Bunratty Castle and Blarney Castle

Next we traveled to Bunratty Castle, located just outside Shannon Ireland. The castle was pretty neat. There's a huge folk park on the grounds of the castle. There's sheep and cows and ponies. There's also a lot of cute little shops and old buildings:

Bunratty Castle

Top of the castle! You can see the River Shannon in the background

SUCH CUTE LITTLE (giant) PUPPIES!

Little church in the folk park

Next we drove to Blarney! Home of the Blarney Castle and the Blarney Stone!!!!! This is the destination I had been looking forward to the most. For as long as I can remember, I've wanted to come to Ireland and kiss the Blarney Stone. If you kiss the stone, you apparently get the gift of gab. To kiss the stone, you have to lay on your back and lean backwards, while a strange man gropes the part of my body I hate most. But it's totally worth it. 

The gardens surrounding the castle are really nice. 

The castle up close

Shout-out to the professional photographer for taking this picture with my camera after my mom missed it the first time! 

Up so higghhhh

There's also a poison garden on the castle grounds! So cool. 

Poison Ivy. There were castor plants, tobacco, weed, and other "poison" plants. 

Blarney Castle has been the highlight of this trip for me. It was great to get to finally go here. 

Next: Rock of Cashel! 

Cliffs of Moher!

We left from Galway and headed off to the Cliffs of Moher. We drove through the Burren. It's full of switchbacks and narrow roads. I got carsick, so that was my contribution to the day.

Castle was closed since it was Sunday. booo

We had to stop here so that I wouldn't throw up

The Cliffs

There were tiny bugs flying all over the place. Sometimes they showed up in pictures. 

Also, the cliffs of Moher claim to be home to some puffins. I was very excited to see them, and then they weren't there. I was crushed. (and I don't care if it wasn't their "nesting season" or whatever nonsense they be playin'. I NEEDED A PUFFIN AND THE CLIFFS OF MOHER DID NOT DELIVER)

I did buy a small stuffed puffin and petted a wooden puffin to drown my sorrows.

We then spent the night in Shannon. I made sure that we did this, because I wanted to post a Facebook status saying that I was in Shannon. It was worth it. 

We ate here

LOOK AT HOW CUTE!

Next stop: Bunratty Folk Park and Blarney Castle

Donegal, Yeats' Grave, and Galway

My mother and her friend arrived in Derry on 11 October at around 4pm. I was very happy to see them, and even more excited to travel out of Derry. We headed first to Co. Donegal and stayed at a B&B in Donegal Town.
We ate at a delicious restaurant for dinner.

NOM NOM NOM FISH AND CHIPS

View from our B&B

There was a little castle so we stopped there on our way out. 

Tiny mom and Connie

We drove to Galway after Donegal. The views were great! On the way we noticed a church, so we pulled over. Turns out it's where William Butler Yeats is buried! NEAT!!

We had a short stop in Galway. We didn't do much here. We just ate dinner at a fancy Italian restaurant and slept. 

Next stop: Cliffs of Moher!

-Shannon

Belfast

I've been to Belfast, the capital of Northern Ireland, a couple times since arriving in Northern Ireland. The bus from Derry to Belfast is pretty cheap at £17 and only takes 2 hours.

View from a shopping center in central Belfast

City Hall

 I've visited the Ulster Museum, which is pretty cool. It's near Queens University and has some neat exhibits.

My personal favorite thing in the whole museum

Outside the Ulster Museum

So, I didn't know this until recently, but the Titanic was built in Belfast. Last year, to mark the 100 year anniversary of the sinking of the ship, Belfast opened a WONDERFUL museum. I've been to quite a few museums in my time, and the Titanic museum in Belfast is one of the best ones I've been to. 

The violin of one of the band members. It was found with his body.

Just outside Belfast is Carrickfergus Castle. It's pretty cheesy, but Kelly and I had fun. 

Kelly, watching for Vikings

Me, being a dummy

The divide between the Catholics and Protestants is a lot more pronounced in Belfast. 

Protestant area in Belfast

My University sponsored a trip to Belfast, and on the way back we encountered a large number of police officers. Our guide told us that the Protestants were having a parade and they wanted to march over to the Catholic area across the street. The Catholics didn't want this, so the police were called. There were probably about 20 armored police vans blocking the two sides from each other. 

On a lighter note, I met a celebrity. James Nesbitt  is the chancellor of the University of Ulster. He's an actor and is currently playing a dwarf in The Hobbit. 

He's a nice man. What is wrong with my eye?

I also saw a bus with my future husband Benedict Cumberbatch on it. 

I love him even with a creepy blonde wig on (that's true love)

And of course, finish the day off with a pint of Guinness. 

-Shannon