Marcia & Zita

Waterville Golf Course group with Payne Stewart

Smuggler's Cove at the Ring of Kerry

Today the guys went golfing at Waterville Golf Course, a links course with beautiful views - rated #4 in Ireland among links courses.  The vistas were spectacular.  The weather was fantastic and the winds were very mild, considering the course was right on the Atlantic Ocean.   They had a great match of 3 vs. 3 and only $3 changed hands for the whole morning.  the girls showed up to watch the golfers finish up on the 18th hold, after which we all enjoyed a terrific lunch at the club house.  The difficulty of the course should help the guys prepare for Ballybunion Golf Club on Wednesday.  Ballybunion is one of the most challenging course in Ireland.  The boys are hoping the weather on Wednesday is at least half as good as it was today.  They won't be able to use carts there and will have to play with caddies.

To show what a small world it is, Marcia heard someone at the course say they were from North Andover, MA so she told them her son & family live in Andover.  Turns out the guy, Miles, Friends, knows Marcia's son's father-in-law!
While the guys were golfing, the girls had a great time with Michael on the bus, touring the north part of the Ring of Kerry.  After lunch we all got on the bus to finish the Ring.  Beautiful views.

Went into Killarney to hear Irish music again tonight - first song we heard was about a guy who falls in love with a girl from New Orleans!  But they did sing some Irish songs afterwards.

Monday, August 6 - the first picture was taken at the pub last night.  Three sisters were singing traditional Irish music.  So our three sisters had their picture taken with them.  Marcia, Zita, Sheila standing behind Moira, Noreen, and Sheila.

The second and third pictures were taken Saturday morning when our hosts cooked breakfast for us - crepes, fruit salad, Irish meats (bacon, bangers, white sausage, and black sausage), and homemade scones with jam.  Yummy

Sunday was a free day in Killarney so folks were off doing different things.  Bill, Tina, & Kevin did a eight mile hike in the Killarney National Park; Margie, Pam, & Denise went to the spa at the Brehon Hotel for a 3 1/2 hour pampering; Dennis, Denny, Zita, Marcia, Kelly, & Sheila went shopping in Killarney; later in the day Kevin,  Dennis, Denny, Jimmy & Pat went golfing at Killarney Fishing & Golf Course.  We had company for supper - the Higginsons from Islesboro, ME, friends of Bill & Tina  were in Killarney so they came and had Kelly's famous spaghetti & meatballs with us.  Fun time had by all.

Here we are with the Lakes of Killarney behind us

 This is early in the day between rain showers and before we hit the French chocolate shop. Thought some people might not know everyone so here is the cast of characters: kneeling, Tina & Bill Kelly; second row from left, Kevin & Marjorie Kelly, Denise Goggins, Marcia Gomula, Sheila Strack, Zita Kinne, Pam & Jim Loring; back row, Pat Goggins, Denny Kinne, Dennis Kinne.

Tina and Bill Kelly

Tina won first place today for "best tour bus MC". You see, since we are all so shy and reserved (not) it quickly turned into a competition for who did the best job in the co-pilot seat after we stole Mike's microphone from him! Poor guy, he won't be able to talk straight by next Saturday; luckily, he can give as good as he gets! Anyway, Tina had a large repertoire of stories and jokes that had us rolling in the aisle. People were calling for an encore but she's making us wait for tomorrow.

Mike, our driver, has the patience of a saint!

We all wanted a shot of the "group", of course, and Mike obliged. And he's as good a photographer as he is bus driver/tour director.

The three Kelly sisters; Sheila, Zita and Marcia

Traffic Jam!

We loved seeing this cute group yesterday, literally in the middle of the road and totally unfazed by the car. Everywhere we go we could be stopping around each corner; one view is more lovely than the last.


We descended en masse on the local Tesco's late afternoon, got our shopping done in quick order, went home and Sheila made a wonderful Shepherds Pie and Marjorie did up a fab spinach salad. While dinner was cooking we watched home movies that Tina and Bill compiled from old films that Eileen and Frank took. OMG, everyone in Lee was in them! So fun, Lee in the 40's and 50's. Wildcats football games, St. Mary's eighth grade graduation, Green Water Pond, the opening of the "new" Lee Bank, Christmas at 39 Cliffwood St and so much more. Lots of laughs and wonderful memories.

After dinner some of the gang went to hear some singers in the pub across the road and the rest stayed to play cards and work on the hundreds of pix taken today!

Off to bed, tomorrow a.m. will come soon. And tomorrow is Spa day!

xoxo,
Pam

Stream of Killarney

Stream racing down to Killarney

Denise & Pat Goggins

Saturday, August 4 – We had a nice surprise this morning – the owners of the house we’re renting made us breakfast!  Crepes with fresh fruit, homemade scones, and traditional Irish meats (bacon, white sausages and black sausage) – all delicious – our driver Michael arrived at 10 to take us on a tour of the lakes of Killarney, Kenmare, and Glengarriff – the picture of the stream was part of that lake system.  We stopped at the Lorge Chocholarier where we sampled homemade chocolates and bought some.  Yummy.  The roads were narrow on some parts of this road – very narrow and gave some of the weaker hearted ones nervous breakdowns.  Michael as always, did great and got us safely there and home again.  We stopped in Kenmare at the Park Hotel (one of the finest in Ireland) so Bill & Kevin could reconnect with the owner, Francis Brennan – the boys and our dad had stayed there on a past trip to Ireland – he was very gracious with our noisy group.

After a stop at the grocery store, we came home and the womenfolk went to work making supper of shepherd’s pie before we went to Saturday night Mass.

Everyone made it to Killarney safe and sound (except cousins Tess & Jon who are moving to Washington, DC from Chicago so couldn't make this trip as well) - most of us are very tired tonight - except the few who took naps this afternoon (the wimps) - had a wonderful breakfast in Adare Manor at the DunRaven Arms on our way from Shannon to Killarney.  Drove in sunshine, rain, rainbows, and dampness.  The house is all we thought it would be.  Dinner tonight was at Bricin Restaurant - another wonderful meal. 

Marjorie, Kevin, Little Denny, Pam, and Jimmy left Dublin at 6 am for the Wicklow Mountains.  Had breakfast at PowersCourt. Stopped at St. Kevin's, the holiest shrine in Ireland, and KilKenny.  Made it to Killarney around 5 pm. 

Dublin Day 1 Erin Go Bloggers Aug 2 2012

Little Denny, Assistant to the House Frau, Princess Marjorie, and Kevin the King of Kildare take a bus tour in Dublin