Day 20 Dunmore East (Waterford), Ireland

Today was a slice of heaven for me…bright & sunny. Who would have guessed that my day in Ireland would have been in the best weather we have seen to date. We arrived early this morning into our anchorage at Dunmore East Ireland around 0700. It was a pretty sight as we gazed at the sundrenched cliffs…. My tour to Kilkenny castle was off and running around 0830 and the drive was very scenic. Ireland is very green and beautiful. I enjoyed our visit to Kilkenny with the castle, churches and colorful buildings. I even ran into a local Irisman who looked like he could have been one of my relatives from my Mother’s side of the family. I took a photo of him and the family resemblance is amazing. All in all it certainly was a beautiful day and a long one at that. Our tour went about 8 ½ hours and I have an 9 ½ hour tour tomorrow so I will not go on and on this evening. It will be an early evening for me. Here is a description for my tour when I get to Liverpool tomorrow: The Welsh Experience: Countryside, Train & Castle
Wales boasts more castles per square mile of its breathtaking landscape than anywhere else in Europe--just one part of the rich legacy that history has left to Wales. Its rugged mountains, lush valleys and varied coastlines have witnessed the occupation and conflicts of man since prehistoric times. Visit northern Wales, viewing delightful scenery and travel on a steam-hauled rail journey and tour the bastion of an Edward I castle. Traveling via the tunnel under the River Mersey, you’ll cross the Wirral peninsula and enter Wales. Your journey takes you along Horseshoe Pass, offering some of the most spectacular views in Wales. At the bottom, the small town of Llangollen is steeped in myth and legend. Browse in the small stores of the main street, seeking out a souvenir of your day in Wales. The Llangollen railway was built in 1861, and Queen Victoria arrived here by train during her 1889 visit. Passenger and freight trains used it continuously until the line closed for economic reasons in 1964. The railway is now operated by a group of enthusiastic volunteers who have kept the station, rolling stock and track in excellent condition. Take your seat in the nostalgic 1960s carriage, then the steam-hauled locomotive puffs its way for seven and a half miles along the banks of the River Dee from Llangollen to Carrog through some of the most beautiful scenery in Wales. At Carrog re-join your motor coach and continue to one of the local hotels in the area for lunch. The afternoon begins with a short
transfer to Chirck Castle. Edward I built this border stronghold on its hilltop site in about 1295. Since then, it has been occupied continuously, and the elegant stately home that you’ll visit today combines the style of many different architectural periods. The spirit of the original structure is preserved in the Adam’s Tower, which has a magnificent dungeon on two levels and a number of upper rooms clearly showing the 15-footthick walls. Two of them contain “murder holes,” through which material could be poured on to anyone trying to batter or burn down the doors below. Now owned by the National Trust, the castle is surrounded by beautiful formal gardens with topiary hedges and many flowering shrubs. There is time for you to wander through the gardens for fineviews of the castle’s bastion exterior. Then commence the return journey, leaving behind the delightful Welsh countryside, crossing the border into England and heading back towards Liverpool.