Co Wicklow

February 28 – Wednesday – Up on time and after a quick breakfast we are on the road before 8:30. I decide to try going through Cork instead using the ferry by Cobh this time, I think it will be faster. We make the N25 by 9:00 and hit Youghal (pronounced yawl) by 9:45. Having heard the Youghal is a historical town we pull over after we pass through the clock gate. We climb up the town wall to see if we can get in the clock gate museum but it is closed. We wander down to the harbor, and see the Moby Dick restaurant, and yes they did film the movie here (1954 starred Gregory Peck), then had a coffee and pastry at the Coffee Pot before getting underway again. By 11 we were driving through Dungarvan, and I’ll be danged if I could find the “Old Dungarvan Oak”. We came across a “Mobile Chef” on the road, a box truck that was serving food out the side. We continue through Waterford and stop at New Ross to go through the Dunbrody Famine ship. Quite rainy and windy, helps to lend a little authenticity to the tour. While we are touring, they are filming a movie. I didn’t get it all, but something about a teen doing some time travel and he lands on the famine ship during his adventures.

Getting back on the road we hit Enniscorthy about 1:30 and stopped in to see the 1798 Rebellion Center which celebrates the United Irishman in their struggle for Independence. A fascinating tour, well set up, self paced. There is a coffee shop in the building so we have lunch too, great mushroom soup and a tuna wrap. Back on the road just before 3:00 and drive to the hotel in Woodenbridge arriving about 4:00 where we check in to the oldest hotel in Ireland (1608). The weather was cooperating so we went back out and drove to Avoca, I wanted to see Fitzgerald’s where they filmed Ballykissangel, and Lisa wanted to go to the Avoca Handweavers. We needed to check for a scarf for Linda but they didn’t have one to match her coat, Lisa picked up a couple things and we walked back down to Fitzgerald’s to have a pint and take a couple pictures.

Needing tickets for the Elders show tomorrow, we went to Arklow to the internet café that was selling them, and then looked for a place for supper, ending up at Murphy’s Pub. Very good food, and not very expensive for such a nice place. I had the pork loin, Lisa the chicken nuggets, and it was less than 20euro for the bill. Going back to the hotel afterward, we had a pint in the residents lounge (Four Vales) before hitting the hay, it was a long day with all the driving.

March 1 – Thursday – 8:00 finds us getting ready for breakfast in the restaurant, I order the full Irish, 3 giant rashers (bacon), 2 Irish sausage, black and white pudding, eggs over easy, grilled tomatoes, grilled mushrooms and toast, this will keep me going today! Driving to Avondale we walk the Pine Trail in the Avondale Forest Park. This is also home to the Avondale House which was built in 1777, and where Charles Stewart Parnell was born in 1846. We really luck out today as the weather cooperates with us, sunny and cool, very nice for walking. It holds out as we drive to the Meeting of the Waters, where the Avonbeg and Avonmore rivers meet and is associated with the poet Thomas Moore. The pub located there is called The Meetings, and needing a pint we stop in. I order the Kilkenny and am really disappointed, it tastes really bad, nothing like the one I had at the Spaniard. Figuring we better walk off the pint we just had, we drive to Aughrim and find the Sean Linehan trail. Beautiful walk along the river and back.

We walk for a hour or so and make our way into town for a few pictures and a bite of lunch at the Stonecutter’s coffeehouse, I have just a bowl of soup after the big breakfast I had this morning, after which we figure we would drive around a bit for a good look at the country here. Make our way up to Wiklow and back down to Arklow where we stop at the NewVision I-café so I can check my email. I buy an hour’s worth of time from a very nice lady (Julie New) who I later discover is Ian Byrne’s sister! (That is why the tickets are only for sale here) Lisa picks me up after some shopping and we make our way back to the hotel for some supper in the Four Vales and get ready for the Elders show in the back room. We have fun talking to the band again, they had a good trip in, but arrived just today, so with the concert tonight it will be a long day for them. Fred and Mary from Grand Rapids are here with their daughters Lee and Tess, who are going to school in Galway. It’s the first time they have seen them since they left for school in January. We also meet Ian’s mother, very nice lady who is going on the tour with the band, and we meet Jeff from England who used to live in Wichita and knew all about the Elders but never had a chance to see them live in Kansas! So he came over here to follow the tour.

The concert is suppose to start at 8:30, but being Irish time it’s more like 9 before the opener begins, Fran Harper on vocals and guitar, and Naimh on keyboard and vocals. They used to play with Ian before he joined the Elders. After 5 or 6 songs, Naimh left the stage and Gig (Paul) joined Fran for a couple songs, some really good blues there. By now the room was full and ready for the Elders to start. They climb the stage about 10 to a great reception from the crowd, jumping right into Michael’s Ride and playing for a enthusiastic audience. Ian was very energetic, and managed to entertain everyone with tales of his youth in the Avoca area, which included the introduction of his mother. The band ending up with the Devil’s Tongue and when encouraged to do an encore, they brought up Fran and Gig to help them with Message in a Bottle which rocked the house. A great night for everyone! After a bit of chatting we all decide it’s time to crash so off we go.