The Killeshin Hotel Portlaoise

It was really exciting to be able to spend my 20th birthday in Ireland. It started off with an interesting surprise on Monday night before my birthday. I was at Irish dance and they informed the instructor that it was my birthday. So of course I got a cake and sung to be everyone at Irish dance which by the way it is us Americans and then all ederly people. Then they sat me in the stool in the middle of the room and because of irish tradition ...

<br><br>With cloudy skies overhead, we ate our breakfast and said good-bye to Olive and the people from Missouri. We had to make a stop at the nearby Ford dealership because one of our headlights was out, and John had no tools with which to replace it. The service tech had it done quickly, and we were charged only for the bulb (around $19), and told to enjoy our holiday. With the days getting shorter, we really needed the headlight.<br><br>Our first stop today was the Hill of Tara ...

Founded in 1620 - best known for the family's contribution to astronomy. In 1845, the world's largest telescope at the time was built here. The 56 ft wooden tube is supported by two walls.<br><br>In the gardens, they apparently also have the world's largest hedge-row.<br>

... and plates. Nothing, in Ireland was served in/on paper or plastic. <br>We took our drinks on our stroll down to the water's edge. We found the water to be very cold. Everyone in swimming had a wet suit on, even the children. Two vans with surfing schools advertised on the side had surfboards and wet suits to rent. They also offered surfing lessons. Inch Beach was a very popular place for the locals. We enjoyed our short stop there.

... for a Graveside Mass, something completely foreign to us. It was an amazing experience however standing on the gravesite of AJ's grandparents having a RC mass. There were approximately 15,000 to 20,000 people at the graveside mass. People of all ages and lots of families came together to pray for the souls of their lost ones. Many families travel to Portlaoise for the Graveside Mass especially because it is on ...

... big and very busy. It is not the village we expected to see. AJ has phoned her cousin GK to touch base just in case word got around that two "strange" Aussie lassies were wandering around the town causing havoc!!! We have partaken in pie - Rhubbarb and hot choccys. AJ is missing her work so we have visited the library in Port Laoise. We are pleased that we have not heard comments ...

... and then stopped at the small seaside town of Dunmore East. The sun was now shining, the skies were blue and the water was clear with a shallow sandy bottom that stretched out for ages. Pale-skinned and sunburnt kids splashed around while the other members of their pale-skinned and sunburnt families lazed along a crowded sliver of dry sand with their backs against a stone retaining wall with white, yellow and light-blue painted cottages ...

... look for a job, and he got one in a shop. One day this woman came in and wanted some baking soda and they were out of it, and he said he'd order it for her. "When will it be in?" "Ah, it'll be a good week, but I won't be here." "Where are you going, are you giving up your job?" "I'm going home," he says, "to die from TB". Now TB (tuberculosis) was an awful scourge at that time. He was the youngest of 13 and the other 12 had all died of ...

... I had thought we would make. The roads are much better than what is related in folklore. They are comparable to any decent two-lane road in the United States. They even have some four-lane highway in parts of the country. Only in one stretch did we find the stereotypical Irish road (I'll mention that later). But, the better than expected roads enabled us to cover much more ground than I had expected.<br><br>We went south from Dun Laoghaire. After a short ...

... ve visited real session music in Vicarstown pub where I embarrassed myself by trying to read music while playing the 5-string banjo; caught a pike in the grounds of Ballyfin; chased cows around Emo Court's manicured gardens; stayed the night in Cosby Hall's hay-filled beds and watched hurling and Gaelic football at the local sport's ground. Even thought I've left for Dublin, I still have no excuse not to return. Here, of all places, is one of the few ...