2012 Ireland my Homeland

Helsinki, Finland to Dublin, Ireland

The train trip from St Petersburg to Helsinki was about 2½ hours and we had a good trip chatting with two Russians on their way to the semi-finals of ice hockey between Finland and Russia.  One man was a dentist with a very successful business in St Petersburg and the other worked for the “Government” – both seemed quite comfortably off and are neighbours at their holiday homes in Turkey.

We boarded our Aer Lingus flight from Helsinki to Dublin and looked forward to hearing more spoken English, as we have been in foreign speaking countries since March.  Our flight landed, we disembarked, picked up our luggage and headed off to pick up our hire car, a Kia Sportage, which will provide us with our transport around Ireland for the next two weeks.

We headed north out of Dublin and travelled through beautiful green countryside to Carrickmacross where we checked into the Shirley Arms Hotel.  The pub down the road was called the Fiddler’s Elbow, so we headed there for dinner and a Guinness.  Pat was hanging out for his first, cold pint of Guinness in Ireland.  I might add – he was not disappointed!

The following day we drove further north through the little town of Castleblaney, where we  walked around the little cemetery beside the Catholic Church.  We found a family burial plot, where a friend of ours John, is buried.  He lived and worked in Australia for many years, together with his wife and two sons – they were neighbours of ours in Middlemount.  He very sadly passed away in Indonesia as a result of complications with vaccinations and an earlier bout of Ross River fever.  His body was then flown home from Indonesia and buried at home in the family plot in Ireland.

We crossed the border into Northern Ireland and pulled into a service station in Armagh, to stock up on some local money from the ATM.  “Welcome to Northern Ireland” – two bullet-vested Policeman were investigating an incident in a florist shop which I can only guess had just been robbed.  The policeman at the front door was decked out, complete with a machine gun and walking around checking out the scene!  Overdone to say the least!  Perhaps someone ought to tell him there is now Peace in Progress in Northern Ireland.  We travelled further north to beautiful Loch Neagh and enjoyed lunch by the lake.

Later in the day we arrived in Belfast, a bright, bustling city and I was excited to be in the city of my birth, knowing that I’ll be meeting up with my cousins in the evening.  The continuing peace process has made a massive difference to the lives of everyday people in Northern Ireland.  In the evening, the taxi driver picked us up from the Balmoral Hotel and we headed up to Roddy McAulay’s Pub for the evening.  As we alighted from the taxi, arriving at the same time were Gerard and Deirdre, the first cousins I met up with, closely followed by Kevin and Eileen, Rose and Joker, Danny and Thomas, Elizabeth and Jim, Brian, Kirsty and Lauren.  We had a great night having a few (maybe more than a few) drinks and chatting into the wee hours of the morning.

The following day Pat and I drove into Belfast city and toured the newly opened Titanic Centre, at the docks where the Titanic was built.  We drove around the districts where both my Mum and Dad lived and drove up the Grosvenor and the Falls Roads.  A few years ago we met Sean, whose Mum lives alongside Dunville Park, so we took some time out and visited this lovely 90 year-old lady, who lives alone but is surrounded by many friends and family.

Then as we headed up the Falls Road, past St Paul’s Church where Mum and Dad were married and where I was baptized, we were spotted by a blond headed driver honking the car horn – there was my cousin Maggie, driving in the opposite direction – firstly she noticed the Irish number plate and then the driver’s tan, and realised it was us!!  We’ll be meeting up with Maggie tonight, so we’re looking forward to that.  Maggie came to Australia in the mid 80’s and came to visit us in Middlemount for 1 week – somehow she stayed for 3 months – we loved having her.

In the evening, we had a get-together and dinner at the Balmoral Hotel.  Pat and I had a great evening with Gerard and Deirdre, Danny, Mairead and Daire, Tommy, Maggie and Jim, Brian and Trisha, Ryan, Pearse and Grace, Elizabeth and Jim, Eileen, Kirsty and Lauren.  We had a great night, but unfortunately had to say goodbye as we were heading north onto Portstewart, Port Rush and the glorious Glens of Antrim in the morning.

My cousin Maggie lives in the mountains just outside Belfast, so we called in to say goodbye the following day on our way north.  I never tire of the glorious scenery and beautiful green countryside in Ireland.  A visitor to Ireland asked recently “Why is your countryside so beautifully green?”  The Irishman was stunned with the question and responded: “Why don’t you f…!@#?!!! live here and experience this f…!@#?!!! weather for a while and then you’d find out why the place is so f..?!@#.. green!”

Colette, a close friend of my Mum’s, lived in Australia for 25 years but has now retired and returned to live in Ireland, where she has lots of family.  We spent three great days with Colette travelling along the coastline of Northern Ireland and visiting the many great scenic attractions.  We visited Carrick-a-rede and walked the rope bridge, which spans a gorge between the mainland and a small island.

A short coastal footpath leads to Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge.  On the way, there are wonderful vantage points to stop and take in the natural beauty.  The geology, flora and fauna have won Carrick-a-Rede recognition as an area of special scientific interest.  Fulmars, kitty-wakes, guillemots and razorbills breed on the islands close to the rope bridge.

Of course, Carrick-a-Rede also boasts an exhilarating rope bridge experience.  Traditionally fishermen erected the bridge to Carrick-a-Rede island over a 23m-deep and 20m-wide chasm to check their salmon nets. Today visitors are drawn here simply to take the rope bridge challenge!

The rope bridge originally consisted of a single rope hand rail which has been replaced by a two hand railed bridge by the National Trust.  The Sheep Island View Hostel displays a collection of old photographs of people doing stunts on the bridge.

Once you reach Carrick Island, the reward is seeing the diverse birdlife and an uninterrupted view across to Rathlin Island and Scotland.  There is only one way off the island - back across the swinging bridge!  Don't look down!

We also visited the Giant’s Causeway and enjoyed walking in the warm sunshine.  One of the legends about the Causeway follows:

Legend tells of an Irish warrior Fionn mac Cumhaill (Finn MacCool), who built a causeway to Scotland.  One version of the legend tells that Fionn was challenged by a Scottish giant, Benandonner.  Now Benandonner was much larger than Fionn, so he tried to think of a way out.  His wife, Oonagh, came up with an ingenious idea.  When Benandonner crossed the bridge looking for him, Oonagh disguised Fionn as a baby and tucked him in a cradle.  When Benandonner came, Oonagh told him that Fionn was out woodcutting, but he should be back soon.  She showed him 'Fionn's son'.  When Benandonner saw the size of the baby, he had no desire to see the father! Benandonner fled home in terror, ripping up the Causeway behind him, so the enormous Finn MacCool', would not follow him.  The "causeway" legend corresponds with geological history in as much as there are similar basalt formations (a part of the same ancient lava flow) at the site of Fingal's Cave on the isle of Staffa in Scotland.

Colette took us to Derry (Londonderry), where we did a walking tour of the Walled City of Derry and Bogside, learning about the difficulties people endured and the many tragedies that occurred in this city over many years.  Our guide was very lively, entertaining and knowledgeable so was able to relate so much interesting history.  A very significant event in Derry is called Sunday Bloody Sunday and an explanation follows.

Bloody Sunday Sometimes called the Bogside Massacre was an incident on 30 January 1972 in the Bogside area of Derry, Northern Ireland, in which 26 unarmed civil-rights protesters and bystanders were shot by soldiers of the British Army.  Thirteen males, seven of whom were teenagers, died immediately or soon after, while the death of another man four-and-a-half months later was attributed to the injuries he received on that day. Two protesters were also injured when they were run down by army vehicles.  Five of those wounded were shot in the back.  The incident occurred during a Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association march; the soldiers involved were members of the First Battalion of the Parachute Regiment.

Two investigations have been held by the British government. The Widgery Tribunal, held in the immediate aftermath of the event, largely cleared the soldiers and British authorities of blame—Widgery described the soldiers' shooting as "bordering on the reckless"—but was criticised as a “whitewash”, including by Jonathan Powell.  The Saville Inquiry, chaired by Lord Saville of Newdigate, was established in 1998 to reinvestigate the events. Following a 12-year inquiry, Saville's report was made public on 15 June 2010, and contained findings of fault that could re-open the controversy, and potentially lead to criminal investigations for some soldiers involved in the killings.  The report found that all of those shot were unarmed, and that the killings were both "unjustified and unjustifiable."  On the publication of the Saville report the British prime minister, David Cameron, made a formal apology on behalf of the United Kingdom.

The Provisional Irish Republican Army’s (IRA) campaign against the partition of Ireland had begun in the two years prior to Bloody Sunday, but public perceptions of the day boosted the status of, and recruitment into, the organisation enormously.  Bloody Sunday remains among the most significant events in the Troubles of Northern Ireland, chiefly because those who died were shot by the British army rather than paramilitaries, in full view of the public and the press.

Ireland has many world-class golf courses, two of which we visited, including the Royal Port Rush, the location for the Irish Open later this year.  I mentioned to Colette (who loves golf) that I thought the Irish comedian, Jimoen came from Portstewart – the next minute Colette was introducing us to Jimoen’s Dad who had just pulled into the Golf Club.  We also met Colette’s brother Eamonn, also a very keen golfer.

We travelled south from Portstewart to Beleek and visited the world famous centre for Beleek china, which is a very fine type of china.  I bought a beautiful Beleek Nativity setting, which I have been looking for, for quite some time.  Then on through to Carrick-on-Shannon, catching up with Mick and Diana for a night out at The Thatch, an original old pub established in 1734.  Mick and Diana lived on a barge for several years and spent their summers travelling the waterways of the Shannon; they have now retired and are living in a quaint little cottage in the countryside near to Carrick.

Our next major stopover was the lovely city of Galway where we stayed with a close family friend, Evelyn.  Evelyn’s brother Pat and his wife Anne live in Sydney and are Kelli’s Godparents.  We treated ourselves to some beautiful Galway crystal wine glasses; walked in the downtown area of the city and headed to the Quays Pub for lunch.  On a previous visit to Galway 15 years ago, we visited the Quays Pub and thoroughly enjoyed the atmosphere and were not disappointed during this visit.  I also visited Lazlos Jewellers and bought myself a gold Claddagh ring – the first one I have ever bought for myself. 

Heading south from Galway we hugged the scenic coastline and could see the Aran Islands off the coast and further south the amazing Cliffs of Moher.  As we were running short of days, we decided to put in a bigger driving day and headed through Limerick to Cork.  Pat’s Great-great-Grandfather (on his Mum’s side) left the small village of Aghada (pronounced Ah-ha-da), outside Cork, and travelled to Australia in the 1800’s.  We went in search of the village and found the remains of the little Catholic Church where his Great-great-Grandfather was baptized and married.  The grounds were filled with many old graves, so we went roaming around trying to read the weather-worn headstones.  I made a quick exit from the grounds when two large dogs ran at us to attack!!  Pat pick up some sticks and continued roaming around.  A nearby resident was chatting with us and delighted in telling us that Pat’s relatives made a good decision to move to Australia.

We drove northward through Waterford and checked into the Horse and Hound Inn at Ballinaboola for the night.  I really enjoy staying at the countryside Inns as opposed to staying in a City. The following morning we had a full Irish Breakfast, which was comprised of eggs, bacon, tomato, beans, sausages, white & black pudding, toast, tea and coffee – they say:   “that should last you the day!”

The following day we headed further east to Wexford and then up through the beautiful Wicklow and Dublin mountains.  My cousin Gerard told us to be sure to drop into Johnnie Fox’s Irish Pub established in 1798 and famed to be The Highest Pub in Ireland, located in the mountains outside Dublin.  What is treat that was – the most amazing little pub we’ve ever had the pleasure of visiting.  Google Johnnie Fox’s Pub Ireland if you’re planning a trip to Dublin and check out their virtual tour.  A quote from their brochure follows:

The “Highest Pub in Ireland,” they say.  Yet neither the height of its fame nor the fame of its height has gone to Johnnie Fox’s head.  The stone-flagged floor is daily strewn with sawdust and nightly hammered by dancing feet.  There is lots of ancient bric-a-brac, as if the place started out to be a folk museum then changed its mind and settled for the friendlier arts of hospitality.

In the afternoon we headed out of Johnnie Fox’s and on into Dublin’s Arlington Hotel for our final two nights in Ireland – I can’t believe our two weeks in Ireland is coming to an end.  Our two night’s bed and breakfast accommodation at the Arlington included a dinner for two and Irish music and dance show on our first night.  The following day we walked around the streets of Dublin, visiting sites such as the famous O’Connell Street, Dublin Castle, the bridges across the Liffey, the statue of the famous Molly Malone who sang “cockles and mussels, alive, alive – o” and Parnell Square.  We walked past Trinity College on a couple of occasions but decided we’ll visit at a later date, when we have more time.

In the afternoon we met up with Heath at the Arlington and had a couple of pints of Guinness.  It’s great to be able to meet up with friends along the way - Heath started school with Kelli in Middlemount and we are friends with his parents, Val and Ivan.

We were up bright and early the following morning to head out to Dublin airport, where we firstly returned the hire car and then checked in for our Aer Lingus flight from Dublin to New York.  The flight time was about six and a half hours, by the time we landed in JFK International Airport in New York.  The purpose of visiting New York is to spend a little time with my Dad’s sister, also called Bertha.  Her husband died a few years ago and she is now almost 88 and living on her own (she says I need to say she’s very young for her age!)  Uncle Bob’s niece Karen and her husband Scott, who live on Staten Island, have been overseeing my Aunt’s needs and “trying” to keep things on track.  Pat and I thought we’d spend a week or so with her and maybe do some jobs for her.

Karen and Scott picked us up from JFK International Airport and we headed north to Greenville, which is about a three to four hour drive from New York City.  Auntie Bertha was stunned when we arrived, as she had not been able to comprehend that we were actually coming to visit her, even though we phoned her a few times.  Scott also told her we were coming.

We have now had a very busy week, with both Pat and I carrying out lots of jobs for her.  She loves a glass of wine or a beer; loosens right up after having one and we have certainly had lots of laughs.  Auntie Bertha is in love with Pat and she wants me to leave him here tomorrow – she said I can go onto Montreal by myself!!  Actually Auntie Bertha and Uncle Bob met Pat before my parents and family did, away back in 1971 when we were tripping around Canada, USA and Mexico in a “pink” VW Combie!!

We took a taxi to Hudson and from there we took the train to Montreal, Canada where we met up with Bruno & Michel who we met and travelled with on our tour of South Africa a few years ago.