Easter Weekend

Happy Easter everyone! We had a fabulous easter weekend, enjoying the company of Susanna and Daniel and showing them around some of Irelands sights. It was great to see old friends again and fun to get out of Dublin and enjoy the sunny weather.

Susanna and Daniel arrived early on Good Friday after a long train + ferry trip from London. Matt whipped up another batch of hot cross buns for breakfast (very impressive) and then mid morning we went out to walk around the city center stopping at all the main sights around the place. I was very grateful for the sunny afternoon, Dublin is always more charming on a sunny day!

On Saturday we hired a car and drove west through Limerick and on further to the Burren and the Cliffs of Moher (otherwise known as the ‘Cliffs of Insanity’ to Princess Bride fans). Views from the cliffs were great and we enjoyed chilling out on the grass, eating icecreams and taking some fun photos. We also visited the Burren, stopping to look at an ancient dolmen tomb and to take in the great grey expanses of rock.  A second sunny day which was fantastic!!!

We spent Saturday night in Lisdoonvarna which is the self proclaimed home to Europe’s Largest Matchmaking festival every September. In April it was eerily quiet but we did find a little pub to sit in after dinner for a pint or two and some traditional Irish music. Charming apart from the rowdy group of lads in the back who decided to start a singing competition – I don’t think anyone won 😛

On Sunday I was delighted to wake up to yet another sunny day. We took a ferry out to Inis Oirr, the smallest of the Aran Islands. The island is crisscrossed with a maze of dry stone fences that divide up every area into small green plots. We followed a path across the island and took a turn that eventually tapered out and led us into a little off road excursion through fields and over fences. It was perfect sunny weather for exploring the island and by the end of the day we were all a little surnburnt. That’s a first for us in Ireland! When we left Inis Oirr the boat took us on a short cruise past the Cliffs of Moher before returning to port at Doolin. From there we drove back to Dublin, arriving just in time for dinner and a good nights sleep.

A fun weekend and possibly the best run of weather we’ve had for a weekend in Ireland so far. Thanks to Susanna and Daniel for the good company, the opportunity for a road trip, and the whitlocks and squiggle tops 🙂

Comment from Gill on 2009-05-03

Whitlocks at last!