Ireland: A dream fulfilled

If you could go anywhere in the world for a vacation, what country would you choose? No matter how often I was asked this question, the answer was always the same: Ireland.

Having been brought up surrounded by Irish relatives and neighbors and having heard so many wonderful tales of “the old sod,” it is no wonder that a trip to Ireland was my dream.

In 2004 it was time to fulfill my dream. However, because of illness, the trip had to be canceled twice. Things finally came together in 2005 when my cousin, Marg Morrison of Pittsfield, Mass., decided to join me on my journey.

I left from Long Beach airport on July 21. I was already a bit apprehensive about making the trip after two previously disastrous attempts. To make it worse, while I was waiting for takeoff, news came in that London had been bombed for a second time by terrorists.

I met Marge at JFK airport in New York City, where we stayed overnight.

The next morning we shuttled back to the airport, and as we boarded the plane, I couldn’t believe that we were almost on our way. The only thing left to do was cross an ocean. Many Hail Marys helped me through the flight, and at 6:30 a.m. Greenwich mean time on July 23, I finally set my foot on Irish soil.

We took a cab to our hotel and took a brief nap before venturing out to explore Dublin.

While in Dublin, we visited the Book of Kells at Trinity College. That and St. Patrick’s Cathedral were spectacular. The architecture amazed us.

The second day we traveled to Waterford by rented car rather than bus. We stayed overnight at the Waterford Castle, an authentic 14th century castle that sits on an island accessible only by ferry. The island is also home to a championship golf course. At the castle we were treated like royalty.

Cork marked the next stop on our trip. On the way we visited the Waterford Crystal factory, where we were able to follow a piece of glass from its design conception to the finished product. Every piece is a perfect product, finished without blemish. If one mistake is made, the piece is destroyed.

In Cork, we had hoped to find Irish-style boutiques on St. Patrick Street, but to no avail. We did hire a local cab driver to drive us around the city. Blarney Woollen Mills was most definitely the high point of our time in Cork. We spent a great deal of time there and an even greater amount of money.

In Killarney we stayed in the Muckross Inn, where every room glowed with the light of a Waterford chandeliers. In the hotel, we visited Molly Darcy’s pub, where I became the entertainment for the house band. They asked us what we would like them to play, and I asked for “Mrs. Murphy’s Chowder.”

“Never heard of it,” the band’s leader said. “Sing it for me.”

When I had finished singing, the band leader brought the house down when he said, “Never heard of that. Must be a Boston or Chicago song. Would you like to hear ‘Danny Boy’?”

On the way to our last stop, we missed a turn and ended up in Adair instead of Limerick. Adair is a lovely town full of authentic thatched-roof cottages.

After lunch we wended our way to Limerick and into Mustard Seed, a 17-room grand manor built by an Irish priest in an attempt to outdo a neighboring English parson. The house was unbelievable. Every room was filled with amazingly eclectic antiques. In one room we found a stuffed rooster standing next to a gilded Queen Anne chair. The cuisine in the inn was exquisite.

The whole trip was totally delightful, full of fun and laughter. The Irish people were extremely friendly and helpful. I would go again in a heartbeat.