Party on Kilkenny then Back to Dublin

So I left off my last posting in Killarney.  Sam and I did indeed have a lovely walk through the National Park, a little longer of a walk then we intended but that's what we get for talking and not paying attention to where we are going.  We made it out in one piece but took a few detours.  We had a quite night of cooking and watching X Factor (sort of a British version of American Idol with no age limit).  We were in bed early and up early the next morning for breakfast.  Sam walked me over to the bus station to catch my bus and we hugged and said goodbye :( and I got on my bus to Kilkenny.  Several hours and a couple of bus changes later I made it to Kilkenny and found my hostel.  The guy at the desk told me the pubs were packed due to the Final Hurling Cup Match featuring Kilkenny.  I decided to check my email and then get something to eat before venturing into the pubs.  I'm really glad I ate a hearty plate of lasagna before changing clothes and heading into the Pumphouse Pub.  I bought a Guinness (yes my last ever, unless I go back to Ireland) and watched the celebratory crowd of Kilkenny pub goers and their merriment.  By the time I made it into the pub the game was over and won by the Kilkenny team and the celebration was in full swing.  I got invited to join a group of people in the partying and ended up running around with them until about 2 am.  In no particular order Helen, Alan, Stephen, Nile, Skinner (a nickname but all I can remember), Lucie (another nickname same as the last).  We had a wonderful time there was drinking and dancing and singing thru multiple bars in Kilkenny.  I was spun, picked up, spilled on, tripped over and kissed.  It was eventful to say the least.  Stephen walked me back to my hostel at 2 am and I exchanged email address with him and Alan who called me a Chicken (his favorite Chicken after Helen his girlfriend) and I'm told being called a Chicken is a good thing. I slept well to say the least and was up late.

I got up and showered and beautified myself then headed out to find something to eat.  I ended up with a blueberry muffin and coffee from a local cafe and walked to the tourist office.  Due to my late start I missed the Medieval walking tour of Kilkenny so I bumbled around on my own and saw some of the sights before catching my bus to Dublin.  I arrived in Dublin just in time to meet Tina at her work and walk to the train station to catch train to the suburbs were she and her mother live.  She had arranged for me to stay at her mother's house for my last night in Ireland.  On the drive there she decided to stay there as well so by the time her mother, a lovely woman named Phyllis, arrived home we were in our comfy clothes and making tea.  We had our tea and ordered some Chinese takeout and sat and watched the Irish soaps.  I of course had no idea what was going on but they were interesting.  Tina also showed me her pet project a black and white cross stich picture of Marilyn Monroe which is breathtaking to say the least. I should have taken a picture of it for Mom to see.  (Tina if you read this send me a picture of the finished product to show my Mom).  Phyllis was absolutely lovely and we chatted about my trip while eating our Chinese.  Then I had a piece of apple pie and tea and met the neighbor Angela who came over for a bit.  Then we sat down and watched a TV special on Father Michael McCleary (a famous irish priest from the 70s and 80s that after his death his housekeeper came out that she was his lover and her son was from him).  Apparently it was a big thing way back when because he lived with this woman and her son for years and no one knew it was actually his lover and son.  They were a hidden family.  It was really kind of crazy.  Any ways after the special was over we all went to bed.  It was a perfect quite and relaxing end to my trip to Ireland and exactly what I needed.

A special thanks to Tina and Phyllis for letting me stay with them and buying my last dinner.  It was so kind of you to take care of me like that and I have no words to express my thanks.  But should either of you come to Missouri or any state I'm living in I would love to have you over and return the favor.

I was up bright and early and dressed and repacked my things.  I chatted a bit with Tina over a cup of tea and then she took off for work and I took off for the bus stop.  Tina had given me directions to the bus stop and what buses to take to get me out to the airport.  So off I went extra early just in case.  I got to the Blanchford Shopping Center where I was supposed to pick up the 9:10 Urbus to the airport at 8:45 so I sat and read a bit.  The 9:10 bus actually came and picked us up at 9:45 so I got to the airport at 10:30.  I checked in only to find out that Ryan Air has a 15 kilo weight max instead of the usual 20 kilo max.  My bag of course was 19.4 kilos.  So I paid 32 euros in overweight fees (50$) and went on thru security to my gate.  I was fairly uneventful from their on.  I didn't know but Ryan air does open seating so people start queuing up early to get good seats.  I was toward the end of the line but didn't really care.  I chatted briefly with a nice red headed British guy before getting my seat.  Once in Stansted I went through immigration and was forced to pull out my onward ticket proving I was leaving in the near future.  I got my passport stamped and was off to collect my luggage and be on my merry way into the city.  For further details on the London experience please move right along to the next blog posting.

All in all I had a fabulous time in Ireland and would love to go back and see everything again.  I met some wonderful people both Irish and various other groups and enjoyed it all.  Again my heartfelt thanks to Tina, Phyllis, Sam, The Meath Gaelic Football Team, Stephen (not brother), Nile, Alan, Helen, Skinner and Lucie, Peter, Mike, the German Girls, Wolfgang, Jorgin, Gunter, Ramon, Victor, Sergio, and Luciano.  You all made my Ireland experience one of a kind.

On to London!