Tag Archives: Ireland

June 14, 2021 · 5:35 am

Ireland — Jerpoint Abbey exterior

We’re now skipping ahead four days. After our jaunt to Belfast, we departed Dublin the next day by air to Amsterdam. After a couple of days in Amsterdam we boarded Royal Caribbean’s cruise ship Brilliance of the Seas. From there we headed straight back to Ireland, making port in Waterford. Then it was onto a tour bus into the Irish countryside. First stop: the 16 century ruins of Jerpoint Abbey.

Jerpoint Abbey has quite the history behind it. Established in 1180, this Cistercians abbey flourished until 1541. That was the year the abbey fell victim to King Henry VIII’s 1536-1541 Dissolution of Monasteries. Which just goes to show that some men will do anything for a divorce.

Today we’re going to concentrate on enjoying the exterior of this 12th century (constructed in 1180) abbey. On Wednesday I’ll reveal to you some of the interior appointments of this fusion of late Norman and early English architecture.

As you can see, the early Gothic influences abound everywhere here:

But the Norman fortification influence is equally evident:

I’ll leave you today with this final image:

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June 9, 2021 · 5:35 am

Saying ‘Goodbye’ to Belfast; Returning to Dublin for dinner

Another tour destination on our Hop-on/Hop-off tour of Belfast was the Titanic Museum:

Time was running low however, so we did not disembark for entrance into the museum. I did manage to snag a shot of one of a nearby display, HMS Caroline (1914):

Of course, no visit to Belfast is quite complete without a journey to the historic Belfast Harland and Wolff Shipyard. Harland and Wolff began building ships in 1861, and is most famous for constructing ships for the White Star Line, including RMS Titanic, Olympic, and Britannic.

The hour grew late, and we had to catch a bus back to Dublin before we got stranded. So, back to Dublin it was for Ursula and me. Here we have the Samuel Beckett Bridge in Dublin:

This bridge is noted for an appearance reminiscent of a harp lying on its side; the harp being a national symbol of Ireland.

The sun was setting, giving Dublin a nice, warm glow that I took advantage of:

Finally, after a long day, it was time for dinner at a place we went back repeatedly during our stay in Dublin. That would be Quays Irish Restaurant. But today I was feeling more inclined toward some American fare, so I went with the chicken wings and a Smithwick’s Red Irish Ale: