Day 3 - Dublin to Kilkenny


We checked out of our Dublin hotel and headed out of Dublin toward the Wicklow Mountains and Glendalough (pronounced Glendalock). 

Irish rush hour  

Our first stop was for breakfast about an hour out of Dublin in a small community called Glencree. The community also hosts a German War Cemetery. About 150 WW1 and WW2 German soldiers were buried there. Even though Ireland was technically neutral during WW2,  these German airmen and seamen perished on Ireland land or sea. Initially they were buried near where they died, spread all over Ireland. In the 1960s, the soldiers were all moved to this one spot. It is a small and peaceful place. As with all cemeteries containing soldiers, it gives one pause thinking about the sacrifices made during war.  Even for those on the "wrong" side.



The town also had a wonderful cafe called the Armoury Cafe.  It was housed in an old armoury beside barracks that housed English soldiers during their occupation of Ireland.  Later the barracks housed German refugee children. Another sobering thought about war and occupation from a country and who was on the "right" side in WW2.  






I should mention how friendly the Irish are. Everyone you meet is pleasant.  A gentleman at the cafe gave us several tips about sites and food along our way.  Maybe it's because the weather has been nice.  Or maybe it's just the way they are.  More likely the latter.  I know their soccer fans are known world wide for their graciousness, win or lose.  


Next up was a quick stop for pictures of Lough Tay, a picturesque lake in the Wicklow Mountains.  




We then headed to Glendalough. Glendalough was the site of a monastery founded by St. Kevin. Kevin was a monk who sought solitude in the area around the lake in 620AD.  In short order his followers found him here and a monastery was founded that lasted for about 1000 years. It's quite a beautiful area and easy to see why Kevin settled there...and why so many followed him. 






We then had lunch at a pub recommended by our morning "guide", before moving on to a ruined Baltinglass Abbey. There isn't anything specifically historical about the abbey. Just a beautiful ruined abbey that again makes one think about conflicts in the past and the suffering around them.  Doing a bit soapboxing....

  Veggie soup and bread

Berry rhubarb crisp and sticky toffee pudding with cream





Our final stop was the Brownshill Portal Tomb (Dolmen). A tomb from about 4-5 thousand years ago. Supposedly the capstone is the largest in Europe. It sits in the middle of a farmers field. It's definitely foreign to us in the US that such ancient/old things exist in just about everyone's backyard.







We finished up the day by checking into our Kilkenny hotel, walking around the town, eating dinner, and sitting in on a music session in our hotel’s bar.



Tomorrow we are touring in Kilkenny before moving on to Waterford.

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