and ever since, the Rock has been the spiritual heart of Ireland. From the craggy remains of the cathedral and castle to the views stretching out across the Plain of Tipperary, this is where the Irish in you will stir from head to toe.

Kilkenny Castle

 Upon arrival in Kilkenny, we took an orientation walk through the medieval town center and visited Kilkenny Castle, a symbol of Norman occupation since the 12th century. The castle is one of the oldest continuously occupied buildings in Ireland. Over about 800 years, it’s been built, rebuilt, and enlarged; what you see today is a Victorian-era remodel of a 13th-century fortress. After a walk through its restored Victorian interiors and extensive parklands, we enjoyed dinner together in one of Kilkenny’s atmospheric pubs. 

On our drive east, we saw the beautiful scenery around Tralee Bay.  Maybe worth a brief comment, as we started our journey, traffic congestion caused us to be late.  In addition, the prediction of heavy rain did not materialize, and we had a beautiful day.

Tuesday, September 9, 2025, Trinity City Hotel, Dublin, Rick Steves Tour Day 5: Glendalough and Dublin

Glendalough Map

Glendalough in Lego

My granddaughter Olivia helps to manage children at Lego parties.  It looks like Lego is a creative challenge. 

This morning, we headed back in time with a visit to Glendalough, Ireland’s most impressive monastic settlement. We visited the iconic Round Tower, ruined churches, and the lakes that give Glendalough its name. Glendalough The steep wooded slopes of Glendalough (GLEN-da-lock, “Valley of the Two Lakes”) hide Ireland’s most impressive monastic settlement.

 

St Kevin Monastery

Founded by St. Kevin in the sixth century, the monastery flourished (despite repeated Viking raids) throughout the Age of Saints and Scholars until the English destroyed it in 1398. A few hardy holy men continued to live here until it was finally abandoned during the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1539. But pilgrims kept coming, especially on St. Kevin’s Day, June 3. (This might have something to do with the fact that a pope said seven visits to Glendalough had the same indulgence value as one visit to Rome.) While much restoration was done in the 1870s, most of the buildings date from the 10th to 12th centuries. In an Ireland without cities, these monastic communities were the mainstays of civilization. At such remote outposts, ascetics (with a taste for scenic settings but abstaining from worldly pleasures) gathered to commune with God. In the 12th century, with the arrival of grander monastic orders such as the Cistercians,

Cistercians, Benedictines, Augustinians, Franciscans, and Dominicans, and with the growth of cities, these monastic communities were eclipsed. Today, Ireland is dotted with the reminders of this age: illuminated manuscripts, simple churches, carved crosses, and about 100 round towers.

Kilmainham Gaol (jail)

We were honored today to have a young gentleman, Aaron, tell us all about the history of this jail.  His enthusiasm was more than infectious. Bosca Adhmaid John Sheahan used the small wooden box to carry his possessions from Ireland to Van Diemen’s Land in 1843. A native of Kildimo, County Limerick, Sheahan was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment and seven years transportation for attacking the homes of two local farmers. The assaults were carried out in an effort to force the farmers to charge lower prices for their potatoes. While awaiting transportation, Sheahan was held in Kilmainham Gaol. He arrived at Hobart on the convict ship North Briton in April 1843. On receipt of his Certificate of Freedom in 1851, he moved to mainland Australia with his wife. Sheahan’s Australian descendants presented the box to Kilmainham Goal Museum in 2000.

We returned to Dublin. On the way, we learned lessons of Ireland’s recent struggle for independence at Kilmainham Gaol. After arriving at our hotel, we took an orientation walk before setting ourselves free to experience Dublin’s lively dining scene on our own.

On our drive today, we saw the village of Hollywood in County Wicklow, Ireland, which is the likely origin of the name for Hollywood, California, due to the local belief that an Irish emigrant, Matthew Guirke, named his Californian property after his native village. The name “Hollywood” itself comes from the Irish “Holy Wood,” referring to a forest where Saint Kevin prayed in the 6th century.  

Another observation was seeing trees being planted in pipes. In Ireland, the “pipes” used for growing new trees are called tree shelters or tree tubes, and serve two main purposes: protection and creating a micro-climate for accelerated growth. Tree shelters, which are typically made from recycled and UV-stabilized plastic, are used to protect young saplings from various threats. They prevent damage from rabbits, hares, deer, sheep, and goats. They shield the seedlings from harsh wind, which can dry them out or cause mechanical damage. They prevent accidental spray from weed control operations. They protect young trees from equipment like trimmers and mowers.

Wednesday, September 10, 2025, Trinity City Hotel, Dublin, Rick Steves Tour Day 6: The Heart and History of Dublin

Trinity City Hotel

One more time, awake in a different hotel, and using the shower had me wondering, do the architects who design these places ever use their own creation? With this shower, it was not too difficult to figure out how to control the temperature, but as an 80-year-old, not too steady on his feet, the absence of grab handles was simply crazy.  And for some reason, to me, the shower felt claustrophobic. But I got done what I needed to get done, so I will stop complaining. 

 On waking this morning, I was ready for breakfast.  We elected not to have dinner last night, so food seemed like the right choice.  Linda has been medicating us with a vitamin C drink each morning.  We were concerned because some of our tour companions said that they were coming down with a cold. 

Trinity City Hotel must take the award for the world’s best breakfast.  It is laid out in three sections: hot breakfast, cold fruit, and Danish.  The hot included bacon and eggs, potatoes, a variety of sausages, mushrooms, and other tasty items.  We had a selection of fruit juices, yogurt, and fruit, including watermelon, apple, melon, etc. The Danish had a selection of six treats, one more tasty than the next.

Today, we set a record for the number of steps we took on all our walks around Dublin and the museums.  Both a tiring day and a fantastic learning experience

Trinity College

 Ireland’s most prestigious college, Trinity College, originally admitted only rich Protestant men. Women were admitted in 1904, and Catholics—though allowed entrance to the school much earlier—were given formal permission by the Catholic Church to study at Trinity in the 1970s (before that, they risked mortal sin). Today, more than half of Trinity’s 18,000 students are women, and there are Catholic, Jewish, and Muslim student societies on campus. (The college chapel, facing the main square of campus, is decidedly nondenominational).

 Trinity College Campus

Book of Kells

This morning, we took a walking tour through Dublin, including a stop at Trinity College for an illuminating look at the remarkable Book of Kells, a creative jolt that helped pull Europe out of the Dark Ages.

The Book of Kells—a 1,200-year-old manuscript of the four gospels—was elaborately inked and meticulously illustrated by faithful monks. Combining Christian symbols and pagan styles, it’s a snapshot of medieval Ireland in transition. Arguably the finest piece of art from the early Middle Ages (once called the Dark Ages), the Book of Kells shows that monastic life in this far fringe of Europe was far from dark. Our visit to the Book of Kells included the stunning Old Library—a grand wood-grained hall lined with books and busts of great writers, and a Book of Kells multimedia experience. Taken together, this experience rates as one of Dublin’s best.

The Book of Kells was a labor of love created by dedicated Irish monks cloistered on the remote Scottish island of Iona. They slaughtered 185 calves, soaked the skins in lime, scraped off the hair, and dried the skins into a cream-colored writing surface called vellum. Only then could the tonsured monks pick up their swan-quill pens and get to work. (Tonsure is the practice of cutting or shaving some or all the hair on the scalp as a sign of religious devotion or humility. It originates from the Latin word tonsura and referred to a specific practice in medieval Catholicism, abandoned by papal order in 1972.)

The Spire of Dublin

The Spire of Dublin, alternatively titled the Millennium Spire or the Monument of Light (Irish: An Túr Solais), is a large, stainless steel, pin-like monument 120 meters (390 ft) in height, located on the site of the former Nelson’s Pillar (and before that a statue of William Blakeney) on O’Connell Street, the main thoroughfare of Dublin, Ireland. (To be honest, one of our tour guides had a few sexually suggestive nicknames for this erection.)

National Museum of Archaeology. 

We continued, learning about the city’s often-calamitous history, from the days of Viking raids to the hard centuries of British occupation, to its remarkable literary legacy, to the modern city of today. The rest of our day was free to take in some of Dublin’s other world-class sights, such as the National Museum of Archaeology. Tonight, we compared notes and celebrated our marvelous week together over a farewell dinner.

We had an optional visit to the Archaeology Museum. As a friendly reminder, our tour guide, Kelli, is an archaeologist, and she told us about the many artifacts in this museum.  In all honesty, if I detail all we learned, I would need to write a fascinating book; suffice to say, Kelli led us from display to display, explaining the origin of the unearthed exhibits, some of which she was responsible for providing. 

This evening, we had our last dinner and said farewell to our group. One more time, I must emphasize that it was a great learning experience, and extremely well organized and executed to everyone’s satisfaction.  A few of our travel companions have said that they will email us to stay in contact. I had a conversation with Rex, who explained how he composed music using AI, an impressive process. 

Thursday, September 11, 2025, Trinity City Hotel, Dublin, Rick Steves Tour Day 7: Tour Over After Breakfast

Breakfast was provided, but there were no group activities today, leaving us well prepared for the road ahead. Slán leat! (The Irish for safe with you).

As the seat of English rule in Ireland for over 700 years, Dublin was the heart of the “civilized” Anglo-Irish area (eastern Ireland) known as “the Pale.” Anything “beyond the Pale” was considered uncultured and almost barbaric…purely Irish.

Today was our first free day after all our touring.  I decided to go to the National Library of Ireland to learn from the heritage group what I can discover about the first Barry, or more correctly, Harding, who was sent at 16 years of age by ship to Cape Town, South Africa in 1822. Carmel, our genealogy guide, invested 2 hours in asking questions and using computer searches to help steer me in the right direction.  I plan to continue this exercise after I return home, as trying to document on an iPhone is no joke at all.  Thomas Christopher Harding was put on a ship from Ireland to Cape Town, South Africa, because he was an illegitimate child who had been abused by his stepfather.  On landing in Cape Town, he took the name Thomas Christopher Barry from his mother’s maiden name.

Trinity City Hotel Lunch a delight 

Linda’s high school friend Des, who now lives in Ireland, joined us at our hotel today.  Lunch was a delight.

My business career required a significant amount of travel, needing to stay in many hotels in several countries. I can say without contradiction that Trinity City Hotel must represent the finest hotel that I have ever stayed in.  Customer service must be the number one attribute; the staff go out of their way to make everything enjoyable in so many ways, big and small.

We needed to leave very early in the morning for our trip to Belfast before breakfast was available, so they agreed to pack a breakfast choice to take with us to eat on the bus traveling north.  Des needed an adaptor to fit into the wall unit, and provided one without the normal charge, only some of the many small things that made us feel so welcome.  We had to check out of our room, which was arranged through Rick Steves, and they kept the same room for us when we registered and checked in again for our own account. 

Friday, September 12, 2025, Trinity City Hotel, Dublin, Tour Northern Ireland

Wild Rover Tour to Belfast

Our tour started with a pickup in Dublin in a comfortable, Wi-Fi–equipped coach bus. On the way to Belfast, we stopped at a rest area for breakfast, drinks, or snacks (at our own expense).

Black Cab Vehicle

Once in Belfast, our guide directed us to a black cab for a tour led by someone who had grown up during the Northern Ireland conflict. Our tour guide was passionate, demonstrating his love for Northern Ireland, and was not enthusiastic about the British influence and control in the region, with his hope and vision that all of Ireland could one day become a single country.  He did tell us that Great Britain had agreed that when the support of the population in Northern Ireland was 50% plus 1, Britain would relinquish control back to Ireland.  That percentage has long changed to a majority of people in Northern Ireland wanting freedom from Britain, but to this time Britain has not honored their promise to stop governing the territory.

Update October 14, 2025. Does the Irish president represent people in Northern Ireland?

This is an extract from the full story, link above. Irish voters head to the polls on 24 October to elect their 10th president with only two candidates, Catherine Connolly and Heather Humphreys, still in the race. While about 700,000 people in Northern Ireland have an Irish passport, they will not get a say in who is elected, as citizens who do not have an address in the Republic of Ireland to vote are not allowed to vote. But does the Irish president represent them regardless? Peter Wilson, a student at Ulster University as well as a member of the Alliance Party and the Liberal Democrats, believes the president does represent him. “I think that for a certain section of the population, people who would see themselves as Irish or Irish citizens, they feel the Irish president represents them in as much a way as the UK monarch represents a large section of the population here who would see themselves as British or British citizens,” he said. “Not everybody feels represented by the Irish president, but I think, certainly, it does chime with a lot of people here in Northern Ireland.”

But his view is not shared by everyone. Student Jay Basra, who is chairperson of the Young Unionists at Queen’s University in Belfast and a member of the Ulster Unionist Party, does not think the Irish president represents him. “I consider myself British; I have a British identity. “I don’t think a head of state for a different country represents me at all, in any way,” he said. In fact, media coverage in Ireland around Humphreys, who is Presbyterian and whose grandfather signed the Ulster Covenant, which opposed Home Rule, has “put him off”.

Driving through the British Sector of Belfast

The gates that close at night in Belfast are part of the city’s “peace walls,” a series of barriers separating predominantly Irish nationalist/Catholic and British unionist/Protestant neighborhoods. The gates on these walls are closed each evening to prevent clashes between the two communities, a legacy of the period known as “The Troubles”.

Updated October 13, 2025. Police are investigating after a Belfast sign was cut with an angle grinder to remove the Irish language.    

Titanic Monument in Belfast

We toured inside the Titanic Monument, built like a model of the ill-fated ship.

Dunluce Castle

Dunluce Castle, dramatically positioned on the sheer headland between the Giant’s Causeway and Portrush, was built between the 15th and 17th centuries. At this time, it was one of the finest castles in the region and served to control the land and sea routes of North Ulster.  Inside the castle, you discover centuries of stories and legends that reveal the turbulent history of the MacQuilians, the McDonnels, and the Scottish settlers who lived in the lost town of Dunluce.

Dunluce Castle, where several scenes from the hit TV show “Game of Thrones” were filmed.

Giant’s Causeway

Portstewart’s Strand Golf Course

 In driving along the northern coast of Ireland, we saw some of the most challenging golf courses in the world.  Portstewart’s Strand is one of 4 notable courses in Northern Ireland, the others include Royal County Down, Royal Portrush, and Castlerock.  At one point of the drive in the far north of Ireland, Scotland, only 14 miles (22 kilometers) across the Irish Sea, was clearly visible. 

Finally, make the return journey back to Dublin.

Saturday, September 13, 2025, Trinity City Hotel, Dublin

Update October 27, 2025. Northern Ireland parents caught in UK crackdown lose child benefit after travelling via Dublin. 

Parents in Northern Ireland have had their child support payments stopped as part of the UK government’s crackdown on alleged benefit fraud, simply because they flew into Dublin airport when returning to Northern Ireland from a holiday in England. So far, 346 families have had their benefits frozen, an investigation by Northern Ireland online newspaper, the Detail, shared with the Guardian, has discovered. The extraordinary mistake comes in the wake of a new anti-fraud system designed to track those who leave the country but do not come back after eight weeks, raising a red flag at HMRC for possible emigration. The problem in Northern Ireland is that many families routinely fly out of – and fly back to – Dublin airport, which is often cheaper and offers many more flights, leaving HMRC with the impression a passenger has not returned.

With no passport checks on the Irish border, the government has no data to show a passenger might have driven, taken a bus, or train back to Northern Ireland. Among those whose benefits were stopped were Mark Toal, an NHS nurse in Belfast, and his wife, Louise. Along with their two children, aged 17 and 13, they travelled to and from England in 2022 via Dublin airport for a holiday. It cost £10 to get a bus to the Irish capital, and flights were cheaper. To his shock and surprise, on 10 October 2025, HMRC wrote to him to say his child benefit was stopped. Their decision appeared to be based on data that showed they had taken a flight from England to Dublin – a flight which was, in fact, their return journey.

“We have information which shows that you left the UK on 15 August 2022 and travelled to Ireland. This was more than eight weeks ago, and we have no record of your return,” the letter said. Toal could not believe what he was reading. “I was on the phone with them [HMRC] for 45 minutes trying to sort this out. I did lose my temper, I was very annoyed, it boiled my blood,” he said. After telling HMRC he had not left the country and lived in Northern Ireland, Toal expected some sympathy. Instead, he was faced with a barrage of 70 questions, including a demand for boarding passes from three years ago, three months of bank statements, and letters from his children’s school and hospital records. He was also asked if he was an adoptive or biological parent. “I pointed out to them that I have been paying tax to the UK government for the past 30 years, and I haven’t moved address in 23 years, and have been working in the same job since 2016,” said Toal. “Every time I travel from England, Scotland, or Wales through Dublin airport, will I be asked for all this again? Will I have to send them a letter saying ‘please don’t stop my child benefit?’”

HMRC has apologised for its error but indicated it would continue to do checks. “We’re sorry that a small number of customers in Northern Ireland have mistakenly had their child benefit payments suspended,” it said. It added that it had “reinstated payments and closed inquiries to 134 individuals”. A further 46 families had payments reinstated while inquiries were pending, while 166 payments remained suspended with inquiries ongoing, it said.

 Today was the first day on our trip to Ireland that we had no prearranged plans.  We celebrated by sleeping late and having a late breakfast at our hotel.

After a leisurely breakfast, we planned our day’s outings and adventures. 

National Botanic Gardens

 We got scammed today! We decided that we should visit the National Botanic Gardens. We spoke to the concierge at the hotel to ask for directions and transport recommendations. He said the three of us could take a bus for two miles, but for the same price we could go by taxi. Naturally, we had the option of walking there and back. He arranged a taxi for us. The driver was originally from Malaysia and had been in the country for three years, together with his family. There is a display on his rear-view mirror reflecting the cost of the ride. When we got to the National Pub, he told us we had arrived. We said we wanted to go to the National Botanic Gardens. He claimed that the hotel had entered the pub address and would take us where we needed to go. It was a long drive to get us to our ultimate destination, and naturally, the taxi fare kept increasing. There was a surcharge for each passenger in addition to a single fare.  I had to pay with my credit card.  Back at the hotel, they said in checking that they had not entered the incorrect destination.

The Botanical gardens were more than worth a visit. Access is free, on very large grounds with several greenhouses. There are numerous sculptures dotting the grounds. There is a river flowing nearby, and many birds are enjoying the lush grounds.

Glasnevin Cemetery alongside the Botanic Gardens

There is a very large cemetery alongside the gardens. During our visit, I was disappointed because they said there was a section of people who had died in the South African Boer War, but I could not find it.  I took photographs of two Barrys. 

Kevin Barry’s gravestone is located at Glasnevin Cemetery in Dublin, the national cemetery of Ireland, where his remains were re-interred in 2001 after a state funeral following a long campaign by his family and the National Graves Association. He was originally buried in the grounds of Mountjoy Prison after his execution in November 1920 during the Irish War of Independence, and his monument is a significant site for visitors interested in Irish history.

We were lucky with the weather, a bit cool and windy, and despite a forecast of rain, we had a dry visit. For our homebound trip, we used the bus. As it turned out, today was one of the few dry days we had in Ireland.

At dinner tonight in the restaurant, while signing my check to be charged to our room, I added gratuity.  The server crossed out the gratuity!  Wow. One more time, the service and food were exceptional. 

 

Inside the Trinity City Hotel Reception Area

Sunday, September 14, 2025, Kilminchy, Portlaoise

South Africans in Dublin

Today we experienced two trains—one from near our hotel to Heuston Station, and from Heuston to Portlaoise. The best news is that we did not experience rain on the walking portion of our journey. Not sure of ourselves, we decided to read the instructions on the board behind these two gentlemen.  We asked for help, and they instantly beamed and responded, “Are you South Africans?” We can never escape our accents, and two young blacks, both with the name Samual, asked if we were South Africans. They both live in Ireland, one for 14 years, and both are currently at university. The talkative one is studying computer science and is fascinated by all matters of technology. He originally came from Johannesburg, and his cousin from Durban or KZN (KwaZulu-Natal), to be precise.

What a delightful encounter.

Irish Rail or in Irish: Iarnród Éireann

The bus took us to the Heuston train station, and from there, a 1-hour 10-minute delightful ride to Portlaoise.

Sue Ryder Centre in Portlaoise.

Our accommodation in Portlaoise. The 3-course lunch meal was terrific. And the transport is even better.

Des and family in Carlow.

Des and Linda were at school together in Pietersburg, now renamed Polokwane in South Africa, and have stayed in touch ever since.  Photograph with: Des and family.  We were honored to meet Des’ daughter, Vale, whom we have not seen in decades.  Vale has her own pottery business, with the photograph showing a few items we brought home with us.  To see some of Vale’s creative work, I recommend that you visit her website. 

Monday, September 15, 2025, Carlow

Carlow, County Carlow

Driving through Carlow 

The day started clear, but when the rain came, we headed for Des’ home.  Geraldine (Ger) joined us at the Irish National Stud.  After the formal tour, we had lunch in their restaurant, followed by a visit to the Japanese Gardens. 

Colonel William Walker

Colonel William Walker, 1856 – 1933. Our founder, William Hall Walker, was the son of a wealthy brewing family originally based in Scotland. A sportsman, a gambler, commentator, and critic, he led a colourful life, and his visionary declarations marked him as a major force in the emergence of the Thoroughbred. While stationed in India with the army, Walker had also developed a fascination with Eastern philosophies, including Buddhism and astrology.

Thanks to his Grand National winner called the Soarer in 1896, William purchased this farmland site here at Tully and set about creating his own stud farm — Tully Stud. Considered ‘preposterous’ at the time, Walker applied astrological theories to his breeding program and built stables that enabled horses to gain maximum exposure to the celestial influence.

It was said that astrological charts were produced for each new foal, but if Colonel didn’t like the stars, regardless of the foal’s bloodline, the foal would be sold immediately. Here in our Horse Museum, a horoscope book in a glass display lies open on the pedigree chart of a bay colt named Lord of the Sea. The verdict is not good: “Saturn is in his 5th House….makes him very little good for racing or stud purposes….no good at all except for selling.”

Despite criticism, Walker continued his policy and became a leading breeder of the decade, assembling an impressive band of foundation broodmares. In the 10 years of 1904 — 1914, there were 7 Classic winners bred at Tully, including Minoru (Derby and 2000 Guineas), Prince Palatine (St Leger and Ascot Gold Cup), and Cherry Lass (Oaks and 1000 Guineas) – an incredible record.

His love of Eastern culture also led him to establish the impressive Japanese Garden, the first of its kind in Europe.

In 1915, he gifted Tally Stud and all its stock to the Crown, and this land subsequently became the Irish National Stud. Elevated to the peerage in 1919, Colonel William Hall Walker then became Lord Wavertree.

Irish National Stud and Gardens.

Japanese Gardens

O’Gorman’s Lunch

Finally, our coach dropped us off at one of two convenient locations in Dublin city center.

Over the past 50 or 60 years, I have stayed in many hotels.  Trinity City Hotel, however, was extremely interesting.  I was lucky that Linda showered first, and I had lots of warnings.  The first problem is that with the bathroom door closed, the bathroom steams up so that everything is damp and, in some cases, wet.  When I showered, I kept the bathroom door open.  But that is not all.  You shower in a large bath with faucets, but they don’t work.  So, if you wish to bathe, you need to fill the bath with water from the shower.  We no longer bathe, preferring showers.  The dial to turn on the shower swivels counterclockwise, and in that way, you select the temperature you wish to shower.  But that is when the real fun begins.  The shower pressure, which cannot be controlled, is so hard that it takes a few layers of skin off your body and gives you a free haircut.  Wow.  We are staying here for three days, so forewarned is forearmed.  My added observation is that water is a scarce resource, and it is sad to see all this water flowing.  In fact, it is so much that it takes a few minutes to drain from the bath outlet.

Tuesday, September 16, 2025, Trinity City Hotel, Dublin

Narrow Roads in Ireland, Portlaoise, County Laois

Rock of Dunamase

Dunamase or the Rock of Dunamase (Irish: Dún Máscort of Másc”) is a rocky outcrop in County Laois, Ireland. Rising 46 meters (151 ft) above a plain, it features the ruins of Dunamase Castle, a defensive stronghold dating back to the early Hiberno-Norman period, with a view across to the Slieve Bloom Mountains. It is between the towns of Portlaoise and Stradbally. The site of an early Christian settlement pillaged by the Vikings in 842, Dunamase became one of the most important Anglo-Norman strongholds in Laois. It was part of the dowry of Aoife, the daughter of Diarmuid Mac Murrough, King of Leinster, when she was given in marriage to the Norman conqueror Strongbow in 1170. When Isabel, the daughter of Strongbow and Aoife, wed William Marshal, Earl of Pembroke, Dunamase was given as part of her wedding gift.

From 1325 until 1609, the castle belonged to the O’Moore family of Laois, before ownership passed to the Earl of Thomond. It was finally destroyed during the Cromwellian invasion in 1650.

We ended our day with Des on a high note.  We visited the castle and did a final tour of Portlaoise before getting to the station to take a one-hour train journey to Dublin, then another train to our hotel, requiring a short walk with our backpacks.  We requested the hotel to take care of our suitcases for the few days we visited Des.  We arranged our bookings for our flight back home 24 hours before departure.

There is so much to reflect on with our trip.  The kindness of all the people we met was heartwarming.  The reality is that everyone we interacted with in Ireland felt pity for us having to live in a country with Trump as president.  There is no doubt in my mind that he is very unpopular in Ireland.   I wonder why? 

Goodbye Portlaoise 

Wednesday, September 17, 2025, Trinity City Hotel, Dublin, Flight home

Homeless People Outside Trinity City Hotel

Bus to Dublin Airport 

Travel is not always as much fun as it is made out to be.  We woke up early in our hotel at 6:30 am, packed our bags, and went for breakfast.  After we brushed our teeth, we checked out of the hotel, crossed the road, and waited for the bus that took us to Dublin airport. 

We got an interesting surprise this morning on our bus trip to the airport. The long underground tunnel in Dublin is the Dublin Port Tunnel, a 4.5-km (2.8-mile) twin-bore road tunnel that connects Dublin Port with the M50 motorway near Dublin Airport. Opened in December 2006, this toll tunnel helps reduce heavy goods vehicle (HGV) traffic in the city center and offers a high-speed link between the port and the greater road network.

Next, to pass through all the security.  With my backpack and suitcase in two separate baskets as it passed through the X-Ray machine, my case was pulled aside because they detected liquids in it.  The security guard opened my case, but it was so chockablock full, he gave up looking and told me to have the liquids readily available in the future. The fact is, I had tiny bottles bought specially to meet US security regulations.

Next, we had to line up to board the flight.  I paid $54 so that we could get priority boarding, after first class passengers who are in group 1, and we were in group 2.  Life is not supposed to be easy.  At the check-in counter, there were two sections marked for group 2 passengers.  A lady went to the desk to ask which one was valid. She returned, and we lined up behind her.  The line for the other group 2 grew longer. As we started boarding, the other group was told to board behind us.  They were not happy.

So why do I pay to get early boarding privileges?  We have very limited space for overhead luggage.  With our Rick Steve’s tour, he pleaded with us to have minimal luggage that we needed to drag around the city streets to our hotels.  We purchased two smaller suitcases, one for each of us, that were of an acceptable size to go into the overhead compartments. If we could not board early, there would be no overhead space left. We accomplished our mission.

There is another factor.  If we check luggage, we must collect it from the carousel in Chicago, and that can be a very long and slow process.  We need to catch a bus at the airport for our ride back to our home, where friends will meet us for the final journey home.  If we miss the first available bus, we have a two-hour wait for the next one.

In Dublin, public transport is very available to travel to any desired place.  We reserved a seat on a bus outside our hotel to take us to the airport.  There are at least six bus stops across from our hotel; each stop carries a number for the bus you wish to catch.  Regarding our experience in Chicago O’Hare airport, we found about 6 buses, and you have to run to each one to inquire which one will be going to our destination.  The United States has lots to learn from Ireland, which is more passenger-friendly.

On our way to take off, I was surprised at the number of flights both ahead and behind us.  Dublin is a very busy airport.  We had to wait for our flight in the United States boarding area of the airport.  I was surprised by the number of flights taking off to various locations in the U.S, including Minneapolis, San Francisco, New York, and several other destinations. 

Our return flight was on the same Boeing B787-8/9 as we were on to Dublin.  Sitting in economy at the bulkhead, we have fantastic leg room, but zero elbow room.  We decided to use the bathroom, and as you know, you have very little choice of which one you can use.  Linda and I got left standing outside one when a guy in a hoodie occupied it for 20 minutes, and we knew he was alive because he flushed a few times.

Air travel is no longer a fun experience.  With our trip to Ireland, we had to contend with the reality that air traffic controllers are short-staffed and operate with ancient software applications.  You can see the near-daily incidents at this Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) site. https://www.faa.gov/newsroom/statements/accident_incidents

Passengers misbehave, including attempting to open doors mid-flight, which all helps to make us anxious about flying. DOGE, Musk, and Trump laid off hundreds of probationary FAA workers, including those involved in safety-critical roles like maintenance and map production, just weeks after a January fatal mid-air collision at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.  So why should we be apprehensive?

Notes about our trip, before and after.

This concludes the details about our trip. At the beginning of this blog, I promised to provide additional information about Ireland.  You can read more below.

Update January 17, 2026

On returning home, Linda’s friend Des, who lives in Ireland, recommended reading these books. They are available from Amazon. I certainly enjoyed reading them.

• Searching for the Promised Land: An Irishman’s Odyssey by Edward Deevy
• Ireland: A Novel by Frank Delaney

While reading the book, Ireland: A Novel, they shared the story of being able to name all the counties.  I checked the list in the book with two sources:

The counties of Ireland and their nicknames – from Antrim to Wicklow | The Irish Post

This list provides comments about each county that I did not reproduce here.  But you can read at the above link.

I double checked this on another list here: All 32 NICKNAMES for the 32 counties of IRELAND

• Antrim— The Glens County
• Armagh— The Orchard County
• Carlow– The Dolmen County
• Cavan— The Breifne (or Brefni) County
• Clare— The Banner County
• Cork— The Rebel County
• Derry— The Oak Grove or Oak Leaf County
• Donegal— The Forgotten County, the County of the Gaels
• Down— Mourne Country, or Kingdom of Mourne
• Dublin — The Pale, the Smoke, or the Metropolitan County
• Fermanagh — The Lakeland County
• Galway — The Hooker County
• Kerry — The Kingdom County
• Kildare — The Short Grass County, or the Thoroughbred County
• Kilkenny — The Marble County, or the Ormond County
• Laois — O’Moore County, or Queen’s County
• Leitrim — Wild Rose County
• Limerick — The Treaty County
• Longford— The County of the Slashers
• Louth — The Wee County
• Mayo – Maritime County
• Meath — The Royal County
• Monaghan— The Drumlin County, the Lake County
• Offaly — The Central County, the Middle of Ireland County
• Roscommon — Mutton Chop County
• Sligo – Yeats Country
• Tipperary — The Premier County, Tipp
• Tyrone — The Oak Leaf County, or O’Neill Country
• Waterford— The Crystal County, The Déise
• Westmeath— The Lake County
• Wexford — The Model County
• Wicklow— The Garden County or The Garden of Ireland

On September 6, 2025, while visiting John B. Keane’s pub, I purchased two books from Amazon on my return home.  Before leaving, we bought Rick Steves’ book

• Best Of John B Keane: Collected Humorous Writings
• The Very Best of Billy Keane: A New Collection of Author’s Weekly Columns
• And of course: Rick Steves Ireland

• Update November 1, 2025.  This is an excerpt from the story below; the full version can be read here. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4g78nj7701o 

The number of Irish citizens deported from the US has risen by more than 50%.

The number of Irish citizens deported from the United States has risen by more than 50% so far in 2025 compared to the previous year, figures released to BBC News Northern Ireland show. Between January and September 2025, 99 Irish people were deported, according to statistics from the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) unit. This compares to 60 deportations between October 2023 and September 2024. A US immigration lawyer told BBC News NI the number had increased since President Donald Trump’s election. A spokesperson for ICE said, “Individuals who are in the US lawfully and have not violated immigration laws or committed crimes have no reason to fear enforcement actions.”

Claire Doutre, an immigration attorney with McEntee Law, said many people were now facing more intense enforcement of immigration law, including Irish citizens. “The biggest change is that we are seeing a lot more people without criminal backgrounds, who have been here for years, getting detained,” she said. She added that many being detained and deported entered the US lawfully but overstayed their visas. “Everybody is at risk right now.” It is believed there are more than 100,000 Irish citizens living in the US.

Jim Brown told BBC News Northern Ireland his wife has been detained in an ICE facility for 90 days and is due for deportation to Ireland, a country she has not lived in since she was a child, over two fraud convictions. Ms Hughes-Brown, an Irish citizen, has lived in the US since her parents moved to the country in the 1970s. She has held a green card since she was 18. Mr Brown said she does not “deserve” to be detained as the convictions relate to two bad cheques at “a grocery store”, written in 2012 and 2015, for $49 and $22. He said the bad cheques were due to Mrs Hughes-Brown being unable to afford to feed her family at the time. “She was trying to survive,” he said. ICE confirmed the dates and nature of the two convictions, but did not respond when asked to confirm the specific figures. Mr Brown, who served in the US Navy for 20 years, including in the Gulf War, said it is “not only wrong, but also a waste of money” that his wife has been jailed for “such minor” infractions. A spokesperson for ICE said that, when re-entering the US in July, Mrs Hughes-Brown was “referred to secondary inspection due to her prior criminal history, which includes two convictions for fraud involving the passing of bad checks, one in 2012 and another in 2015”. “Following the inspection, she was arrested and subsequently transferred to ICE custody, where she was placed in removal proceedings.”

Mr. Brown said the facility in which Mrs. Hughes-Brown has been detained is “awful”, adding that detainees are given unhealthy food and are not having their medical needs met. “The toilet was backed up for a week, and there are 25 women to a toilet. They had to sit there and smell that for a week,” he said. “It’s wrong. It’s just wrong.” Mr. Brown added that authorities at the facility had failed to provide his wife with medication, which he said she needs. Mr. Brown, who described the government’s actions as “overreach” and “egregious”, said he was worried he would be separated from his wife long-term.

Update October 27, 2025. Ireland’s president-elect is a left-wing, anti-establishment figure who is outspoken on Gaza. Ireland’s president for the next seven years is an independent lawmaker who has long spoken in support of Palestinians and has been vocal about her distrust of European Union policies. Left-wing independent Catherine Connolly, 68, secured 63% of votes in a landslide election victory on Saturday, comfortably defeating her center-right rival, former Cabinet minister Heather Humphreys. The politician won after Ireland’s left-leaning opposition parties, including Sinn Féin, united to back her, and she is expected to be a voice unafraid to challenge Ireland’s center-right government. While Irish presidents hold a largely ceremonial role and do not have executive powers like shaping laws, they represent Ireland on the world stage and are often seen as a unifying voice on major issues. Connolly will succeed Michael D. Higgins, a popular president who has been vocal about the war in Gaza and NATO spending, among other things.

Red Hair.

On one of our tours, we were told about the predominance of people, especially women, in Ireland with red hair. Many Irish women have red hair due to the widespread presence of a recessive gene variant called MC1R, which produces the reddish pigment pheomelanin instead of the dark pigment eumelanin. In Ireland, a small, historically isolated population and a climate with less sunlight likely allowed this fair-skin-linked gene to persist and become more common through genetic drift.  

 

Map Ireland and Wisconsin

Ireland is a 300-mile-long (482-kilometer) island, home to the Republic of Ireland, an independent nation with 5.3 million people and 80 percent of the land, and Northern Ireland, a province of the United Kingdom (like Scotland or Wales), with 1.8 million people. Ireland, ringed by scenic coastal Ireland, is only about 150 miles (241 kilometers) across at its widest point. No matter where you go in Ireland, you’re never more than 75 miles (120 kilometers) from the sea. The island of Ireland has a total area of 32,595 square miles (84,421 square kilometers).  The Republic of Ireland is 27,000 square miles (70,000 square kilometers), comprising 80% of the island. The country is small enough that radio broadcasts cover traffic snarls nationwide. In 2004, smoking was banned in all Irish workplaces (including pubs). The Irish were the first nation in the world to enact such a comprehensive law. In the past decade, the Irish Department of Health has reported a 30 percent reduction in strokes and a 25 percent reduction in heart disease.

Newfoundland and Ireland

Despite being as far north as Newfoundland, Ireland has a mild maritime climate, thanks to the Gulf Stream. Rainfall ranges from more than 100 inches (2,540 mm) a year in soggy, boggy Connemara to about 30 inches (760 mm) a year in Dublin. Summer or winter, you need your rain gear. As Ireland’s own Oscar Wilde once quipped, “There is no bad weather…only inappropriate clothing.” A temperature of 33°C (91°F) was recorded at Phoenix Park in Dublin on July 18, 2022, which was the hottest day in Ireland in 135 years. Average temperatures typically range from 4°C to 7°C (39°F to 45°F) in January and 14°C to 16°C (57°F to 61°F) in July. While snow is rare, Ireland experiences frequent rainfall and high humidity.

Ireland, Wisconsin Temperatures

Wisconsin, where we live, is home to 6 million people.  By comparison, Wisconsin is 311 miles (507 kilometers) north to south, and 260 miles (427 kilometers) east to west.  Wisconsin’s total area is 65,498 square miles (169,639 square kilometers). This includes both land and water, making it the 23rd largest state in the U.S. by size. Wisconsin’s land area is approximately 54,314 square miles (140,673 square kilometers), with the remaining area consisting of water, including portions of Lake Michigan and Lake Superior, as well as numerous inland lakes and rivers.  Wisconsin averages 34 inches (863 mm) of rain a year, with a maximum temperature of 54 degrees Fahrenheit (12°C).  Wisconsin’s annual average temperature ranges from 39°F (3.9°C) in the north to 50°F (10°C) in the south. Summer temperatures generally fall into the 60-70°F (15-21°C) range, with occasional spikes above 90°F (32°C). Winter temperatures can be very cold, with average lows below 20°F (-6.6°C) and occasional sub-zero (-18°C) temperatures.

Irish Shamrock and Harp

In the 1800s, great waves of Irish emigrants fled famine and British colonial oppression, seeking new opportunities abroad and making their mark in the US and beyond. (Every Irish family seems to have a relative in America; about 50 million people claim Irish descent in North America alone). And although peace now prevails in Northern Ireland, the religious and political conflict of the Troubles held the world’s attention from the late 1960s to 1998. The Republic of Ireland takes up the southern two-thirds of the island, bordered by green hilly peninsulas, craggy islands, and sheer cliffs rising from the crashing waves of the Atlantic. With urban Dublin as its capital, the Republic boasts a wide variety of sights: from the famous Book of Kells manuscript (in Dublin), prehistoric ruins, and Celtic artifacts to evocative monastic settlements, Iron Age ring forts, and much more. The shamrock—used by St. Patrick to explain the concept of the Holy Trinity—is the most recognizable symbol of the Republic of Ireland. Another national symbol is the harp (on the back of Irish euro coins and—reversed on every pint of Guinness).

There are so many stories about Ireland.  Do you know the origin of “by hook or by crook”? The phrase may have derived from a vow by Oliver Cromwell to take Waterford by Hook (on the Wexford side of Waterford Estuary) or by Crooke (a village on the Waterford side). 

Emerald Isle

How did Ireland come to be called the Emerald Isle? 

Ireland’s resplendent greenery played a big part, of course, in earning it the nickname the Emerald Isle, but there’s more to the story.

The term “The Emerald Isle” is synonymous with Ireland and its rolling hills and vales of green – at least forty shades, or so the famous Johnny Cash song goes.

 The first time the words ever appeared in print in reference to Ireland was in a poem by Belfast-born William Drennan, titled “When Erin First Rose.”

Drennan, a poet, a physician, and a political radical who helped found the Society of United Irishmen, was born in Belfast in 1754. His father was the Reverend Thomas Drennan, who served as minister of Belfast’s First Presbyterian Church.

He moved to Dublin in 1789, and in 1791, he and his brother-in-law, Sam McTier, developed a plan for the Society of United Irishmen. As they exchanged in letters, they envisioned “a benevolent conspiracy—a plot for the people—no Whig Club—no party title—the Brotherhood its name—the rights of man and the greatest happiness of the greatest number its end—its general end, real independence to Ireland and republicanism its particular purpose—its business, every means to accomplish these ends as speedily as the prejudices and bigotry of the land we live in would permit.”

As the society grew, Drennan became its leading force in Dublin and stood trial for libel in 1794. But by 1798, the year of the rebellion, he had parted ways with the society as its emphasis shifted to rebellion and violent uprising.

It was in 1795, however, that Drennan penned the poem “When Erin First Rose.” The stanza where the words “the Emerald Isle” first appeared reads:

Alas! for poor Erin that some are still seen,

Who would dye the grass red from their hatred to green;

Yet, oh! when you’re up, and they’re down, let them live,

Then yield them that mercy which they would not give.

Arm of Erin, be strong! but be gentle as brave;

And uplifted to strike, be still ready to save;

Let no feeling of vengeance presume to defile

The cause of, or men of, the Emerald Isle.

Dr. Drennan married Sarah Swanwick in 1800, and in 1807, he retired from the medical profession and returned to his native Belfast. There, he founded the Belfast Monthly Magazine and became involved with the Belfast Academical Institution, one of the first attempts at educating Protestants and Catholics together for secondary and higher-level education. When Drennan died in 1820, in a final symbolic gesture, he had insisted that his coffin be carried by three Protestants and three Catholics.

A steep rise in the number of US citizens seeking asylum in Ireland.  There has been a steep rise in the number of citizens of the US seeking asylum in Ireland. Fifty-one people from the US applied for international protection in the first half of this year, more than in 2023 and 2024 combined. New figures from the Department of Justice show that 104 American citizens have sought asylum in Ireland since the beginning of 2022. In 2022, there were 13 total applications, and in 2023, that rose to 18. During the course of last year, there were 22 applications for international protection from citizens of the United States. However, the figures have risen sharply since President Donald Trump won a second term in the White House, even as overall application numbers have dropped. Between January and March of this year, there were 24 asylum claims from US citizens, more than in the entirety of 2024. From April to June, a further 27 Americans sought international protection, according to data that was released under Freedom of Information laws. In the same period, there has been a sharp drop in the overall number of applications being made in Ireland. 

6,000 people were made Irish citizens at Dublin ceremonies. Citizenship ceremonies are taking place at the Convention Centre in Dublin on Monday, September 15, 2025. Six ceremonies are being held over two days for approximately 6,000 people. Applicants from over 138 countries and across all 32 counties on the island will make a declaration of fidelity and loyalty to the State and become Irish citizens. Speaking ahead of the ceremonies, Minister of State Colm Brophy said: “I know the importance of migration and the essential role it plays in the development of our nation and how it contributes to our society. “Our new citizens have brought skills and talents from around the world that are enhancing the capabilities of our labour market and economy, and in obtaining their citizenship are committing their future to Ireland,” added Minister for Finance, Paschal Donohoe.

If you search for Brinsley McNamara, you will find his books, YouTube Videos, and TikTok experiences.  Mostly amusing and factual.

Weird Ireland – YouTube and

https://www.tiktok.com/discover/brinsley-mcnamara and

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/2h2N0-oTNWk and

Ireland Reverse Vending. 

From Facebook: Ireland has introduced reverse vending machines as part of its nationwide effort to combat plastic waste and promote recycling. These machines are typically placed in supermarkets and retail stores, where consumers can deposit used plastic bottles and aluminum cans. In return, they receive store discounts, loyalty points, or vouchers—creating a direct incentive for recycling. The process is simple: the machine scans the barcode on the container to verify it’s part of the recycling program, accepts it, and prints a coupon or reward slip.

This system encourages a circular economy by motivating people to return recyclable items rather than discard them. It also helps retailers reduce their environmental footprint and meet sustainability targets. Ireland’s initiative mirrors successful models used in countries like Germany and Norway, where bottle return rates exceed 90%. By tying recycling to financial rewards, Ireland is turning environmental responsibility into an easy and rewarding habit for everyday shoppers.

It would be immoral of me if I did not admit that I “borrowed” or plagiarized from some of Rick Steve’s writings, including information he shared with us after we registered for the tour, and read his book on touring Ireland.  

Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the U.S., and Ireland.  Irish Fest in Milwaukee (held this year from Thursday, August 14 to Sunday, August 17, 2025) has grown to be one of the largest celebrations of Irish culture over the past 45 years.  Today, over 30 million Americans identify as Irish, over half a million of whom live in Wisconsin. Milwaukee has always been an important place for the people of Ireland. As early as 1906, Douglas Hyde, who would later become the first President of Ireland, visited Milwaukee representing the Gaelic League. Countless Irish dignitaries have followed since then, including annual delegations from Galway City Council that have travelled to Milwaukee as part of the sister cities program. Ireland is now the fifth largest source of foreign direct investment into the US, with investment by Irish companies worth $390 billion. Irish overall economic relationship is valued at more than one trillion dollars, and today more than 200,000 people are employed by Irish companies across all 50 States. In Wisconsin, the economic picture is just as striking. A dozen Irish-owned companies employ almost 6,000 people throughout the state across a range of industries, from agrifood in Beloit and the Fox Cities to biofuel and renewables in Jefferson County.

Irish pubs are in vogue around the world; here on the Emerald Isle, a thousand pubs have closed in the last decade. Since 2001, the consumption of alcohol has been down almost 20 percent in Ireland. In 2018, Guinness launched its first nonalcoholic beer—perhaps thinking young people don’t have as much time for hangovers. A Dublin company called The Virgin Mary specializes in nonalcoholic cocktails.

Botox. An Irish town makes all the world’s Botox. Trump’s trade deal could leave a mark

Botox Ireland

 In ancient Celtic folklore, Tír na nÓg is the land of eternal youth, where time stands still, and people don’t age. Today, in the west of Ireland, they’ve come close to bottling it. Westport, a small coastal town in picturesque County Mayo, is the unlikely nerve center of the world’s Botox supply. A facility operated by the Chicago-based pharmaceutical company AbbVie employs at least 1,300 local people and about 500 additional contractors – an economic backbone to a town of barely 7,000 people. Therapeutic Botox – used for conditions that include muscle spasticity, migraines, overactive bladders, certain eye conditions, and excessive sweating – brought in $3.3 billion for AbbVie last year, with sales of cosmetic Botox, often used to smooth facial wrinkles, generating $2.72 billion.

But on August 8, 2025, US President Donald Trump took a step toward his goal of bringing that multi-billion-dollar industry home, announcing 15% tariffs on all pharmaceutical exports from the European Union. It’s a move that some fear could devastate towns like Westport, which has been transformed by the plant, from its opening by Allergan in 1977 to its acquisition and expansion in 2020 by AbbVie. Inside the sprawling 61-acre campus – a sleek industrial presence nestled below Croagh Patrick, one of the country’s most storied pilgrimage sites – vials of Botox are processed and packaged in powder form, before export to some 70 countries, according to industry estimates. The US tops the list, accounting for 70% of total turnover at the Westport plant, which also makes eyecare products, according to the company’s 2023 filings.

Surge in numbers emigrating to Australia Surge in numbers emigrating to Australia – The Irish Times

More than 65,000 people left Ireland in the 12 months to April 2023, a 6 per cent decrease on the same period a year earlier, according to figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO).

The period saw 13,500 people leave Ireland to go to Australia, an increase of 27 per cent year on year, and up by 187 per cent on the year to April 2023. This represented the highest level of emigration from Ireland to Australia since 2013, when an estimated 14,100 made the move. Some 6,100 people left Ireland to live in the US in the same period, up 22 per cent on 2024. Some 9,600 people moved to Ireland from the US, up from 4,900 a year earlier. Just under half of the total emigrants were aged between 25 and 44. Meanwhile, the number of people who immigrated to Ireland fell by 16 per cent in the year to April to 125,300.

Prof Alan Barrett of the ESRI (Economic and Social Research Institute) stressed that what struck him most was that there were almost as many Irish people coming back as leaving the island. “While 35,000 Irish people left, 31,500 came back. The notion that younger people or people in general have written off the island, it’s just not in the data,” he says.

An interesting read by The Washington Post on August 21, 2025, if you can get access to it.  How does Rick Steves do Europe? We went behind the scenes.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/travel/2025/08/21/rick-steves-europe-behind-the-scenes

The data below was obtained from The Irish Times on Thursday, September 18, 2025.  By comparison, our home consists of two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a walk-in closet, a lounge,  a dining room, a kitchen, a closet for our washing machine and dryer, a closet for a water heater, and a balcony, with a total of 1,480 square feet, and valued at $350,000.  Apparently, in Ireland in general, and Dublin in particular, home values and rentals have soared as venture capitalists and large corporations have taken control of the housing market.

Update November 4, 2025. Ireland’s housing crisis to last another 15 years, Department of Finance predicts. Estimate of future demand based on current demographic trends.

 Housing demand is not expected to peak until the early 2030s, it said, with “pent-up demand” not fully eliminated until at least 2040. The grim analysis was contained in Future Forty: A Fiscal and Economic Outlook to 2065, the department’s assessment of the economic and fiscal challenges facing the State between now and 2065. The report based its estimate of future housing demand on current demographic trends, the growing preference for smaller households, and the pent-up demand that has accumulated in recent years. In the central scenario, housing supply is assumed to reach 60,000 by 2030, a significant acceleration on the 30,300 delivered last year, “and then remain at that level until no longer required”. The report noted that the number of workers in residential construction would need to grow “considerably”, by 50,000 according to one estimate, “to meet these targets”.

The central projection also presumes that 25 per cent of newly-built dwellings after 2030 will be built as social homes, with 26 per cent of tenants in the rental market being eligible for social housing supports, including rent supports such as HAP (Housing Assistance Payment) and RAS (Rental Accommodation Scheme). This would see the overall cost of housing for the exchequer rise to 2.3 per cent of national income at its peak before falling “once demand normalises” by 2040. The report noted that the continuous undersupply of housing in recent years had seen average house prices rise by 91 per cent from 2015 to the end of 2024, while open market rents have risen by 78 per cent. This compares with overall price inflation for the same period of 22 per cent. “High housing costs pose significant challenges to the Irish economy, as they have increased the relative cost of living and are potentially impacting the country’s capacity to attract and retain a highly skilled workforce,” the department’s report said. “Ireland has transformed in the last four decades from an emerging to a highly advanced economy,” he said. “This pace of change has been remarkable and unlike many other countries across the globe. It is unrealistic for us to expect it to continue at this pace,” Mr. Donohoe said.

Average house prices in Ireland are now eight times higher than earnings – MyHome.ie

(October 9, 2025) Asking prices for homes up 5.7% in September, but the rate of increase has slowed. The average price of a home in Ireland is eight times higher than the average income, a report from property website MyHome.ie has said. The housing affordability gap is now at its widest since the 2008 financial crisis. Irish average annual earnings stood at €52,950 in the three months to the end of June, the property website said in its latest report on asking prices for homes. Meanwhile, the average purchase price of a home was €426,000 over the same period, putting the house price-to-income ratio at eight to one. “By this measure, affordability is now back at its most challenging level since the 2008/2009 financial crisis,” said the report’s author, Bank of Ireland chief economist Conall Mac Coille.

https://www.irishtimes.com/property

Price:€1,650,000

It was bought by the current owners in 2019 for €640,000, according to the Property Price Register. The owners say it was then laid out as five flats, some of which were bedsits, and the property required a complete renovation.

This 205sq m (2,207sq ft) four-bedroom home, in walk-in condition, dates from the 1840s and is now on the market through Lisney Sotheby’s International Realty, seeking €1.65 million. Its B1 energy rating is telling of the costly works carried out.

Merrion Gardens, Merrion Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4

Price:€2,500,000

Merrion Gardens is a new development of eight contemporary four-bedroom homes on a private terrace set behind secure gates on Merrion Road in Ballsbridge. 

Numbers 1 and 8, on each end of the terrace, measure 182sq m (1,959sq ft) and are without lifts, while numbers 2 to 7 measure 194sq m (2,088sq ft) and are fitted with lifts.

St Ann’s Cottage, 31 Lower Road, Shankill, Dublin 18

A three-bed midterrace cottage extending to 81sq m (872sq ft)

49 Glengarriff Parade, Phibsborough, Dublin 7

€435,000

A two-bed mid-terrace redbrick home extending to 67sq m (720sq ft).

122 Sarto Park, Naas, Co Kildare

€330,000

A three-bed end-terrace extending to 79sq m (850sq ft).