Guinness on the go - a week in Ireland

[Duvel]

Prologue

With little one having almost two weeks of „Pentecost“ (Pfingsten) school holidays and last years hiatus from major holidays due to a new job, we decided to start up our holiday season already in May. My idea was to go to Ireland, because of the lovely nature, the food (of course) and also because I studied at UCD Dublin some 25 years ago … As my parents are not up to holidays on their own anymore, but my mom really wanted to see Ireland again, we took then along as well. So, here we go …
 

 

 

Edited June 2 by Duvel (log)

[Duvel]

The first day was rather unexciting. We had a smooth flight to Dublin and picked up the rental car …

 

 

The guys at the rental were very „concerned“ whether I would be able to drive with a manual transmission or could manage to drive on the left side with a slighly larger SUV. After ensuring them that a) in Germany 90% of the cars have manual transmission (although mine doesn‘t 😎) and b) that I own driving licenses from Japan and Hong Kong, with both driving on left, they stopped trying to sell me any extras …

 

A leisurely 3h drive later we arrived at our cottage in Killarney.

 

 

Little one found his spot while we were unloading …

 

 

Unfortunately the nearby pub didn‘t had the kitchen open, so we headed into town. My parents asked for live music, and that’s what we got …

 

 

 

First: that’s what I came for !

 

 

Food was nice, too - Pulled lamb burger …

 

 

Cottage pie - very good. Definitely have to put sage into mine at home, too …

 

 

Fish & chips (for both my father & little one - two portions, of course …)

 

 

And a braised lamb shank for yours truly …

 

We enjoyed the live music - a very lovely evening ensued 🤗 

 

Finally, at home I had another „local“ specialty (and a good nights sleep afterwards) …

 

[Duvel]

The next day started with rain, so a proper breakfast to maintain the insulation layer of my body was in order …

 

 

We headed out to the lovely Muckross abbey, just on the banks of the lower lake of Killarney …

 

 

Impressive combinations of architecture & flora …

 

 

With the odd Leprechaun sprinkled in for good measure.

 

 

 

A short one mile walk led past the lake itself …

 

 

… with almost Japanese sights …

 

 

… to Muckross house.

 

 

Where we enjoyed a second breakfast  …

 

 

Driving on further south we passed by the famous „ladies view“ (of course when it rained the most). From here you can see all lakes of Killarney …

 

 

The weather was very Irish. Some 10 min later we had „sunshine“ again …

 

 

And then again …

 

 

We drove on to Kildare, made a round and headed home again …

 

 

 

My parents were a bit done and didn’t wanted to go out again, so I drove to town, picked up some local lamb chops and ribeyes and made garlicky mash and a salad …

 

Lazy dinner …

 

 

 

 

No complaints. Especially not after another Redbreast 🤗

 

[weinoo]

Those lamb chops look great. How's their lamb - mild, or a little  more funky?

[Duvel]

6 minutes ago, weinoo said:

Those lamb chops look great. How's their lamb - mild, or a little  more funky?

It‘s mild tasting, even the fat. We do have good lamb here in Germany (especially at the Turkish butchers), but the Irish seems to be smaller (younger) and thus the fat is not yet infused with too much of the „goaty“ acid esters …

 

[KennethT]

Great start!!!  I'm hooked already. Can't wait to see what's next!  Will you be in Dublin at all?  My wife and I just finished reading Ulysses, which gives a virtual tour of the place, granted circa 1905 or so...

Edited June 2 by KennethT (log)

[Shelby]

Me too!!!  I love going on vacation with my Duvel family  

[Duvel]

5 minutes ago, KennethT said:

Great start!!!  I'm hooked already. Can't wait to see what's next!  Will you be in Dublin at all?  My wife and I just finished reading Ulysses, which gives a virtual tour of the place, granted circa 1905 or so...

Yes, there is a 1.5 day Dublin epilogue 🤗

 

Ulysses is a tough read (at least for a non-native speaker). I read it while studying in Dublin - and I managed to participate im Bloomsday in 1999 (which we missed by two weeks this time …).

[KennethT]

5 minutes ago, Duvel said:

Yes, there is a 1.5 day Dublin epilogue 🤗

 

Ulysses is a tough read (at least for a non-native speaker). I read it while studying in Dublin - and I managed to participate im Bloomsday in 1999 (which we missed by two weeks this time …).

Nice- I'm looking forward to it.  And yes, Ulysses is a tough read even for native speakers!  We did it in a Meetup group of about 20 of us, some of whom had read it several times already and some who even took college courses analyzing it.  Without the group, I don't think I would have finished it.  The group talked about a field trip to Dublin to do a Bloomsday, but it doesn't really work with our holiday schedule.

[rotuts]

I found this helpful :

 

https://www.amazon.com/James-Joyces-Ulysses-Stuart-Gilbert/dp/0394700139

 

and , after half a doz. Imperial pints of Guiness 

 

you can pretend to have read this :

 

https://www.amazon.com/FINNEGANS-WAKE-James-Joyce-ebook/dp/B09WYQ76CQ?ref_=ast_author_dp&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.whzHga2Tn67xiHwXf4C298McK5UALW-2qwELDqjBDrn5ExW9MzngM_310LggzllbYhePkvnBZkmBM3rFNYlnMa5LXVy5u0K-qEqSQlUOgFeljqSNTS6BHe4l3RAXzDoSf1mscstUox1mE3um2pHOjmHNfs5wPj2qKJNH-i7kgS_01est1t7wJjskwsKckVZ341d2m3J2SBIRDqBK_i74W6D_4T5_zQbWzPfqeHKClz4.JRCzYlALLRtOSiAclckp0UnW8ckirIu1KD-bB2A-ZpA&dib_tag=AUTHOR

 

then more Guiness , just in case.

 

 

[Duvel]

The transfer day (with flight and drive) and yesterdays sightseeing took a bit of a toll on my parents, so we decided for an easy day in town …

 

One might argue that no hearty breakfast was needed, but …

 

 

Killarney town is nice, but somewhat unremarkable. There is a castle …

 

 

… and some other „sights“.

 

 

Souvenir shops are aplenty as well …

 

 

We found a seafood place for late lumch and enjoyed the fresh produce:

 

Haddock and chips … excellent !

 

 

My fathers chowder …

 

 

Little ones fresh squid …

 

 

 

And the suggestion of the day: fresh brill. They put slices of chorizo, which weren’t necessary, but the fish itself was great. You could watch the cook filet the fish (as well as the squid before) …

 

 

Local IPA …

 

 

In the afternoon we stayed at home, playing games. I baked a brown soda bread for next day’s breakfast and/or dinner …

 

 

 

And started some beef & Guinness stew …

 

 

Without much calorie expenditure we had a light dinner …

 

 

And reclined early after may be one or two episodes of Shawn the Sheep and an equal number of Redbreast 🤗

 

 

 

Edited June 2 by Duvel (log)

[KennethT]

15 minutes ago, Duvel said:

 

 

And started some beef & Guinness stew …

Is that beef stew made while consuming Guinness or is there Guinness in the beef stew?  Or both!!!!  🤣

[Duvel]

2 minutes ago, KennethT said:

Is that beef stew made while consuming Guinness or is there Guinness in the beef stew?  Or both!!!!  🤣

Both - there was about one pint of Guinness in the stew, and I drank 2 x a half pint and added the rest in portions to the stew …

[rotuts]

 @Duvel

 

what a wonderful trip.

 

Tent-less.

 

if you are able , can you take a few more inside pics of where you are staying

 

esp.  the kitchen and kitchen stuff that went with it .

 

touchy question these day 

 

did you bring a few of your knives 

[Duvel]

22 minutes ago, rotuts said:

if you are able , can you take a few more inside pics of where you are staying

 

esp.  the kitchen and kitchen stuff that went with it .

 

touchy question these day 

 

did you bring a few of your knives 

Trip is done, let me check what I have on pictures …

 

Yes, I brought one medium Global knife (plus spices, bay leaf & yeast) 🤗

[Duvel]

Disclaimer: the following narrative  features a completely sunny and pleasantly warm day. Do not expect any of this during your upcoming Ireland trip.

 

Indeed it was a sunny day. Thanks to the 1h time shift between Germany and Ireland I got up pretty early to do what I like best (think of a full Irish breakfast picture here)… after yesterdays „rest day“ we packed up and headed to the Dingle peninsula, a bit northwest of the Killarney national park.

 

Dingle peninsula features pristine beaches, that were full of tiny little crabs trying not to get eaten by the flogs of seagulls patrolling around. Well …

 

 

 

A rare picture of the full Irish food chain …

 

 

All closely supervised by the head of the herd …

 

 

Some 1200 years ago, stone forts were all the rage and Dingle seemed to be prime real estate. The structures are just piled up, no concrete whatsoever … and still stand to this day.

 

 

With a view of the Skelligs (of 7th century monk or 21st century Star Wars fame) …

 

 

„Stone on stone“ construction principles applied also to this roadside cafe, where my parents needed to consume a caffeinated beverage …

 

 

Luckily, just next to the cafe this little road stall sold freshly picked crab meat in brioche rolls. They use lille brown crabs for that, and only the claw meat is used. It was very delicate and sweet …

 

 

 

Worthwhile !

 

After stopping at the peak …

 

 

… we visited the Gallarus Oratory. Again - just piled up stones, no concrete. 1200 years old.

 

 

No surprise with that wall thickness …

 

 

Finally arriving at Dingle, there was one shop I needed to see. So while all the others went for another coffee, I headed to the Little Cheese Shop, that has a great selection of Irish cheeses:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I also got two pounds of fresh mussels in the port and a little souvenir …

 

 

 

We arrived pretty tired, so I put together some dinner:

 

Cheeses, salmon paté and a Galway dry cured sausage …

 

 

Followed by beer-steamed Dingle mussels …

 

 

I love how my father always discovers his enthusiasm for foods I make 😎

 

 

Fruity beer to go with …

 

 

And then there was a serving of the beef & Guinness stew - gratinated with some garlicky mash (yes, I am thrifty with leftovers). Unfortunately, not such a good picture. Despite what you think, we were still hungry …

 

 

And finally a dessert - from my Dingle souvenir bottle !

 

 

 

 

Edited June 2 by Duvel (log)

[rotuts]

@Duvel

 

a fine selection of interesting cheeses.

 

Im not going to find any of them  around here.

 

wish I could .  I can taste them.

[rotuts]

@Duvel

 

if Im seeing this correctly

 

they wrote the name of the cheese down

 

on the inside of the wrapper , before they added the cheese no bout.

 

quite brilliant .

 

first time Ive seen that .

 

brilliant.

 

I should get out more.

 

to a real cheese shop.   there is one very near by.

[Duvel]

1 minute ago, rotuts said:

@Duvel

 

if Im seeing this correctly

 

they wrote the name of the cheese down

 

on the inside of the wrapper , before they added the cheese no bout.

 

quite brilliant .

 

first time Ive seen that .

 

brilliant.

 

I should get out more.

 

to a real cheese shop.   there is one very near by.

I think it’s nice to go to a good cheese shop - with a knowledgeable proprietor you can discuss with and who helps you to put together a nice cheese board. My „theme“ was raw milk & good with Guinness. Worked out like a charm 😎

[KennethT]

Love those cheeses... although I didn't see much blue in the blue!!!  Maybe the veins were hiding?  The stone on stone work is fascinating. I guess Ireland hasn't had many earthquakes in the last 1000 or so years. hehe...   Also interesting is that the crab roll place called them fries rather than chips.

[Duvel]

2 minutes ago, KennethT said:

Love those cheeses... although I didn't see much blue in the blue!!!  Maybe the veins were hiding?  The stone on stone work is fascinating. I guess Ireland hasn't had many earthquakes in the last 1000 or so years. hehe...   Also interesting is that the crab roll place called them fries rather than chips.

I was a bit sceptical about the blue cheese as well, especially as he had a Roquefort-lookalike just next to it. But this one was raw milk and despite the lacking visual aspects was very funky and „blue“-tasting - bit more in the Gorgonzola direction - creamy, yet sharp and funky.

[Shelby]

O M G

 

The cheeses....the stone work....the mussels FRESH mussels and.....THE CRAB ROLLS THE CRAB ROLLS.  I can almost taste the sweetness of those shreds.  And your dad is so...dadly and cute .

Edited June 2 by Shelby
spelling counts (log)

[TicTac]

Thanks for taking the time to take us along and share in your adventures.  I am in for all that cheese.  I can only imagine what trouble you are about to get up to at some distilleries! 

 

 

[TdeV]

Thanks so much for this lovely trip to Ireland and the great visit with the charming Duvel family. Now I'm hungry, of course.

[lindag]

On 6/2/2024 at 2:19 PM, Duvel said:

Disclaimer: the following narrative  features a completely sunny and pleasantly warm day. Do not expect any of this during your upcoming Ireland trip.

 

Indeed it was a sunny day. Thanks to the 1h time shift between Germany and Ireland I got up pretty early to do what I like best (think of a full Irish breakfast picture here)… after yesterdays „rest day“ we packed up and headed to the Dingle peninsula, a bit northwest of the Killarney national park.

 

Dingle peninsula features pristine beaches, that were full of tiny little crabs trying not to get eaten by the flogs of seagulls patrolling around. Well …

 

 

 

A rare picture of the full Irish food chain …

 

 

All closely supervised by the head of the herd …

 

 

Some 1200 years ago, stone forts were all the rage and Dingle seemed to be prime real estate. The structures are just piled up, no concrete whatsoever … and still stand to this day.

 

 

With a view of the Skelligs (of 7th century monk or 21st century Star Wars fame) …

 

 

„Stone on stone“ construction principles applied also to this roadside cafe, where my parents needed to consume a caffeinated beverage …

 

 

Luckily, just next to the cafe this little road stall sold freshly picked crab meat in brioche rolls. They use lille brown crabs for that, and only the claw meat is used. It was very delicate and sweet …

 

 

 

Worthwhile !

 

After stopping at the peak …

 

 

… we visited the Gallarus Oratory. Again - just piled up stones, no concrete. 1200 years old.

 

 

No surprise with that wall thickness …

 

 

Finally arriving at Dingle, there was one shop I needed to see. So while all the others went for another coffee, I headed to the Little Cheese Shop, that has a great selection of Irish cheeses:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I also got two pounds of fresh mussels in the port and a little souvenir …

 

 

 

We arrived pretty tired, so I put together some dinner:

 

Cheeses, salmon paté and a Galway dry cured sausage …

 

 

Followed by beer-steamed Dingle mussels …

 

 

I love how my father always discovers his enthusiasm for foods I make 😎

 

 

Fruity beer to go with …

 

 

And then there was a serving of the beef & Guinness stew - gratinated with some garlicky mash (yes, I am thrifty with leftovers). Unfortunately, not such a good picture. Despite what you think, we were still hungry …

 

 

And finally a dessert - from my Dingle souvenir bottle !

 

 

 

 

OMG, that Guinness Stew is killing me!  (as well as everything else you've shown).

That stew is now on my menu for tomorrow.