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<\/a>Carol Feller and Groupies<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n Our visit to Ireland made clear why Irish eyes are smiling – friendly people, a pint of Guinness<\/strong> and perhaps a tot of Jameson’s gives the world a roseate hue.\u00a0 We experienced all of that during the second part of our trip which focused on knitting – a passion we all share to the point of needing a 12-step program.\u00a0 After our evening at the Celtic Whiskey Lounge<\/strong> and Sheehan’s Pub<\/strong> we sobered up the next morning for our class with Carol Feller.<\/strong>\u00a0 As I wrote in my previous post, Carol Feller and Kieran Foley (more on him in a moment) are the equivalent of playing golf with Rory McElroy or Padraig Harrington.\u00a0 I should note here that the Killarney Park Hotel<\/strong> was truly one of the finest hotels I’ve ever visited.\u00a0 They are five star not only for their accommodations and food, but for their outstanding service.\u00a0 On the morning of our class they provided us with a cozy room with a wood-burning fireplace<\/strong> and brought coffee for our enjoyment – all free of charge. \u00a0 Carol spent more than three hours with us and was not only informative, but charming as well.\u00a0 It seems to be an Irish trait.\u00a0 Most of us have been knitting for decades but Carol provided us with some new tips and techniques, proving that you CAN teach an old dog new tricks. Some of our group had pre-ordered yarn from her while others said they would abstain.\u00a0 After three hours with Carol everyone ordered mounds of yarn.\u00a0 So much for willpower.<\/p>\n \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 The Dingle Peninsula<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n The following day we climbed into Jack’s van and embarked on a tour of the Dingle Peninsula.<\/strong> \u00a0 The scenery, like everything else we’d seen in Ireland, was spectacular. The little town of Dingle is touristy and quaint<\/strong> at the same time.\u00a0 It was here we experienced more Irish hospitality.\u00a0 One member of our group stumbled and skinned her knee so we sought out first aid materials.\u00a0 The local pharmacist didn’t just sell us the bandage and antibiotic ointment, she took it upon herself to clean and dress the wound<\/strong> herself.\u00a0 Heck, I can barely get the staff at my local Walgreens to point me to the bandaid aisle. The waters surrounding the peninsula are crystal clear and the hillsides verdant, as one would expect in Ireland.\u00a0 We had the opportunity to stop and pet some newly-minted lambs but, cute as they were, we declined.\u00a0 I was struck by the many historical churches that remain along the route.\u00a0 One is the Gallarus Oratory<\/strong>, a simple dry-stone structure built in the 12th century that\u00a0 has remained waterproof and in near-perfect condition to the present day.<\/p>\n \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 Kilmaekeder Church and graveyard<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n Just as interesting is the Kilmaekeder Church<\/strong>, built in the mid-12th century on the grounds of a previous structure built in 636.\u00a0 A stone from that period still sits on the alter.\u00a0 The church grounds are filled with gravestones, some ancient and some rather recent (in fact one poor sod hadn’t actually been buried 6 feet under yet as the family was waiting for the headstone).\u00a0 There were tributes to Irishmen killed by the English during The Uprising<\/strong> as well as markers for whole families that included listings of those who went to America and were lost at sea.\u00a0 Once back in Killarney we traipsed over to dinner at the Ross Hotel’s Lane Caf\u00e9 Bar<\/strong>.\u00a0 The service was slow but the food was delicious.\u00a0 I’d recommend it if you’re not in a hurry.<\/p>\n \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Us with Kieran Foley<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n The following day was our “marathon” day to Dublin<\/strong>.\u00a0 The kind people at the hotel had a bag of pastries and fruit waiting for us as we left for the train station at 6:10 a.m.\u00a0 The train service to and from Dublin was wonderful – clean, fast, and quiet.\u00a0 Once in Dublin we headed for The Constant Knitter<\/strong> shop where we had a private trunk show with designer Kieran Foley<\/strong>.\u00a0 Again, he was as kind and generous a person as one could hope to meet.\u00a0 Are there any<\/em> crabby people in Ireland????\u00a0 Kieran brought out an array of his designs which are so complicated and intricate that I’d only contemplate starting one prior to entering the insane asylum<\/strong>.\u00a0 Each piece is reminiscent of an Oriental carpet or fine piece of fabric.\u00a0 We left him inspired to “up our game”.<\/p>\n After buying scads of yarn we we went in search of a great spot for lunch…and beer.\u00a0 We ventured up to the Temple Bar<\/strong> area of Dublin (the featured picture this week) which is a hopping place, full of tourists and locals alike.\u00a0 There is no end to the dining possibilities but we chose Boxty<\/strong>, which received rave reviews on Trip Advisor.\u00a0 Once we were sated with Smithwicks lager and fish and chips we ventured to This Is Knit <\/strong>yarn shop. The store is elegant in design and content, located in the Powerscourt Townhouse<\/strong> building, a former mansion that has been transformed into a fabulous shopping center with a central atrium and boutique shops.\u00a0 We bought more yarn, despite our resolve to be on a “yarn diet”.\u00a0 From there we walked 40 minutes back to the train station for our return to Killarney.\u00a0 When we dragged into the hotel at 8:30 p.m. we were greeted by hotel staff inquiring about our day and asking us about what we saw in Dublin.\u00a0 I’m not sure they are used to anyone making Dublin into a “day trip”.<\/p>\n \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 We can smell the banana<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n Morning came too soon when we once again traveled in Jack’s van to Kinsale<\/strong> and Cork<\/strong>.\u00a0 Kinsale is a darling seaside village, filled with cute shops and an outdoor market.\u00a0 We could have spent several days there. We ambled in and out of the stores, buying knick knacks and two people bought beautiful leather purses fashioned by a local designer.\u00a0 We relied on Trip Advisor again and ate lunch at Fishy Fishy, <\/strong>where we continued our quest of the perfect pairing of lager and fish and chips. Next we headed to Cork to visit Hedgehog Fibers<\/strong>.\u00a0 Hedgehog is a very popular yarn, more so in the States than in Ireland.\u00a0 In fact, we learned from all our Irish knitting contacts that the Irish like to spend money on food and drink, but not on yarn.\u00a0 We bought MORE yarn (by now we were contemplating buying extra luggage) and then headed out to the Jameson Whiskey Distillery<\/strong>.\u00a0 We decided to go for broke, splurging on the premium whiskey tasting.\u00a0 It turned out to be a wise decision. \u00a0 We were taken to a private room where a young woman gave us the particulars of each whiskey we sampled.\u00a0 I was tempted to chug one down but she instructed me that I needed to savor the banana, oak, berry, vanilla, honey, etc.\u00a0 Geez, it all just tasted like whiskey to me.\u00a0 I don’t think I’m sophisticated enough to taste premium whiskey.\u00a0 As we finished up she kind of chuckled and said, “I’ve worked here four years and have never had an all-woman group before.”\u00a0 So…I guess we broke the glass ceiling<\/strong> for whiskey tasting!<\/p>\n Next week – castles and some final recommendations. \u00a0Slainte!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" By Suzanne Sparrow Watson Our visit to Ireland made clear why Irish eyes are smiling – friendly people, a pint of Guinness and perhaps a tot of Jameson’s gives the world a roseate hue.\u00a0 We experienced all of that during … read more![\"\"](\"https:\/\/fromabirdseyeview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Dingle-Penninsula-300x169.jpg\")
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