Our most recent trip to Ireland, brought visits from three groups; some who had never experienced an overseas adventure, and others who had travelled the globe. Our first group experienced the cottage, Ireland, and the “flight over the big pond”, all at the same time. During our guests visit, we had an opportunity to explore the many traditional sites and the off-the-beaten path sites of rural Ireland. Here is a recount of some of our travels in Ireland, all within a stone’s throw away from Glenculloo Cottage.
We arrived to Shannon, Co. Clare in the mid-morning, after an uneventful flight and layover in Dublin. Best idea was to start the day off with a pint of Guinness, because that is what you do in Ireland! Tony drove chauffeured us through the winding back roads over the Six Mile Bridge (it looks about that long), O’Brien’s Bridge (a bridge as wide as one Pinto), Bird Hill, the opulent Silvermines, into “Sherwood Forest” as we call it, to Glenculloo, at the heart of County Tipperary. We settled into our rooms, took a gander at the antique filled interior, and sat close to the Irish fireside. Tony greeted us with a welcome toast of Jameson whisky, praising good fortune and hopeful good weather. Just as we were about to rest our heads (although not as tired as one might think), Tony suggested a quick jaunt through the Glenculloo Valley. Our first stop on our evening jaunt was the Tipperary Hedge School. The Hedge School was the location of a “secret” school where students of Irish descent studied Gaelic and other subjects, during the time of the Penal Laws and English rule. A beautiful monument, recreated to show the outline of the old school building. Then it was off to the Kilcommon Prayer Garden; a beautifully landscaped garden containing local wood carvings of Christ’s Passions. Most importantly, situated at the heart of the prayer garden, is Saint Chuimin’s Holy Well. If you have never seen a Holy Well, it will amaze you to see the amount of natural spring water flowing from its center. Then it was off to one of the funniest/ironic sites in all of Ireland, the Irish funeral home. The one nearest to Glenculloo Cottage boasts the traditional setup, a door marked “IN”, a door marked “OUT”; and as you snake your way in and out, you enter the third door, marked “BAR.” I’m really beginning to like the Irish sense of style!
Soon after, we headed for a quick pint to the Lacken’s Eagle’s Nest Pub. A local pub, that has the delight of your local watering hole, gave us our first introduction to the Irish farmer. Farmer Jerry took quite a liking to one of our guests, and great stories were shared. We helped out the local Gaelic Athletic Association, by purchasing lottery tickets, and then headed back to Glenculloo Cottage. Upon arrival, Tony prepared homemade spaghetti for us. We then took a short meander through the Glenculloo Valley to the Mulkear River, before dropping in our “Pooh Sticks” to see who could reach the other side of the bridge first; a great way to end the evening, amongst the nature and loveliness of the Irish countryside. Off to bed we went, knowing we could turn around towards home, and we had already had a wonderful time.
