April 8 Dublin to Ennis
On the road again....
And bloody early! Urgh 6 a.m. came too early! It's another sunny
day though chilly this morning. The day's activities include a stop in
Kildare at the Irish National
Stud to hear about thoroughbred horse breeding, then a stop to "view"
the Rock of Cashel (that means a photo stop), and a drive west to Ennis,
where we stay for two nights.
The National Stud is on the site of an old Abbey, Black Abbey, where
the monks bred horses for the Crusades, huge, muscled beasts. Horse breeding
in this area of the country, thus, is an old tradition and Irish thoroughbred
stallions command some of the highest stud fees in the world. The Irish
National Stud is run by the Irish government though there are lots of private
farms around as well. There are an enormous amount of regulations to the
breeding of horses. Artificial insemination is banned and they even test
the foals for DNA to prove their parentage to potential buyers.
We had one of the staff walk us around the barns and grounds to see
the horses while he explained the history, traditions, and technical aspects
of horse breeding. It really was interesting. We saw a couple of foals
just born 6 or 7 hours before. One mare allowed the door to be open and
us to watch as her baby nursed. Another mare, even though the door was
closed, stood on guard over the sleeping foal with a glint in her eye when
we peeked through the caged window. Nobody was getting close to that baby!
We saw the stallion stables and paddocks and as large as the mares were,
the stallions were massive! The neck on the top priced one, Indian Ridge,
was so large and solid that I doubt very much I could get my arms around
it, and I don't have short arms.
There is a Japanese garden and another one dedicated to a monk, St.
Fiachra and we had time to have a walk around and a coffee or a browse
in the gift shop.
Rock this town
We drove for another hour or so south into County Tipperary to the
center of Ireland, all rolling hills to Cashel. The Rock
of Cashel was originally a fortress built in the 4th C. on a 200 foot
limestone mound that juts up out of a low flat valley. It was originally
a seat of Irish Kings and was continually a military establishment but
St. Patrick preached from there and created Cashel a bishopric in the 5th
C. Cashel has had strong connections to the Catholic church as well as
a result. We stopped on the highway overlooking the plain and the rock
but unless you crossed the busy road, you ended up with the road in your
photos. Not a great choice for a photo stop.
Just the same, we were having our lunch stop in the town of Cashel.
We scattered to try out several of the different pubs and restaurants that
Bill pointed out. Carole and I ended up at Mikey Ryan's, in a building
built about 1750-ish. It had several small rooms, brightly painted in yellow.
The room we sat in had a huge black iron stove and a basket of peat and
wood beside it. The soup urn was on the stove and a hutch full of old china
and the dining room cutlery stood against the yellow wall upon which were
hung old framed photos and softly glowing copper items. We had soup and
a sandwich that were both delicious and far cheaper than we would have
paid in Dublin!
After lunch we found the post office for stamps and then walked out
and around  the
road that leads out of the town at the opposite end from the one we entered.
We got a good view of the ruins of the Rock including Cormac's chapel,
the oldest structure. Carole walked up a footpath on the hill for a photo
as well.
Back on the bus we traveled back north west through Limerick City,
the fastest growing city in Ireland. There are a lot of poor "travelers"
(it's not politically correct anymore to use the term "gypsy", by the way)
that live in trailers (caravans) on the outskirts of Limerick, and elsewhere
around the country but apparently this is a popular stopping point. The
part of the city we drove through didn't seem to have anything particularly
warm about it, but it's hard to tell with just a passing through. We stopped
across the Shannon river for a photo of King John's Castle which was built
around 1210 though no evidence King John actually oversaw the building
of it. We also passed St. Mary's Cathedral from around the same era. Can't
really say much more about Limerick as we didn't see any more of it that
that and it's probably not a place I'd return to though I'm sure it's just
as nice as any other city.
Get thee to a nunnery
We arrived at the hotel around 3, the Temple
Bar Hotel in Ennis. It's a lovely hotel that used to be a nunnery apparently
though has been extensively renovated. The bar and bistro serves very good
food. The courtyard of the hotel faces the tourist information center.
Ennis doesn't seem to be a really old town but that's only relative. It's
probably still three-four hundred years old. There are a lot of newer homes
and subdivision developments and it's a popular area to live for commuters
to Shannon and Limerick.
We aren't seeing as many brightly coloured houses now, the shades
are more pastel and warm hues of greens, blues, yellows and terra cottas
dotted with an occasional bright yellow or deep red. A lot of the shop
fronts and bar fronts are still painted lively colours in the traditional
Irish pub style. There is very little neon that we have noticed even in
the cities, where the shops have floodlights over the storefronts instead
of glowing signs blinking at you.
We had a drink in the bar and then changed. Our optional (you pay
extra) excursion for the evening is a medieval banquet at Bunratty
Castle. There has been a castle here since the Norman era but as it's
in a very strategic spot, it's been destroyed and rebuilt on 8 or 9 occasions
after battles. The Folk Park that's been constructed here is a recreation
of an Irish village from about 100 years ago, with cottages, shops and
farmhouses and is a working museum with staff in period costume and working
using the old traditional methods. The castle has antique furniture from
the medieval period and is one of those large square towers seen all over
the country. They do banquets as a dinner theatre experience as well.
We were led into the castle and up a steep narrow stone spiral staircase
to the Great Hall where two court musicians played for us as we sipped
honey mead. The harpist and violinist were seated at the front of the room
while women clad in velvet gowns decorated with gold brocade mingled among
the tourists and chatted with them. The young woman we spoke to said she
does this as her summer job while she's at university to become a teacher!
There was then a few songs by the assembled group of women and we
were led into the dining area, which used to be the soldier's barrack area.
The tables were long with benches. The only implement you had was a sharp
knife to add to the authentic feel. You drank your spiced parsnip soup
out of the crockery bowl and ate your spare rib appetizer with your fingers.
There were finger bowls and you had a bib tied round your neck to use to
wipe your hands on. The meat on the ribs was so tender it fell off the
bone. The main course was roasted capon, veg and potatoes and dessert was
a sponge cake with berries and cream which at least was served with a spoon.
The costumed women served courses, and in between, entertained along
with an entertaining butler, an actor of course, with heavy makeup and
an obvious wig. But the crowd loved it and the women were remarkable singers
although there was one that seemed to have a sour look on her face the
entire time. Perhaps she was nervous but I kept wanting to tell her she
was going to spoil appetites if she didn't smile once in awhile.
We were invited to take coffee in another room but it was too crowded
so we went out to the courtyard where a piper was playing in the twilight.
We walked back through the folk village, taking our time. Tomorrow is a
trip up the west coast to the Cliffs of Moher, around Galway Bay and up
into Connemara.
April 9 Cliffs of Moher, Burren, Connemary, Rathbaun Farm
We had breakfast with a lovely couple from Alabama, quite
the nicest people we've met so far. The bus left a little late. All day
it seemed. There was always one person that kept us waiting and invariably
it was one of the group of Asian women traveling together from New York
City. They were lovely people, most of them work together in a hospital
as Anesthesiologists. And they were astonishing shoppers! That's usually
why they were late!
 We
drove west towards the Atlantic coast under again sunny skies. Really lucky
there because the view of the 600 foot high
Cliffs of Moher on Liscannon Bay would have been disappointing under
cloudy or foggy skies or even just that hazy type of sunny day you
often get on the coast. We were the first bus there, even before the visitor
center was open so it wasn't crowded at all. Another lucky break. The cliffs
are a spectacular sight, with the rock formations carved by millennia of
weather and water, thousands of sea birds drifting and perching on the
ridges and caves and the cool, fresh breeze briskly whipping our hair as
we wandered around the viewing platform or climbed the stairs to O'Brien's
Tower. Carole went to the top and said you could see the Aran Islands off
the coast. I got half way up and stopped to talk to another one of our
bus-mates who I found out was from Dartmouth. By the time we ended our
conversation I decided against the rest of the climb and instead made my
way back to the visitor center, open now, to get in ahead of the group
for the ladies' toilet.
From there we drove North west into the Burren, (pronounced Barren),
which is a rocky limestone plateau with huge hills of exposed rock overlooking
Galway Bay. Farming is nearly impossible here though there are some cattle
dotting the lower hills. There are herds of feral goats and we even a few
running up and down the side of a hill. There are the inevitable stone
fences crisscrossing the landscape, these made only by piling the stones
with no kind of cement, water or sand to secure them. We stopped at the
top of Corkscrew Hill, aptly named, for a photo shoot. What a view too!
And the road down the hill turned around upon itself so  sharply
you thought you would see your own tail lights coming round the bends.
I don't know how, but Alex maneuvered that bus down it as easily, or so
it seemed, as if he was driving a straight motorway.
The Burren, in County Clare,
is a protected environmental and conservation area. In the summer there
are a lot of wild flowers including 12 kinds of wild orchids. We drove
through some wild and remote areas dotted with occasional villages including
one, Lisdoonvarna, that is famous for matchmaking! Irish farmers are apparently
notorious bachelors and between many of the local women leaving the area
for education and jobs, and the farmers living at home where they have
their mothers to tend to them, according to Bill anyway, they rely on matchmakers
quite often to find a wife when needs must! Lisdoonvarna has a matchmaking
festival every September for potential mates to meet up! Seriously!
We drove down and around Galway Bay where there were more tower ruins
and old antique boats moored on the low tidal muddy banks. The boats are
small fishing boats with red sails called Galway Hookers! There's excellent
salmon fishing in this region and in fact it was a village known for salmon
fishing called Claddagh where the famous Irish symbol was created. That's
the heart held by two hands and topped with a crown symbolizing love and
loyalty. It's very commonly used as a wedding band in Ireland.
Galway city was first
settled by 14 French-Norman families, later referred to as the 14 Tribes
of Galway. Some of the family names that you still see on businesses, streets
and monuments are Joyce, Lynch and Burke. We drove around Galway City,
and after a coffee break at a shop in Spiddal, headed up into the Connemara
region, famous for it's marble. We are due to stop in a marble factory
but to get there we drove on a narrow road across some wild peat bogs.
Peat is still cut and dried for fuel in stoves but more and more often
it's done on commercial farms.
The marble factory is in a village called Moycullen. There is a display
of all the deep colours of marble that has been quarried in the region
over the years, black, shades of green and red. It's some of the hardest
marble in the world and was used for construction mainly. The quarries
are nearly depleted and only the green is still obtainable in small quantities
but the upsurge of using marble in gift ware and jewelry has given the
quarries that remain new life. They also mind amethyst here. The shop had
a lot of jewelry and some gifts made of marble and amethyst and I bought
earrings for myself and some for Mom to save for Mother's day. I also picked
up a small marble celtic cross.
Back to Galway city for our lunch break. Oysters are famed here but
we decided to walk down the pedestrian Shop street in search of first,
a toilet, and second a takeaway sandwich. We went into the Brown Thomas
department store but there was no public washrooms. The woman in the accounts
office took pity on us though, and let us use the staff toilet! Bless!
We found a cafe a little further on and bought sandwiches and a drink and
walked back to the spot where we were to meet the bus later, on the site
of a park, to eat in the sunshine. The park was full of young people enjoying
the warm weather. There's a university in Galway and a lovely cathedral.
I didn't see that much of the city but I got a very pleasing impression
and it's a place I'd like to spend a day or two exploring further.
Our afternoon stop was in the farmlands of the county at Rathbaun
Farm which does agri-tourism as a way to boost their income. Many of the
farms here in County Galway are livestock because the ground doesn't really
support crops. This farm contains a 150 year old thatched roof farmhouse
with a tea room where they will serve you tea, coffee and scones after
a little tour. Finton Connolly was our host and talked to us about modern
sheep farming. This farm makes its money from the sale of lamb mainly to
France though they've also got cattle as well. Older ewes and rams are
slaughtered for mutton after 5 or 6 years. We saw several breeds of sheep
in a small barn, several of which had young lambs. The sheepdog, a border
collie named Buff, was let loose in a paddock to worry 5 or 6 sheep around
in clusters.
Contrary to the sheepdog we saw in Scotland, this dog was not trained
with whistles. He brings the sheep to wherever his master is standing.
The whistle trained dogs are for selling so it doesn't matter what language
you use, they will always understand the whistle signals. It's amazing
to watch the dog duck her head down and give the sheep steady eye contact
that seems to unnerve them to the point of huddling and clattering together
en masse away from the dog in the direction she wants them to go. Finton
later sheared a struggling sheep, who was concerned for her lamb which
was skipping around the barn being herded by the dog who was still out
of her pen. The sheep was a shaggy one and by the time he was even half
way done, it looked like he was handling a bag of rags, with only four
skinny black legs waving about to give any hint that there was a living
thing underneath it all.
We were encouraged to look through the older part of the house where
there was a cozy peat fire burning in the hearth and we took lots of photos
by the lovely old whitewashed cottage and in the garden outside. The thatch
in most of Ireland is made of river reed.
We got back to Ennis about 5. Carole wanted a rest so I shopped
for postcards in the tourist information shop and walked down the High
Street to the River Fergus where I had spied a few good spots from the
bus to take pictures. There are ruins of an old friary there and a cathedral.
I took some really pretty pictures although one of them ended up with a
sun flare spot in it. I also found a store that had lots of china and gifts
and they took the tax off there and shipped it for you. They were open
until 7 so I went back to give Carole the heads up and brought her back.
She found lots of things she wanted and although I wasn't planning to get
anything, I found a Waterford Crystal thatch cottage that's about 4 or
5 inches long and 2 or 3 high. It's exquisite and I had to have it. Since
I bought that, I figured I might as well get that Royal Tara china cup
I had spied and a Stephen Pearce bowl.
We had it all shipped together but that meant it had to be paid for
together. What a time we had! Her visa card needed authorization and then
the clerks couldn't get the cash register to accept the manual authorization
nor could they get it to reverse the transaction when we finally suggested
we'd pay cash. They had to call two other people to solve the problem and
we were there about 20 minutes! The women that were serving us were unfailingly
and amazingly polite and patient when I knew they must have been frustrated
with their computer beyond belief! They suggested a restaurant when we
asked but when we found it, it was closed, Tuesday being one of it's days
to shut early. Oh well. We ended up back at the bar in the hotel where
I really enjoyed a huge bowl of mussels and seafood chowder stuffed with
tender bits of salmon and shellfish.
I called home and then we had a chat in the lobby to Brenda,
the lady from Dartmouth, and her friend who lives in Calgary. The Ring
of Kerry drive is tomorrow. Hope the weather holds because it's supposed
to cloud over later in the day.
April 10 The Ring of Kerry, Killarney to Tralee
Weather looked like it could go either way. It was a bit
gloomy this morning and all day it was a hazy day with high cloud cover
and the sun breaking through now and then. It wasn't as clear and blue
like yesterday which was a pity for the views around the Ring of Kerry
but it wasn't too bad. It did clear up from how it started this morning.
We caught the 9 a.m. car ferry across the Shannon river estuary.
We drove into North County Kerry from there where the landscape was flat
and boggy and uninspiring. Or perhaps it was the weather. The western
part of the Kerry Mountains is called the McGillicuddy Reeks and we drove
up into the beginning of the range on the way to our first stop, Tralee.
We will be staying in Tralee tonight but won't be at the hotel this morning.
We were due to go to the Kerry County museum complete with a medieval sight,
sound and smell effects only the staff are on strike starting... yep..
today!
We were taken to a local windmill instead in Blennerville. Which
wasn't working due to some maintenance problems. They had a video presentation
on the restoration and had an emigration exhibition and we were invited
to examine the inside of the windmill. The town was an embarkation point
for the west of Ireland. The windmill was built in 1780 and fell out of
use in 1850. It was restored in the 1980's as a youth project. It is now
the only working windmill in Ireland and still mills flour but just for
demonstrations. It's only used for cattle feed, not pure enough to sell
for human consumption.
We were on a time constraint and I wasn't overly interested so I
took a few photos outside before we left. Pressed for time seemed to be
the order of the day as it went on, we ended up being rushed every time
we got off the bus! Lunch break was only 40 minutes!
Into the mountains and through a little town called Killorglin. This
town has a Puck Festival every summer that celebrates the goats of Kerry.
Really! There's even a statue of a wild horned goat with a crown on his
head in the town center that we drove past. They bring a wild billy goat
down from the hills and crown him to preside over the weekend's festivities.
Why? Two theories according to Bill. One was that a herd of goats warned
the town of an impending dawn raid by Oliver Cromwell's men who were camped
outside the town and the other has the goat revered as a holy animal by
pagans.
We entered the Ring of Kerry trail that starts at Dingle Bay and
weaves its way along the sandstone mountains, sometimes along the bays
and sometimes inland a bit around the Iveragh Peninsula. The views reminded
me sometimes of the Scottish Highlands. We had a phto stop over Dingle
Bay and had lunch at one little bar about half way around at Ballinskellieg
Bay. The narrow road was originally built for the military in the mid 17th
C. I did notice, looking straight down over the edge of one stop, a lot
of litter. Too bad people can't respect these places.
The sun was out at our lunch stop but was gone again when we continued.
We had another toilet stop near the end of the trail and then started down
the mountains and into the Killarney National Park, a large natural area
of lakes and forest that was donated to the government by an Irish American.
We stopped at a lovely lookoff over the Killarney Lakes called "Ladies'
View" named in honour of Queen Victoria's ladies in waiting.
We were offered the chance to have a Jaunting Car ride in Killarney.
This is a buggy that seats 6 in it and is horse drawn. Most people decided
it would be fun since it looked as if the sun was emerging and it was a
change from the bus. The ride would take us around a part of the National
park. Before we loaded in the cart, the group photo was taken and the photographer
also took photos of each group in the carts. I didn't buy the group photo
but I did get one of us in the cart!
We rode along the street a ways to get to the park entrance. There
was lots of trees, fresh air, birdsong. The driver, I think they're called
"Jarvies", would point  out
things of interest and crack jokes and stop so we could take photos. It
was nice and we talked to our cart-mates, Brenda and Lorna and a couple
from Vermont. It took over an hour to get to our meeting spot back in the
town and we really found it a relaxing hour.
The Brandon Hotel is very, very nice. The rooms are lovely and the
bed is soft. Dinner was very good too and we sat at large tables of about
8 which was also nice until the conversation turned to the politics of
the Middle East. I didn't have much to add and Carole was feeling a bit
under the weather so we politely excused ourselves. I rang Rose and we
both chatted to her but she isn't going to be able to meet us in Blarney
tomorrow as she had hoped.
The Ring of Kerry was very scenic though, as I said, we had hoped
for a bit better weather. I've heard the Dingle Peninsula is equally spectacular
but I think the road is not suitable for the tour busses. We took a lot
of photos out the window and at our stops. We didn't see much of Killarney
which seems to focus mainly on the tourism industry which is so important
to the economy of Ireland. We could have done without the windmill visit
which would have given us a bit more time at our stops but that's the nature
of tours sometimes.
April 11 Blarney to Waterford
Weather not too bad today. It is supposed to cloud over
later today and maybe rain. Most of the day it was more cloud cover than
sunshine but the day was hazy bright most of the time. This is our shopping
day, or morning, that Bill has been banging on about all week, reminding
us that the huge woolen mill shop will have the best prices for things
we’d want to get. Considering that the guide gets a percentage of purchases
when we stop at most places like factories and visitor centers, the cut
he gets from Blarney must be better than most. Rose told me that even she
as a taxi driver will get a percentage or discount if she takes a customer
there.
We drove across the south interior of Ireland in about 2 and a half
hours through the Kerry Mountains, farmlands and the rolling patch-worked
hills. They grow a lot of sugar beet here and there's also a sugar refinery
(factory?) We arrived in Blarney at 10:00 as expected. This was the
longest stop of the tour, at 2 and a half hours during which we were expected
to get lunch as well. We were given free reign with no included fees
or visits. If anyone wanted to visit Blarney
Castle and kiss the stone of eloquence they should allow about ¾
hour at least to walk through the park, climb the staircase and wait in
the queue. All I had thought was to take a photo of the castle but you
have to pay €5.50 to get into the grounds along with the castle visit.
We didn’t bother. I had no interest in kissing a piece of rock that millions
of tourists had also laid their lips on. I never had a problem finding
words to say what I wanted to convey. And more besides! (as you can
tell!)
Carole wanted to shop so she walked back to the Blarney
Woolen Mill. I decided to see if I could get a photo of the castle
in the distance from some vantage point. I crossed a small river or brook
and walked along a brick wall. Over top of the wall, at one break in the
vegetation behind it, I could stretch up and see the castle in the distance
and with the tree branches framing it, it actually turned into a lovely
photo.
I walked back towards the town intending on finding a drugstore or
newsagent where I might get some AA batteries for my flash unit. There
was a small supermarket and I found what I needed in there. I walked
along and spotted a little cemetery so I had a look in there at the stones.
There are a lot of Celtic crosses in cemeteries in Ireland. We’ve driven
by some that seemed to contain nothing but!
Over to the woolen mill. I hadn’t really planned to buy too much
other than maybe some more linen. Mom had wanted two runners and napkins
and I still needed one runner. The shop really is large, on two floors
and has everything organized in sections. Most of the wool and woven clothing
is on the second floor along with the book and music section. The ground
floor has the china, crystal, linen, some clothing, souvenirs, edibles
and football strips. I ran into Carole who had already bought, paid for
and arranged for shipping in the crystal department for Christmas presents.
I can't think that far ahead! Now she was in search of general items.
I searched out my crystal cottage and saw that it was the same price that
I paid for it in Ennis. Good!
I found a long runner for Mom. And one for me. And doilies for me.
And a bottle of Innisfree cologne. I realized I had better find a hand
basket. The prices did seem to be reasonable, certainly no more expensive
than some of the shops we’d been in outside of Dublin. I haven’t been in
any of the shops that sell similar items in the city so I can’t really
compare but it stands to reason it would be cheaper than in Dublin.
I bought a couple of pairs of socks, one with a Celtic theme and
another with silly dancing sheep on them. I ended up coming home with 4
pairs of socks and two tea towels purchased in several locations, which
do make pretty good and quite practical souvenirs. Did I get a calendar?
Yes I think so, and china salt and pepper shakers (Royal Tara). In the
woolen section, I would have loved to have bought a sweater. They had so
many lovely styles from the thick Aran cable-knit designs, both the expensive
hand knit and more reasonable machine produced, to cardigans made of lacy
cotton. Nothing in a size that would fit me though. Never is. But I did
buy a pair of Aran gloves and a long thick scarf in “Killarney Red” with
a black and white pattern woven through it. It looks like it might be hand
woven and it’s ever so soft.
I spent far more than I expected even with the 14% you get reduced
for the tax (€190) and I have no idea where it’s all going to fit
in my cases! I didn’t get it shipped because I do have that spare fold
up carrier bag I can use if need be. There is a contest entry you fill
out as well and don’t forget to write down Bill and Alec’s name and the
tour company that brought you, because they can win a prize too. Hmmmm.
Among other perks. Bill did say he won a nice china lamp once. I’ll bet
Bill and Alec did all right but I don’t begrudge them. Bill made many references
to the Woolen Mill being a better place to shop but I think half of those
reminders were in hopes that the Uber-shoppers from New York would get
the hint and he wouldn’t have to hurry them away from the cash registers
at every stop, making us late all the time.
Carole and I met for lunch at 11:30 in front of the complex which
also houses a hotel, bar and restaurant, cafeteria style which is where
we went. The complex was in fact a mill at one time and there are artifacts
around the grounds and in the stone buildings. We ate with Brenda from
Dartmouth and her friend Lorna and the food was pretty decent.
You should have seen the number of shopping bags that were carried
back on board the bus! That didn’t count the stuff quite a few people had
shipped! Everyone chattered amongst themselves, showing and telling about
their treasures and bargains while we made our way over to the east and
then north through Cork City and the county country side heading north
along the coast through some pretty towns along the route to Waterford.
Our included visit this afternoon was to the Waterford
Crystal factory where we will get a tourAs usual, off the bus, into
the loo. We were shown a short video that showcased the various millenium
celebrations around the world and ending with the one in New York City
where the traditional Times Square Ball was that year made of Waterford
Crystal and wired for a light show. The presentation ended with a replica
descending in front of a black screen with a city skyline behind it. Impressive
with the lights flashing in patterns and colours and ending in full brilliance.
We then split into two groups and headed into the factory proper.
Here then is a condensed version of Waterford Crystal: It was founded
in 1783 by brothers George and William Penrose. The factory has been at
the present location, on the edge of town near a community college since
1971 and employs 1600. The craftsmen have a minimum 5 years apprenticeship
and normally 3 more for the masters in the various fields of glass blowing
or cutting and engravers do 3 years at a local cottage before training
for 10 more. Crystal is made from silica sand, potash and litharge and
is heated to a molten state in gas ovens to 1400 degrees. The first
room was where the ovens are. Most of the blowers and cutters seem to be
men, and the guide said it wasn’t a reflection on women, it’s just that
women rarely seem to choose this field. There are women that work in other
support roles in the factory, quality control etc.
The molten crystal is pulled out of the oven in a blob, the size
depending on what will be the end result. The blowers all know exactly
how much to pull out of the fire for what they are making. It's on the
end of a 5 foot long or so metal rod. It’s shaped using wooden tools soaked
in cold water to gently give it a starting point. It is then lowered into
a wooden mold below the feet of the men and they blow through the long
tube and the molten crystal expands to the shape of the mold. When it comes
out of the mold it now looks like glass and it’s smoothed and sanded lightly.
It's broken off the tube and laid on a conveyer belt. The crystal
is cooled for up to two days and then checked for flaws. If there is the
slightest mark, it’s smashed and melted down again.
We saw the crystal shells marked with a grid pattern and then watched
some of the cutters grind the classic Waterford patterns into bowls and
glasses on a diamond tipped wheel using the grids as a guideline. The actual
patterns are not marked on the glass unless it’s a special one of
a kind or limited edition design. These are all master craftsmen that have
had to memorize all the 60 or 70 standard patterns during their training.
We saw another room where the carvers work on solid pieces like figurines
(and cottages!). They create a clay model for these as a guideline. The
wheels used to carve the solid pieces are stone with small diamond tipped
ones for the finer detail work.
We saw the engraving room. This kind of engraving comes out looking
like frosted inset sections etched into the crystal. Engraving is the most
time consuming and difficult of all the jobs. The artisans make their
own copper tipped tools, softer than diamond tipped. One tool we saw was
made from a copper coin! The room wasn’t brightly lit overhead though each
work station had good spot lights. We then had a more personal demonstration
from a veteran cutter who talked to us and answered questions about his
career and the working conditions and shifts.
We had a half hour or so in the showroom and gallery which was interesting.
They had replicas of some of the most spectacular pieces like a lot of
the trophies for world famous tournaments such as the World Cup, the Super
bowl and the PGA golf. We saw a large chess piece that stood about 4 foot
high and outside the gallery was a full size crystal mailbox and a full
size crystal grandfather clock! Wow! It was quite a fascinating visit.
While we were in there, Alec and Bill took the luggage to the hotel
in Waterford, the Quality Marina which is , as the name implies on the
waterfront by the marina. It looked like a city with some interesting spots
to explore, just judging from the drive through. We had a nice view from
our hotel room over an inlet on the city side of the hotel. We had signed
up for a visit to an old country pub before dinner tonight so there was
only time to change and freshen up with a cup of tea before we left.
We drove to Kilmeaden where the Cozy Thatch pub was. It has been
voted tops in an annual Irish Heritage Pub of the Year contest several
times going by the plaques displayed This is a low white thatched roof
building, some of which dates to 1475. It was purchased by a family called
Horton in 1780 and turned into a public house and it’s never been
sold since, having passed down through the generations. It has two fireplaces
burning peat, and is in an L shape. The shorter section of the room is
painted deep pink, the rest in white with dark wood and beams., there’s
an open bit at one end above, a loft of sorts. The pub also doubled as
the local funeral parlour for the village soon after it was established
until 1969 when the government passed a law forbidding wakes in pubs.
In the room at the back where the deceased would be laid out is a large
bed that dates before the Horton family bought the building (because it
was built inside the room and too big to get out of the house with
the previous owners) and family and friends would gather here to wake the
dead. Having the wake in a pub just solved both of the pressing needs.
The Irish have always celebrated the life of the deceased with memories,
music and drink. Only seems convenient to have the two under one roof!
The family that owns the pub (the publican’s mother was a Horton)
also brews their own lager on the premises and lives there as well. We
sat down in groups and ordered the first of our two drinks that came along
with the price of this  “optional”
excursion. I opted for the local lager and it was very nice! We were then
entertained by a singer called Tommy Commerford who does this for all the
tours I believe. He was witty, a good singer and did all the traditional
tunes so that everyone could sing along which we did. He would pause briefly
if someone was about to take his picture and smile for the camera. A real
showman LOL! He did an excellent a capella version of Danny Boy that I
thought was wonderful in spite of the fact that I'm not that fond of the
song. We enjoyed, the music, the atmosphere and the drinks. I really like
the smell of the peat fire though I’m not sure I could describe it. It’s
a pungent aroma but not quite like a fragrant hard wood or pipe tobacco.
It burns hot and for a long time too apparently.
We arrived back at the hotel for about 8 for dinner. There was another
tour group from Trafalgar there just on the beginning of their tour. Dinner
was fine, we were seated at long tables which to me makes it feel more
like a convention or something. I prefer the smaller tables of 4 or 6 or
even 8 where it feels a bit more private.
End of the tour, back to Dublin, Manchester
and home
Photo albums
Manchester
and Dublin pings
Views
of Dublin and Howth
Ireland(including
Manchester area photos)
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