They went on between high hedges of clipped beech and up a steep winding path amidst great bushes of rhododendron in full flower to the grey rock and heather of the crest. They stood in the midst of one of the most beautiful views in the world. Northward they looked over Ireland’s Eye and Lambay and the blue Mourne Mountains far away...
H.G. Wells, Joan and Peter: The Story of an Education (1918)
I’d avoided reading a paper since I got here since, hey, it’s vacation and no use fretting over events, but this morning over breakfast, I took a look at the Irish Independent, the country’s best-selling broadsheet newspaper. One of the top news stories Ireland has been obsessing over has been that of Dolores McNamara, who won 115 million euro in Europe’s largest lottery, instantly becoming Ireland’s seventh-richest person. Quoting her solicitor, a story in the paper dismissed reports that she “planned to buy soccer star Michael Owen’s villa in Spain or a pub in Turkey” and in fact was staying put in her modest Limerick home. I guess somebody has to like that grubby town.
After breakfast, Dana made us some sandwiches and we set out for the Cliff Path, which wraps a few miles around the Irish Sea to the town of Howth. As we hiked up, down and around the steep path, we watched the tide roll in.
Along the way, we saw ancient ruins, lighthouses, beaches, birds, wild raspberries and blackberries, and, in Howth’s bay, Ireland’s Eye, an island on which stands the remains of a tower and an eighth century church. These days, it’s a bird sanctuary and tourist destination. We paused on the Howth boardwalk to eat our sandwiches, then stopped for some Mauds ice cream, a popular Irish-made brand.
Before my flight back, we wanted to top off the day with a visit to Granger’s, Dana’s favored local pub and just a few blocks away from her residence. But it was closed; signs posted outside noted this was due to the death of Adam Finnegan, grandson of Hugh and Ann Grainger. We instead went to Granger’s rival pub, a few blocks in the other direction, and had a quick bit of Guinness before Dana drove me to the airport.
The flight back was uneventful, unless you count the lone woman laughing throughout the in-flight movie, Monster-in-Law.
Overall, I had a great time in Ireland and I’m grateful Dana did all the pre-planning and driving. It was a relaxing time in a fine country and I wouldn’t mind returning someday to see even more of its sights.