DAY 2

We're pretty sure the Haggertys used to be Hegartys







7:00 am International Traveler Mistake #2 – Never urinate on low end of urine wall. For those not familiar with European urinals, you basically urinate on a wall and the urine flows to one side and out. Just like in battle, men, secure the high ground. If not, the stench of your urine mixing with everyone else’s urine is not pleasant.


8:00 am Shannon airport is very rinky-dink and takes a while to get bags. Met a band of blue grass singers from Louisiana. May see them perform if path’s cross. Bus to Limerick City is interesting. We are on the skinniest roads I have ever seen. At some points both sides have shrubbery running right to the edge of the road and up to the top of the bus.


9:00 am HISTORY ALERT - Limerick City lies on the River Shannon and was the Viking stronghold in Ireland in the 8th and 9th century. Also, the city, King John’s castle in particular, was the last holdout for the Jacobiites (sided with Catholic King James-Irish and French forces) verses the Protestant Williamites (sided with William and Mary -that William and Mary) in the late 17th century. After their defeat, almost all the Irish and French forces went back to France. The French army contained Irish troops, known as Wild Geese, until Napoleon’s defeat at Waterloo in 1815. That is why some French wines have Irish names. Saw the legendary treaty stone, where it is claimed the peace treaty for this war was signed. Also, some very neat churches including the oldest building in Ireland still being used for its original purpose, a church of Ireland cathedral.


Allegedly treaty to end the War of the Kings signed on this stone-Catholics lose


Here is King John's Castle - The last bastion of hope for the loser Catholics

12:30 Now for an Irish breakfast. Couldn't’t find anywhere to eat besides McD’s and BK, but I refused to have either one as my first meal in Ireland. Bacon, sausage, fried tomato and mushrooms, poached egg, scones, toast and some hash brown type thingee (IRISH POTATOES!). It was enough to feed two, maybe three people (I did finish it). The lady looked at me like I had three heads when I said I wanted sweet tea. I actually enjoyed my piping hot tea, but only because it was a balmy 60 degrees and rainy. It was my first hot drink since thera-flu in 2002. I like my ladies hot, but my drinks cold. While on the subject, road signs are as rare as khaki shorts here (basically all I packed), but if a “parking deck” is coming up 7 signs will notify you of its existence. Also, my lack of trendiness makes me stick out more than cousin Vinny in Alabama. “yeah, I blend!”


2:00 International Traveler Mistake #3- Unable to get used to habit of looking right before crossing the street. This could be the most detrimental of all the traveler mistakes.


2:30 Took wrong turn to bus depot and ended up in what appeared to be the slum of Limerick City, but not as easy to tell as the states. Still, strong signs- drunk people in the afternoon, people hanging out on porches and a shady exchange of money by two men on the corner. Would have walked more briskly but I was lugging the largest suitcase known to man. Would later find out that Limerick City is known as Stab City for its rash of gang violence.


3:30 International Traveler Mistake #4- Unable to use pay phone. Nice lady at the bus depot calls my ride for me and now it will be a five hour bus tour of the Emerald Isle. Within one mile of the cities you are back to sheep, horses and cows grazing.


4:30 Northface black and blue. Pretend I just smacked you in the arm twice. Silly Americans and their conformist clothing. I later realize they were probably Irish, as the jackets are very popular here. It’s like a sorority meeting in 2000 here, everyone has their northface jacket.

9:30 What I thought would be five hours turned into a six hour bus ride, after which the guy I'm supposed to meet, whom I've never met, appears to NOT be at the station. Surely, the this Indian looking guy next to me with a suitcase can't be him, but after 15 minutes of waiting I ask him, "Surely you aren't here to pick up a Shaun?" He says, "No and quit calling me Shirley." Finally my ride shows up. I learn the Irish are notoriously late, so my father and I can claim a genetic dispensation. I meet my host who is a nice guy firing F bombs like he's a part of a verbal shock and awe and I am some poor Iraqi village. Apparently the F word is just a regular old adjective here and the even have feck when the what a watered down F bomb. But enough about F bombs. We watch some soccer news, I have my first beer in Ireland. It was ....drum roll...a...wait for it...Miller Genuine Draft. We call it a night and I go to sleep in my single bed with puppy dog sheets.


City street in Limerick


First Irish sign I've seen - I wonder what a "Pompy Wody" is