The Kennedy Homestead in Ireland

The Kennedy Homestead was not an easy place to find. As a matter of fact, we thought we might be in danger of losing one of our side mirrors to get there. The roads in Ireland are labeled with an M, N, R, or L. The M roads are super highways, nicely paved, 4 to 6 lanes and usually divided. The N roads are at least two lanes and usually paved well although there were some that could have used another topping of asphalt. The R roads are a little iffy. They are almost two lanes but can sometimes become more like one lane. They sometimes have a dashed line down the middle.

But the L roads. . .well, these are anything. They are usually only one lane with hopefully enough room to pass the oncoming car. If not, you back up to a wider spot or inch your way along and tuck in your side mirrors to pass. Side mirrors are the one thing replaced most often on Irish rental cars. Why? In addition to the narrow road, there are often stone walls lining the street covered with vines or hedges making them appear softer than they are. And then when you see grass growing in the middle of the road, you know you are on a back road--probably a LL.

Such was the road we found ourselves on to get to the Kennedy Homestead. Just finding the turnoff to the road was a challenge since the direction we came from didn't have it marked well. But it was worth the bumping, the dodging of cars, and the whomping of bushes against the car doors.

We were welcomed by a descendant of the Kennedys whose grandmother had welcomed JFK on his visit to the homestead in 1963 just a few months before his death. He took us into a viewing room where we watched a ten minute video of the visit. For a few minutes, we were transported back in time to see the president that had made such an impact on our lives when we were teens and young adults.

Once the video was finished, we were escorted around the small grounds that we had seen in the video. It is hard to imagine how they fit so many people into that courtyard for his visit that included tea and sweets for all provided by the locals. It was a down-home get together for all the world to see.

Our host pointed out the collected documents that show the lineage of the Kennedys. Patrick, of course, being the one who went to America. Our host's theory was that he went for love not for money. The Kennedys were in a situation that was much better than most during the potato famine and he wouldn't have had to emigrate to the U.S. because of financial problems.

It is a great story and he told it well including all the details of the story told him by his grandmother of JFK's visit. In the middle of his talk, a beeper went off. He apologized. "Wife's workin'. I need to turn the oven off. Dinner's cookin'."

He stuck the beeper back in his pocket and went on prompting all the wives in the group to worry about an overcooked meal. Finally one lady said, "We'll wait if you want to go over and turn the oven off."

"Naw," he replied just like a man, "It's okay."

The tour over, we were left to wander the out buildings a bit, read the tidbits of ancestry, and peruse the pictures. Our host disappeared long enough to turn off his oven. Meanwhile, we found a wreath in one of the small buildings that JFK had placed at the graves of those executed in the 1916 Rising. It was given to the Kennedy family.

Bob couldn't stand it. He had to ask. "What's for dinner?"

"Some kind of spaghetti thing," he answered. "Bolognese?"

"Ah, my favorite! What time's dinner?"

Having spent enough time in Ireland at this point, I almost expected him to tell Bob, "Why don't you stay."

Hook Head Lighthouse, Ireland

We wound our way through the streets of Waterford to find the laundrette that was recommended to us. It was time to get some clean clothes. Four people in a VW Passat--you definitely want clean clothes. The laundrette charged by the pound but it was worth it. We only had room for a small carry-on sized piece of luggage each. Four of them fit snugly in the trunk along with our small backpacks for travel.

After leaving the laundry for pickup at the end of the day, we turned the car toward our first destination of the day, Hook Head Lighthouse. At Passage East just a bit outside of Waterford, we took a ferry across the River Suir to Ballyhack on drove on to the lighthouse that sits out at the point Hook Head Peninsula. It was built back in the 13th century by the Earl of Penbrook to help his ships navigate into Waterford Harbor.

We climbed the 115 steps to the top for a view of the seaside. The lighthouse has been fully automated since 1996 and is one of the oldest operational lighthouses in the world.

As an interesting side note, Cromwell is said to have coined the phrase "by Hook or by Crooke" when he said he would take Waterford. Hook refers to the Peninsula and Crooke to a small town further in toward Waterford.

We took time for a morning tea break. It's hard to pass up the smell of fresh scones. As I walked out of the cafe, I went through a small art center that holds classes for children during the summer. The artist/teacher also holds watercolor classes for adults. We struck up a conversation and compared notes about teaching art. Who's easier to teach? We both agreed. Kids!

Wordless Wednesday

Waterford Crystal

While glass making in Ireland dates back to the 13th century, the Waterford Crystal that is so famous was begun in 1783 when two brothers, George and William Penrose, started their crystal making in the town of Waterford. They were renowned for their crystal but unfortunately less than 100 years later, the company failed. In 1947, a crystal company was started up again in Waterford. This time the company flourished and, as they say, the rest is history.

Recently the company reduced its size and moved its headquarters into the city. A couple thousand employees, including artisans, were laid off. What has happened, we suspect, is that many of the artisans have set up their own small shops in other towns throughout Ireland. There is crystal to be had almost any where you turn.

The tour through the Waterford complex was a lot nicer than we expected. We actually got to see close up how the crystal pieces are made. It was amazing. After a short video, our first stop was the wooden mold shop where we watched a worker use a large lathe to make a mold that would help to shape one of the glass products. On the ledge near us was a mold marked "American Football." Keep that thought for later on.

Next we got to watch one of the glass blowers work his magic on a glob of hot glass. What makes the glass crystal is the added lead content. Lead oxide or "red lead" is added to the glass formula.
The glass was shaped and reheated and shaped some more. As he blew into it, he placed it in one of the wooden molds to be sure the shape would be standard. The piece is then placed in a cooling unit that gently brings the temperature down.

Quality control comes next. The pieces are inspected for flaws and rough edges sanded down. Then they are ready for the truly interesting part--the cutting.

The pieces, in this case vases, are placed on a turn table that is set up with black ink pens that draw lines on the glass to guide the artisans who will cut the familiar patterns into the vase. I was amazed at their concentration even with the tour group standing so near. At the end of the room there were two large cabinets where large bowls were being cut by robots. Sad to think artisans might be replaced by machines.

Once the glass is cut, the piece is put in a solution of sulfuric and hydrofluoric acid for a specified time which makes all the milkiness disappear and leaves only the clear sparkling crystal.

At another station, we watched other artisans carve special order pieces like trophies. Remember the American Football mold? It was actually for the NCAA College Bowl and we were probably the closest any Buckeye will get to it this year.

One piece we saw on display during the tour that caught my eye was a scene of Santa sitting in a rocker surrounded by a Christmas tree and presents. The unusual thing was that you looked through a window etched in one side of the vase to the scene etched on the other side of the vase.

After seeing how it is all made, I have a new appreciation for Waterford Crystal. Still, considering the breakage in the dish washing process at home, I'm still not sure I want to spend that much money on glasses for our table.

Ireland - Rock of Cashel

Our first attempt to visit the Rock of Cashel was foiled by Hurricane Katia. By the time we arrived at County Tipperary and the little town of Cashel, the winds from Katia who had found her way to Ireland along with us were so strong that the heritage site which sits high atop a hill was closed because you would have been blown off of your feet. While Katia was the reason for closing this time, it is not an uncommon problem. The winds are always strong there. But we returned the next day to explore.

The Rock of Cashel is actually a complex of buildings dating back mostly to the 12th century. The landmark tower, the tallest structure, dates to 1100, the chapel to the early 1100s and the large cathedral to the early 1200s. There are several tombs that were excavated that they believe date back to around 900. It is amazing that things that old can survive so much especially when they are in an area like this where the elements can wear away at them.

We were unable to get into Cormac's chapel which is said to be the most important building historically and architecturally. They are doing major work there to preserve the frescoes inside. That's as good an excuse as any for having to return and visit again.

The arches in the cathedral are dramatic and if you look closely, you can see some details in the work. Legend associates St. Patrick with the Rock and there is a cross dedicated to him outside the cathedral.

There is a large cemetery full of crosses and grave markers. Just outside a door of the cathedral is a beautiful example of a celtic (pronounced kel-tic) cross. Legend says that when St. Patrick was preaching to some soon to be converted heathens, he was shown a sacred stone marked with a circle that symbolized the moon goddess. St. Patrick made the sign of the cross through the circle and thus created the first celtic cross. The legend thus implies that St. Patrick was willing to meld some of the Druid practices with Christian beliefs. It is consistent with the stories that he converted many Druids into becoming Christian priests.

Of course St. Patrick is also said to have cleansed the country of all snakes--for which I would be eternally grateful. But it seems there never were any snakes to begin with. Instead it is thought that the snake being a symbol of evil was associated with his driving the old evil pagan ways from Ireland. Whatever the case, St. Patrick is honored all over the countryside.

Kilkenny Castle

Kilkenny was a nice change from Dublin. I prefer smaller towns to large cities. This one fit somewhere in between. It had a large pedestrian area with shops that unfortunately closed pretty early. This was our first opportunity however to see a real Irish castle that wasn't lying in ruins.

The Kilkenny Castle site dates back to a timbered castle orginally built there sometime before William Marshall, 4th Earl of Penbrooke (sounds impressive, doesn't it) built a stone structure in the late 1100s to early 1200s.

James Butler, 3rd Earl of Ormond, purchased the castle in 1391. At that time, the castle was said to be situated in the middle of orchards and meadowland. However, it was Thomas, 10th Earl of Ormond, who would transform the castle from a fortress-like structure into a more livable castle with lavish tapestries, silver service, damask draperies, etc. all lending to a more opulent style.

When Thomas died, his only heir was a daughter, Elizabeth, who took over the castle and continued the lavish life-style. She and her husband unfortunately died young and the castle contents were sold off.

Over the years, there were other members of the Butler family (Dukes and Duchesses, Earls) who refurbished the castle, worked on the gardens, etc., to make it a "magnificent palace." The family continued to alternately fix the castle up and let it decay over the centuries until finally in 1935 they moved out and auctioned the furnishings. There followed a period of time where nothing was done in the castle but in 1969, through some generous donations, the state was able to take over the castle and begin restoration.

It was at this time, September of 2011, that the Earls of Buckeye. the Robbins, visited the castle and found it to be delightful. The rooms being furnished with period pieces and the story of the castle being told lent to their enjoyment. Ah, Kilkenny Castle. If only you flew the Buckeye colors of Scarlet and Gray.

Ireland - Jerpoint Abbey

Jerpoint Abbey was an if-we-have-time stop. I'm so glad we did. Our guide painted a wonderful picture of what life might have been like with these Cisterian monks. With a half smile, she told of their vows of simplicity and poverty and then went into the colorful stories of how much of that seemed to change when money was needed to keep the abbey going. It seems the powers that controled the monastery were a bit lenient with these monks or just didn't know exactly how wonderfully they had enhanced their monastery.

The abbey dates back to 1180 and the Cistarian monaster ywas active until Henry VIII dissolved all monasteries in the mid-1500s. Of course throughout the centuries other things were added to the abbey and several old tombs are there as well.

Intricate carving can be seen on some of the lintels and around the tops of several columns. There is also evidence that many places in the building were painted with bright colors. Patrons of the church were honored along the square walkway that encloses the central grassy area, the cloister. There is even the wife of one pictured in stone at a time when women were not allowed in the building.

We left before the heavens opened up with another cold drizzly shower and continued on to Kilkenny arriving just in time to see a huge parade containing a variety of race cars in town for the Cannonball race.

The little town was also alive with hurling fans. Apparently there was a great rival game being played that weekend. You might ask, "what is hurling?" We did.

In Ireland, hurling has nothing to do with a sour stomach. It is an ancient Gaelic team game played with sticks called hurleys and a ball called a sliotar. We were told it resembles lacrosse a bit but with different rules and is obviously as popular as some of our major team sports in the US. Checkered flags were flying all over the place. When the colors of the checks changed, we knew we'd crossed into a different team's territory--kind of like a Buckeye crossing into Wolverine territory.

Wordless Wednesday

Glendalough, Ireland - The Monastic City

In the Wicklow mountains, we found Glendalough (pronounced glen-da-lock). It is actually a valley carved out during the glacial period and contains two lakes. It also contains one of the most important monastic sites in Ireland. It was founded by St. Kevin in the sixth century.


There are several monastic remains there but the largest is a round tower that is about 90 feet tall. The cathedral is one of the largest known early Christian churches in Ireland. It ceased to be a cathedral in 1210. The earliest stone walls are thought to date back to the 10th century.

As we walked across the bridge over the babbling brook, we noticed that the water had a brown hue. We had noticed that at Powerscourt Waterfall as well. Then it struck us that the water was flowing through peat bogs and that was what was giving the water the strange color.

The Monastic City was an interesting stop and a chance to stretch our legs but as a chill wind made me shiver and a misty haze clouded the valley, it reminded me more of a scene for a good vampire picture or maybe just a Halloween card.

With plenty of time to spare before our scheduled arrival in Kilkenny, we made one more stop. Jerpoint Abbey.

On To Kilkenny, Ireland

Our hopes for taking a walk along the cliffs in Howth were dampened by an early morning fog and light rain so we turned our car in the direction of Kilkenny our next destination. Along the way we stopped at Powerscourt House and Gardens, an estate that dates back to the 1300s. We walked through the three large rooms that were available to see and then strolled through the gardens blooming with dahlias, roses, asters, delphinium, iris, and an assortment of other flowers I couldn't name. They were outstanding in the morning sun that broke through the hazy skies above.

Even though Rick Steves had advised against it, we drove down to the Powerscourt Waterfall and paid the entrance fee. The guard had a bit of fun with Bob who was driving and claiming to be the tour guide and therefore should get in free. The guard said, "Of course!" I'm guessing it added up to all of us getting in for the senior rate.

The waterfall is said to be Ireland's tallest. It is very picturesque and was a nice diversion. On our way out of the park, we stopped to ask the guard what was the best way to Glendalough, our next stop on the road to Kilkenny.

"Do ye want to take the easy road or the road with the best view?" he asked.

"The best view, of course," came the answer from our driver.

The guard told us to take the Military Road that wound through the Wicklow Mountains. The road was actually built back in the early 19th century to help the British troops move through the area to put down the insurgent Irish remnant from the 1798 uprising. While the surface was made of modern material, I don't think they made it any wider. But then we were finding that many of the Irish roads were about wide enough for two small cars to pass with a few inches to spare. At least this road did not have stone walls on both sides of it.

And it was the best view. As the trees vanished and we could look out over the vast area around us, we could see mounds and mounds of lavender colored heather. The road wound back and forth and eventually through a pine forest before we got to Glendalough and the Monastic City.

Sunday Worship Thought

It's always difficult on a Sunday when you are on the road traveling and away from your regular worship time in your own church. This morning was no different in our time here in Ireland. We were up and away early to be able to make our next destination. Lord, it's your day. How and where can I worship?

Worship began shortly after breakfast at our B&B which was named Petra House. I wondered, was there any special meaning in that name for our hosts? I asked. The answer was softly spoken.


"Ah, yes. When we built our first house there was a huge rock that had to be moved to secure the foundation. Then, when we built this one, there was another rock. Petra means rock so we named our house Petra. It has been good for us."

On this rock, I will build my house. Build your house on rock not sand. Thank you, Lord.

Our major sightseeing stop this day was Kylemore Abbey in the Connemara area, Galway. It starts with a love story and ends with the castle being turned into an abbey for the Benedictine nuns. (I will post more later on what we saw.) We first walked the path to the small church. It was a quiet morning. Tour buses had not arrived yet and few people were on the path from the main building to the little chapel.

We heard a familiar songbird, a robin, and the sound of the wind stirring the autumn leaves still on the trees. The quiet made me think of the members of the convent walking to prayer--praying along the way. Huge mossy tree trunks were evidence that the forested area had been there a long time. How many prayers, Lord, have these old trees heard over the years?

Finally, inside the chapel was a beautiful stained glass window with five women representing the ideals of charity, faith, hope, chastity, and fortitude. Fortitude had a shield to protect her. Take up the shield of faith. My faith lies in you, Lord. I praise your name.

Dublin - The Book of Kells

Dublin's red Hop on Hop off bus took us round the block where Trinity College is located. The college was chartered back in 1592 and experienced a bit of a rocky start in the 1600s. But the 18th century brought a bit of peace in Ireland and the college's academic roots took hold and flourished. In 1904, the first women students were admitted to the college and not without a little Irish humor and wit to the story.

We toured the campus with a student who pointed out the various historical buildings on site and of course with a crooked Irish grin, explained that the Dean who was in charge when women were struggling to be admitted to the college stated firmly that "women will be admitted to Trinity over my dead body." In 1904, the dean died and a few months later, women were finally admitted. As the story goes, the dean's body was buried where women would enter campus from their dormitory thus stepping over the dean's body, so to speak.

Our guide smiled again and shook his head. "Of course that's not true, he's not buried on campus. But it does make a good story."

At the end of our tour of the main area of campus, our guide pointed out the old library where the Book of Kells is located and we entered to view the ninth century gospel manuscript with its colorful hand drawn illustrations. The manuscript comes from a monastery founded in 561 by St. Colum Cille on Iona which is a small island off the coast of Scotland. When the Vikings invaded in the early 800s, the monks moved to Kells where they finished the manuscript.

I was a bit disappointed in the exhibition. There was mostly just large eight foot high banners showing pictures of the illustrations in the book. Something I could have seen more clearly online. The manuscript itself was open to one page of illustration and one of text (in Latin, of course) and was perhaps 16" X 18". Maybe my long hours of travel and no sleep were getting to me. I felt like a little of our precious time in Dublin was wasted--until we entered the old library.

My heart breaks that I couldn't take a picture of it but I did find one online here. I understand that they are trying to preserve the old volumes there and too many people take pictures using flash. But if you are a fan of the Harry Potter movies and you recall Hermione wandering through an old library for books on spells, that is what this library resembled. Down the center was an exhibition of old books from physicians and teachers of the old school of medicine--always a delight to see how far we have come since then.

With our heads bobbing as we fought to keep our eyes open, we found our way back to the DART station and boarded a train for the 20 minute ride to Howth where our B&B was. Just across from the car park was a restaurant that looked good for dinner and we climbed the stairs to the second floor for a seat overlooking the harbor of Howth filled with fishing boats and seagulls clamoring for the leftovers from the day's catch. After a delicious meal of mussels and fish and chips, we were ready to call it a day.

Sure there was more to Dublin to see--the castle, the pubs. But it would have to wait for another opportunity. Just a reason to have to return.

Dublin Town

Since our time in Dublin had been shortened by at least a day and a half, we checked off what things were absolutely must-sees for us. There were really only two and a possible third if we had time: The Book of Kells, the Guinness Storehouse tour, and Dublin Castle.

The red Hop on Hop Off bus would get us a good over all view of the city and drop us off at our points of interest. We were issued ear buds and plugged into the recorded commentary as we made our way around two-thirds of the loop. We exited at Guinness and queued up for the tour.

While the tour of Guinness is not through a working brewery, it is an interesting step through time and the brewing process. Mr. Guinness was an astute business man who managed to sign a 9000 year lease for the building where the Guinness brewery is located. The brewery in Dublin only makes a small portion of the world wide distribution. Their product goes mostly to Ireland and the UK. There is a large brewery in South Africa that distributes to the rest of the world.

The process was interesting to follow as we made our way up a giant circular "glass" building fashioned after the distinctive Guinness glass. The dark color of the Guinness which they say is a deep ruby red (we couldn't see it) comes from the barley that is roasted before going into the mash process. But the most important part of the Guinness is the pouring.

When it first comes out of the tap, the Guinness appears a light chocolatey color and as you let it set, the bottom of the liquid becomes a deep brown (ruby red if you believe Guinness)and to the top rises a creamy froth that is distinctively Guinness. On one of the floors of the tour, you can give up your ticket stub for a free pint and learn to pour the perfect glass of Guinness. It starts by pulling the handle toward you and filling the glass to the Guinness symbol. Then you let it settle for a few moments and top it off by pushing the handle to the back which adds a little more froth. Of course you get to drink your pour as well. Not being beer drinkers, we saw a few eyebrows lift when we left our pours on a table. We did taste it. It is a milder tasting beer than I'd imagined and the creamy froth adds to that taste.

We passed on using our remaining free pint tickets at the bar on the top floor of the building and just opted to take pictures of the view. It was spectacular but we had to gently persuade the drinkers to let us through in a few places to get some pictures. No one complained. They were all imbibing free Guinness. What was there to complain about?

Wordless Wednesday