Ireland (with Some Misc. Pipe)

[HawkeyeLinus]

The Kerry County Museum in Tralee is first rate. A significant portion is dedicated to the story of Roger Casement. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was among many who petitioned for leniency prior to Casement's execution. A nice exhibit also focuses on Tom Crean. Lots of information presented. A shout out to @warren for the Roundstone suggestion, our time there was special and we've made our way south and will be around here for awhile before making our way to Dublin. Just some photos that may be of interest for now. Anniversary dinner this evening - 34!

 

[scloyd]

Happy Anniversary. Thirty four years is truly an accomplishment.

 

[HawkeyeLinus]

Happy Anniversary. Thirty four years is truly an accomplishment.

Her patience is the stuff of legend!

 

[Streeper541]

Right on! I wasn't sure if you left out on your trip already. Y'all enjoy! Happy anniversary!

 

[workman]

Lovely. As for Roger Casement, it probably didn't help that he was homosexual.
He is a true hero in my opinion, due to his role in the uncovering of the atrocities being done in Congo by the belgians under Leopold II.
A guy from my little country, the Faroe Islands, piloted him up the Congo river and worked for him as a photographer, translator and handyman on the trip. He got back to London before Casement and started agitating in evangelical circles for the ousting of the belgians right away. It's a fascinating story and an evil one.

 

[TheIronMonkey]

Happy Anniversary!

 

[romaso]

Glad you're having fun! Just curious, but how are you getting around? Are you driving on the left? Always wondered if I could do that.

 

[HawkeyeLinus]

Glad you're having fun! Just curious, but how are you getting around? Are you driving on the left? Always wondered if I could do that.

Well, I'm on the left 99% of the time! Fortunately I've done it before - we took our daughters to Scotland a few years ago - and it's not that bad (now first time, first day especially was very nervy - I still remember that one), really just the occasional very narrow road and oncoming tour bus or larger vehicle that wants more than its share is the problem and some quick swearing and it's past, lol. My biggest and repeated mistake is forgetting when I make a right turn onto another road to swing wide to the left. To save money when we booked several months ago I reserved a manual transmission and that's been a pleasant surprise and takes me back to younger days. I enjoy getting behind any vehicle that wants to travel a few km under the speed limit - the speed limits, IMO, are nuts on some of the narrower county roads with all the curves, and those bushes all along the roads to the left mostly have centuries old stone walls hidden behind them, so you just assume the walls are everywhere and focus on the inside of the line on the right up ahead as you go (and swear a lot, did I mention the swearing?, which is quite popular here - I had the daughter of an older woman apologize to me after her mom "feck""feck""feck"'d her way up some stairs to get into a restaurant the other day - I told her that was music to my ears!).

 

[HawkeyeLinus]

A couple days ago we popped into the Kerry Writer’s Museum. Pretty cool. Of particular interest was the Maurice Walsh room (The Quiet Man). So a surprise - we’ve stopped in several bookstores looking specifically for books by some of those famous Kerry authors and ….. none to be found! Looks like Amazon and used sources when we get home. Right now the neighbor dog has barked his way across the backyard trying to figure me out, lol, very skittish so I just sit and enjoy my pipe.

 

[HawkeyeLinus]

Walsh at work. A few pipes and whiskey for fortification!

 

[HawkeyeLinus]

This fella took us up, over, through the Gap of Dunloe.

 

[Flatfish]

Went in honeymoon to Killarney. Very pretty area.

 

[HawkeyeLinus]

We finished with a late afternoon and then a full following day in Dublin, typing there now, home tomorrow. Bustling city, the difference in humanity from around 9 a.m. this morning to 3 p.m. this afternoon was staggering. Made me appreciate the two weeks in the countryside even more. Other than a little shopping for family, finally finding a bookstore that had any Maurice Walsh books (old, used and in great condition) and just walking about, we took in some really cool museums.

A museum like visit was the small Peterson pipe shop on Nassau. Pics won't do it justice. The shop is small, the staff friendly and knowledgeable and those panels in the pipe display slide to reveal even more Peterson pipes. The young woman who helped us out was great (actually just as helpful with some museum and dining suggestions and directions). I didn't realize the SP EU site's inventory resides there, so buying from that site is buying from the shop. It was nice to actually handle some pipes and they are now short a couple that I liked and spent less on two than I had figured I might spend on one. Pics of those will have to wait until I get home.

 

[HawkeyeLinus]

Went in honeymoon to Killarney. Very pretty area.

It's beautiful, pics I have don't do it justice. National Park was amazing.

 

[kcghost]

Where's Michaelene O'Flynn??

 

[Hillcrest]

I didn't realize the SP EU site's inventory resides there, so buying from that site is buying from the shop.

Thanks for that info HawkeyeLinus !! I didn't realize when i bought a pipe this past Friday I was dealing with Debora directly at that store ! She was kind enough to send me extra photos of the pipe i bought before I ordered it. Outstanding customer service. I bought it a few hours before the 15% off sale and they gave me a store credit for the 15% difference after the fact. Great place to do business; highly recommend ... it has the corner shop feel.

 

[mso489]

I loved Ireland. My late wife and I tooled around from Shannon through the counties, saw Yeats' tower and the Cliffs of Mohr (sp?), and the paleolithic temple at New Grange, and spent some time in Dublin at the cathedrals and pubs. After my wife was gone, I went back, as a sort of tribute, and spent all my time in Dublin, and threw a pair of her earrings into the Liffy. She was English, Irish, and Crow Indian, a poet, a professor, and as I joked, a NASCAR qualified driver who never got honked or cussed at ... she was that good. In Ireland, on the "wrong" side of the road, she let me do all the driving.

 

[HawkeyeLinus]

Where's Michaelene O'Flynn??

We were in Cong two weeks ago!

 

[HawkeyeLinus]

I loved Ireland. My late wife and I tooled around from Shannon through the counties, saw Yeats' tower and the Cliffs of Mohr (sp?), and the paleolithic temple at New Grange, and spent some time in Dublin at the cathedrals and pubs. After my wife was gone, I went back, as a sort of tribute, and spent all my time in Dublin, and threw a pair of her earrings into the Liffy. She was English, Irish, and Crow Indian, a poet, a professor, and as I joked, a NASCAR qualified driver who never got honked or cussed at ... she was that good. In Ireland, on the "wrong" side of the road, she let me do all the driving.

That’s a wonderful story!

The Cliffs of Moher were spectacular. We hiked up from Doolin (a good hike, lol) and didn’t go as far as we could have to see “Moher” of them, but we saw enough. No bowl at the summit, the wind was howling off the sea that evening.

 

[kcghost]

I've never seen that statue before. It is positively lovely. I love to have one of those!! Cohan's Pub must be quite the place.