Irish Eyes...

I’s...... be done with Ireland. The memories are all locked away in the memory bank, they won’t change now, maybe fade some, but always available. As usual, the pleasant ones remain, and the not-so (how far is that toilet stop?) will eventually turn into stories.

We saw so many wonderful things and learned more of history than I thought imaginable. There were insights into life long ago, not knowing when you woke up in the morning if you’d die before sleep that night.

Just a random selection of memories:















The Irish are a wonderful bunch as typlified by a castle owner who showed us around his "home:



and a group in a pub -- C'mon In!!




And, as long time followers will remember, I always add that all the food, drink, sights, experiences are great, but when you enjoy them with people you like, it’s what it’s all about: people, people, people. Know them, understand them, love them. A wonderful trip, thanks to Cole Travel and Henry Miller

And somehow what kind of captures it all:

many centuries:



hundreds of centuries




click

That was the turning of the key for a while on the Irish memory locker and tomorrow the Bottom Feeder will return to food, traffic, restaurants, and rants. And the continuing battle for everybody to

DFD

Irish Reflections Five...digs, cliffs, tea...and whiskey!

In (what we all probably hoped was) the last entry for Ireland (hey, I still have about 850 pictures to show!) there’s a few things that don’t fit into categories, not weighty subjects like the Battle of Boyne, or the historic significance of that castle, they were just fun, pretty, and some things normal “tourists” don’t get to do. So a few last this and that’s for Ireland..

Digging:

With the archeological connection of our tour leader, we were able to visit an active dig, at Clohamon, working to document one of the Calvert’s Castles. The local archeologist in charge of the project had a powerpoint presentation for us in a barn (talk about an odd juxtaposition - straw and microsoft)



And after a little background on the project we headed out into the field for a little more orientation



And then we saw the part of the castle they were uncovering, what they figure was the entrance (the little sloping wall near the bottom)






It was fun to see an actual project in work

Looking:

We visited the fabled Cliffs of Moher on the coast




A spot o’tea:

At the end of that day, we visited a “working” farm (called Rathbaun), had a little demonstration of sheep herding (yes, there was a dog, but it wasn’t in the picture, sorry)



and then went into a charming cottage (notice thatched roof)



And had some fabulous scones with clotted cream, preserves, and tea which just hit the spot..



Irish WhiskEy:

Although as I mentioned we did less than I hoped on the Pub scene, another objective was pretty well fulfilled. I wanted to learn about Irish Whiskey (as opposed to Scotch). One of the first things you learn is that there is a difference in spelling. Ireland and (generally) the United States use the “e” is used in the word, but in Scotland, and many other European countries it is spelled “Whisky”. Check that bottle of scotch in your bar. I find out that the “e” was dropped to differentiate the two products. Another difference is that the Irish version while made pretty much the same is not “smoky” as we associate with Scotch. This is because the Irish version halts the germination of the malted barley with “plain heat”, the Scottish use peat fires for the source of heat, thus imparting the smoky flavor. Lots of variation there, but that’s generally the difference.


Anyway, on one morning as we started touring, we visited Locke’s Distillery, home of Kilbeggan’s Irish Whiskey



one of (if not the) oldest distilleries in Ireland, beginning in 1757, using the small pot still technique. It ceased “real” production around 1957 but is still operated as a museum. It was a charming building with a nice little courtyard



And the distillery may still be powered by a waterwheel as it was originally



As part of their museum exhibit, they make small batches to demonstrate the technique



It was a neat tour, and of course like all such places there was a tasting room. Nothing like a little whiskey to get you started on your day..



And, my research didn’t end with the book larnin’, it carried over into actual experimentation. I began in our original hotel, and told the barkeep of my quest, and he recommended starting with a Redbreast. Brand determined he then asked how I wanted it, and when I queried what’s traditional, he said with water. Fine, I said, let’s do it. So I got a glass with (very little) whiskey, along with a small pitcher of water. Not exactly knowing what to do next, I added a little to the glass and sipped it. Very pleasant, but it was soon gone. The portions never varied over my experimentation, always a sort of “Gee, can you spare it” thought races through your mind. Eventually I took to asking for ice, which added usually a couple of cubes. Over the course of the trip besides the Redbreast, I sampled Greenore 8 year old single grain, a Powers gold label, Paddy’s, and the Kilbeggan, and also a Bushmills. There didn’t seem to be a great variation, although a comparative tasting would be instructive, most were smooth and went down well. I think I could become a fan, but getting some of those different brands here in the states might prove difficult.

A little closing note about Irish drinking. I don’t believe that cocktails play a big part in their drinking habits. I tried the “drink test” a couple of times, and finally gave up,. Just asking for the dry Manhattan, on the rocks with a twist got me a martini straight up, and even in the Michelin one star I got sweet vermouth. I didn’t send it back. After those experiences when I said I’d like dry vermouth, with bourbon, on the rocks with a twist, I usually got the correct drink. Mostly I went native, with Guinness or Smithwicks, or the Irish Whiskey.

Okay, that’s about all the news from Ireland, maybe a general wrap up tomorrow, I suspect you’re blog weary at this point (and I’m working up a rant on another subject) so I won’t even say

DFD oh, wait….

Irish Reflections Four.... The Place

After spending (a lot of) time on things to please the palate in Ireland, it’s time to turn the (figurative) pen to things that please the eye and mind. While I always pay attention to the food (hey, it’s my job), the beautiful Irish countryside and what we saw far outstripped a rasher of bacon or a pint of Guinness (well…). As most readers know I come from an engineering, scientific, by the numbers background, and while I did have some history classes along the way, probably my mind was more affixed on that differential equation assignment than on things like the Norman invasion. There were several others on the trip who had more historical knowledge in their little pinky than I had in my head, and probably some of them are reading this, so forgive the engineer discovering what they have understood for years..

I guess what struck me the most from our travels around Ireland was its sense of history. Driving around the country as we did on some backish roads, you see evidence of their history all around. A ruin here, a tower there, some marked, some not.





These structures are a constant reminder of their past, and it seemed (to me) that there is more of a general awareness of their heritage than is evident in America. Most of the people we met had a good sense of Ireland’s history, and there are still strong feelings and opinions expressed on such people as Oliver Cromwell and William of Orange.

We saw things that have survived for centuries. From early monastic villages dating from the 6th century, such as Clonmacnoise:



with ORIGINAL celtic crosses (also called high crosses) which were put inside to prevent any further decay



Or another at Glendalough founded by St. Kevin, also in the 6th Century (St. Kevin was supposed to have lived in a tree for a while – stern folks these monks)



We also saw the so-called “tower houses”,






Many Castles from around the 11th and 12th century





And more "modern" ones that were/are manorial homes





And while the 6th and 10th century seems old, in County Langford we saw a restored portion of a road called the Corlea Trackway, built in the bogs that dates from 148BC,. The wood was perfectly preserved by being overcome by the bog, so after careful restoration (a la the Viking ships, etc,) these are the actual logs



Nobody has much idea why the road was built, probably NOT to get across the bog, maybe just into it for sacrificial purposes. Who knows..they figure it was only useful for 6 years before it succumbed again to the treacherous bog..

There were rigid requirements while viewing the exhibit




And to put our little busy lives in perspective, see this?



A pile of rocks? Nope,it’s a dolman burial site that’s oh, only 4500 years old.

Engineer meets history part:

To me (and my uneducated brain), it seemed that the history of Ireland was mostly embroiled in constant conflict. There were battles between Celtic war lords, disagreements with the Normans, and more recently (17th century) continual struggles between the Catholics and the Protestants/Anglicans (Cromwell that guy William of Orange again). And these battles weren’t easy either. There were slaughters of defenseless people, thousands of them died, just because they didn’t have the same beliefs as the invaders. (okay, that may be a bit oversimplified, but....)

All those tower houses and castles didn’t look that way because they were attractive, they were designed purely for defense. The tower houses had the “first floor” usually 20 feet or so above the ground so the ladder could be pulled in to prevent access for those outside (although eventually somebody figured out that a tower house has a lot in common with a chimney, so with a little fire... you get the idea). Those turrets in the castles weren’t for prettiness, they provided a means of shooting arrows in almost any direction. In short, most of their lives seemed to revolve around just staying alive. Death was such a part of everyday life, no wonder religious beliefs were important to them.. one can see why Christianity and "ever lasting life" had its attractions...

a wonderful country...

and i don't even have to say

DFD

Irish Reflections Three - the Pubs

Our last ramble on the food of Ireland, we’ll finally address the ubiquitous institution of “The Pubs”. As it turned out I didn’t do as well as I had anticipated before the trip. There’s those expectations again. I had pictured sitting in a pub eating hearty food with pints of Guinness listening to traditional Irish music and generally carrying on. Mostly, due to my own doing, this really didn’t happen. For one thing climbing up circular, dark, staircases in ancient castles can be tiring, and despite the wonderful things we learned and saw during the day, the body just can’t support heading out late in the evening anymore. From what I saw, they really don’t start happening until sometime after ten o’clock. I think one would have to tailor one’s itinerary with that in mind. I will hasten to add, however that there were a few stalwart souls on the trip that were able to burn the candles at both ends.

Pubs are literally on almost every street corner, regardless of the size of the town. They’re in the big cities









They’re out in the country







In short, they’re everywhere.

I did get a chance to go inside a couple, for lunches both in the cities and the country, and what food we had was quite good. Menus varied a lot as to options, from just sandwiches to pretty much fullish meals like bangers and mash (The Hairy Lemon, Dublin)



Here is one we had lunch at in Ballyvaughan in County Clare after we toured the Burrens.



It was charming inside





And we had a very nice lunch of soup and salads. All of the soups we encountered in Ireland seemed to be cream based and pureed. If they say “vegetable” soup, you’ll get a tasty bowl of greenish creamy soup. Service was, as everywhere earnest and helpful.

And when you get back on the bus, there are helpful road signs for navigation..



So our exposure to “pub food” was quite limited, but what we had was good. Each place we went was unique in it’s décor, usually several smallish rooms, some with upstairs, mostly you get the feeling of “cozy”. Dumb word, but you get the idea. And besides the food aspect there was the

Music.

Despite my opening remarks, I did haul myself out a couple of times at night (before the witching hour of 10 mostly) and did encounter a couple of pubs (Kyteler's in Kilkenny) that were featuring music. I think out of the maybe 4 musicians I saw min various pubs, 3 of them were playing the banjo, and the other an amplified guitar.



Another instance in one of our hotels, they announced that there would be live music in their lounge starting at ten. Okay, so i went down about ten of, and sure enough there were musicians setting up. After a good bit of set up and testing, they started to play----a rendition of "Mac the Knife", followed by several other standards of similar genre.. not everybody wants "traditional", another hurdle.

I had expected/hoped to find fiddle and accordion, maybe the Bodhran, penny whistle or the like. Nope, banjo and one guitar. Not that that was bad, just not what I had hoped. The music and musicians were good, but I really wanted to find a fiddle..

Our last meal in Dublin the night before we departed was in the Temple Bar area, at a Pub & Restaurant called “The Oliver St. John Gogarty”, named for a person by that name who was sort of (in)famous as a rebel and a jokester. They have “traditional” on all their voluminous souvenir pamphlets and rack cards.



My first impression was “tourist trap’, but I was once again proven wrong in my normal pessimistic view of things. Our small party of 40 or so was ushered into an upstairs room set with long tables (excuse the mediocre photograpy)



Our travel hosts provided wine and of course there was also Guinness if you wished.

The menu was again a table d’hote affair with three choices of starters (Renvyle House Smoked Salmon; Esther Dunne’s Potato Cake with Bacon; Bacon Spare Ribs –traditional ringside dish with traditional sauce); and three main courses (Poached Irish Salmon – leeks, lobster, and cognac sauce; Gaelic Steak – stuff with an Irish Whisky cream sauce; and Trinity College Chicken – Original Recipe dates back to 1800) and a selection of desserts. I tried the ribs, and MFO the potato cake (a tennis sized ball of deep fried potato which was very tasty); I did the salmon and MFO the Chicken. Again all the food was quite good.



so the sated, tired travelers went back to a final night of hotel sleeping and changed from

DFD

to

DFT(ravel)


PS: of course you know John Lennon would have been 70 today. an interesting image. Go check out Google home page if you see this saturday (10/9)