couple days later...

All right, so I'm apparently on a 2-3 day cycle for updating right now...I'll work on that...later. But for now, I'm actually updating. So take it at face value and be happy for a post. I have seen a lot more of Ireland since I last wrote, and I have yet to be disappointed by it.
After we woke up (yes, in the castle), Pat picked us up and took us out to the Dingle Peninsula. It was a misty kind of day, but the gray of the sky really only makes the ground look greener. We stopped in Dingle for lunch first and while the others had coffee, I decided to do a little look into the shops in the area. I found a great little music store where I got a CD of local artists as well as an awesome "something" for Heather. Heather, if you don't like it, tough luck. Cause it's completely amazing, though I know you will. How's that for a teaser?
Before we headed out of town though, Pat mentioned a jewelry store that does designs with the Ogham (pronounced o-um) alphabet which is based on lines and slashes. Very cool. Mormor and Joan both got earring which read their names. I didn't get anything, but I did have a good deal of fun looking through the store. I'm looking for something, I'm just waiting for it to catch my attention.
When we left the store, we headed out for the coast line to take our drive. I still just can't get over how amazing the cliffs on this side of Ireland are. We even got to walk down a huge paved trail to a pier. It was neat to see the cliffs from this angle as well. Helps you to appreciate just how vast they are. We could see the barest outline of Dead Man Island, which looks like a person lying on their back, but were unable to find the Skellig Islands, though Pat gave us the whole history of them. Talk about determined people! I can't even imagine living like they managed there.
We stopped a couple other time to appreciate the view, or structures built. It's much like Joan said, it's strange to think that all of this was built and constructed and ancient before our country was even created. We just don't have that kind of ancestry in the states. I enjoyed just looking out the window as we drove and seeing these beautiful fields and walls and cliffs. The whole country is really just amazing to look at. I don't think I've found an ugly area yet.
Yesterday we had debated following up Dingle with the Ring of Kerry, but it was another gray day. Instead, Pat brought us to a waterfall just out of town (we were staying in Killarney). At first, the waterfall was rather unimpressive, more a series of waterfalls, but every tree was bright green, completely encapsulated in moss. Then as we followed the path, we came around the corner and saw the REAL falls. While the Torc Falls are not particularly large still, they were very beautiful in that setting. I chose to run up a path to the top of the falls too, which turned out to be completely worth the time. On my way down I ran into Mormor, who had come part way up too. While she didn't make it to the top, she did get to the clearing that had a fabulous view of the Killarney lakes.
When we got back down again, Pat told us he was taking us to Ruckmoss House, which was set on the lakes themselves. While everyone else went to look at the gardens, I chose to take the trail down to the boathouse. This was equally amazing. I took the back way there and was climbing up and down stone steps into little garden groves the whole way, and once I got there is was so beautiful! The lake was smooth as glass and reflected everything in it perfectly; the boats, the trees, the islands. There was a boathouse nature walk loop around the point which I jogged down and loved every minute of. It was just cool enough to be perfectly comfortable out there, and was very invigorating.
We then continued to drive through part of County Cork, and went to St. Finbar's Island which is where we had lunch and enjoyed a pleasant quiet afternoon by the lake. Just as we were leaving, people started showing up, which I think proves that we have really good timing. The ruins on the island of the old chapel were very different from others we had seen, and were set up to say the rosary as you walked around the room. From here, we continued our drive inland to Kilkenny.
While this evening was fairly uneventful, we were all tired from driving, we decided to go to the local pub for dinner that night. Kyteler's Inn was based from the lady who used to live on the property in the late 1200's to early 1300's until she was declared a witch and forced to run away to England. The food was fabulous, and towards the end of the evening there was even live music. I must say though, that it was very apparent that we were all so tired. Joan tried to ask what a song was called and to help us know the song, squeaked it like a dolphin, which set me off laughing. Then Sam followed up with a completely different song and we all just went around the table having moments. We were all laughing so hard. I loved every minute of it.
Eventually we went back to the hotel though, and called it a night. We had a straight shot back to Dublin first thing this morning. Mormor, Joan, and Sam are all flying to Edinburgh today, while I am staying here in Ireland for awhile longer. Now I have to get used to hostels again, and not eating regularly. Still, I'm excited to head to northern Ireland tomorrow. And I do love wandering aimlessly through the different cities, so it's not like I wont be enjoying myself. It will just be directed a different way than it has the last week.