"Why have a dog and bark yourself?": the Irish charm begins.

We met our family at the Shannon airport and boarded a luxury bus. Our driver is Kevin and he a charming Irishman and an excellent driver.

The members of the group are ----

-Lisa, our beautiful sister in love, married to Margaret's brother George----we got so lucky that she said yes to George. Lisa planned almost all of the trip with the help of Tricia (Margaret's other sister)

-George, Margaret's brother, an adventurous guy who has the best laugh--- hearty, joyful, and so engaging that all of us work to tell jokes just to hear him laugh.

-Sam, our wonderful niece, who is well travelled, and quite committed to documenting the journey and the fun. She is giving all of us a gift by posting pictures and keeping family and friends updated via Facebook.

-Tricia, Margaret's sister.  Not only did Tricia help to plan the trip, but she also brought cocktails and hors d' ouvres for the bus.....we love that girl!! Although Lisa and Tricia kept us updated as the trip was being planned, most of us filed the e-mails and opted for more of a surprise trip in Ireland. The element of surprise in terms of the events of the day make it extra fun. 

-Colleen, Margaret's other sister---very fun, and a blast to have as a traveling partner.

-Paul, Colleen's husband, a musician, and simply a great guy.

We couldn't think of a better way to start the trip than to head to a small village where "The Quiet Man" was filmed. We went into Cohan pub and had a pint, while we quoted lines from the movie.

It was fun to sit on the famous bridge where John Wayne sat in the movie. The countryside is green and so picturesque.  It is very obvious why they call it The Emerald Isle.  We checked into our hotel in Galway, went to an "off license" store, made a few strategic purchases, and had happy hour in Colleen's room.  We had dinner in a pub across the street.  The pub is just how you imagine, with Irish music, fish and chips, and Guinness.  Lisa's dream was to ride the famous Conemara horses on the Irish sea shore.  We had great weather for our ride, which included a brisk trot and canter through the green fields right next to the beach, where the cows just gave us a quick look.  We also rode right into the sea to about a foot deep.  The views were spectacular out to sea and back inland towards the mountains. 

Ireland is known for its castles, and they are spectacular.  We saw the Killarney castle, the Blarney castle, and the Kilkenny castle, to name a few.   All along the way, there were other castles, some in significant disrepair or perhaps not as grand, but certainly ones that gave evidence that at one time these landmark buildings stood out and were shelter to important people. 

 Thanks to Kevin our driver, he recommended that we substitute the Dingle peninsula for the Ring of Kerry.  Kevin said that in the 20 years he's been driving, he never tires of this place and feels that it is one of the most beautiful areas of Ireland.  He was right.  One fun thing about the town of Dingle is a pub called Dick Mack's.  It is both a small pub and a leather repair shop, so Kevin joked that you could have a pint and get your shoes fixed at the same time.  It turns out that the room is so small that you actually can sit on a bench opposite the bar and simply raise your foot onto the workbench.  It is a must see in Dingle. 

What would a trip to Ireland be without visiting the Jameson distillery?  Sammy became an official Jameson whiskey taster.  This is extra funny because she doesn't drink.

The country is beautiful, no doubt, but the true treasure of Ireland are its people.  They were charming and welcoming wherever we went, and we loved the expressions they used when they spoke.  A few examples (you have to imagine with an Irish accent) :  "I'm grand"  ,  "of course you can", "it was meltin' hot",

"why have a dog and bark yourself?". 

Next stop: Cape Clear---the small island (population 120) off the southern tip of Ireland where Margaret's ancestors were born.