Ireland Day 13

Today has started out as many of the last week, it is gray and rainy/mist/dreary. The temperature has climbed a few degrees on the Celsius scale and the wind has picked up is warm.

We had a bit of a lazy morning, just sitting around talking about this and that over coffee and breakfast. Several of us are going to head down to Shilelagh to go in to the Olde Shillelagh Stick Makers to look at shilelaghs.

Inside we had a nice long chat with Liam, a diminutive man not a lot taller than Holly ( I thinks we saw our first leprechaun). Liam makes the famous sticks and he gave us the story and history of the shilelagh. These sticks, which over the years have taken on different sizes and roll, are made of black thorn and take Liam over 3 years to complete each one. They are all hand made but he does use a few automated hand held wood carving tools now.

top-a finished shilelagh walking stick

bottom-black thorn branch

I have purchased one as we have found out that we perhaps have come from along line of Kings of Leinster and as I am the eldest that makes me Hy Kinchlea or the high king. I shall use the shilelagh as my sceptre and as a weapon to keep my not so loyal subjects in hand <   ☺    > 

Next on the agenda is to go back up into the Wicklow Mountains and continue on the scenic route which shows all the towns and areas that have been used in the making of films.A few of the most successful modern films are Excalibur (1982), Michael Collins (1996), Braveheart (1995), and King Arthur (2004).



Back up the road to Hollywood, (did I mention I am the King). Towards Blessington. First stop(s) various points around  Blessington Lake

clear cut logging on the mountains still happens

 From Blessington we headed up into Sally Gap. These high passes (gaps) through the valleys are amazing and offer up great views. As we start through this pass the weather starts to lift.

Of course a day of driving tours wouldn't be complete without a game of Irish Sheep poker, as I have mentioned there are free range sheep in the mountain areas of Ireland and it can be a challenge to add sheep avoidance to the already high speeds, blind curves and smaller roads.

From Sally Gap we headed down the mountains to Powerscourt Waterfalls. At Powerscourt we split into two groups. One stayed to view the
 waterfalls and the other went of to Kilruddery House to tour the house and gardens.

I stayed with the waterfalls and it had a huge WOW factor. The water from the river Dargal and plummets down 121 metres along the side of  the mountain.

Geoff, Alison and I spent a lovely couple of hours walking around and talking pictures of the falls. I probably shot over a 100 pictures playing with speed, light and f-stops. I have had a chance to look at the contact sheet and some of the pictures look amazing.

The three of us continued down the valley between Great Sugar Loaf Mountain and Djouce Mountain to meet up with the others at Kilruddery House.

Kilruddery was a bit of a disappointment as many of the rooms and gardens were cordoned off in preparation for a major concert that was being held on the grounds over the weekend. 

While we were at the gardens a search and rescue helicopter went over top and headed into the Wicklow Mountains and we watched it go on station and into a search pattern.

Irish Search and Rescue Sirkorsky Sea King/Pelican these are now being replaced by Sirkorsky  S-92s

After the gardens we went back along the side of Great Sugar Loaf Mountain heading home to the cottage for our last evening. We stopped in Rathdrum for dinner at Bates Inn

This multileveled building down a market lane has been around for hundreds of years, many celebrities have dined there and their pictures hang on the wall We choose this place because of the history and looks however our last dinner in Ireland was not in a traditional Irish Pub but an Italian Restaurant. Outside the market lane where the Inn was located was another of those quaint little spots.

This is where we should have eaten as we certainly are a crew of characters.

It is time to say good night too Ireland, we had a beautiful sunset on our last night here. On to Liverpool and Beatles land.