Since I started the Ireland revisited thread I’m going full monty and reposting all eleven of my LiveJournal entries. Feel free to pop in and out to read when time allows the posts are not going anywhere. And share with friends, it was an awesome trip! I’ll not post on weekends. But other than that the next few weeks SandyBeachGirl is going to be all about Ireland.
Of course this will be the trip from my point of view and for the time Bill, Becki, Donny & I were there meaning that some of the cast and crew were already in Youghal when we arrived and others remained after we left but we were there for the entire festival so that pretty well covers things.
Day three dawns bright and beautiful. The sky is clear and there is hardly a cloud to be seen. The folks in Youghal are amazed. They have rarely seen so much sunshine at one time.
We are to be given a tour of the Red House. It dates from the 16th century. Helen is on the festival committee. Her husband gives us the tour, but first Helen serves us tea on their sun porch. There are about ten of us that show up for the tour. It is an amazing house, full of history and wonderful stories. The furnishings are almost as colorful as the house. One side board came from the brother of the present owner. He bought it for 35 pounds. A matching piece later sold for more than the house it was in, at a Southeby’s auction.
Another piece made of Jamaican wood had a hidden drawn in one of many intricately carved panels. Inside that drawer was yet another hidden drawer. This is located on their attic like third floor which is bigger than most houses. There is a central living area with nice sized bedrooms sectioned off in each corner. The only thing that says attic is the slanted roof line, open beams, and wood from floor to ceiling, walls included.
He showed us the original sink they had to wash up in when they first bought the house. It was outside and although beautiful, not a bit practical. Their first Christmas in the house, all of their adult children came home. They recreated a traditional Christmas for the house complete with only candlelight.
After the tour BBD & I stopped at the Rendez-vouz. Bill has a traditional Irish breakfast, lamb chop, two sausages, a black pudding, ham, egg, chips & beans. The rest of us have regular food, all of it wonderful. Finally we find good coffee. We will be back.
We have time to go see the Youghal Lighthouse which is only open on weekends. We take the car since we are short on time, although we could have walked to it. It is not a very tall lighthouse. The fun part is that we get to go all the way up into the lens part. Bill can finally see Youghal Bay and is appalled at the marvelous surf and the fact that nobody surfs around here. A few wind surf but there are literally no surfers. I am rather appalled myself, it is a nice rolling surf that goes on and on that I could actually ride and not get mauled. Of course there are rocks at the shore line to be mindful of and the water is extremely cold and full of seaweed, but still the surf is ideal.
The group has to practice. I go to the internet café, the grocery store and home for a brief nap. They come in a bit later and get ready for their first performance of the Lost Colony. We all leave for the Mall Arts Center. While the cast is dressing I chat with a lovely Irish gentleman that is keeper of the sword of Youghal for the evening. He offers to take my picture holding it. It is very amazing to be holding an authentic 16th century sword.
The audience is awed by the show. They are so appreciative. The owner of a pub in town invites us to stop by for drinks. Most of the group takes him up on his offer. We stop by a fish and chips shop on the way to the pub as there will be no food there and we are starving. The shop is just about to close for the night when we bombard them. It is called Doyle’s. They have a delivery van with Doyle-a-Meal on the side. We eat our fish and chips meandering down the street.
The pub has just closed but the brother of the owner takes us in a side door. The name of this pub is the Nook. It is our favorite one so far. It really is like Cheers, small dark and friendly. Bill says it would be totally perfect if there were a small combo jamming in a corner. The owner tells him that happens in the summer. He says he will try to round up some musicians for Bill to jam with later in the week. We close The Hook down and wander home getting there shortly before two.
