20/04/08

After a very lazy day yesterday today was more productive, in fact I
am writing this at 2300 after lights out.
We'd wanted to take in the Lismore Heritage Centre with its award
winning video presentation early this am but it didn't open till 1200
so instead we wandered into the Church of Ireland (Anglican) Cathedral
which icluded a number of information boards about the potato famine
and its affects on that area; These affects were exasperated and
relieved by respectively bad and good landlords of the time. I was
pleased to read that the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire of Lismore
Castle (also of Chatsworth in the Peak District near where we lived in
England) were considered good landlords and contributed to the famine
relief in the area.

About 1130 we head for Cork.
Along the way we stopped at Jameson's Whisky Distillery. Whisky and
Guiness two symbols of Irish hospitality;-) With an hour to spare
before the next tour we had to partake of our free tasting before,
instead of after.

We then drove onto Cobh (pronounced Cove) and visited the
"Queenstown Story" exhibition which documented Cobh's role in the
convict exports to Australia, the great migration of the Irish people
before, after and during the famine years,the Titanic and the
Lusitania distasters, and now the tourism trade.
The town of Cobh is rather impressive being how it it rises up from
the sea and sprawls up the surrounding cliffs around a very
spectacular cathedral. Inside the cathedral they were preparing for a
candle lit Sunday evening mass. Candlight and the cathedral's gothic
architecture made for a romantic atmosphere.

We are headed for the the Ring of Kerry but we only drove half way
there tonight, stopping off the main road at Beal na blath where a
memorial marks the spot Michael Collins was ambushed and shot on 22
August 1922. We had hoped for a carpark but instead parked up in a
farmers lane, which was more pleasant than 1st expected with a lovely
babbling brook for ambience.