I recently concluded an almost-two week journey around Ireland with a merry band of congenial WOWees (as I call my WOW! Travel Club travelers). The experience was remarkable for lots of reasons, some of which I’ve shared in my two previous blog posts. Here’s some more reasons . . .

On Day 4 we reluctantly departed Galway in the west of the country to venture into a different kind of heartland – the southeast. Our destination was County Kilkenny. More specifically, a magical country estate called Mount Juliet.

Along the way, I arranged for a visit to the Irish Harp Centre in the pretty riverside village of Castleconnell where a renowned harpist/composer/director named Janet Harbison lives in an historic schoolhouse of the 19th century. It’s an appropriate base for her to teach the traditional Irish harp. We sat in her cheery red kitchen enjoying fresh baked scones and tea as she regaled us with fascinating stories about her career and her life – most notably her work with aspiring musicians in Belfast to help the cause of peace and reconciliation in Northern Ireland.

We were all members of the “Clean Plate Club” after devouring scones around Janet’s kitchen table. My mischievous mate experiments with finger placement on the Irish harp.

After that, it was time for a lesson!

With several hundred additional hours of training, our WOW! Travel Club Harp Orchestra could have become a reality – but we didn’t have that much time . . .

Alas, it was time to move on. But since we were traveling through County Limerick …. you know what that means … a Limerick Contest, of course! With valuable prizes at stake, my WOWees rose to the occasion and submitted some fun ones – and a few unprintable ones that made me blush.

This one, from my hubby, did not win a prize, but he did get a reward that night!

  There once was a woman from Saginaw

  Who liked to make people say “awwww…”

  She did this because

  Everything that she does

  Is for “WOW” and not for a “waaaah”!

We enjoyed a lot of great craic on this delightful day, as we did on each day of our journey. If you’re not familiar with that term, ‘craic’ is a Gaelic word that represents a quintessentially Irish form of fun, humor, banter and/or conversation. Never forced or contrived, craic is a natural part of the social fabric of the Irish. Pubs are famous for good craic, but it can happen anywhere when the mood is right and the company is keen. And we were keen company!

There’s only one thing beyond my control on these journeys – the weather. It was essential that we have a fine afternoon to fully appreciate the surprise I’d arranged for our arrival at our hotel. And – as it would for our entire journey – the weather cooperated! So it was that bright blue skies and puffy white clouds greeted us as we entered Mount Juliet Estate – along with a red-coated horseman and his hunting hounds!

A red-suited horseman leads his 25 hounds – and our motor coach – down the entrance drive to Mount Juliet Estate.

The grounds were busting out all over with spring blooms!

Ancient trees and walled gardens add to the allure of Mount Juliet Estate.

The hounds – all 25 of ’em, would absolutely NOT cooperate for the group photo!

I was in “hound heaven” that afternoon! (Ssshhh – don’t tell my cats!)

Day 5 – Scott and I were off to Dublin on this day to see his daughter, Erica, graduate from Trinity College with her Masters Degree in Modern Irish History. Her thesis: Botanising China: Irish Imperial Networks and the Formation and Dissemination of Scientific Knowledge During the Late Nineteenth Century. (I’ve not yet read it, but I’m sure it’s spellbinding!)

Instead of renting a car, we took a bus. What a radical concept those Irish have thunk up … inter-city public transportation! Clean, comfortable and fast – the 2-hour journey was much more enjoyable and less stressful than renting a car.

(from left): Queen Elizabeth I looks down on the proceedings at the university she founded in 1592 in order to “civilize” Dublin; the historic and beautiful campus buildings; Erica and her proud parents.

“Over my dead body will women enter this college!” were the words of a former Provost, George Salmon. How fitting that just after his death in 1904, Trinity College was the first of the historic universities in Britain and Ireland to admit females! (Sidenote: 80% of those getting their Masters and PhD certificates on this day were women.)

Erica and friends pose with the slightly-peeved Provost!

Meanwhile, my WOWees enjoyed a fabulous day in the town of Kilkenny, visiting the castle and enjoying some much-needed retail therapy. Oh, and then there was the visit to Smithwick’s Brewery!

Wow – there’s so much more to share . . . but it’ll have to wait till next week!

Stay tuned . . . !