In The Land of Eire, A Conclusion

"It's off the beaten path that you will find the gold."  

(someone actually said this to us...and no, he wasn't a leprechaun...I don't think)

Immediately upon pulling up to the Kileen House, we were ushered in by B&B owners Geraldine and Michael and given a very warm welcome—fit for the family you haven't seen in years. After Geraldine gave me my own room away from the boys, I may have held our hug a little too long. 

We spent the evening in town listening to a "traditional Irish group". And because we, once again, waited too long to eat dinner (you would think we'd learn that the Irish are not a late-night dining group), fast-food fish and chips was our fate. We awoke the next day to go for a bike ride through Killarney National Park. This may have been one of my favorite parts of the trip.
The park was absolutely beautiful, and it was a treat to race through the trails and get some wind in my hair. We couldn't have asked for a nicer day.
 









After exerting the most energy we had in quite sometime, we set off to find lunch. We managed to find a lovely little spot, well off the beaten path AND it had outdoor seating. Perfect for the uncharacteristic mild, sunny weather, it was called Stonechat, and it was delish!

 

Even better than the food, there was an authentic Gael siting shoeless at the table next to us. And boy was he ready to chat. Although he looked as if he may be homeless, he was well educated, spoke Gaelic, told us all about his upbringing in the Land of Eire, and—of course—provided us with token Irish sayings, like the one above: "it is off the beaten path that you will find the gold" in reference to his delight that we found Stonechat. And at the risk of looking like a total creep, I managed to take his photo (can you see him through the beard?):

 

Before leaving Killarney, we rode horses, had a phenomenal dinner at the Killeen House, and checked out a few pubs.

Then, we made the long, winding trip back to Dublin. Perhaps all the driving had gotten to us, but the trip wasn't half bad...we shared stories and played games that eventually had me doubled over in hysterics, tears streaming from my eyes. It may have been the hardest I've laughed in quite some time. It's those moments that truly make family vacation memorable.

Two days in Dublin was enough time to catch the high points. I was appointed tour guide, since I had learned the city by my lonesome, and somehow, I think I did a pretty good job. We experienced the home of Guinness (at the Storehouse), marveled at the beauty of Christ Church and St. Patrick's Cathedral, wandered through Temple Bar, Grafton Street and everywhere around and in between, and (most importantly) found some quaint pubs and yummy food.

Guinness is filled with amazing history and a rockin' museum, but one of the coolest parts is the Gravity Bar that hoovers over the museum and has 360 degree views of the city.  All enjoyed with a pint of Guinness.

Gravity Bar (courtesy of Guinness)

Delicious, Authentic Irish restaurant recommended to us by some friends we met in the pub the night before.

We probably could have spent more time exploring, but by this time, we were all rather anxious to get to Greece....