8:30 a.m.

We left yesterday at 8:30 for Blarney. From Bray, it’s only about 230 km (or about 175 miles, I think) but it took about four hours or more to get there, not including stops along the way.

At 9:30, after skirting the south of Dublin, we came to Kill – we came to a town called "Kill," that is. Kill, as we learned, is the Gaelic word for "church." (The suffix "een" is Gaelic for "little," hence Killeen – a town in Texas as well as Ireland – means "little church").

The potential for comedy about Kill seemed endless. One sign we saw actually said, "Welcome to Kill." (Hold on there… your beach has a sign warning me I’ll be fined £1,000 if I litter, and yet…)

We also imagined hundreds of local football fans cheering their home team with "Kill! Kill! Kill!" I suggested that this could be quite intimidating to the opposing team. But Brian says we’re likely to hear that chant at most football games regardless which town the teams are from.

After breakfast in Naas (pronounced "naas"), we went on to Cashel, home of St. Patrick’s Rock (or, the Rock of Cashel, as it’s known). This structure, or parts of it date as far back as the fourth century (long before our ancestors realized their ships would not fall off the edge of the earth).

Though it would eventually become a church, the rock was initially home to a fortress. It’s easy to see why the location was chosen. From the top of the hill you can see for miles in every direction. It’s very strategic.

At the base of the Rock was a wonderful café called "Granny’s Kitchen." There are a few tables inside, but we had lunch at an umbrella-covered table inside a walled garden across the path from Granny’s. The view was so distracting, we nearly drove off without paying.

The weather continues to be magnificent. We left Cashel at 2:30 and passed through Cahir by 3:00. Then we headed straight toward Cork and west to Blarney.

Once in Blarney, we bought a few souvenirs, then wasted no time climbing the slippery, limestone stairs of the famed Blarney Castle. There were rooms all along the climb, each marked with a plaque – the "family room," the "kitchen," the "priest’s room," which (curiously enough) was located just above the "young ladies’ bedroom." (Hmmmm…)

At the top, the stone was very smooth and slick (worn by rain and heavy tourist traffic, I’m guessing). Though the top of the embattlement was about chest-high, the parapets were cut out to only about shin-high. And, with no guardrails or safety fence, my legs went a bit weak. I discovered my acrophobia is more pronounced than I realized.

But, not to be deprived my only chance, I sat on the edge of the castle (83 feet high), bent over backward and kissed the Blarney stone. The stone itself is about 81 feet above the ground, so you’re actually leaning over the edge, upside-down and backwards in order to do this.

(I must note here how truly unpretentious the Irish are, for they missed the perfect opportunity to sell tee-shirts saying "I bent over backwards to kiss the Blarney Stone." Capitalist that I am, I’d have purchased one, if they had. And why not? I think I was spending mom’s money by this part of the trip anyway).

While you’re arching back in full pucker, there is a guide holding your legs. And if he fails his duty, they very thoughtfully placed a steel grate directly under you, so you’ll have something besides the limestone to break your fall at the end of the eight-story drop.

Nancy got to kiss the stone, too (her father warned me against this, but…).

We had planned to see Tipperary or Kinsale, but it was late by the time we were done at Blarney. So, after dinner at "The Old Thatch" pub and restaurant in Killeagh, we drove non-stop back to Bray by way of Waterford (what a sight to see the Waterford Crystal building absolutely glowing with crystal chandeliers as we drove past after nightfall).

The sun’s glow above the clouds was still slightly visible at 11:45 p.m!  It’s simply amazing. C.S. Lewis – the Belfast-born Christian writer and philosopher – called it "the interminable summer sunset." Brian says winter can be depressing, though: You go to work in darkness, and by quitting time, it’s already dark again.

Today: Back to Dublin.

9:35 a.m.

We saw quite a bit of Dublin yesterday. The day started with a ride on the DART (Dublin Area Rapid Transit), an electric train, to the Tara Street station in Dublin. From there we walked up O’Connell Street then over to Trinity College.

Trinity was founded in 1592. It was, according to our guide, originally intended to offer admission to all regardless of religion (all men, that is, as women have only been admitted within the past century). But twice in its history Catholics were barred from admission.

In one instance, Trinity required two oaths of all students: one to Britain (as an act of favor to the Anglican Church) and one against the doctrine of transubstantiation. The latter, of course, prevented any Catholics from the College.

The second instance came some years later when the Catholic Church prohibited its youth from matriculating, saying that those who did left Trinity decidedly less Catholic than when they went in. In reality, they were also directing potential Trinity Students to the newly created Catholic college in Dublin.

So much for that bit of history... but I found it interesting.

The campus is very old (of course) and its facilities very stately. I was most impressed by the library. It is the largest single-chamber library in the world and contains more than 4.5 million volumes. It is monumental.

We also saw there the Book of Kells. This is a very ancient copy of the four Gospels scribed and illustrated by Irish Monks nearly 1,500 years ago. They used the powder from ground rocks and plants to create very vivid colors. They are said to have spent their entire lives working on these beautiful books.

Next we rode the tour bus (double-deck, no top) through Dublin to Christ Church Cathedral. This is a beautiful, old Anglican church. One grave we saw in the crypt beneath the church dated back to 1709. The pipe organ had to be five stories tall. Also, Strongbow (the Norman invader) and his son are buried there.

Afterward, we headed for Planet Hollywood. Not a long wait this time. The food was great and we saw a few neat items from various movies.

[Since I wrote this entry, I have read C.S. Lewis’ autobiography, "Surprised by Joy," wherein he mentions summering with a cousin in Dundrum (though he lived in Belfast) and bicycling in the Wicklow Mountains. Apparently some of the stark landscapes he enjoyed there would later become an inspiration for the country of Narnia and its surrounding territories in the "Chronicles of Narnia" series.

The boys – who love the Narnia series – thought that was pretty cool that we had been right there where Lewis got his inspiration. So did I.]

3:10pm

Today Brian and I went to a par-three course on Bray Head. The weather was great (so was the view), but it was a bit windy. In spite of the wind, Brian and I both birdied a hole each (my first ever).

Tonight the ladies are going to a movie while Brian and I stay with the kids.

It seems unreal that we’ll be leaving tomorrow.

11:45pm

Brian and I rented "Hot Shots, Part Deux" while the ladies went to see "Seven Days and Six Nights." The kids watched "Toy Story" and played upstairs.

After another great steak barbecue (thanks, Brian) we went back to the flat. Nathan stayed at Deb and Brian’s (since Kyle got to stay there the other night). After we bundled up (it was a little cool, but very tolerable) we went down for a stroll on the esplanade. Nancy and Kyle got some cotton candy (which the Irish call "candy floss").

It’s so wonderful here. Someone told me, "there’s something about the island that just draws you back." In the relatively short time I’ve been here, I have to say I feel the same way. And, as we watched our last "interminable summer sunset" along the shore of the Irish Sea, I assured myself that, one day, we will be back. Hopefully sooner than later.

After some family photos tomorrow at Deb and Brian’s, we’ll go to the airport to begin our long way home. 

* * * *

That’s where my diary ends. So much more could be said, but I wanted to retain the original flavor of the entries as closely as possible. I could drone on endlessly about how we enjoyed our trip. But, for now, let me only add that it will be very interesting, one day, to compare this journal to my second attempt. And that day - God willing - will come.