Thursday

The good news is that we found our B&B for the next two nights! That was no easy task, since 1) there's no specific address and 2) the road is not on any map. 

Advice: get a freaking GPS. 

Our host from last nite, a man called Barry, provided a lovely breakfast and conversation this morning. We found out that he had run a restaurant in London for 20+ years and retired at 55, planning to travel with his wife, Ann. However, she got sick and they moved to their holiday home in Ireland, where she was from. After she died, he figured he'd turn the place into a B&B. He's a lovely man who hosts a lot of fishermen. Listening to him made me sad for him and glad that we have not put off traveling until retirement (if we ever get to retire!). There's too much that can happen. 

Here's a photo that Cody took of the view from Barry's place:

After breakfast, we started out in Killaloe to investigate Brian Boru, high king of Ireland. Here's the scoop: he drove the Vikings out of Dublin and Limerick and tried to conquer the various Irish tribes to establish a more "European monarchy." He ended up being murdered by either a fleeing Viking or a Viking assassin, depending upon which piece of information you want to believe at the Brian Boru Heritage Centre. They had a video that was so strange and anachronistic, and we decided that they should hire Willy Bearden to make a new one. Anyway, Brian's dreams of a united Ireland died with him because his sons and his grandsons were killed in the battle that preceded Brian's demise. Brian was too old to fight, so he was chillin' in a tent, praying thanks for the victory of his army (I guess), when said Viking dude slated him. Brian took it in the head with an ax. You know that had to hurt. 

After judging the Heritage Centre to be unworthy because of its inconsistencies and ridiculous video, we hiked 1.5 k out of the town to the ring fort where they say Brian Boru may have been born or something (don't know who "they" are, but apparently they decide shit like this). Here is a panoramic shot of said ring fort and of the two Murrell boys contemplating it. 

Then it was back to Killaloe to walk around an old church and graveyard. 

We then tried to find and access a castle  with a name that I can neither remember nor pronounce. After driving down several roads, including a gravel one, we saw the castle and one fox but could not get close to either. I think that Dan has photos of the castle from afar. 

I have almost mastered the three point turn, thanks to the gents in the car who can see what's coming, but backing up is an entirely different game. It's quite odd, because everything is backwards from my viewpoint, and it screws with my cognitive orientation. I will be glad to get back to driving on the right side of the road.