IRELAND

Yes. The long awaited trip to Ireland with my son has finally happened. We spent the first day basically travelling for 24 hours. I had made the reservations many months ago but the Airlines was required to change the flight due to schedule changes. We ended up with three flights which is bad enough just to think about it. The problem came with the Salt Lake City to New York flight as it was delayed an hour by New York airport due to weather.  The flight number was number 44 and it had a second airplane attached to the same number from New York to Dublin. The  delay over an hour concerned us as  to whether we would make that flight or not. Discussion happened during the flight with the attendants  They were kind enough to have the pilot Radio to the  following flight what time we would arrive and to please hold the flight a few extra minutes   that negotiation seemed to have been completed and we were told by the staff if we hurried up and the left the plane quickly it would take about 5-10 min to get to the other gate. The flight attendants were even kind enough as were the other passengers to let us get off before anyone else. We all arrived breathless to the gate to find no one in attendance at the desk, the plane could be seen on the ground with the door already closed and the walkway being removed. We're all stunned and didnt  know what to do. One of the more daring passengers picked up the phone that rang at the desk and somehow got a hold of someone and amazingly enough they came back, had the  the walkway reattached  and let all 15 of us board the plane. It was pretty nerve-wracking and I definitely felt the tension and pressure.  Not my best presentation but my son helped remind me to calm down and see what would happen. It was a miraculous thing. If we had to make that choice of a different itinerary it would've required at least two more airplanes, and a 12 hour delay for arrival. After we got on the plane it took an additional hour and a half to leave. Just grateful that we got on that plane.  

Upon arrival, we were greeted by our prearranged chauffered tour driver, James Buckley.  We drove another 2 hours to our first stop, Kilkenny Ireland. Feeling not too as I, basically, had no sleep, nor had Jon. we made it to our first hotel, the hotel Kilkenny. I was an app for a match sightseeing so Jon and James went out.  Jon got to go to a local pub, have dinner and walk around Kilkenny.  That night had a hard sleep.

This morning was absolutely beautiful. I got up and after breakfast, went for a mile walk past St Kieran's College.  Beautiful stonework and landscaping surrounds the buildings. Chat with the older gentleman out for his morning newspaper.  We met up with James and spent the day touring between Kilkenny and county Cork. It was absolutely beautiful. We went to Old Castle sites of which there are many in Ireland. Some of them have been renewed and some of them are in deteriorated states but none the less fascinating and thought provoking.
James is a wealth of information about historical facts and knows many places to show us that I know we wouldn't see on a regular tour. We even got to witness a local game of hurling. It's quite popular in Ireland, is only a amateur sport yet it is embraced and treated as any season game that people would follow and cheer on their Heroes.  It's quite competitive too. Large field, 15 players on each side with a type of long mallet that has a broad area at the end to hit the ball with. It's very hard to explain but it's a pretty rough sport and they have to a score goals similar to soccer.  We got to meet some of the local best of the best players also. The drive through the Countryside was exquisite with soft Rolling Hills, green grasses and foliage, sheep, cattle, horses, and mountains in the distance. It was quite an idyllic experience. One of the highlights of the day was a castle that was in ruins but had the most authentic and peaceful setting of any place we were today. It had a running river with 2 large Swans at the base of the grounds and even though it was broken you could tell that there been a lot of life bustling in this large Castle built around the 13th century.

We ended up in a Port town called Kinsale period it is really beautiful here and you get to a by a winding road to the Hills coming down with a beautiful view of the harbour and the Boats and all the colorful hotels and shops.  Jon and I walked around, had dinner at a lively pub with live music.
Walked over 20000 steps today a good night's rest tonight. It was a Lovely Mother's Day.