Today’s our last full day in Ireland, and the boys have had lots of free time to roam around. We started the day with a short walk to King John’s Castle located on King’s Island in Limerick, next to the River Shannon. The guys took a tour, and then we headed over the St. Mary’s Cathedral, which was built in 1168. After that, it was off to Locke’s Bar, a neat little pub, where the boys were offered Irish stew or chicken kiev. I think I saw 3 bowls of Irish stew come through the line with the rest of the group opting for the chicken.

We’re going out tonight for a traditional fish and chips dinner, and then it’s off to bed. We’re up and outta here at 6:30 am tomorrow morning and headed for a long day in airplanes and airports until we land in Seattle Saturday night around 10:00 pm.

I took a few pics today of King John’s Castle, St. Mary’s Cathedral and Locke’s Bar. I’ve also uploaded all of Father Hightower’s pictures to the Flickr account. Here’s the link to all the sets in case you missed one along the way. We’ll see you tomorrow night. You did remember that we need a ride home, right? Don’t leave us sitting on the curb all night.

http://flickr.com/photos/48179703@N00/sets/

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Well, wrong again. I thought we were going to the Ring of Kerry, but we went in a different direction. This trip is a bit like the Amazing Race. We never know where we’re going. We just wake up each morning and head to the lobby to get our next clue.

It turns out that we had 2 destinations today. The first was the Rock of Cashel, also known as Cashel of the Kings and St. Patrick’s Rock. The Rock of Cashel served as the traditional seat of the Kings of Munster for several hundred years prior to the Norman invasion. The majority of buildings that you’ll see in the pictures date from the 12th and 13th centuries.

After the Rock, it was back on the bus and west to Blarney Castle. The castle originally dates from before AD 1200. It was destroyed in 1446, but subsequently rebuilt by Cormac MacCarthy, the King of Munster. At the top of the castle lies the Stone of Eloquence, better known as the Blarney Stone. All of the boys had a chance to lay on their backs and kiss the stone. You be the judge if they got the gift of eloquence.

I also need to tell you that I drug my tired arse all the way up to the top of the tower to take pictures of the boys kissing the stone, ony to discover a typical tourist trap. There are two men working the station, and you can only take pictures from one side. Naturally, it’s the side that’s covered by the man who’s holding the legs of the boys as they lean out backwards and kiss the stone. So, that’s why you’ll see so few pictures of recognizable kids kissing the stone. The castle gift shop offers the “real” photos for 10 euros each, and some of the boys bought them because they knew you’d want a picture of that “magical” moment.

Here’s the link to the pics from Day 7 of our adventure: http://www.flickr.com/photos/48179703@N00/sets/72157604469970304/

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Earlier today, the Lions edged past St. Mary’s College 1-0 in their final match on Irish soil. I’ve seen prettier soccer, but the result was well-earned. The boys just ground out the victory against a very good team that made its way to the all-Ireland semifinal only to lose to the CBS Limerick team that we played last week. Click here to visit the Match Reports and read the game summary.

We’re back in Limerick, and the boys are in their rooms watching the Manchester United Champion’s League match. Tomorrow, we’re headed down to the Ring of Kerry, a tourist trail in County Kerry in southwestern Ireland. The route covers the 170 km circular road, starting from Killarney, heading around the Iveragh Peninsula and passing through Kenmare, Sneem, Waterville.

Here’s the link to the pics from Day 6 of our adventure: http://www.flickr.com/photos/48179703@N00/sets/72157604461534211/

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The boys woke up in Dublin today, and spent the morning on a walking tour in and around the city center. I think it was supposed to be an educational tour, which is another way for me (and me alone) to say, that it was a bit boring by our standards. We wandered over to Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin Castle and then over to Trinity College. We didn’t go in any of them, and that’s why there’s so few pictures from the morning.

But, things are sure to pick up as we’re now in Galway, Ireland’s most exciting city according to our bus driver. Seems to be a college town with lots of kids running around. The boys are exploring the heart of the city as I type, and getting a chance to stretch their legs a bit. They’ll gather back at the hotel at 7:30 pm our time for dinner and to watch the Liverpool vs. Arsenal match.

I have a few pictures of our morning in Dublin, but more to share on Wednesday night after our match against St. Mary’s of Galway. Click here to head to Flickr and see the new set from the morning.

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It was a very busy day for the boys, but they managed to squeeze into their adventure a workmanlike 4-2 win over Clongowes Wood College in Dublin. The day began with a 3 1/2 hour bus ride from Limerick to the Dublin area. We stopped at noon for lunch in a little village known as Clane, and then after an hour headed for Clongowes. At the campus, the boys received a tour of the grounds, which included a castle built some 200 years before Columbus sailed the ocean blue.

During the tour, the boys stopped to have a spot of tea with the headmaster. And, yes, I have the pictures to prove it. After tea, it was off to the locker room to prepare for the afternoon match against Clongowes. You can read all about the 4-2 win on the Match Reports page. Following the game, the boys shared a post-match meal with the home side, which included chicken, peas, potatoes and bread. Then, it was back on the bus to downtown Dublin where the boys will spend the better part of Tuesday on a walking tour of the city. Our next update will be from Galway on Tuesday night.

Here’s your link to the pics from Day 4: http://www.flickr.com/photos/48179703@N00/sets/72157604434623875/

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