"You're very welcome here" (Part I)

That's the greeting I received upon my arrival in Ireland on the 26th (and several other times during my travels there), and I certainly felt very welcomed throughout my visit. I participated in a 12-day tour called Celtic Discovery, directed by Overseas Adventure Travel, followed by a 3-day post tour stay in Dublin.

What an excellent adventure! We had a great, compatible tour group, 15 of us from America, with one Irish tour leader. Though I personally lowered the average age of the group, all were young-spirited and enthused throughout the tour. Tour activities were very well-balanced, providing plenty of time (and suggestions) for independent exploration and interaction with locals, along with guided tours and presentations/discussions of Irish culture, history, and society. Our tour leader, Paul Ryan, did a great job throughout the trip, charming and befriending our entire group, engaging everyone, and teaching all of us a thing or five, in addition to managing the logistics seamlessly.

Without exception, everyone I met was kind and welcoming - great ambassadors for their country.

The tour began in Ennis, in County Clare. Day 1 included some exploration of Ennis town.

Day 2 featured a bus tour and hiking at the Cliffs of Moher

and the Burren,

with lunch (seafood chowder and a pint of Guinness [a recurring theme]) in Doolin.

Unfortunately, the Cliffs of Moher were fogged in, so photo ops were minimal. The bus tour also included a stop at a memorial to the Great Famine,

along with a visit to St. Brigid's Well.

That evening, most of us attended a dinner, featuring traditional Irish music and dance, at Bunratty Castle, near Limerick.

The whole group participated in an optional trip to Inishere, Aran Islands, on day 3, in what developed into a team-building/bonding trip. The ocean was angry that day, my friends. Like an old man in a deli, trying to send back soup. Everyone who ventured out returned, but the same could not be said of their breakfasts. Nonetheless, it was an interesting tour, and a quiet bus ride back to Ennis.

That morning, we made a brief stop at Kilfenora Cathedral to view the high crosses.

Day 4 we left Ennis for Kinsale in County Cork, with stops along the way for a nature hike in Doneraile Park

and a visit to Blarney Castle & Gardens. You bet I kissed the Blarney Stone. This was our best weather day thus far, and the views from the top of the castle were beautiful.

(in the top center of this shot, you can see the profile of someone kissing the Blarney Stone)

Day 5 we ventured around Cobh, starting with a visit to Cork University, including an exhibition of Ogham writings and a discussion of the Irish university system. We drove past a future Irish Heritage Site (tm), the birthplace of Paul Ryan. That afternoon, we took a tour of the Titanic Trail (Cobh being the departure port for the ship's doomed journey) led by Titanic historian and author Michael Martin. Day 5 also featured a home-hosted supper, including lively conversations about culture and politics. Upon our return to Kinsale, it was still early enough to take a walk downtown for a beer and some music -- I found a blues band playing at a pub called Muddy Maher's.

More to follow...