Alright Irish, my soon to graduate UF college son arrived in Ireland today. He is part of the UF Horticulture Club spending ten days there. The club grows pointsiettas during the holidays and sells them to raise funds to do stuff like this once a year. It's described as the most diverse varieties of pointsiettas in the world and has a global following to attain the impossible to find varieties. So my hope if anyone has any interest is to share the pictures he sends our way since so many of you have Irish heritage. His girlfriend who happens to be in the club (imagine that) and him left one day early to get the cobwebs of the time zones out of the way, the main group arrives tomorrow... Today effort was only two pictures as the main effort was about going thru customs and setting mom and dad up with a new messaging service to communicate with called "telegram". It's very secure and able to send pics, talk and message.. First pic was of course a beer :shock: , imagine that and a picture of the main drag in Dublin, O'Connell street I thought that his comments were interesting: The culture here is very similar to the South so there hasn't been much adjusting, Easy going, relaxed, friendly. They even lift a finger and half wave while driving the way we do in Venus (Florida).. Tomorrows adventure is the Guinness Brewery...
I'd suggest he find a pub with Guinness on draft. If there isn't one on the block he's on there will be one on the next block. :lol:
Ralph, I second your son's observations. I was in Dublin in 2012, and one thing among many that stood out to me is that with all the normal heavy traffic of a big city (population about 1 million +), I didn't hear any horns honking. To me, that was a sign of a friendly, laid back culture.
Well the pictures have not flowed in as expected to this point but I'm just happy any are making their way. Hopefully more will show up tomorrow... The first two pics are from the six story Guinness Brewery and Warehouse. Each tour member gets a voucher for one free Guinness, I asked my son if he could talk his girlfriend out of hers, she said he would have to pry it out of her cold dead fingers....I explained to him at least the beer would be cold, we lost contact with him after that.... The next pics are the Powerscourt Estate, http://powerscourt.com Tomorrow is a horticulture tour at Bulrush Hort. Inc http://www.bulrush.co.uk And Bushmills, Ireland's oldest whiskey distillery http://www.bushmills.com
So he's heading to the north. I'm pretty sure the Bushmill's distillery is right near the Giant's Causeway. It's kind of touristy but worth seeing. While I was up there I stopped at Royal Portrush golf club for lunch and some golf wear.
Powerscourt was was one of our side trips. It was strikingly beautiful throughout the grounds, the flowers, the lawns, and the views.
Yeah they are going to Giant's Causeway after leaving the distillery... He mentioned on Wednesday they are going to the Belfast Botanic Gardens and Malahide Castle before heading back to Dublin. I hope I'm not boring the crap out of you guys with this as most of their touring involves horticulture areas in Ireland...
Giant's Causeway Ireland Little bastard stole my ostrich boots.... Bushmills distillery established 1608 Didn't realize 20% of all Jameson products are made here as well... My offspring...
Not at all. I can never get enough of Ireland, whether in pictures or words. I'm sure several of my Skybox brethren agree. I appreciate you taking the time to post these pictures. Your son is a handsome lad.
I thoroughly enjoyed my trip to Ireland in 2000, we went south from Dublin through Cork, Waterford, Killarney, Ballybunion (only to find a statue of Bill Clinton in the town square ). Beautiful country and friendly people. I'd never had Guiness till I went to Ireland, it was very cool to learn that they build a pint of Guiness and not pour one and that it's drunk cold only the Brits drink warm beer!
Add me to the Erin lovers. Been there twice. The first for golf and the second for the ND Navy game. Loved exploring there. The Dingle Peninsular was just lovely country. If only they had better roads and drove on the correct side of the road.
I can tell already that I am going to have to visit Ireland as I have not heard a negative comment yet from anyone who has visited. Peace Wall Belfast https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peace_lines Malahide Castle https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malahide_Castle Ulster Botanical garden and museum https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Botanic_Gardens_(Belfast) Just so you know these are radioactive rocks??
The Irish and the English have a very bitter history. The Irish were made 2nd class citizens in their own country, the English did everything they could to destroy their culture and language. Cromwell was maybe the worst, he and his troops butchered women and children by the thousands. Ireland is maybe the only country whose population is less now than it was in the 1800's before the great migration and the famine. Oh and those "Scotch-Irish" where just Scot Protestants who didn't like the Church of England and so Henry VIII sold them land in Ulster to get them out of the way.
Appreciating the history Terry, and from another discussion you and I had on the Scotch-Irish I realize I mispoke when describing my wife's family, they are Scotch AND Irish decent not Scotch-Irish...You just taught me there is a difference...So much brutality by the English, unbelievable..If it makes any points I'm not ALL English but my surname is Chamberlain
The following is derived from a web site connected with Notre Dame, which coincidentally I had read this morning prior to becoming aware of this conversation:
Sid I don't know how to respond to your information without offending someone or possibly everyone. We have Mary burning burning 300 protestants at the stake for heresy against the Catholic faith. We have her sister Elizabeth reversing the Catholic restoration and repressing the faith to where 300 men and woman were executed by being hanged. And we have the pope calling for Catholics to rebel against England in 1570. Fast forward 450 years and we have the Peace Wall that is still locked up at night to separate Protestants from Catholics. We have list for the 300 martyrs who died from Elizabeth. Is there a list for the 300 protestants who were burned to death for their faith. Meanwhile we have Muslims whose only purpose in life is to kill Christians both Catholic and Protestant and we need a wall....It's a crazy messed up world we live in and I'm not arrogant enough to think we have an answer to resolve it...I apologize if I offended anyone in my response...