Erin Go Braugh
“Ireland go free!” The rally cry of many Irish revolutionaries. And our cheer as Amy finished the race, and we were free to wander the Irish countryside.
Our first stop outside Dublin… Galway. A bustling town with many small shops and pedestrian areas. Great for people watching (and bakeries that would leave Amy’s dad drooling). And a quick stop at Busker Browne’s, where our friend Sarah Mattecheck once worked as the Yankee bartender.
Next stop was Adare, en route to Dingle Peninsula. Amy enjoyed her first Irish Coffee of the trip (see photo below)–she has high hopes for many more, trying to compete with the record set by her mother and Billie McGinty during their last trip over to the Emerald Isle.
And on to Dingle Peninsula, arriving Wednesday evening. Retracing the steps of Amy’s grand adventure through Ireland 16 years ago, we stopped for a quick photo op in front of Murphy’s Pub (the Gonzaga clan may recognize the photo below). We explored the peninsula on Thursday, stopping at the Gallarus Oratory (see below), built about 1,300 years ago. It is one of Ireland’s best preserved early Christian churches, with brilliantly fitted drystone walls–not a drop of water seeps through.
