IRELAND TRAVEL: MARK E. FISHER’S RESEARCH TRIP

Who says research can’t be fun? In June 2014, to learn more about the geography, culture, and people of Ireland, my wife and I traveled the grand loop around the Irish coast. We followed Rick Steves travel guide and found it excellent.

From Dublin we drove to Glendalough and Kilkenny, where we heard some of the best Irish pub music ever. If you’ve ever at Kyteler’s Inn in Kilkenny, catch the Raglan Rogues. They’re fantastic. At the Rock of Cashel we saw where St. Patrick accidentally stabbed the king in the foot with his crozier. After spending some nights in Kinsale, we did the Ring of Kerry, and stayed three days in Dingle. The beautiful Dingle peninsula and the great food there was  possibly my favorite part of Ireland. From there we saw the Cliffs of Moher and the Burren and stayed in Galway. A long drive took us to Derry in Northern Ireland where we toured for the day, staying that night in the vacation town of Portrush. From there we saw the Antrim Coast with the Giant’s Causeway. Then it was on to Belfast for a day. On our way back to Dublin we saw Navan Fort, the Hill of Tara, and Bru na Boinne, site of Newgrange. A three day stay in Dublin completed our tour of one of my favorite European countries. Below are some of the pictures I took.

  • River Nore at Kilkenny

  • Lads making music at Rock of Cashel

    At the Rock of Cashel
  • Cobh, Where the Irish boarded ships, departing the famine

    Cobh, Departing for America
  • Dingle countryside

  • Dingle

  • The Dingle Penninsula boasts a lot of sheep

  • A monk’s beehive, stone hut

  • Sheep on Dingle Penninsula

  • The Gallarus Oratory, An early church (AD 1300)

  • Celtic cross. Gallarus church graveyard.

  • The Cliffs of Moher

  • The Cliffs of Moher

  • The Cliffs of Moher

  • 5,000 year old Dolmen in the Burren

  • "The Burren"

  • Dun Aenghus on Inishmore

  • On Inishmore

  • Row houses in Derry

  • The Giant’s Causeway

  • The Giant’s causeway

  • The Giant’s Causeway

  • The Giant’s Causeway

  • The Giant’s Causeway

  • Mark at Giant’s Causeway

  • View of the Antrim Coast

  • Carrick-a-Rede

  • Mark and Barb at Carrick-a-Rede

  • At Carrick-a-Rede

  • At Carrick-a-Rede

  • At Carrick-a-Rede

  • Dunluce Castle

  • Actors at Navan Fort, Ancient site of Emain Macha

  • Navan Fort

  • Stature of St. Patrick at Tara

  • Entrance to Newgrange Mound Tomb

  • Newgrange Mound Tomb, 3200 B.C.

  • Newgrange Mound Tomb, 3200 B.C.