October 17: I took this picture as our group walked the Hill of Tara, not far from the River Boyne. It’s an important historical site from which one can see 16 of the country’s 22 counties. Beginning in about 400 B.C., Tara became the place where Irish kings were inaugurated. St. Patrick is said to have preached here. In the very distant past, archaeologists say, this pillar (yes, it is phallic in shape) was sculpted as a fertility symbol. In 1824, it was, as we would say today, “repurposed” or “defaced” to mark the mass grave of some of the 400 soldiers killed in a 1798 battle. The expression “R.I.P.,” a cross and the date, visible but worn by time, are scratched crudely into the stone.
October 16: The National Gallery of Art in Dublin, was mostly closed for remodeling when we visited recently, but some paintings were on display. Dorette and I were especially pleased when we saw the first one: Johannes Vermeer’s “A Lady writing a Letter with her Maid.” The two of us have made a point of trying to see all of the Dutch artist’s 34 known paintings. So far, Dorette has viewed one more than me, “The Procuress,” in Germany 20 years ago while visiting her daughter, Kara, who was there near Dresden as a high school exchange student. I chose to take a side trip to Paris before we reunited for the flight home.
October 15: The Cliffs of Moher on Ireland’s Atlantic Coast, not far from Galway and regarded as the country’s top tourist attraction. The photo was taken with a Canon SX710 HS pocket camera (I decided to leave my heavier DSLR at home).
October 14: The city of Belfast in Northern Ireland has long been a European shipbuilding center. I photographed this advertising poster, but we didn’t have time for the Titantic historical exhibit. Note the tagline: “She was alright when she left here.”
October 13: Schools out for the day! Photographed in Dublin. A driver told us there are more taxi cabs in that city of 553,165 than in Manhattan, population 1.9 million. Also note this one is driving on the “wrong side” of the road by U.S. standards, something it takes getting used to (thank you, Dorette Kerian and Donna Herbal for your successful navigation under stress while Pat Herbel and I cowered in the back seat). Also confusing (and I’ve read since returning home, extremely dangerous for first-timers) is the Irish system of traffic “roundabouts,” encountered everywhere in the country. But, happily, we emerged unscathed, ready to return at the first opportunity.
October 12: The airport in Dublin, the first picture I took during our recent trip to Ireland. The sign is bilingual, in both Gaelic and in modern English. The same pattern is seen throughout the country. It reminded me of Montana, where highway signs on the Flathead Indian Reservation are posted in both Salish and English.
October 11: With the possible exception of Donna Herbel, the youngest in our traveling group, we were not exactly party animals in Ireland. But we older folks enjoyed sampling the night life in Dublin, too.
October 10: Mass at St. Patrick’s church in Belfast. The country is the most religious part of the UK, with 45 percent of the population attending services regularly. But lots of empty seats on this day.
October 9: The green fields of Ireland, photographed on a rare sunny day from the cemetery of the Rock of Cashel in County Tipperary. In the 12th century, it was the fortified home of ancient kings; the edifice later became a church (behind me in this scene). A great walking tour guide brought it alive for us.
October 8: My “Ansel Adams take” on this view of the Atlantic, photographed through a tour bus window on the southwest coast of Ireland.
October 7: Dorette Kerian took this picture of me in Dublin at a memorial to Irish writer, playwright and wit Oscar Wilde, a favorite along with Yates and Joyce. Years ago, I paid my respects at Wilde’s grave in Pere Lachaise Cemetery in Paris. Here are three of his quotes: “I can resist everything but temptation.” “We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.” “Always forgive your enemies — nothing annoys them so much.”
October 7: We did our traveling in Ireland in a rented car with one exception: a guided bus tour of the “Ring of Kerry,” a seaside route along the southwest coast, beginning and ending in Killarney. I took this picture during a rest stop. Next to dogs, goats are my favorite animal. The affection is mutual. (Note its welcoming gaze). Naturally, I tipped the owner for the photo op.
October 6: One can take all kinds of tours of Dublin. This one provides an opportunity to be a Viking. Shoulda done it, since my ancestors were among those who wreaked havoc there many centuries ago. But the Irish people eventually defeated them as they have other invaders throughout their long history, not only by force of arms but also by absorbing them into their culture (and, of course, by selling them world-class beer and whiskey).
October 4: Last day in Ireland today. Tomorrow we head home to Minnesota. Great day back in touring sites we missed earlier, such Dublin Castle pictured here. We also partook heartily of Irish food and drink.
October 3: Photo taken this morning as we toured the ancient burial mounds near Drogneda, the oldest archaeological sites in Ireland dating back to before the construction of the Egyptian pyramids. Later, we visited the nearby site of Tara, where ancient kings were inaugurated. From the top one can see 16 of the 22 counties in Ireland. We head home Wednesday. What a fabulous, friendly, beautiful country. If the fates permit, I’m returning some day.
October 2: Today we took a guided small-group “taxi cab” tour of the neighborhoods where occurred the violent and murderous Catholic-Protestant “troubles” in Belfast, Northern Ireland during the 1960s and 1970s. Our guide, Joel, told us the situation is much improved but continues to simmer under the surface. Gives one pause.
October 2: Last night, at the Ibis Hotel front desk in Belfast, Northern Ireland, Dorette, Pat and Donna seek help finding a good restaurant. Yes, but they also were getting directions to a church to attend Sunday Mass. This is the Kerian family, after all. I’m tagging along.
October 1: A somewhat damp evening yesterday in Galway. Didn’t stop these buskers. In fact, they were very good. So was dinner, in of all place, an Italian restaurant. On to Northern Ireland today.
September 30: Part of the “Cliffs of Moher” geological formation on Ireland’s Atlantic Coast, not far from Galway,m where we’re spending the night. The cliffs are the country’s top tourist attraction.
September 29: Irish border collie at work “herding” sheep, photographed today while on a bus tour from Killarney along Ireland’s western coast.
September 28: The harbor at Cove, formerly Queenstown, Ireland, yesterday. It was from this spot that passengers were ferried to the waiting Titanic for what was to be its first voyage to New York. It was also the place from which over the years the majority of Irish emigrants departed for the United States and other countries.
September 27: Just arrived in Waterford for the night. Dorette did the driving on mostly winding two-lane roads as here, with Donna Herbel riding shotgun and Pat Herbel and I in the backseat providing occasional commentary. Checked off two amazing ancient monasteries on the way, Jerpoint Abbey and the Rock of Cashel. Clear blue skies all day. This old descendant of the Vikings is liking Ireland more every day.
September 26: I’m a reader of books. Thus visiting the Trinity College library today was a high privilege. It’s one of the most famous in the world. The college itself in Dublin was established by none other than King Henry VIII before Ireland became an independent country. We also enjoyed a tour of the campus conducted by an undergraduate student.
Ireland is a popular destination for a lot of travelers. Bloomington, Minn., photographer Dave Vorland recently visited the Emerald Isle and shares these images.
