We travelled the country roads of Ireland to Bunratty.  Bunratty, a medieval town of both Irish and English history/heritage, is the site for Bunratty Folk park.  Similar to many “Old World” parks found in the United States, it boasted different cottages, farms, and manor houses from around Ireland.  But, the unique parts of Bunratty were amazing!  First, there is Bunratty Castle!  A completely restored medieval castle that you can tour from top to bottom (Tony was our personal guide), and can even enjoy a dinner buffet old-style.  Then there were the live animals in their fields, and the ever amazing and giant, Irish Wolfhounds.  I would not have thought they were actually dogs!  We were able to enjoy watching someone prepare Irish soda bread, tour many of the different structures, and enjoy a pint at Mac’s Pub, a real working Irish pub in the middle of the park!  It was a wonderful day of strolling, taking our time at each attraction, and enjoying each other’s company.

After we finished with the park, we headed to the Creamery restaurant located within walking distance.  A great Irish pub, usually crawling with tourists, was very light with travel guests.  The building itself had been transformed many times, the previous tenant was the “old creamery.”  We enjoyed good soup, good bread, and a hearty meal.  After lunch came SHOPPING!  Blarney Woolen Mills (famous), is situated just next door to the Creamery.  We had an opportunity to look at hand-made Irish potter, woollen goods, lace goods, and a variety of other gifts for our friends.  We enjoyed a cup of coffee or tea from the upstairs cafe while we shopped.  Blarney Woolen Mills has a great Waterford crystal display also.

After shopping we headed back to Glenculloo Cottage.  We took a giant nap, after such a long day, knowing that Tony had something special in store for us in the evening.  After our much needed and very restful nap, we prepared ourselves for our evening at a traditional Irish jam session.  We had a quick appetizer and glass of whisky before setting out to our final destination, Jim o’ the Mill.

Jim o’ the Mill is one of the best kept secrets of Ireland…and I do not want to ruin it.  All I know, is that it is free of tourists (except us), provides an amazing opportunity to see traditional music played by neighbors of the Mill, and you can get a pint of Guinness for next to nothing.  We really enjoyed the opportunity to sing along to the songs we know, stomp along to ones we didn’t, and even got to see our host (Tony) play a few solo numbers on his violin.  This visit/outing is one of the reasons to stay at Glenculloo Cottage, because you can’t find the place otherwise!

We got in very late and enjoyed our night sleep as soon as our heads hit the pillows.  Tomorrow we have another day of touring, and our homemade traditional Irish “fry.”  OOOOhhh it’s so good!

We then headed back up over the Silvermines Mountains, into Knockahopple.  We visit a friend of ours in Knockahopple, as they too have a cottage/B&B.  Here is their website (website).  We then stopped at a friend of Tony’s, for a “real local” Irish experience.  Our visit was absolutely fabulous, enjoying both company, a few whiskys, a light lunch, and tea.  Our hosts never having us want for anything.  One of our highlights of our trip had to be this visit!  We then travelled back to the Glenculloo Valley. 

We finished our evening by taking a nice evening walk through “Sherwood Forest,” to see the ‘Old Hunting Lodge.  This beautiful house has a wonderful mountain side/foothill view with Mulkear River exposure.  A wonderfully kept lodge with charm and character.  Then it was back to the cottage for some R&R by the fire, a few cocktails, and boardgames.  Tomorrow is supposed to be sunny and warm day, and we were told “a history lesson” is on the agenda.

Our journey to the Cliffs of Moher were filled with stories of Irish customs, nervousness of cars approaching on the “other” side of the road..although it was great that Tony did all of the driving! Phew!  We arrived first to the Liscannor Rock Shop.  Liscannor being the name of the town, Liscannor stone being the stone which looks like worms crawled into a basin of cement and was hardened.  We shopped til we dropped, finding neat minerals and rock formations for paper weights, jewelry made of the unique Ireland marble – Connemara -, and had a cafe au lait.  We were headed a few miles up the road to our second holy well, St. Brigid’s, to discover an amazing cavern filled with personal affects in honor of those who have departed.  We were in awe of the stories written on cards and the delicate items left as mementos.  Across the street from the holy well was O’briens monument.  Tony explained the historic significance, but I couldn’t keep my eyes off of the tiny calves sitting around it, as the land around the column was used as a pasture.

We journeyed onward to the Cliffs of Moher.  Words to describe the “Cliffs” are hard to materialize.  When you are able to visit you will truly understand their beauty and splendor.  Then it was off to a Kodak moment at Doonagore Castle.  A wonderful castle tower which is still a summer home for some Irish natives.  We continued on our drive to the town of Doolin.  A petite little village with wonderful shopping venues.  A couple of woolen and t-shirt shops, two traditional music stores (one of which is beautifully situated with a romantic garden and cafe), a chocolate shop, and of course, a PUB.  We enjoyed our Irish beef burgers, fish and chips, and mussels.  After lunch we headed out toDoolin to visit the many rock formations on the coast and see the living creatures inside the tidepools.  So magnificent the colors and the serene peaceful sound of the water hitting off the rocks.  We took a walk on Fanore beach nearby.  The last visit on our tour for the day was Poulnabrone Dolmen.  This ancient druid burial site is on all of the postcards, and is a must see!  To imagine how it was constructed, the significance of the site to which it is built, and the archaeological history, is simply amazing!  Did you know that it is older than the Pyramids?

On our way back to Glenculloo Cottage we made our way through the winding countryside of County Limerick.  We arrived to the cottage and settled down for the evening.  We took out a card game and a board game, started a fire, and were served the most wonderful cocktail, Poteen.  I would love to tell you more about the Poteen cocktail, but what happens in Ireland, stays in Ireland!

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.

Our experience with our good friends Dan & Dee Poquette at Glenculoo Cottage back in late September was one that will be etched in our memories for many years to come.  This simple, comfortable cottage nestled in the Hills of Tipperary returned to it’s authenticity through a recent renovation which obviously took every little painstaking detail into account to duplicate the old while providing the modern comforts of new.  The cottage itself took our minds and souls back to a much simpler time and enabled us to breathe the timelessness of the nature and beauty shared by these special Celtic people throughout the centuries.  When you take a left onto the bridge that crosses the crystal clear babbling brook and spot this stucco (gem) accented by a split rail fence, red door, slate roof and spend a week in GCC you may never want to return to civilization as we know it.

John O’Carroll, my cousin, who grew up in Ballylongford, County Kerry visited us one night with his lovely wife Ula.  He most certainly captured the essence of Glenculloo with a poem he impulsively recited to us as we sat around the kitchen table by the peet burning stove after dinner while sipping on wine and chatting. 

            The Lake Isle of Innisfree

I WILL arise and go now, and go to Innisfree,

And a small cabin build there, of clay and wattles made:

Nine bean-rows will I have there, a hive for the honey-bee,

And live alone in the bee-loud glade.

And I shall have some peace there, for peace comes dropping slow,

Dropping from the veils of the mourning to where the cricket sings:

There midnight’s all a glimmer, and noon a purple glow,

And evening full of the linnet’s wings. 

I will arise and go now, for always night and day

I hear lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore:

While I stand on the roadway, or on the pavements grey,

I hear it in the deep heart’s core.

 -W.B. Yeats

Silence filled the room for a lengthy moment nothing more to say.

Thank you Glenculoo! – Yan & Brian Hart