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Knowing that I’d be writing this article prompted me to ask my co-travelers what the highlight of their trip had been. Instead of just a few popular highlights, they mentioned many different ones, leading me to surmise that this experience, Shades of Ireland featuring Northern Ireland, is one that everyone will appreciate and learn from.
Among the favored trip highlights was the walking tour of Waterford with Sean, surely one of the best storytelling guides in Ireland. Sean treated us to a visit to Christ’s Church Cathedral when he unlocked its doors and pointed out interesting historical details. He added the comical story of two Canadians whom he’d once unwittingly left locked inside the church overnight! Moving on, we stood outside near a section of a steel beam taken from one of the World Trade Center buildings. Sean told us the poignant story of the Waterford crystal designer who designed a beautiful crystal memorial dedicated to the firefighters who lost their lives on September 11 and the appreciation and reciprocal gift from the firefighters of New York City. Later, Sean explained the Viking invasions and took us to Reginald’s Tower with its 12-foot-thick walls.
The Blarney Castle was not on my bucket list, but it was on the itinerary, and I didn’t want to have regrets for not doing something, so off I went to get in queue for 90 minutes to climb the 128 winding, uneven castle steps and to kiss the blarney stone. It felt like an achievement. Other travelers walked the grounds, marveling especially at the Poison Garden.
For some travelers, Dublin wasn’t the Ireland of their dreams, but when we drove the Ring of Kerry, they and all of us were captivated with the landscape and glimpses of the sea. This, to those people, was what Ireland was — bucolic, peaceful, and green. It was the Ireland of quilted fields outlined by hedgerows and of sheep grazing contentedly.
At the sheep “farm” visit, we learned that Irish wool is not the economic benefit to Ireland that it once was. Now it’s lamb that is the farmers’ top cash product. Much is shipped to France for consumption. We were charmed by the farmer’s demonstration with his Border Collie, who uses eye contact with the sheep to herd them according to the master’s commands. And we were treated to delicious scones with clotted cream and rhubarb-ginger jam! Scone recipes in grams, not cups, were available to purchase along with scone cutters. The sheep “farm” visit was among the favorites.
Other trip favorites were the Cliffs of Moher, where Mother Nature forged gorgeous views, and the Giant’s Causeway, another geological marvel. We have great photos and memories of both sites, but their majesty is truly difficult to capture in a photo.
History buffs among us were intrigued with The Troubles as told by the guide in Derry, who gave us a long historical background dating way back to English kings, a French king, the Scots, and a pope. All were players at one time or another who influenced the strife between religions culminating in the 30-year violence called The Troubles between the Catholics and the Protestants in Northern Ireland. Even today, despite being one city, Derry is the Catholic name, while Londonderry is the Protestant one.
We also stayed in Belfast where there had been much violence between the sides. Today, mural-covered walls and a peace wall depict political leaders, those who’ve died in The Troubles, slogans, cultural icons, and causes. One can still find locked gates between Catholic and Protestant neighborhoods overnight. Actually, the modern, comfortable hotel we stayed at in Belfast had been bombed 33 times during The Troubles!
Collette Travel offers options that allow you to decide what you would like to do, such as The Guiness Storehouse, Medieval Dinner, and The Spirit of Derry. Other options become available, too, such as the Jaunting Ride, a carriage ride in the national park with a chatty, storytelling driver. This was a favorite of several travelers. And there are free times during which you can schedule something on your own. After all, you’re in Ireland, do something! Some of us took a bus to the Epic Museum in Dublin, a hands-on emigration museum and an inspiring ode to the Irish people. Some people went to a Riverdance-type show and thoroughly enjoyed its professionalism. We also had the opportunity to visit a Bog Village in Kerry. I’d never seen peat logs for burning, nor smelled a turf fire.
Lastly, as an OLLI book club member, one of six on this trip, I must mention that we scheduled a tour called The Book of Kells Experience, found at Trinity College in Dublin, knowing we had free time in the itinerary. We loved the preparation that the museum displayed prior to allowing us into the dimmed room with the famed, 8th century monk-illuminated book open before us in its glass case. We were inspired to see the famous Long Room at the library. Our tickets allowed us into the Pavilion where we watched a digital experience relating to the books and listened to busts of famous individuals speaking after pressing a button. Afterwards, as an odd bonus that made us somewhat nervous, we had a direct experience of current events in Dublin. We had been planning to take the bus back to the hotel, but found our path blocked by a river of peaceful marchers along the streets demonstrating against the government’s support of Israel and the death of so many Gazans. We decided to meet our tour bus at the Oscar Wilde statue, away from the marchers, instead of returning to the hotel first. Now, one of Oscar Wilde’s works will become a discussion book in the future for our book club.
Here is a good place to mention that my title of “’Round Ireland with OLLI” is borrowed from a book I read called, ’Round Ireland with a Fridge by Tony Hawks. It’s a travel adventure where Tony hitchhikes with the fridge on a bet. It’s very funny and displays the Irish people’s sense of fun and nonsense.
Collette housed us in excellent hotels with excellent breakfasts (How about that hot Irish breakfast they serve? Do you like whiskey with your porridge in the morning? It’s an option!) and excellent dinners. They provided us with an experienced and excellent tour manager who shared information about the Irish economy, including the handling of the influx of Ukrainian refugees, and personal stories of Irish life, and who prepared us for what we were about to see on visits. Our tour bus was new, and our driver was competent and patient. The most difficult thing that we had to do was to have our suitcases out at 7:00 a.m. for porterage because we were meant to go ‘round the entire island of Ireland in 13 days, and it wouldn’t do to get a late start on a day.
I’ll conclude with a quote from Maeve Binchy, a wonderful Irish novelist who wrote Tara Road and many other cozy novels set in Irish villages: “If you don’t go to a dance, you can never be rejected, but you’ll never get to dance, either.” Thus, if you don’t take an OLLI trip, you won’t know what you missed, but you won’t get the thrill, either, along with the happy memories.
Written by Ann Berenbrok