Ireland - Round Two

A Vacation from Vacation

By this point, we'd been running pretty hard all over the Republic.  Long drives, many castles, many weird things and we needed to sit in one spot for a few days.  So between the Southern Ireland package and the Northern Island package we rented a house in Warrenpoint which is on the border. The minute you cross the border you can see the difference in architecture.  Much more English (also better) in the North.  There is one thing I do not get.  Like when you watch Downton Abbey I always wondered why they didn't landscape the front of the house.  I mean it was STARK.  Well, apparently this is a THING because most of the houses pave their front yards.  To an American this is highly weird and unsightly.  Really.  Anyway, at Warrenpoint we vowed no more castles, churches or estates for three days.

There is Nothing Like the Neolithic

High on our list was going to see Newgrange and Knowth -- two of the Neolithic tombs/monuments that were constructed between 2500 and 2000 BC.  Now, just for reference, the Pyramids were built around 3000 B.C. and Akrotiri (on Santorini) at about 4000 B.C.  All very different but all very sophisticated.  Newgrange is the largest tomb but Knowth is the only one you can go into so we went there first.  I summoned my courage, took some meds and entered the tomb with a small group. Narrow, very.  Dark, very.  Low, very but finally you emerge into a chamber.  The chamber was lit which allowed us to see the carvings and details which were pretty amazing.  And then, the guide TURNED OFF THE LIGHTS to demonstrate how the light (very little) flowed through the light box in the roof.  I behaved only slightly more cowardly than the three year old in the group.  The tomb was a site of religious rites for the summer and winter solstices.  OK, enough of that.  Get me out of there.  Newgrange was impressive in size.  Really, once again, the photos tell the story the best.

The narrow passageways of Knowth could be photographed.

These artificial hillocks contained additional tombs.

This demonstrated that in ancient times before stone henge, there was wood henge.

These cows grazing & lazing in the field were oblivious to the history around them.

The base stones contained intricate carving.

The entrance to New Grange has been recreated.

The entrance was behind this carved stone, but no photographs were allowed inside.

These other base stones were also had intricate carvings.

We also went to Tara where there was a deconsecrated church with intricate stained glass.

The Hill of Tara is Ireland's most revered ancient landscape, dating back to 4,000 years before Christ. The five principal ancient roads of Ireland converged at Tara, where the ancient kings were crowned and buried.

Here the ancient tombs are too dangerous to enter.

I Say, Shall We Go to the Show?

Our trip turned out to be a little horsey.  We saw all these signs advertising the Tattersalls International Horse Fair so decided to take a day with the locals and catch the show.  The only day we could attend was for the Dressage events which are probably the snootiest of all.  Clad in our somewhat tacky travel gear we did stand out a bit from the tonier attendees but this just made mingling easier as they asked where (like what planet) we came from.  It was fun going around to the various tent shops and pricing boots, ridiculous jackets and hard hats.  I will just say that when you add it up, plus the horse(s) and saddlery you better not be working in a Walmart.

Some of the equestrians performing their dressage routines at Tattersall.

Blankets, saddles and tack were available to purchase, if only we had a horse.

Here, as throughout Ireland, the flowers were magnificent.

The quintessential ivy covered house at Tattersall.

To The Trenches!

We only went to this funky little museum because they had an exhibit on World War I and how everyone just sort of stumbled into it. They really got into it and constructed trenches so that you could get a feeling for what the soldiers had to deal with.  Thankfully they didn't flood the ditches nor release rats (a big problem in the real trenches) but it was authentic enough to give you a feel for it.  So, photos please dear.

The World War I trench museum was one of the more unusual sites we visited. The pictures cannot convey the true horrors of World War I trench warfare. 

However this last photo begins to convey one of the major horrors.

It's Good to have a Big Family

There always seems to be some Searles/Fowler/Smith family member hanging around where we travel.  This time it was Michael's cousin Mary Pat and her daughter Amelia who is working in Dublin at the moment.  We were able to meet up in the city for awonderful dinner/evening in an amazingly atmospheric pub.  Thanks guys.

We came across this multi-story mural in Dublin.

Amelia & my cousin Mary.

Mary, Deirdre & Amelia. Deirdre is posing with the custom jig saw puzzle gift from Mary.

The Belle of Belfast - The Titanic

I may be the only member of the human race who has not seen the film Titanic.  I have no interest. In fact,  I have rather an aversion to the whole thing.  However, you can't go to Belfast and not go to this museum.  It is one of the neatest museums we have ever  been in.  And it's not just about the ship. It explains Belfast's place in the industrial revolution and its ship building industry.  It stands where the ship was built.  I won't go on.  Just believe me and go if you have the chance.

The Titanic museum in Belfast, designed to look like a ship.

This was one of the tenders that transported passengers to the Titanic.

The bar had a holographic bartender.

The first class passengers could relax with tea while they were ferried to the Titanic (or perhaps something a bit stronger from the bartender).

There was also a holographic captain in the captain's quarters.

Deirdre contemplating the anchor chains (which were very small compared to those of the Titanic).

While not the largest crane, this was still quite impressive. Behind the wall labeled Cast and Crew is where many scenes for the Game of Thrones is filmed. Many of the Titanic museum employees have been cast as extras.

The Troubles are Over-- Well, not Really-- Not entirely...

I had read about Black Taxi Tours.  You get in an old London Black Cab and the driver takes you around Belfast and explains the sectarian war that waged between Catholics and Protestants from 1969-1984.  Don't we know how to have fun?  Our driver was great.  He said he wouldn't tell us if he was Protestant or Catholic and we could guess at the end of the tour.  He was seven when the fighting started and it lasted throughout his adolescence and early twenties. The Catholics favored fire bombs while the Protestants were prone to Death Squads.  At first, everybody was happy when the British soldiers arrived but, over time they were perceived to favor the Protestants and then things got really ugly.  We were taken to Catholic Memorial Sites, Protestant Memorial Sites and whole streets which he described as having been firebombed.  As a child he couldn't leave his street and never went out after dark.  They built "peace walls".  Michael and I were picturing the lovely Peace Wall in Prague. No.  These are 30 foot tall cinder block and chain link fence walls with barbed wire on top to keep the two groups apart.  On one street there are two sets of gates that are closed at dark each night to keep the neighborhoods separate.  They are built far enough apart that denizens can not hurl bricks at each other.  While in the suburbs and country things are very calm and, for the most part, there isn't a lot of violence. In the city there still is animosity and sometimes violence.  Still, almost all Catholic kids go to Catholic schools and Protestants to Protestant schools.  Little hope for an easing of tensions with no interaction.  Turns out he was Protestant but married to a Catholic.

There were many Catholic murals, monuments and memorials to those who died during the "Troubles", which are set up along Falls Road.

A section of the "Peace" Wall covered with graffiti.

Deirdre adding our wishes for peace to the wall.

More murals and graffiti on the wall.

The next time you hear they were only using rubber bullets, imagine the damage these can do if they hit you.

A mural to Bobby Sands, a member of the Provisional IRA, who died while on a hunger strike in HM Maze prison.

Our black taxi, which took us on the tour.

The "Peace" Wall with one of the series of gates which is closed each evening.

The Protestants have their memorials and murals as well along Shankill Road.

The Protestants of the Ulster League are more loyal to Great Britain and the Queen than many in Great Britain. As this shows they do not want any form of Home Rule.

The Queen is obviously very revered here.

I'm almost as tired from writing this as I was from tromping around the countryside.  Sorry to leave you on a depressing note but we STILL have more stuff on Ireland -- I promise more cheerful.  We get to go to a day at the beach, oogle the seals and play at the Giant's Causeway.  Until then have fun and I hope you West Coasters don't totally fry.