Plas Newydd, 2016

We stayed overnight in Holyhead after debarking the ferry, me none the worse for the hours at sea. Next day we drove to nearby Plas Newydd, a great house and garden we had visited in 2009 (http://roadeveron.blogspot.co.uk/2009/10/plas-newydd.html) and enjoyed. To our surprise, the National Trust now permits photos inside the house, and particularly of Rex Whistler's mammoth mural in what used to be the dining room. It is a 47 foot painting that depicts an old, fantasized, classical European scene, full of whimsy and illusion. Whistler was a theatrical artist who was well used to large scale and large scale illusion. Also at Plas Newydd, apart from its setting above the Strait of Menai and the overall charm, is a museum of the Napoleonic wars, since one of Plas Newydd's masters was Wellington's cavalry commander.

The house, on a hill overlooking the Strait of Menai, which
separates Anglesey from the mainland Wales

But first, a garden and parkland stroll

Wellington, close personal bud

Not open in 2009, the library, which was in use by a family
member until his death in 2013; see below for explanation

Comfy room

Miss Manners

Seriously; a Van Dyck too

As much of Whistler's painting as I could get in one frame; the
docent just wouldn't move

So I have done it in pieces

A detail...Neptune has just stepped out of harbor and onto land

Now in the Waterloo museum

Lord Uxbridge lost his leg in the battle; pictured is the artificial
limb he wore the rest of his life, walking 5-6 miles or more a
day

Dennis Dighton's Waterloo, 18th June 1815

After finishing Plas Newydd (see next post), we drove into
Bangor and spent the night in a quiet car park on the harbor

Irish Out-Takes, 2

Stena Lines transported us across the Irish Sea to Holyhead on July 3rd. "Westward the gaze wanders, eastward skims our ship..."

It's a long way, but we finally made it

More than kissing cousins, as it turned out

Don't mess with Ireland

King of the mountain

Call the confidential Doggy Poop Hotline, turn
in your neighbor...we actually saw someone
doing this at Strandhill

Welcome to Ireland

In Northern Ireland now, UK of GB, where everything is sorted

VCR library at Springhill; not leather-bound

Library policy

And on the third day...

Dog wash at a gas station

Victorians loved these animal dramas, here, stuffed squirrels
prize-fighting

In Ireland, of course

Down Town

Mind your head

Wild Irish rose

Roundabout in County Meath; note carved stone

Get your Book of Kells mousepads, soap-on-a-rope, tea towels,
etc., here

Red-heads everywhere

"Bin your gum when you're done...and avoid a 150 euro gum
litter fine"

"Jame Joyce Pub Award"--I should have done
a post on the Joyce industry, which he would
have abhorred

"James Joyce left Dublin with Nora, his wife to be, in 1904.
They used a ferry to make good their getaway. Why not you?"
I rest my case.

Musical Pub Crawl

For those so inclined, there is a musical pub crawl...for listening and learning primarily, although patrons are encouraged to down a pint of the black stuff or other at the pubs visited. You start at Gogarty's (I suspect the whole thing is organized by Stephen Leech), then move off Fleet Street to Ha'penny Bridge, then across the river to Brannigan's, off  O'Connell. We wish we had done this pub crawl first, rather than last, but, in any case, whether at the beginning or the end, it helped make sense of much that we experienced and enjoyed in Ireland. And it was also the most amusing and entertaining thing we saw. Vicki's idea, of course.

Before the crawl, we split an enormous farm grill at Gogarty's
(not pictured...half  a dozen oysters)

At Gogarty's, but not for long since the place
is loaded with drunk stags and hens and
American college students on Saturday night;
this crawl requires attention and sobriety; and
is worth the sacrifice

At Ha'penny Bridge; the same two guys did all the performance
and commentary; wish I'd gotten their names...really outstanding

Here discussing/demonstrating traditional Irish instruments

At Brannigan's

After the crawl, we crawled back to Gogarty's for another
hour of Stephen Leech & Co before the midnight bus to
Clondalkin; a great end to our month+ in Ireland

Riverdance

After Fourknocks we made our way to Dublin (about 20 miles) and did an administrative day at Blanchardstown and then moved back to Camac Valley campground, from there to enjoy two nights of entertainment in the Hibernian capital. In view of my illness and days lost we had re-booked our sailing to Holyhead to allow ourselves a bit more time in the great city. Friday night Vicki had gotten tickets to Riverdance, now in it nth year of performance (they say Parnell loved it). We had both seen bits of Riverdance on TV years ago and had resolved this was something we had to do. There is a scale of Irish folk music...Cobblestone and its sessions at one end, and Riverdance at the other. Riverdance is sort of the Broadway version of Irish music and dance, complete with lavish lighting, sound-track, and effects. Our tastes are squarely in the middle of the scale, but we much enjoyed Riverdance. The dancing was certainly the best tap dancing I have ever seen...including Irish, Flamenco, African-American, eastern European...sort of a world tribute to tapping and stomping. The all-female musical group was outstanding, especially the extended solo number on the uilleann. The hyper-soprano was capable of shattering glasses in the theatre bar.... Needless to say, photography and videography are not permitted during the performance, but I did sneak a few at the end.

Warming up before the performance...a glass of
Jameson's helped

In the gorgeous old Gaiety Theatre

Lead dancers

Concluding applause; note megalithic art theatrical set