The Wednesday Walkers in Ireland
Let’s begin by thanking Beatrice for organising
yet another successful Wednesday Walkers Holiday. They have become an annual
event we all look forward to. This one started at the crack of dawn on a Sunday
morning 22nd March, when we were individually collected from our
front doors. The taxis took us to Rownhams Service Station on the M27, where we
boarded our coach. There were now ten of us setting off for our Irish holiday:
Beatrice and Tony, Wendy and Lew, Sue, Trudy B, Trudy H, Trisha, Fionnuala and
David.
As we boarded our ferry (the “Isle of
Inishmore”) at Pembroke Docks, we were met and given a personal welcome by
Captain McCraith. Not many passengers get this sort of treatment, and the
Wednesday Walkers enjoyed the envious looks from others around them. Once the
ship was under way, we were invited onto the bridge, a special treat for the
three men in the group who made the most of the experience. In case you’re
wondering, it’s all a matter of who you know!
From Rosslare we had an hour’s drive to
Waterford and the Treacy Hotel, our base for the next four nights. The hotel is
situated on the waterfront at Waterford with views across the River Sieur. Dinner
was late that evening because of our late arrival.
On Monday we had the option of a trip to
Tramore, but the ten walkers elected to spend the day in Waterford instead. Well,
we are primarily a “walking” group, and it had been a long drive the previous
day. In the morning we visited the Waterford Crystal Glass factory and the
Medieval Theatre. We also managed to pack in a one-hour guided tour of the
city. A “walking” tour, naturally. We went back to the Waterford Crystal
factory restaurant for lunch and then visited Reginald’s Tower in the Viking
Triangle. This wasn’t an easy option for anyone with difficulty climbing steep
circular staircases, but the view up top was worth it. Some of the ladies chose
to finish off the day with a spot of retail therapy. Naturally.
Tonight, and the following nights, we met in
the hotel bar for a drink before dinner. The hotel did well to keep all ten of
us together on one long table in the dining room. The food was plentiful and
well-cooked and the staff seemed cheerful. After dinner we went back to the bar
for another drink and live music entertainment.
On Tuesday morning we set off on the coach to
New Ross where we were given a guided introduction to the Dunbrody, a replica “famine”
ship. It was a hands-on tour around the various parts of the ship, including
below decks. The tour was put together in an entertaining way with a couple of
actors telling their stories in the passenger’s cramped quarters. We then drove
on to Kilkenny where we had lunch followed by a tour of Kilkenny Castle. Once
again, it was a polished tour with knowledgeable guides at each step of the way.
This
evening we had a Bailey’s Irish coffee demonstration after dinner in the hotel.
We were shown how to make the coffee with Bailey’s and then Trudy B went up
front to demonstrate she’d taken it in correctly. She had. Other members of the
group had to make do with the coffee made by the hotel manager, but they
enjoyed it. We were then shown how to make Bailey’s coffee cheesecake.
That
night, the hotel fire alarm went off in the early hours. Someone had been smoking
in one of the bedrooms. We all cursed the culprit and were cheered up by the
knowledge that he/she would be fined for the misdemeanor.
Wednesday morning we drove first to Lismore. Lismore
Castle is situated on
the site of an old monastery dating back to medieval times. It lies on a steep
hill overlooking the town and the Blackwater valley. It’s now the summer home of the Duke of Devonshire, the
guy who owns Chatsworth in Derbyshire. We thought this castle was a bit smaller
and less impressive than Chatsworth, but the duke probably enjoys the simple
life in the summer. It’s not exactly camping, but it probably has a few less
bathrooms and servants than he is used to back home. Some of the group went to
a talk on Lismore in the Heritage Centre and others had a walk around the town.
From Lismore, we drove on over the mountains,
through a
gap called the Vee with some spectacular views. The Vee refers to a
V-shaped
turn on the road leading to a gap in the Knockmealdown Mountains. It’s famous
because of the panoramic views. The journey rises to about 2,000 feet above sea
level. The
road was narrow, twisty and hairy at times, but worth the experience. Our trust in the driver’s skill was
well-rewarded. Once we got down to a lower level, we were in County Tipperary
and saw signs for Tipperary Town. We didn’t go there because it’s a long way to
Tipperary. Our next stop was at Cashel where we had lunch, but there wasn’t time
to visit the famous Rock of Cashel.
When we got back to the hotel, we were given a
cream tea: scones with jam and cream, tea and coffee. Maybe the management had
heard about the sort of hospitality we enjoy at the end of a walk back home!
Once again, there was live music in the bar after dinner.
Very early on Thursday morning we boarded the
coach for the return journey home. We were back on Welsh soil before we first
got word that the M27 was closed by a nasty accident and all roads in the
region were gridlocked. We wondered what we would encounter when we got to
Rownhams. Our feeder taxis were stuck in traffic congestion so the coach
company, Luckett’s, hired others to take us home. The Wednesday Walkers were
lucky in being able to avoid the worst of the chaos.
Once again, the Walkers have enjoyed a short,
spring break in pleasant company. Each day was filled with interesting sights
and experiences. As a value-for-money holiday, it would be hard to do better. Well
done, Beatrice.
NEXT WEEK
Meet at Haskins at 1015. I will have a video of the holiday for each of you.
