sullivanstreet.us

Well, I made it!! Ireland is amazing already, if the trip continues to be this great I may just stay here.

Today, I landed in Dublin @8am and hadn't slept on the plane, the seats on these planes are just too damn small. Or maybe I just need to lose some weight!! After landing I waited forever for the bags to come through the baggage claim, it was like there was 1 person back there unloading. It felt like every new bag that came down the line was a hint at possible salvation from the waiting for my fellow passengers and I.

Eventually, my bag did arrive and it was on to find the car rental. With a little bit of confusion (the sign for IrishCarRentals.com wasn't very easy to find). I got my keys and was on my way. After my first 2 turnarounds/roundabouts I was a pro at them and only had to track back once for missing an exit. The Garmin I bought was perfect! Having had very little sleep I was a wee bit nervous about driving but it really was not that bad, it's the turning that gets you.

Eventually I made it to Cashel. Driving into town The Rock dominated the view, and was impressive to say the least. I was able to find the Ard Ri house with no problems as well. I was not able to check in but left the car in the driveway and walked back to city centre to check out the sights.

Downtown Cashel is a great city filled with pubs and bars and cafes and shops, even the tourist information center was cool. And hey did I mention the pubs? I first made a stop at the tourist information center, outside of which a band was playing music. They had the whole shebang, string section, trumpets etc. The tourist information center had tons of information about the history of The Rock and the town. Like many towns in Ireland, Cashel has seen some harsh times.

As I was walking through town to go check out The Rock I passed this amazing Dominican Friary. It appears that people still visit and care for the grave sites inside of it. The gates were chained up otherwise I would have stopped inside for a gander.

From the friary it was just a short walk up the hill to The Rock. I could see immediately why they originally built a stronghold (later it became the seat of the Archbishopric). It commands 360 degree view of the surrounding countryside. I happened to notice from there a large number of tractors gathering in what looked like a small field, turns out there was a reason for that!

They we doing a tractor run for charity, according to a local it was started from a few years back when a young girl fell and was permanently disabled. Now every year they get as many people, and their tractors, involved and they drive around the area with their families, collecting donations for a local hospital to get facilities and equipment to help treat people with similar disabilities. The feeling in Cashel as these tractors drove down main street was like watching a 4th of July parade in the states. I just can't believe how lucky I was to be here on this day to see this event take place.

I was exhausted but the vibe and energy of the town and people kept me going, so I stopped at a pub for my first Irish Guinness. As expected it was very good and the pub had a great outdoor seating area where I could sip my pint and watch the people go by. It is quite easy to pick out the tourists, like me they are walking around in wonder, back packs and water bottles handy. The locals are as genial and social as you can imagine. Seemed like every few seconds you'd see friends spot each other from across the street and stop for a quick word of hello, or even step into the pub for a pint or some tea. It was heartwarming to see, you don't see that a lot in the states. Most of us are so caught up in our days, tasks and selves that we would just give a nod or a wave and be on the way. Finally the exhaustion took me over and I went back to the B&B for a shower and a nap.

After a refreshing nap I drove back to town for some dinner and a few pints. My first stop was Chief's (formerly O'Sullivan's). There was a band playing and they were amazing, all of them great singers. That was when I met Larkin, owner and proprietor. What a great person, I was just chatting with him about how the sign in the back said O'Sullivan's and that I had to come in. He bought the place about a year and a half back and changed the name. We talked a little more about my trip and the weather, and the tractors. Next thing I know he comes out from behind the bar with a poster sized chalk menu board from when the bar had been called O'Sullivan's and hands it to me and says here, take that home with you! I couldn't believe it, what an amazing gesture, if you ever stop or even drive through Cashel, stop, park the car and head into Chief's for a cider (in the bottle and a pint glass with ice) or a Guinness. From there I heeded a fellow patron's advice and went next door to Grant's (located inside the Kearney Castle Hotel) and had a great dinner, a little more expensive then I would have liked but well worth it. After dinner I went right back to Chief's to finish the night off.

After not even 24 hours in Ireland I am thoroughly impressed. Beautiful country, great scenery, great food and most of all great people. I'm starting to get the feeling that the crown jewel of Ireland is the people, thanks Larkin for a great day!