Kilkenny....the name makes me laugh because I think of South Park..."OMG, they killed Kenny!" It also helps me remember where we are because we had also discussed going to Killarney which is in the opposite direction. Kilkenny is known for its abundance of medieval history, and for such a small town, it really does have a lot.
Our Airbnb was within walking distance from the train station, and since it wasn't raining upon arrival, we decided to take a chance. How long can our luck hold up? Well, we had about 20 minutes before a pop-up rain started, but it was short lived, and it happened just as I had stepped into a craft market booth. That delay cost me 35 euro, but the trinkets I found included 8000 year old bog oak and gold inlay jewelry, and the woman who makes them was so fun to talk to.
I'll begin the pictures with our Ballyneety departure and the train ride to Kilkenny via Waterford, as in Waterford Crystal.
Our carry-on luggage is performing well. When we unpack the clothes, travel items, toiletries and tech they are strewn about the room looking as if it all popped out like a novelty snake pops out of a can. Somehow, even though it looks like it all can't possibly fit back into those 4 small bags, it does. We use every cubic square centimeter. Packing and staying organized is actually getting easier each time.
Here's the Ballyneety high school bus that arrives 10 minutes before our bus each morning. When our bus stopped today, it was clear to the driver that we were leaving, so I said, "This is our last ride." He said, "Ahhh, where ya' goin'?" ..."Kilkenny," and then he said, "Ohhh, you're takin' the sunshine with ya." I laughed and said, "We'll leave some here for you." 🌞 Fifteen minutes later we were at the bus/train depot, and as we got off the bus, the driver said with the most genuine tone, "Have a fantastic trip, and I hope to see you back here again soon." Oh, if only it could be that easy.
All aboard! We've got just enough snacks to get us to Waterford where we have a 90-minute layover to the final train to Kilkenny.
All of the pictures below were taken from the train window before we got to Waterford. I know it's a lot, but it was such a beautiful day, I couldn't choose which ones to post, so here they all are.
Above is a brief look at a Steeple Chase practice.
Below are pictures of Waterford.
A suspension bridge just outside of Waterford. If you zoom in, you'll see the wires.
Arrival Kilkenny! We were trying to take a selfie with the small castle behind us, when a local saw us struggling and volunteered to take our picture. So kind and friendly, it's refreshing.
There's another ancient building beyond and to the left of this one, and we haven't even seen Kilkenny Castle yet.
Bruce Springsteen is touring Ireland now, and the rooftop of the building left of the orange building has a banner with "The Boss" on it.
We were crossing a bridge over the river and Patrick says, "Wow! Look at that!" I see the red umbrellas at the cafe on the river, and think, "Oh yeah, that's cool," and keep walking. A few seconds later, I look at the cafe again, and then I see it, a GIANT castle. OMG. It's as if my mind couldn't comprehend such a thing and just couldn't see it at first. We learned it takes 40 minutes just to walk around the entire footprint. This picture doesn't even begin to show the magnitude of this structure, how it dwarfs everything around it.
The white booth on the left (above) is where we took cover when the rain started.
The woman selling bog oak was there telling us the story of the cats of Kilkenny. A lot of her art included cats. In the story one cat is black and one is orange. Again, I'm reminded of Hector and Dartha. I still don't get the connection to Kilkenny exactly, so it'll take a bit more research if I want to know.
Streets of Kilkenny. Below is a picture of Patrick looking for our first pub to stop in before getting to our Airbnb. He wonders why I get so far behind him. I'm too busy taking pictures. 😂
Just after this picture (above) was taken, I saw "O'Faolain's Bar." I have no idea how to pronounce that name, but it's also the last name of the Irish author and journalist, Nuala O'Faolain. She's famous for writing memoirs of dreams and miseries in "Are You Somebody?" and "Almost There." She was and continues to be a voice for many Irish women. Last year, I read, "Almost There" in preparation for this trip, so naturally I had to have a gin and tonic in this place. Dingle Gin is my new favorite, but I won't be able to bring a bottle home, because I can't take it on the plane. 😢
If you zoom in on the pictures below, you'll see a hand waving in the window below the second apostrophe in O'Faolain's. That's Patrick waving at the camera. His hand is also above the redhead walking by.
Inside the pub, day one of the PGA Championship was on one TV and a steeple chase race was on another. Rory McIlroy won the PGA Championship at this same location,
Valhalla in Louisville, KY, in 2014. Can he do it again? We'll find out on Sunday.
We'll probably visit "Blaa Blaa Blaa Coffee" tomorrow morning.
Dinner at Primo's in Kilkenny walking distance from our Airbnb.
The pictures below are of our neighborhood and backyard.
And last but not least, a HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO Billy Funk!! He turns 40 today!
It was Patrick's idea to hold the card in "St. Patrick's Graveyard."
We did our best to have a minimum of two nights in any one place, but we're only staying in Kilkenny for one night, not even 24 hours. Tomorrow morning we'll be back on the train leaving the Republic of Ireland and going into the United Kingdom, to Belfast in Northern Ireland. We'll switch from euros to the British pound, and we'll have to show our passports upon entry. We're getting good at faking it til we make it. LOL We have an Airbnb waiting for us in Belfast. I hear the weather is cold, windy and rainy. I may have to break out the rain pants for the first time. Yes, I made room for my rain paints.
It's almost midnight, so it's time to end this post. The light rain against the window will no doubt lull me to sleep. 🛌 Good night everyone. Good night Billy. We hope you had a really good day. 🎂
