Day 1 – Leaving Dublin

After the dramas of getting the hire car and waiting for our laundry, we were on our way to Kilkenny. Jane was driving all the way, with me as navigator. Roughly 200km with a few stops on the way

First stop was Powerscourt Estate and Gardens. These stunning gardens was voted 3rd best garden in the world and have featured in over 50 TV shows and movies, notably “Wednesday” and the “Count of Monte Cristo”.

We entered the Wicklow Mountains National Park. This was one of the things we were looking forward to since seeing the movie “PS I Love You“. The road was narrow and winding. Passing other vehicles was a challenge – one that Jane quickly mastered. Highlights were Lough Tay, also referred to as Guinness Lake and the bridge featured in the movie along Sally Gap. The scenery was beautiful – worth the tough drive.

Th next stop was the Glendalough Cathedral. This ancient Monastic “City” is one of the oldest in Ireland dating back to the 10th century. Most of the buildings are in ruin, but the 12th century chapel still stands. A short walk brings to the picturesque “Upper” lake.

We arrived in Kilkenny around 6pm and checked into our accommodation at The Orchard House. The room was nice and the staff very friendly. Jane was exhausted from the driving so we decided to have a drink and dinner at their Bar/Restaurant. I had a Kilkenny of course! The food was good and there was a guy singing cover songs that had the crowd singing along.

Day 2 – Travelling to Cork

Seeing we’re staying close to Kilkenny, we thought we’d better check out the town.

Kilkenny castle sits right in the middle of the village and is impressive in size. We didn’t have enough time to go inside, but we had tea and scones in the gardens.

Close to Kilkenny and on the route to Cork were two attractions, Kell’s Priory and Jerpoint Abbey. We headed out for Kell’s Priory, but the road was closed. The other way in was a huge detour, so we decided to head to Jerpoint Abbey. The Abbey is a 12th century Cistercian chapel, in quite good condition.

The next stop was a another castle. The majestic Rock of Cashel sitting high above the town of Cashel. Home to the Kings of Munster in the 4th century the castle had many owners throughout its history. It was in very good condition and had great views over the town of town and farmlands.

Another castle along the way was Cahir Castle. It was very pretty on the outside, but quite small and bland in the inside. After coming from the Rock of Cashel, this one seem a little boring – perhaps we were getting “castle-burnout”.

We arrived at our accommodation outside Cork quite late. Lucy’s Loft was deep inside farmland and a little difficult to find. The host said the key would be in the lock-box and we can let ourselves in. When we arrived the key was in the door and it was open. Inside the bed wasn’t made and the towels were used. It appears the room had not been cleaned. We contacted the host and he immediately apologised and offered his other property, 9 Acre to us. We agreed and went there right away.

It was a shipping container converted into bedroom and bathroom. It was nice enough, but we were unable to lock the door and the wifi wasn’t working. Again we contacted the host. He suggested a few remedies, but nothing helped. Disappointed, we decided to go into town and get something to eat. We got chicken curry and prawn chow mein from the local Chinese takeaway, the Great Wall Chinese and brough it back to the container. While still eating, the host contacted us again and said Lucy’s Loft was now ready and we could move back there if we wanted. As we didn’t feel safe in the unlockable container, we immediately moved back.

After all that, we had a comfortable night – with wifi!

Tomorrow we’re off to Kilarney.