Day 8 of 21 "Travel day from Kinnitty Castle to Limerick"

 After 3 nights at Kinnitty Castle, we headed southwest to Limerick where we have an Airbnb booked for the next 7 days situated on hole #18 at Ballyneety Golf Club in Ballyneety, County Limerick.  Without our own car, it was a challenge finding affordable transportation between the two locations. They are only an hour and 10 minutes apart, but the taxi drivers wanted 250 euro to drive us straight there. Patrick, tour guide extraordinaire, found another option. A taxi to the bus station at Roscrea twenty minutes away was 70 euros (still a bit high to us) but the bus was only 10 euros each, and it took us to the stop at the University of Limerick, making the trip a lot more reasonable. 

Once at the University of Limerick, we took an Uber to our Airbnb. Our host, Kathy, loaned us her golf clubs and the pull cart for the week. That will save us on rental fees. She also walked with us into the tiny town of Ballyneety and showed us where the bus station is (an unmarked spot in front of the Garda station, aka police station), the local take away "Gourmet Kitchen," the local pub, and a convenience store. She said if we ride the bus, we'll get to know the locals, "I hope that's okay with you!" And that's exactly why we're here, to see the real Ireland. 😀  The bus will take us to the train station where we will take day trips throughout the week.

Kathy also told us that she thought she had the Airbnb availability turned off because she's been so busy. Lucky for us we found this gem in time. Ireland is full of refugees, and they are being housed in many of the hotels throughout the country. Kathy said the refugees are given 110 euro a week along with free housing, so they are telling their friends. This borderless country is experiencing the challenges of their generosity and unexpected growth.

Before leaving Kinnitty Castle, waiting for our taxi, I took another walk in the woods still looking for fairies and leprechauns. 





                              If you zoom in on this tree trunk, you will see a tiny front door. 
                                  Apparently, the fairies take naps during the midday hours. 

   Below are pictures of Ballyneety, County Limerick. The Airbnb home is just beyond the first house you see. The field of cows is next to the golf course. I was more impressed with the blue sky, and we didn't think to look for the possibility of Northern Lights with such a clear sky. They appeared just four hours after this picture was taken. My Charlotte friend, Sheryl, who is familiar with Ireland, sent me a text at 2am to tell me about this rare event, but we slept right through all of it. 😢  Maybe, just maybe we'll have another chance tomorrow night. It may be our last day of sun for awhile.




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