Tuesday, June 16, 2015






It was fun looking forward to what each place we stayed in would be like as we traveled around Ireland.  By far, the BEST was The Dressmaker's Cottage in Kenmare!  Kathleen met us there and there was a warm fire burning in the fireplace.  The kitchen was beautiful stocked with every utility you might need, as well as the fixings for tea or coffee upon our arrival.  Kenmare, itself, was a different type of downtown from Westport.  We found a nice pub and ordered supper ~ I had Lamb Stew and a Guinness.

October 5th ~ Rained All Day

The beds were so comfortable and we were so tired from the previous day's travel that we all slept in on the first rainy day at The Dressmaker's Cottage.  When I came downstairs, Jim had a nice cozy fire burning in the fireplace.  It seemed like a good day to just relax in this cozy cottage.  The internet was finally hooked up and I was able to catch up on some of my sketching.  I walked up to the nearby grocery store and picked up food for tonight's supper and a bottle of wine, and we watched a great movie, The Ex.


A small scene in The Dressmaker's Cottage backyard
October 6th ~ A Day Trip to the Dingle Peninsula

Our day trip to the Dingle Peninsula included stopping at the Ladies View in Killarney National Park.  The name comes from a visit by Queen Victoria's ladies-in-waiting in 1861.    



View from Ladies View ~ Killarney National Park, County Kerry

There were two ladies there who were from Culpepper, Va, a town about a half hour from where I live in Virginia.  Small World!


Loved the trees in Ireland ~ this one was at the top of Ladies View




We walked around the town of Dingle and eventually made our way down to the harbour where there were fishing boats docked.

Dingle Fishing Port

Fuchsia bushes lined the pathway leading up to Gallarus Oratory.

Gallarus Oratory ~ Early Christian Chapel






October 3rd ~ Visit to Cong
Scenes from different places in CONG, Co. Mayo, Ireland



We took a day trip from Westport to the Village of Cong, which is known for the 1952 Movie, The Quiet Man with John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara.  I haven't seen the movie yet and am looking forward to watching it, as the setting was entirely in Cong.  

The Cong Forest was truly an enchanted forest!  Every turn we took while hiking through this beautiful, lush, green forest took your breath away.  My son, Greg, recommended this as part of our trip and I can see why.  It's a birder's paradise, as well as witness of antiquity.  



Grey Heron


Ashford Castle ~ Jim and Liz



The Abbey


October 4th ~ Leaving Westport and Heading for Kenmare

On the way to Kenmare we stopped at The Perfumery in Co. Clare.  It was a long ride on narrow winding country roads to get there, but it was well worth the effort.  The Perfumery is in The Burren on the West Coast of Ireland.  They make perfumes, creams, candles, soaps, etc from the flowers that grown in The Burren, using all natural ingredients.  I love the perfume, Ilaun, that I purchased.  


Here's their Facebook Page 


https://www.facebook.com/pages/Burren-Perfumery/122051287809210?sk=info 


 and their website.


http://www.burrenperfumery.com/

 My Watercolor of the Burren Perfumery Tea Room



This is the Tea Room at The Perfumery where we had tea and scones.




It was pouring rain as we traveled past the Cliffs of Moher so we decided not to pay the fee to go see them.

As we travel toward the Shannon Ferry, we passed many beautiful spots and got out to walk and take pictures.



A view along the way to the Shannon Ferry ~ Co. Clare




County Clare in back of me and County Limerick in front of me





Friday, October 24, 2014





 I turned around while on the walking trail, I realized I was seeing a view of Croagh Patrick in the distance. 


October 1st ~ The first full day in Westport started with a one-mile walk to downton.
The Westport Walking Trail was beautiful, and when I turned around after going through this tunnel, I realized that we could see Croagh Patrick in the distance.  Croagh Patrick (Holy Mountain) is 2,507 feet high and an important site of pilgrimage in County Mayo, Ireland.  Many people take on the challenge of climbing Croagh Patrick as a way of growing closer to God.  Saint Patrick is said to have fasted on the mountain for 40 days in the fifth century AD.  It's also the site of pagan pilgrimage for the summer soltice.  Thousands of people climb the mountain every Reek Sunday, which is the last sunday in July.

The town of Westport is wonderful for walking around and looking for interesting shops to visit.  Liz and I decided to sit near the Westport Bridge and do some sketching.  It was a gorgeous day, around mid-sixties.  Jim took off to brouse through one of the book stores.  Later, we found an Internet Cafe where I was able to post some photos on Facebook.

Later that evening we took a walk down by the harbour and stopped by The Towers Pub for a Guinness.



Beautiful day sitting and sketching the Westport Bridge





That's Me in Ireland!




At The Towers Pub on the Westport Harbour






October 2nd ~ Achill island was, by far, the favorite of mine.  The scenic views of Ireland along the Atlantic Way were everything you could hope to see on your first visit to Ireland.  The Atlantic Ocean on the Ireland side will forever remain in my memory.  The force and ferocity of the sea was an invitation to get out of the car and walk up close to it.  The wind was whipping around us as we made our way across the beach.  Jim and Liz started collecting seashells and I was able to capture the moment.  (That small dot of to the right is a woman who braved a swim.)








The Shell Seekers
Magnificent!



Sheep on top of Achill Island.  I've heard two different reasons the backs of sheep are dyed.  One is that the local farmers mark them to identify their herd, and two, so they can tell which of the ewes are expected to lamb in the spring.







"For many years people lived in the village and then in 1845 Famine struck in Achill as it did in the rest of Ireland. Most of the families moved to the nearby village of Dooagh, which is beside the sea, while some others emigrated. Living beside the sea meant that fish and shellfish could be used for food. The village was completely abandoned which is where the name 'Deserted Village' came from."




Westport to Kenmore Calendar Grid (September 29th through October 4th)

Kenmare to Cobh Calendar Grid (October 5th through October 10th)

I knew one day I would be in Ireland.  When my son, Jim, approached me about planning a trip with him and his wife, Liz, I felt in my heart the timing was right.  I had different mobility issues over the last three years and now with that behind me it was just the motivation I needed to move forward.  

This blog is a way to share my watercolor sketches of this amazing trip as well as some journaling over the sixteen days.


Enjoy!  And always set your aim on things you'd like to do in life.  This would never have happened if I didn't have the goal to get there and if there weren't people in my life who help to make it possible.

September 29th ~ Had a great time with Jeff, Doris, Amelia, Olivia, Theo and Diana last night.  A wonderful meal and then we watched the old 70's movie 'Rocky II".  Woke up at 4:30 a.m. and Jeff drove me to the Dulles International Airport in Washington, D.C.  

On the way, Jeff and I were riding along the country road leading to Route 3 in the pre-dawn hours, when suddenly three deer came from the right and lept in front of the car.  Jeff was able to avoid them and they continue on across the roadway into the woods on the other side.  We couldn't get over how everything could have changed in an instant if we had hit them.  I sent up a silent 'thank you' and felt, once more, that my being in Ireland was meant to be.

I just made it to the gate as my flight was boarding ~ My assigned seat was 1C and I had the nicest man sitting next to me who it turned out was a graduate from UVA and knew the whole area.  He was a real Thomas Jefferson fan and the 45 minute trip to JFK went by quickly.

As I was coming down the ramp, I saw Jim waving.  The excitement really came home ~ I was really going to IRELAND!  Liz and Jim packed a nice lunch and we settled in at JFK to wait for our 6:30 p.m. flight on Aer Lingus to the Shannon Airport.


September 30th ~ The first person I thought of when we landed in Ireland was my father.  I was happy that he was the first person who came to mind when I first arrived in Ireland.  We arrived at Shannon Airport in the early dawn after a red-eye flight, and while we were driving along the winding roads heading toward Westport, the sun began to rise and the unfolding scenery was beautiful.  One thing that made a great impression on me was the abundance of stone walls, of all types and sizes, that the Irish had built down through the years.  It reminded me of the stone wall my father had built in front of our family homestead.




All over Ireland we saw stone fences

Arrived at Shannon Airport at about 5 a.m. and picked up the rental car for the two hour ride to Westport.  The winding roads were very narrow, and driving was on the opposite side of what we're used to in the US.  Jim was used to driving in London, so it came naturally to him and we all settled back to enjoy the beautiful scenery around us.  Going through Cong, we hit a rut and heard a loud bang.  When we pulled over, the front left tire was flat, and Jim and Liz quickly worked together and changed it so we could continue on the way.  As they were changing it, a herd of cows that were grazing in the distance started to amble over to the car to see what we were doing.  Before we knew it we had a 'mooing' audience.







  Later, when we arrived in Westport,  we were able to get the temporary tire replaced and headed over to The West  Restaurant for my first Guinness and lunch.



A view from our apartment while we were in Westport



I made a commitment to myself that i'd have a half-pint of Guinness everyday!