Saying goodbye to our cosy airbnb apartment in Dublin, we set out to begin the road trip proper. After driving for awhile we set about having morning tea in a sudden downpour of rain and furious beach side winds! We stayed in the car...
After a few more hours of interesting Irish road, we stopped at Midleton for lunch and then decided to do the Jameson Irish Whiskey Tour.
I did not know much at all about whiskey so I learnt a lot on the tour. Jameson Irish whiskey is distilled thrice (most scotch is distilled twice) and does not usually use peat in the malting process. This is meant to create a smoother whiskey. Rob was selected for a special tasting to compare different whiskey's. All the tasters were asked which was the best at the end and most guests gave the expected (read: required) answer: Irish! Rob found that it was a loaded question, really its all about the flavour you are after, isn't it?
The buildings at the distillery were rather beautiful and I was glad to see them after having just taken up residency next to the birthplace of Jameson whiskey in Dublin. Our tour guide had an in-depth knowledge on Jameson and whiskey and she could answer any question thrown at her. I suppose I was probably most interested in hearing about the history of the distillery and the challenges and competition Jameson faced over the years. Despite the damage that prohibition in the U.S.A did for whiskey sales, it is now Jameson's largest market.
We also hadn't known much about Midleton and realised we were standing in a town that we didn't know how to say. (The singular 'd' confused us!) Rob took up Mum's challenge to ask some town folk how to pronounce Midleton. (It is pronounced 'Middle-ton). Thanks Mum for raising another $20 for UNICEF's "Nepal Earthquake Children's Appeal".
Leaving Midleton we drove through a few coastal towns enjoying the colourful houses. We later realised colourful houses is a theme all through Ireland and it seems like no one town can lay claim to it. Driving towards Cobh, a seaport town on the south coast of County Cork, I almost drove into the sea when I saw the dramatic St Colman's Cathedral hovering over us. It is apparently one of the tallest building in Ireland which did not really surprise me.
In the late afternoon we arrived at Kinsale and then followed very specific directions to "Old Head" where our Airbnb host lived. It was most exciting driving around the area looking our for an old farmhouse, feeling like we might fall off the edge of the world at any moment! (Refer to map below!) We were also pretty tired and ready to relax a bit. Upon our arrival our host, Liz, was having a cocktail with her friend and invited us to join her. She was keen to tell us about the area and a bit about herself. She had grown up in the USA with an Irish family tree and previously lived in Berlin before the Wall came down.
Liz's house had views of the water on both sides, and a particularly spectacular view from the kitchen; it was amazingly snug given how exposed to the elements the Old Head is:
We relaxed into our time at the "farm" and enjoyed meeting the animals of the house: 3 dogs (that needed to be separated down sex lines via a complex system of doors) and 2 cats.
After a bit of relaxing, reading and skyping, we soon ventured out into the paddocks behind Liz's house. Our aim was to reach the beach. Liz had described the journey through farmland to the beach as a bit like doing an army drill. I pictured rolling under things and doing push-ups whilst avoiding gunfire. She said it less like a warning and more like a proud statement of "this is what I do for exercise when I go to the beach". Though the route wasn't quite as treacherous as she described, we were jumping over fences hoping they were't electric!
It was definitely rewarding at the cliffs edge. Mum took some time to take in the view whilst Rob and I scrambled down the cliffs (maybe this was the drill) to enjoy the teeny beach at the bottom.
From Kinsale we drove to the quaint town of Clonakilty to hear some traditional Irish music. An Tach Beag was our venue for the night: a cosy little pub famous for its music. We had a great time enjoying the intimate music session with fiddle, accordion, guitar and banjo. When the musicians found out we were Australian they decided to play Wild Colonial Boy, which Rob was just about to request anyway!
A huge surprise though (it shouldn't have been), the Irish version has a different take on the Wild Colonial Boy. The Australian version makes no mention of emigrating from Ireland, and further glorifies the role of a bushranger in our shared history (and changes his name from Duggan to Doolan). Interestingly, when previously travelling in United States, Rob had heard heard their version too. For more about the differences, read on here.
During the rest of our time staying at Old Head we explored the coastal area and checked out Kinsale town. A highlight for me was taking part in a ghost tour. After our experience at the leprechaun museum I did a better job of assessing the reviews for the Kinsale Ghost Tour and we weren't disappointed. The guides/actors were very funny and informative, incorporating the history of the town with amusing anecdotes. We are all still laughing when we see particular roadsigns. My favourite was when he pointed up at a 'children's crossing' road sign which read "WARNING CHILDREN" and, as he passed, he said "Catholic sex education right there!" It always sounded off the cuff and his timing was impeccable, again proving to me the importance of delivery in comedy. (Shout out to comedians that don't laugh at their own jokes at the wrong moment!)
 |
| Doesn't quite capture the ferocity of the waves and wind |
After a few more hours of interesting Irish road, we stopped at Midleton for lunch and then decided to do the Jameson Irish Whiskey Tour.
 |
| Pre-tour at Jameson: the best selling whiskey in the world |
 |
| Hanging out at Jameson |
The buildings at the distillery were rather beautiful and I was glad to see them after having just taken up residency next to the birthplace of Jameson whiskey in Dublin. Our tour guide had an in-depth knowledge on Jameson and whiskey and she could answer any question thrown at her. I suppose I was probably most interested in hearing about the history of the distillery and the challenges and competition Jameson faced over the years. Despite the damage that prohibition in the U.S.A did for whiskey sales, it is now Jameson's largest market.
 |
| Largest pot still in the world |
 |
| Beautiful building at Jameson |
 |
| Rob comparing whiskey's |
Leaving Midleton we drove through a few coastal towns enjoying the colourful houses. We later realised colourful houses is a theme all through Ireland and it seems like no one town can lay claim to it. Driving towards Cobh, a seaport town on the south coast of County Cork, I almost drove into the sea when I saw the dramatic St Colman's Cathedral hovering over us. It is apparently one of the tallest building in Ireland which did not really surprise me.
 |
| Found out later that driving into the sea is more than likely in Ireland! |
 |
| Seaport houses in Cobh |
Liz's house had views of the water on both sides, and a particularly spectacular view from the kitchen; it was amazingly snug given how exposed to the elements the Old Head is:
 |
| We almost fell off! |
 |
| Wouldn't mind this view out my window every day |
 |
| "I want you to pat me but only when it suits me of course" |
After a bit of relaxing, reading and skyping, we soon ventured out into the paddocks behind Liz's house. Our aim was to reach the beach. Liz had described the journey through farmland to the beach as a bit like doing an army drill. I pictured rolling under things and doing push-ups whilst avoiding gunfire. She said it less like a warning and more like a proud statement of "this is what I do for exercise when I go to the beach". Though the route wasn't quite as treacherous as she described, we were jumping over fences hoping they were't electric!
It was definitely rewarding at the cliffs edge. Mum took some time to take in the view whilst Rob and I scrambled down the cliffs (maybe this was the drill) to enjoy the teeny beach at the bottom.
 |
| Cliff-side at the Old Head farmhouse |
 |
| Scaling the cliff to the beach |
 |
| Our beach! |
A huge surprise though (it shouldn't have been), the Irish version has a different take on the Wild Colonial Boy. The Australian version makes no mention of emigrating from Ireland, and further glorifies the role of a bushranger in our shared history (and changes his name from Duggan to Doolan). Interestingly, when previously travelling in United States, Rob had heard heard their version too. For more about the differences, read on here.
 |
| Beautiful Clonakilty |
 |
| A photo that couldn't capture the atmosphere |
 |
| Important message at the bar |
 |
| Grave robber |
 |
| Was there a ghost in Kinsale after all? |
 |
| A boat atop someones gate |
 |
| Kinsale harbour |
 |
| Charles Fort |
 |
| Kinsale town |
 |
| Spread-out cow meeting at Old Head |
No comments:
Post a Comment