Ireland - The Emerald Isle

Aer Lingus moved away from the gate at Chicago O'Hare around 3:50 pm (local time) on Sunday, June 22.  Aboard were Don and Betty Wampach along with Tom and Chris Meyer.  Destination: Ireland.  After a 7 and 1/2 hour flight we landed at Dublin International around 5:15 am (local time) on Monday, June 23.  On the following day we began our week's tour of the north portion of Ireland, including the country of Northern Ireland, via Inroads Ireland.  Betty, Don, Chris, and I were a part of a group of 12 tourists along with an Irish driver/guide.

As we traveled across the lush green countryside, we saw many amazing sites:

• the remnants of a 5th century monastic settlement with its distinctive Celtic High Crosses and 1000-year-old Irish Round Tower
• the mysterious Proleek Dolmen, an ancient portal tomb
• the chilling Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge, spanning the mainland to tiny Carrick Island
• the unique Giant's Causeway sculpted by thousands of hexagonally shaped stone columns descending into the Atlantic Ocean
• the stunning Bunglass sea cliffs
• the Carrowkeel burial tombs - ancient, megalithic passage chambers older than the Egyptian pyramids

We sang Evensong in St. Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin

At the same time, our travels were enriched by the warmth and history of the Irish people:

• potatoes served with every meal
• dancing with a group of local residents in their lovely community center in the small town of Culdaff
• local minstrels playing Irish music in the small, crowded pubs of Ardara
• a funeral procession moving ever so slowly through the town of Ardara, with the deceased's many bicycle club companions walking on each side of the hearse and long string of cars
• brightly painted buildings conveying the artistic ardor of numerous small country towns

Don perfected the art of drinking a Guinness

I love my Banana Split

Regarding this trip, Don spoke for all four of us when he said, "We had a blast!!!"