Ireland for The Selinger Family

I

reland is nothing if not a mix of fact and fancy. The Irish have woven tales forever, creating in the process the myths and martyrs for which its people are so well loved. Stories have poured forth from the Emerald Island as freely and as easily as stout flows from her innumerable pubs. Remember, James Joyce was an Irishman.

Ireland is a thing of beauty too, a place where orchids, of all things, grow beside thorny, fragrant pines, and where the furious Atlantic beats up against stony black cliffs with an anger that sends seabirds flying. And Ireland is full of contrasts. Sleepy hamlets lie tucked into velvety valleys where folk live a life unchanged for centuries. Meanwhile, twentysomethings fill the theaters in Galway , and designer wear sells in swank shops along Grafton Street in Dublin .

A Bit of History

Evidence of life on the Emerald Island stretches back 9,000 years to a tribe of Mesolithic hunter-fishers who inhabited the coasts of Ireland . In 500 B.C. the Firbolgs, who lived on the island, met their first conquerors, the Celts (or Gaels), master horsemen from Spain and France . They brought with them a primitive tribal structure, the raw material for what would become a well-organized society.

Saint Patrick brought the word of Christ to Ireland in 423 A.D. As Christianity spread, monasteries became the center of population clusters, and it was here that clan kings stowed their treasures. Monks’ elaborate manuscripts, such as the Book of Kells, still survive as an early testament to the Irish talent for storytelling.

Beginning in the ninth century the Irish people suffered repeated attacks by the Vikings. It was not until King Brian Ború defeated the Vikings in 1014 at the Battle of Clontarf that the Norse tyranny was brought to an end.

The Irish, however, would suffer continued invasions throughout their history. The Normans were the next to arrive, sent to Ireland by King Henry II of England at the request of Dermot MacMurrough, who had set his sights on the throne of Ireland . For the next 300 years the Normans dug in their heels, establishing a powerful foothold, buying up large plots of land, building fortified castles, and introducing feudalism. Henry VIII proclaimed himself king of Ireland in 1541 and insisted that Irish lords surrendered their land to the crown, which would then “regrant the land by the grace of the king.” Royal clansmen, who had ruled regionally for centuries, fled to Spain .

King James I of England is remembered in Ireland for the Plantation of Ulster, in which he ordered Protestant Scotsmen and Englishmen to settle in Ulster . The religious mix simply did not work, and the chronic unrest between Catholics and Protestants began.

In 1641 Ulster Catholics in Portadown attempted to recover their confiscated land. Twelve thousand Protestants were killed during the rebellion. Nevertheless England continued its push to suppress the practice of Catholicism in Ireland . Resentful Catholics staged the Great Rebellion, but they were defeated by Oliver Cromwell, whose 20,000 troops killed one-third of Ireland ’s Catholic population by 1652 and handed over its land to Protestants. When James II, a Roman Catholic, ascended to the English throne, Irish Catholics were hopeful, but their optimism was short-lived.  James was defeated in 1690 at the Battle of Boyne by William of Orange.

Catholics in Ireland became the persecuted majority. Penal codes barred them from holding public office or indulging in a variety of social activities. Land ownership was forbidden. Inheritance laws dictated that when a Catholic property-owner died his land was divided up between his sons unless one son converted to Protestantism—in which case that son got everything. By the mid-1700s only seven percent of Ireland was owned by Catholics.

Pressure for change built steadily. In 1782 the Irish Volunteers, 80,000 strong, posed such a threat that the English granted Ireland its independence—more or less. In fact the Irish still owed their allegiance to the British crown, Catholics were still denied a role in the politics of their own country, and the English Parliament still manipulated policy in Ireland .

Disaffection with English rule reached a climax in 1798 with a significant rebellion. In six weeks of fighting 50,000 people died. Two years later the Act of Union made Ireland a part of the United Kingdom . The Irish Parliament was dissolved and instead Ireland was represented by 100 members of Parliament in the House of Commons—none of whom was Catholic.

Daniel O’Connell, a Catholic lawyer from Kerry, campaigned for the right of Catholic Irishmen to become members of Parliament. In 1828, in a stunning victory, O’Connell won that right, and went on to call for home rule, the right of Ireland to decide domestic policy as an independent government. His countrymen lent strong support to O’Connell, but fate interrupted with the Great Famine of 1845. Failed potato crops for five years caused the death of one million citizens and prompted another million or so to set sail for America in search of a better life.

In the later half of the 19th century the Irish Republic Brotherhood dedicated itself to Irish home rule, assisted by a branch in the United States that called itself the Irish Republican Army. As home rule became more and more the dominant theme, Ireland became more and more divided. Protestants in the north were not interested in separating from the protectors in Great Britain , while Catholics sought an independent Irish identity. On 24 April 1916 the Easter Rising took place in Dublin . Bands of armed rebels—this time middle-class intellectuals—brought the city to a halt, taking over the post office, a biscuit factory, a brewery, and a bakery, among other things. Later the leaders of the Rising would be executed, and they would be remembered forevermore as Ireland ’s greatest martyrs.

From 1919 to 1921 the Anglo-Irish war raged, with the IRA gaining the upper hand against the British. Finally, in 1922 Ireland —excluding the counties of Northern Ireland with Protestant majorities, namely Antrim, Down, Tyrone, Fermanagh, Armagh , and Derry —became a free state , adopting its own constitution in 1937.

The free state of Ireland left the British Commonwealth and became the Republic or Ireland in 1949. But not every Irish citizen was happy with the state of affairs; many still believed that the country should be united and free. A civil war was inevitable. In fact, it is a struggle that continues today, but now, and for the last 12 years,  in political debate only.

Saturday  May 19th

Hopefully play Portmarnock  - to be confirmed at the end of December

Dublin is a vibrant city divided into quadrants by the east-west River Liffey and the north-south Grafton, Westmoreland, and O’Connell streets. The south quadrants are known as the intellectual seat of Dublin , but they also contain its most elegant Georgian neighborhoods. North of the Liffey lies the General Post Office, site of the Easter Rising of 1916, and the Irish Writers’ Museum.  

Grafton Street Trinity The River Liffey

Newman House, on St. Stephen’s Green, was the seat of Dublin ’s Catholic University , founded in 1854 to educate Catholics who would not submit to the Protestant teachings of Trinity College . James Joyce, Flann O’Brien, and Gerard Manley Hopkins were among its alumni. The house is beautifully decorated and is known for its fine plasterwork. Next door stands University Church , whose interior is done up in marble quarried from five different locations in Ireland .

Across St. Stephen’s Green lies the National Museum of Ireland . Here we follow the story of Ireland from prehistory to the goldsmiths of the Bronze Age to the Viking conquests, the Middle Ages, and finally the struggle for independence. 

Queen Elizabeth I founded Trinity College , Ireland ’s oldest university, in 1592. Admission was restricted to Protestants, but Catholics could get a free education if they renounced their faith. Among the distinguished students here: Jonathan Swift, Oscar Wilde, Samuel Beckett, Bram Stoker, and Edmund Burke, to name a few. Trinity was erected on the site of a medieval monastery, and the campanile in its quadrangle is said to mark the spot where the church once stood. In the Old Library we can see the Book of Kells, a fascinating ninth century manuscript of the gospels. The Long Room contains 200,000 of the college’s oldest books.  Consider then attending a theatrical performance at the historic Abbey Theatre.  This is the National Theatre of Ireland, founded by W.B. Yeats and Lady Gregory in 1902.

 

Sunday May 20th

On the way up to Newry you could visit Newgrange.  Brú na Bóinne Visitor Centre, open in 1997, is designed to present the archaeological heritage of the Boyne Valley, which includes the megalithic passage tombs of Newgrange and Knowth. The Centre is the starting point for all visits to both monuments, and contains extensive interpretative displays and viewing areas.

Drive to Newcastle, Northern Ireland to the Slieve Donnard Hotel

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If you have time divert to Downpatrick and visit St Patricks Centre — Telling the story of Ireland's patron saint through a dynamic and informative exhibition using multimedia technology. Housed in an amazing new building which gives close access to St Patrick's Grave and Down Cathedral - a Cathedral of the Church of Ireland. It was built in 1183 as a Benedictine Monastry. In the graveyard we have the reputed grave of St. Patrick. Magnificent stain glass windows, box pews and beautiful organ case enhances this interesting building. Souvenir 

Monday 21st May 2007:

Play Royal County Down in the morning.

 

Then drive to the Bushmills Inn along the scenic Antrim Coast

Dunluce Castle The Giant's Causeway Carrick a rede

The Glens of Antrim — The Antrim Coastal Road crosses over bridges and under arches, past bays and beaches into the Glens of Antrim. Wild in their beauty, each glen deserves a visit, but above all else don't miss Glenariff, the queen of the glens with its gushing waterfalls and scenic path skirting the sheer sides of the plunging gorge.

Carrick a Rede Rope Bridge — There has been a rope bridge here for over 200 years, but in earlier times it had just a single hand rail. It was first erected to reach an important fishery. Salmon entering the bay below Carrick-a-Rede will not swim through the narrows below the bridge, but are deflected by the island into the fish nets. Crossing this narrow bouncy bridge of planks and ropes, precariously poised 80 feet above the sea, is not for the fainthearted.

According to legend, the symmetrical columns of The Giant's Causeway reaching out to sea were the work of the giant, Finn MacCool. Today geologists try to convince us that thousands of polygonal columns were formed 55 million years ago, when a lava flow cooled and solidified, and that the oldest rocks of the Causeway started posing for visitors about 600 million years ago. The facts and the fiction of this "World Heritage Site" are vividly presented in the Causeway Centre, where there is an audio-visual theatre, tea room and gift shop.    

Dunluce Castle — The dramatic ruin of Dunluce Castle forms the remains of the largest, most sophisticated castle on the Northern Irish coastline. Perched on an 100 foot-high sheer cliff, the only way to enter is across a long narrow bridge overlooked by the battlements. The castle dates from the 10th century, and the history of the castle is a story of the legendary "Sorley Boy" of the wild MacDonnells from Scotland, and their terrible feuds with the O' Neills of Ulster and the forces of the English crown.

The Bushmills Inn  - 2 neighbouring superior rooms 

 

Tuesday 22nd May 2007:

Play Royal Portrush.

Drive to Mount Falcon by way of  Londonderry, a fascinating historic city, through the mountains of Donegal and the city of Donegal  to Sligo, homeland of the poet W B Yeats.  On along the Atlantic coast to Ballina   A double and a single room (no triple room available).

Donegal Lough Gill Ben Bulben, Yeats Country

The City of Derry — You can enjoy a walking tour of the historical city of Londonderry. The Derry walls are one of the finest examples in Europe, built during the period 1613-1618 as defences for early seventeenth century settlers from England and Scotland. They have withstood several sieges, the most celebrated lasting 105 days and encircle the old city, a circuit of one mile.

Donegal Town whose name in Irish means "Fort of the Foreigners" is situated at the point where the river Eske flows into Donegal Bay. Today, this bustling small town is still very popular with tourists and is an ideal base from which to explore the south and west of the County. The attractive centrepiece of the market is known as the Diamond, it is here that you will find a tall obelisk dedicated to the memory of the Four Masters. This was the name given to the four fiars, led by Michael O'Cleary, who in the 17th century complied the Annals of the Four Masters, one of the earliest historical texts recording the early history of Ireland. The town is a main centre for the tweed industry in Ireland and is home to John Magee, world-renowned manufacturers of Donegal Tweed.

Sligo is a busy market town on the short River Garavogue which drains Lough Gill into the sea. It is surrounded by beautiful and varied scenery, green and wooded valleys and lofty mountains. The beauty of the landscape is reflected in the poetry of W.B Yeats and in the paintings of his brother Jack.B.Yeats. W.B Yeats is recognised as one of the greatest poets of the English language, a prominence which was acknowledged by his confirmation as Nobel Prize winner for literature in 1923. His continuing impact on literature can be evidenced from his influence on subsequent poets which has guaranteed Yeats an honoured place in the canon of English literature.

Wednesday 23rd May 2007:

Play golf at Carne

 

Afterwards follow the Atlantic Coast through stone age fields.  Overnight as before Mayo / Sligo.

 

Killala The Ox Mountains The Ox Mountains

    

Overnight in Mount Falcon  A double and a single room 

Tursday 24th May 2007:

Head south through Westport to Leenane on Killary Fjord and on through Connemara to Galway.

Westport Connemara Galway

Westport being a heritage town attracts many visitors. It has a good range of shops, interesting pubs and restaurants to cater for all tastes. The Westport Leisure centre provides an up-to-date swimming pool, gym and treatment rooms with similar facilities available in many of the hotels. The 18th century Westport House is situated on the edge of the Westport Harbour

Connemara  - you'll know you are in Connemara by the light that constantly changes the mood and tone of the landscape.   Connemara has long been regarded as the real emerald of Ireland, a land where ancient traditions are still alive. This natural terrain and unspoilt environment offers the visitor a wonderland of sights, experiences, adventure and activities. The people are warm, friendly and many still speak Gaelic. The beautiful spring flowers, buds on the trees, newborn lambs dancing on the hills and the call of the cuckoo all make Spring time a very special and magical time in Connemara.

Five-hundred year old Galway is a vibrant, youthful city, a magnet for Ireland ’s twentysomethings, who come to hear its music, attend the theater, and socialize in the city’s pubs. Among the highlights of Galway are the Spanish Gate, where goods imported from Spain used to arrive; the Church of Saint Nicholas, where Christopher Columbus is said to have stopped to pray before one of his journeys to the New World; Salmon Weir Bridge, where we can spot salmon leaping the weir on their way up to Lough Corrib; and Shop and Quay streets, where those of us who are interested can browse the wonderful, historic shops.

Overnight at Lisdonagh Manor. triple room

 

Lisdonagh is small and intimate, family run, and a very Irish experience.

Friday 25th May 2007:

Tour the Burren region, visit Lahinch (the club house might be a good place for lunch) or head on and lunch at Doonbeg, the new Greg Norman course.

Ireland ’s midwest, County Clare , a region dominated by the Cliffs of Moher, the Burren, and the city of Galway . Rising 650 feet from the roiling Atlantic , the Cliffs of Moher in County Clare take our breath away. From their majestic height we see the Aran Islands in the distance, and we observe kittiwakes, puffins, razorbills, and other birds catch the dizzying coastal winds.

“Not enough wood to hang a man, not enough water to drown him, and not enough clay to cover his corpse.” That was how one of Oliver Cromwell’s generals described the Burren. Words, however, simply cannot do justice to this eerie, peculiar 193-square mile area of ancient seabed that suffered glacial activity during its long history. Today we see treeless meadows of limestone karst that forms natural pavement interspersed with lush flora. Burren means great rock, and the rock formations do dominate the landscape, but many visitors come to study what grows between the rocks—an amazing mix of arctic, alpine, temperate, and tropical vegetation growing side by side. Twenty-two varieties of orchids thrive here, nourished by underground rivers and rich soil. Scholars of history can scour the Burren for tombs, chambers, and dolmens (two stones that support a horizontal slab), traces of Stone Age inhabitants.  

A Dolmen The Burren Ballyvaughan
Kinvara

Check in to the Great Southern hotel (a single), which is about two minutes walk to Shannon Airport's main terminal building.

Drop the ladies at the Airport

Drop off the car at the Hertz office at Shannon Airport.