BellaOnline Forums Travel and Culture Irish Culture The Kerry area

I love the Kerry area, Killarney is a great little town, also really liked Kenmare, and Kinsale.
Has anyone been to these towns/area's?

I'm new...wanted to respond to the post about the Kerry area. I've been there twice, and Kenmare is one of my favorites. I'm hoping to go back and would like recommendations about where to stay. I'd like to make my travel home base in Kenmare.

When I was newly married my husband talked so much about Kerry that my brothers used to tease him that Kerry was really an old girlfriend. He'd spent some years teaching there and had lived in Blennerville, outside of Tralee. Now, 15 years later, he's still talking about Kerry, so she must've been something!<G>
There are many good places to stay in the area, but the clue to me is in your choice of the words "home base." Many people I've talked to lately---even ones with family in Ireland with whom they would be welcome to stay---are choosing short-term rentals of completely furnished cottages. You get the privacy and self-determination that may not be as available at a B&B or a regular hotel. You do your own cooking, washing up, and all that, but that's part of the benefit. You're not at the mercy of pub grub or the restricted hours of service of many of the restaurants in Europe (or the prices!). The prices can be quite reasonable, especially if you travel off season by a bit, and there are significant savings in being able to make yourself a cup of tea rather than having to visit a restaurant for every bite you eat or drop you drink.
If you go to the Irish Culture site, you will see links for Travel Ireland on the left-hand side of the page. There are many choices there. The people who rent these cottages will be very happy to give you all the information you could ever want.
Enjoy your travels,
Mary Ellen

Thanks so much, Mary Ellen. Your advice was right on. When I come back,I'm bringing my husband, who has had diabetes for 51 years (since he was 7). I think it would be easiest on us to have a place to make meals (most days) that fit in with his meal plan, and have a place to come back to each night after travelling around all day, or just enjoy a quiet day around town, wherever we may be. Can't WAIT to make it a reality!

Good for you, Jeri. Visit often and stay long. I've always thought that the whole point of visiting Ireland was to slow down to the proper pace. Dashing madly about is for everybody else. Ireland is meant to be enjoyed at one's most comfortable pace, not ever otherwise, except possibly when leaving...when your stalling and all the good-byes make you worry about making the flight. Yes, be careful, the flights out of Ireland don't wait for long good-byes any more than the ones from our home cities.

For many people visiting Ireland is a religious experience. It depends on the degree of separation by generation or imagination. As we all know, the Irish have very long memories so even people whose forebears emigrated very long ago feel a resonance when they visit.

I'm packing my bags almost as we speak. I'm taking off for Donegal and Dublin in the middle of October, and it's quite something to think about. Each time I've been there has been totally different in some ways, identical in others. Boy! I can't wait!

Maybe your husband will like the trifle recipe I posted the other day. It's perfect for diabetics like us.

Best,
Mary Ellen

Would you like to tell us a little about your trip to that you mentioned you were going on in October? Maybe it'll be enough to get us through the long cold winter....(I live in Minnesota).

What are some of the really good museums in non-Dublin Ireland? And is it difficult to travel about if we do rent a private cottage? You've got my appetite whetted!

Thanks to all,
Dunesbury

Car rentals are way down from the "old days," when the cost of a car was about the same as the flight. It's surprising that the rates now are about the same as they would be in the States, but there is that issue of the "right" and "wrong" side of the road. As long as you stay out of the cities, driving is not a problem, but driving through Dublin could be tough for one not familiar with the difference in the direction of traffic. Still, a couple of days and you're driving like a native.
Ireland herself is a museum. If you're looking for something like "The Smithsonian," stick to Dublin. There are lovely museums there. Lots of well-cataloged artifacts. If you're looking for lei lines and holy wells, stay out of Dublin. You'll find them without a map. (only half kidding)
For the first time over, you may want to do a tour. The tours are not the insipid drive, drive, drive, stop...look at the lovely sheep...drive, drive, drive. Usually the banter of the driver is enough to make the trip worthwhile in itself. I went on a tour bus in Dublin once (yeah, me, on a tour bus, hold yer hat...well, I was entertaining some company and had run out of personal energy<G>). The driver had me laughing my butt off. That's a tour. Gor, there's so much to do and see in Ireland, I'm the worst one to advise you. Personally, I'm all for renting the cottage and letting the place claim you. Rent a little car and get lost. The museum of the field is what you'll find and someone will tell you what happened there 2 million years ago.
Keep talking.
I'd go to the West Coast and fill up on fish. What would be really nice would be a Shannon River tour boat. Slowly slipping down the Shannon and stopping once in a while at major sites. Stop in pubs whether you drink or not.
Have a quiet time,
Mary Ellen

Hello Jeri:

You will not believe it! The ticket bought, passport renewed, new clothes hanging neatly in the closet, and I was staring at the map of Dublin airport, getting ready to book my little flight from Dublin to Donegal, when I realized I couldn't walk the length of the airport by myself. And then I knew I couldn't make the trip alone. I had totally forgotten to take into account how well cared for I am here by my husband and son. I always have one or the other of them to lean on. My rack is ruined from some bad treatment in the old days. I have severe arthritis in my hips and back and walking any distance is a huge challenge. I didn't even take it into consideration when I was planning the trip. Duh! I realized I would be a burden to everyone I planned to visit, all those cousins who take stone walls in a single bound and who walk a mile or two after dinner as a constitutional. And those who don't are in the same shape I am and wouldn't that be a disaster as well? No, I couldn't make the trip by myself. Confound it.

Thankfully, Continental allows the ticket to be postponed (moved the date to Feb. when the husband and son will accompany me---there's a wedding).

So, I didn't get my trip. And you'll never guess, but if I had gone, it would have been a terrible thing. Before I had time to get depressed about not being able to see dear old Donegal right now, wee Eamonn came home from school with an award from Johns Hopkins University, the CTY (Center for Talented Youth) and an invitation to take the SATs three years early. Woo-hoo! Surprise, surprise. We'd never even heard of this award, but the kiddo made his parents very proud, and all of a sudden his mother became very, very busy. It just happened that the time I would have been away I spent filling out applications for that program and for the high school he is anxious to go to next year. And then there's that huge SAT prep book to be gone through before December 4 (which oddly is his grandma-in-heaven's birthday).

So, there's the blessing that followed the disappointment. Yep, I got a few goosebumps on that one. And I'll be heading for Dublin in February, which is just when the daffodils are blooming all over the place, and a niece getting married as well, so it's all working out well in the end.

So please send some prayers that Eamo gets accepted in High Tech High School. He has his heart set on it. I was a bit worried about what would happen if it didn't happen...adolescents and disappointment and all that...but his take is that if it doesn't happen this year, there'll be less competition next year. Today may be Thanksgiving, but I feel blessed every day.

How will you stay warm? With my best wishes and amazement that you held that thought to inquire some months later. You're obviously warm heart will help keep you warm in Minnesota.<G>

Our internet connections are more than just typing the odd message on the computer. Some of my very best friends were met on the net and we "speak" nearly every day for these last ten years. The net is what we make of it. Here's to making the best of it.

Happy Thanksgiving,
Mary Ellen

Ye gads, obviously I'm losing my aptitude in apostrophes. Please make that "Your obviously warm heart above..."
MES

Your posting about your decision to delay your trip is a lesson in wisdom. Thanks for sharing it. You've condensed a lifetime of lessons offered and lessons painfully accepted we all can benefit from.

I have to share how I read the bit about Eamonn hoping for admission to a special high school; I read "Holy Tech..."

Dear Madame Editor:

I finally figured out how to post my remarks and replies.

Dunesbury the Dinosaur

What a story....isn't it interesting how the delayed in the trip turned out? "There are no coincidences". How old is your Eammon? Hope it all works out for him; but he sounds like he has a great attitude about it all, and some wisdom beyond his years, if he can think it's OK if it doesn't work out this year. I will pray that it all works out in the way that will be best for him and you all. Meanwhile, you have Feb. to look forward to!
We are having a mild MN winter so far. I'm hoping for LOTS of snow, because we like to go out on snowshoes. It's something my husband likes to do with me....he's never been in to any kind of skiing or skating...so this has been a great thing to get in to.
I agree with your advice about a tour. Both times I've been to Ireland, I've gone with a tour group-different leaders each time. The second time (in 2000) was led by 2 college professors with family roots in County Mayo. So we stayed for a week in holiday cottages in Louisburg (?sp) and went out on day trips every day. I would never have found the Strokestown Famine Museum or the Gore Booth mansion near Sligo, for example.
Well, I must be off. Cheers! Hope to "talk" to you again soon.

Ha, ha! Your "Holy Tech" has made the rounds at his parochial school! It has comforted all the religion teachers from the past eight years.
Mary Ellen

Some Dinosaur! If you were a dino, they wouldn't have gone extinct; they'd be ruling the planet. There'd be Barney posters on every pole.<G>
Mary Ellen

I know it will all turn out as it's meant to. The way the award showed up a day or so after I made up my mind to postpone the trip was very nearly spooky...okay, I'll admit it, I was seeing signs all over the place.<G> I love snow too, particularly from my kitchen when it has required that we all stay home because the hill is too steep to leave the house.
Eamonn is 14 on St. Stephen's Day. The nurse who took him from the doctor who took him from me lit my husband's candles when she took a look at him and said, "This one's an old soul." We have yet to find evidence to the contrary.<G> Old or whatever, he's a good soul, and I'm very happy that he's getting these affirmations of his gifts. A trip to Ireland is nothing at all next to seeing your child realize his gifts.
He is a throwback anyway and loves to visit his cousins as well. I'll enjoy the trip much more with John and Eamonn with me. In February, the daffodils and gorse will be blooming there. That just blows me away. We have a primrose that's about 20 years old that my Dad brought back from a trip over there. I dug a piece of it out of the ground with my bare fingers the day he died, and it has thrived for the past 7 years in my garden. They're different from the American variety. The blossom is off-white and stands higher above the leaves than the ones at the local nursery. I keep meaning to look that up.
Best wishes,
Mary Ellen

Oh wow....I got chills when you said Eamonn was an old soul. I've thought the same about our son, Joe, all along. He's more than a son to me...he's been my teacher in so many ways over the years. (He's 32 this past November 11). And I had a similar experience as your with your Dad and planting the primrose. Some folks my Dad knew brought a pot of miniature daffodils to the wake service, since he's had cancer and the daffodil is the flower symbol for the Cancer society. I brought that pot home and planted the bulbs in my yard. You know how they say forced bulbs won't bloom again...well, they've come up every year since he died in 1992. It's funny....since my Dad died in '92 and then my momin '93, I've grown to have such a deep appreciation for Easter, and all that it symbolizes. On the other hand, Christmas mostly makes me sad...and is something to be endured. Too many things I miss now.
Well, this got a little maudlin. Sorry about that. Later.....

Oh Jeri, I know what you're talking about. I used to be a real Grinch. Christmas left me feeling so bereft. I missed everyone who was gone so much I missed all the fun in the present. I made it a point to get over that a few years ago, mostly for Eamonn's sake. It just wasn't fair to him. My recipe for beating the Christmas bah humbugs was to host the family Christmas dinner. Now, if you think about the numbers, we were 12, ten now, all married with children, we're coming up on close to 40 for Christmas now. And I know they all love me. (Some in varying degrees on varying years, but that's okay. We all didn't like Dad equally well different years.<G>) Now it's just getting better every year. Everybody enjoys this big old house (John and I are caretakers of an old historic clubhouse on the Jersey Shore.) and we "do" Christmas.
It's a lot of work, just giving instructions to the willing workers, (last year I spent the three days following in bed, not able to move) but there's no room for grief.
Remind yourself what Christmas brought to us. I used to get sad just thinking of the fate of the Babe whose birth we were celebrating, but don't focus on that, celebrate being with the ones you love, even if they are there in spirit alone. Yes, dear, think of them and they'll show up. Some little thing will happen to prove it to you.
You'll know.
And yes, I really, really love Easter!!! Forced bulbs will come back when planted at the right time and given adequate love.<G> The primrose is looking good under its protection of maple leaves. I gave a sliver of it to one of my sisters this year, and her's is doing just fine as well.
Have a little sniff for yourself and be done with it. Joe and Eamo are in the same class. Give Joe a happy-hearted Ma for Christmas and it'll make his day, for sure, even if you're miles away. He'll know. So will the auld fella. It's important for us to keep the happiness in Holy Days even though it's so easy to go sad and so miss the ones who have passed over. If you believe what I think you do, there's no need to be sad.
Love,
Mary Ellen

Your description of hosting Christmas reminds me of Ed's sister Pam. She lives near Chicago and has a big house. Ed is the oldest of 15, 13 alive. Pam hosted Thanksgiving last year at her home, and this year volunteered their place for a wedding reception for the first nephew to get married. It was a grand time...everyone was pretty much on his or her best behavior and tried to get along with a minimum of conflict.
I think part of my problem with Christmas is that my folks made such a big deal of it. On Christmas Eve Day we got all dressed up and went out to eat at a fancy restaurant. I remember Dad bursting with pride over his family, and how people would come up to the table and he'd introduce us kids (myself and 4 brothers). Then we'd go to a special holiday movie (to kill time, I'm sure) and then home to await Santa's arrival. Then off to Midnight Mass, which used to be at Midnight, and then back home to eat something special. Then the next morning, a big family type gift was waiting, and then of course the big Christmas dinner. I don't know how they kept it up all those years....makes me tired just writing about it! I had a big disappointment after they both died, because I always thought "the boys" and I were all close, but without Mom and Dad around, there's very little attempt to get together more than once a year.
But, you are right, it's selfish of me to let sadness take over. Last year, I didn't even want to get a tree. Poor Ed...he puts up with a lot!
I am better this year...we're going out to get roping for the deck, and a small tree, and put lights on the house this weekend....might as well, it's supposed to be a warm 45 degrees.
Joe went to Ireland the first semester of his Junior year in college (they were in Spiddal). They came home right before Christmas that year. I was wishing we'd gone over there to visit hiim while he was there, or met up after the semester and toured a bit before coming home. He said they told them that lots of tourist attractions were closed around the holidays, so we ended up not going. But I would love for the 3 of us to go together. Ed's never been, so Joe and I would have a lot to show him. Guess I better buy more than 2 lottery tickets a week!
What does "O'Donnell Abu" mean?

Ed's got us beat by three! Ha! I love to hear about families bigger than my own. Survivors. It cracked me up when you said everyone was on their best behavior. Don't I know what you mean by that one!
I see how you miss the way your parents treated Christmas, gee---who wouldn't? That is fairybook stuff for those of us for whom the last paycheck before Christmas was it. I remember one scary year where Dad was late getting home from work...they rushed the toy store and just bought them out. Seriously, your memories of Christmas were made by your parents, and they were so good that it would be hard to best them. That your brothers aren't up for keeping your family's trad. going is what's hard for you. Are your brothers close to you otherwise? Maybe they feel that you have Ed's family and there's no room for them there. But I'm glad you're starting anew. Sometimes we have to do that at all times of life, just keep starting over.
It's true about the tourist stuff and the holidays. We seem to end up over there in February too often (now again!), and the family feels hard-pressed at times to entertain us, as the "nice" places are often closed for the season. It only makes sense that the holiday workers do their own "holidays" in Portugal, Spain, or Greece when it's cold and miserable at home.<G> Ireland is at her prime in the late spring through early fall. No one can imagine why anyone would go there for a holiday any other time. We go when we can, and that's it. Try to do it when the weather's decent if you can. It's more expensive, of course, (and you wouldn't believe the amount of money one can spend over there!), but at least you're getting your money's worth when it's not lashing down rain and blowing your 'brolly inside out.

"O'Donnell abu" is "O'Donnell forever." O'Donnell was my maiden name. Historically speaking, it was a good thing to marry a Sweeney. They were the gallowglasses of the O'Donnell. So far, so good.<G>

Mary Ellen, that's a baited hook if ever there was one. Gallowglass: I'm off to Googleland.

Now Dune, auld gal, you know what a gallowglass is. It may have been 10 years since we last talked about it, but it hasn't changed meaning. A mercenary, a hired guy in the olden days. Back when there was more royalty in Ireland than there were followers (practically). The MacSweeneys came from Scotland to support the O'Donnells in trying to keep things going when Lizzie I was looking for more property to give her friends. That's how the Sweeney clan came to be Irish rather than Scottish. (Though if you look at a map, you'll see that it's all pretty much attitude, because the distances involved are so small that it's scarcely worth discussion. It's almost embarrassing that there has been so much discussion, etc. involved.)
Doe Castle was one of the payments. Really, they were great guys. Just didn't have much of a chance. My personal theory is that if the Irish High Kings could have bitten the humility bullet and banded together, that would have put an end to all the foolishness right then and there. But they just couldn't bring themselves to do it. I understand, but I still don't approve. There was just too much behind them for them to forgive and forget and hold hands. But if they could have done that, there'd have been no "Troubles." And wouldn't that have been something.
Mary Ellen
(still trying to figure it all out)

Been researching English history. Found several unvarnished descriptions of English-Irish history. Yes, I knew definition of 'gallowglass,' thanks to you, Madame Editor, but wanted a leg up in new avenue of research.

P. S. - In rereading your post, I see you nailed it re Irish history all the way back. Can you imagine how far we would have gotten if we didn't have this crippling, infantile pride. Maybe it's our handicap from our creator; otherwise, we'd rule the universe. (Oh, we don't?)

The last three words of your post about sum it up there, Dunie. Personal take; we do. When others were lording it over the colonies, Paddy was usually down in the dirt with the natives making fun of the fellow up on the horse. That's how I heard it and how I see it. It was that way up until a few years ago, anyway, when the Creator decided to have a bit of fun and invented what's now called the "Celtic Tiger," an economic turn of events that has Ireland practically printing money. Never before seen or thought of, and now it's a fact, Jack.
Mary Ellen

The last three words of your post about sum it up there, Dunie. Personal take; we do. When others were lording it over the colonies, Paddy was usually down in the dirt with the natives making fun of the fellow up on the horse. That's how I heard it and how I see it. It was that way up until a few years ago, anyway, when the Creator decided to have a bit of fun and invented what's now called the "Celtic Tiger," an economic turn of events that has Ireland practically printing money. Never before seen or thought of, and now it's a fact, Jack.
Mary Ellen

Madame Editor, it's getting close to your trip, yes? Will there be any problem with Continental? Could you do a reprise of the wedding when you get back? Thanks and bon voyage, Dunie

The trip is still a cipher even as the wedding looms. It might not be a good time to be a guest as there has been illness in the family, and postponment may still be the most considerate choice.
Oh no...I've not been watching the news. Is my Continental ticket about to become useless?
Pow!
MES

No. Continental is still up and flying. What will be, will be. You'll go if you're supposed to; what else?

Whew! Scared me for a second. Just having a ticket is like halfway there. I never would have thought that I would have had a ticket and not flown, but that's the way it is now. So be it. I've plenty going on here now anyway.
So does the family on the other side. So much to contend with. My parallel in John's family has half the numbers to look after but twice the work, if you ken my drift. We would love to be at the wedding, but three or four out-of-towners could really upset the cart there. It just wouldn't be fair.
How come you got the cool picture? I looked at the same bunch of images, but you saw the best one. I'm jealous.<G>
mes