Onward to Kilkenny and Waterford...
We leave Dublin this morning under leaden skies that match the mood of many Dubliners. Holiday weekend is over, back to work, carrying a lighter wallet after all the pub crawling, certainly are reasons to be a bit glum.
We have loved Dublin but are ready for a change of scene. Guide Kevin takes this travel time to educate us a bit on the state of Ireland. All the major corporations are here, lured by the 12.5 percent corporate tax. Ireland is the largest European exporter of computer software. The pharmaceutical industry and medical devices industry have huge presences in the Emerald Isle, including Oral B.
All this high tech and big business has refashioned Ireland into a multi-ethnic nation. But there's a paradox. All this cutting edge savvy vs superstition. The Irish take the cake when it comes to superstition and ritual for doing things.
We are cruising along the River Liffey and pass the Clarence Hotel. Once upon a time the barman threw some young lads, in to celebrate after finishing their musical gig, out onto the street. They didn't look up to snuff. Now the hotel is owned by these famous rockers....U2.
Of the thirty-two counties in Ireland, twenty-six are in the Republic which numbers 4.5 million citizens. The second most spoken language here is surprisingly Polish. A contingent of 120,000 Poles have made Ireland their home.
The average house is 1400 square feet and costs 288,000 Euro. Property tax might be 90 Euro a year. Oh, Texans, how does that make you feel!
We are passing into the very green countryside into County Kildare which is horse country. All my horse racing fans may appreciate that stud farm income is tax free. A stallion may get 90,000 euro for covering a mare and may do it 90 times in the season....all tax free. But he's not done. He's earned an airplane trip to Dubai for R&R after which he flies to Australia and does the same thing once again. Some guys have all the luck.
Kevin relates that food is highly regulated. All animals earmarked for the food chain are tagged and then audited by Ireland's FDA. If they have received any antibiotic, a vet has to sign off on their health before they can be butchered, truly a farm to fork business. The butcher shops display their meat with notes on the meat's dates and origin.
Don't forget milk. You are one happy cow if your milk is destined for the Bailey's Irish Cream factory. Any stress for these animals is apparently detectable in their milk so now they saunter into their climate controlled milking parlors from the field to the soothing sounds of classical music. Bailey's, by the way, is Ireland's largest export.
We have arrived in Kilkenny, crossing the River Nore. Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, Kilkenny Castle and a series of walls were built to protect this Norman merchant town. Besides an early brewing center it is also the site of Ireland's earliest recorded witch trial in 1324.
Its important medieval architecture is apparent in the castle, various cathedrals and Kilkenny City Hall. Known as the Marble City, Kilkenny marble was exported all corners of the British Empire. I toured the Castle and walked the whole of their Medieval Mile. Some cute shops line the way.
St. Paddy's Day banners are still flapping but the balloon arches look less like globes and more like raisins.
I purchased some postcards for the grandkids and was floored at the 11.5 Euros I paid for stamps. So for lunch I had stamps.
We are only 50 miles away from Waterford, a seaport in southeastern Ireland and the country's oldest city. Founded by the vikings in 914 AD it is only seven miles from the Atlantic Ocean and has the dubious distinction of having 130 days a year with gale force winds.
Part of the Viking walled core remains with Reginald's Tower from 1033 still standing guard. Using an early mortar of sand, animal blood and human hair it withstood canon fire from the River Suir.
A replica of a Viking boat, the pickup truck of the Norse, is on display along with a magnificent battering ram recently fashioned from a 20 meter spruce felled by a violent storm. It was rapidly carved into this beautiful varnished and embellished totem with the roots intact. It was a magnificent site.
Now we tour the Waterford Crystal Museum to watch how the famous crystal is fashioned. It's a beautiful facility in front but all business in back. We observe the blowing of the glass, the firing, the washing and quality control ending with the painstaking carving. The pieces made here are bespoke trophies for major sporting events.
Their sister factory in Slovenia handles the stemware and colored glass. Polishing is done off site because of the acids are dangerous near this major water way. A beautiful memorial to 911 was fashioned by the craftsman on their own time and is the last thing you see as you leave the work area.
Lots of elegant gray shopping bags left with some of the travelers.
We now check in to our lovely harbor side Granville Hotel. What a charming place with its Victorian vibe. The manager comes on board to welcome us.
I have a beautiful water view room with an espresso machine and a tub! There is a little time to rest before we are due to meet for a festive dinner....but an early wake up tomorrow!
We leave Dublin this morning under leaden skies that match the mood of many Dubliners. Holiday weekend is over, back to work, carrying a lighter wallet after all the pub crawling, certainly are reasons to be a bit glum.
We have loved Dublin but are ready for a change of scene. Guide Kevin takes this travel time to educate us a bit on the state of Ireland. All the major corporations are here, lured by the 12.5 percent corporate tax. Ireland is the largest European exporter of computer software. The pharmaceutical industry and medical devices industry have huge presences in the Emerald Isle, including Oral B.
All this high tech and big business has refashioned Ireland into a multi-ethnic nation. But there's a paradox. All this cutting edge savvy vs superstition. The Irish take the cake when it comes to superstition and ritual for doing things.
We are cruising along the River Liffey and pass the Clarence Hotel. Once upon a time the barman threw some young lads, in to celebrate after finishing their musical gig, out onto the street. They didn't look up to snuff. Now the hotel is owned by these famous rockers....U2.
Of the thirty-two counties in Ireland, twenty-six are in the Republic which numbers 4.5 million citizens. The second most spoken language here is surprisingly Polish. A contingent of 120,000 Poles have made Ireland their home.
The average house is 1400 square feet and costs 288,000 Euro. Property tax might be 90 Euro a year. Oh, Texans, how does that make you feel!
We are passing into the very green countryside into County Kildare which is horse country. All my horse racing fans may appreciate that stud farm income is tax free. A stallion may get 90,000 euro for covering a mare and may do it 90 times in the season....all tax free. But he's not done. He's earned an airplane trip to Dubai for R&R after which he flies to Australia and does the same thing once again. Some guys have all the luck.
Kevin relates that food is highly regulated. All animals earmarked for the food chain are tagged and then audited by Ireland's FDA. If they have received any antibiotic, a vet has to sign off on their health before they can be butchered, truly a farm to fork business. The butcher shops display their meat with notes on the meat's dates and origin.
Don't forget milk. You are one happy cow if your milk is destined for the Bailey's Irish Cream factory. Any stress for these animals is apparently detectable in their milk so now they saunter into their climate controlled milking parlors from the field to the soothing sounds of classical music. Bailey's, by the way, is Ireland's largest export.
We have arrived in Kilkenny, crossing the River Nore. Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, Kilkenny Castle and a series of walls were built to protect this Norman merchant town. Besides an early brewing center it is also the site of Ireland's earliest recorded witch trial in 1324.
Its important medieval architecture is apparent in the castle, various cathedrals and Kilkenny City Hall. Known as the Marble City, Kilkenny marble was exported all corners of the British Empire. I toured the Castle and walked the whole of their Medieval Mile. Some cute shops line the way.
I purchased some postcards for the grandkids and was floored at the 11.5 Euros I paid for stamps. So for lunch I had stamps.
We are only 50 miles away from Waterford, a seaport in southeastern Ireland and the country's oldest city. Founded by the vikings in 914 AD it is only seven miles from the Atlantic Ocean and has the dubious distinction of having 130 days a year with gale force winds.
Part of the Viking walled core remains with Reginald's Tower from 1033 still standing guard. Using an early mortar of sand, animal blood and human hair it withstood canon fire from the River Suir.
A replica of a Viking boat, the pickup truck of the Norse, is on display along with a magnificent battering ram recently fashioned from a 20 meter spruce felled by a violent storm. It was rapidly carved into this beautiful varnished and embellished totem with the roots intact. It was a magnificent site.
Now we tour the Waterford Crystal Museum to watch how the famous crystal is fashioned. It's a beautiful facility in front but all business in back. We observe the blowing of the glass, the firing, the washing and quality control ending with the painstaking carving. The pieces made here are bespoke trophies for major sporting events.
Their sister factory in Slovenia handles the stemware and colored glass. Polishing is done off site because of the acids are dangerous near this major water way. A beautiful memorial to 911 was fashioned by the craftsman on their own time and is the last thing you see as you leave the work area.
Lots of elegant gray shopping bags left with some of the travelers.We now check in to our lovely harbor side Granville Hotel. What a charming place with its Victorian vibe. The manager comes on board to welcome us.
I have a beautiful water view room with an espresso machine and a tub! There is a little time to rest before we are due to meet for a festive dinner....but an early wake up tomorrow!
That looked like a healthy Holstein
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