18 1/2 hours from door to door was worth the trip to "the homeland" - as JZ calls it. JZ loved seeing his kiddos run in the fields just like he did as a child. We stayed in Nana's childhood country home in Clogh an hour outside Dublin in Kilkenny. This trip was nicknamed "Ireland Unplugged" since the farm house had no TV, no internet access/Wifi, no dishwasher, no clothes dryer - just the clothesline. The credit card didn't work until the third day after repeated calls to Citibank, and the rental car didn't start a few times until we had the rental car company come out to fix it! The kids loved playing in the beautiful green countryside with the pleasant weather. We traveled in the morning doing day trips and came home in the afternoon for baby's nap. Nana made great Irish food: homemade breads, biscuits, scones, cakes, as well as lamb, chicken, ham and more…it was all so yummy! It was great to spend so much time with Nana, Abuelo and our Irish family members. Everyone was so sad to go home and can't wait to go back. It was truly a trip of a lifetime.
At DFW airport before our long trip over the pond.
We had a few meltdowns before we even checked our luggage!
Handeling the first of many delays
Victoria's backpack literally weighed 55 punds!
He we go!!
Baby fell asleep as the first plane touched down in Chicago.
We made it! Clogh is a quaint, quiet, charming little village.
(The nearest grocery store is 2 towns away.) The farmhouse: three bedroom, one bathroom, (one outhouse), a garage, garden and field!
The Kilkenny flag
We made it - wearing the same clothes after more than 18 hours traveling. At the kitchen table with country ham, bread and butter. So glad to be at our destination.
Enjoying the Irish air! This beats running in the airport
HURLEY!
Uncle Bryan came down from Dublin on his motorbike, set up a tent to stay the night for the Sunday family reunion.
The Sunday family event!!! The lamb roasting on the spit.
Cousins: Eloise and Dervla (John's goddaughter)
The bounce slide was a hit - even though it was rainy the kids went down the slide! The cousins even went down wearing Abuelo's clothes!
Aunt Margot, Bridget holding Niev's baby, (JZ's cousin- daughter of Michael and Betty), and Niev (John's cousin Robert's wife- Robert is John and Margret's son)
Gwen (JZ's cousin, daughter of Michael and Betty), Aunt Margret, Aunt Margot
Cousins Lucas (Bryan's son), Dervla (daughter of Margot and Paul, Eloise (daughter of Joe and Della) Adam (son of Gwen and David) and his girlfriend
Cutting the lamb
Michael Fitzgerald (Nana's first cousin) and Gary O'Neill (son of Uncle William and Jane)
Vincent O'Neill and his wife
Uncle Michael
Uncle Bryan made his famous pies with O'Neill and Vic on the pie - so cute
Michael O'Neill (Nana's first cousin, son of Bryan O'Neill who is John O'Neill's brother) and Jimmy Carroll
Gary and John
Bread and Butter!
Oran (Robert's son) and O'Neill
Michael O'Neill's son
The "cooker" is the lifeline of the house; cooking the food, heating the house, drying the clothes...
The whole gang
The first day trip to Kilkenny.
Kilkenny Castle
There was a great playground next to the castle - perfect for our bunch.
The bounce house was still up so we took advantage!
Dublin
St Stephens Green
Needed to stop by Brown Thomas...
Bank of Ireland
Trinity College
O'Connell Street Bridge
Grafton Street performers
The lime tree lined drive up to the church in Clogh - next to the cow fields.
An Irish rainbow. This was Victoria's favorite thing about the trip.
This is the medical building in Clogh.
The old post office now a candy shop.
Old Coffey's Pub where the O'Neill's had many family gatherings which is now closed.
Cavanaugh's Pub
Donkey statue pulling a wagon full of coal - a throwback to the mining village
The gravestone of John and Bridget O'Neill in the Clogh church cemetery
The old school house where Nana went to primer school
Somers pub where JZ and I visited in 2004, now closed
Old water pump
One of the last thatched roof cottage homes in Ireland.
The Gaelic Athletic Association hurling field
41 Chatsworth Road is the address to the O'Neill family home
This junction is called O'Neill's Cross where Nana's father was born and was raised.
Mt Juliet Golf Resort and Spa
Castlecomer is about 10 minutes away where there is the Castlecomer Discovery Park. We attempted to fish, boat, shop, play and lunch.
We fished with can corned and our kids were so hungry they actually ate all of the corn!
The Elf and Fairy Village
Both kids loved the park's kids adventure course - an obstacle course for kiddos. They did it about 3 times...
Dunmore Cave. One of two natural caves in Ireland.
Rock of Cashel. The pillar of the catholic church in ireland in medieval times. Set on high rocks above the plains. Round towers in Ireland were used to signify religious places.
An old Cistercian Abbey Ruin
Durrow in County Loise had their 2015 All Ireland Scarecrow Festival.
Abuelo splitting wood to burn in our bonfire for marshmallows.
Aunt Patricia helped Victoria heal her sting from the nettles with the doc leaves.
O'Neill and Victoria getting tractor driving instructions by Vincent (Nana's first cousin who lives w few doors down)
There they go - driving by themselves
Kilkenny's Butler House Gardens
The artist who painted the picture JZ purchased from Kilkenny Designs
I literally ran into a heard of cows while I was out on a run.
The children meeting local Clogh residents - the Dodger and Jimmy Carroll
O'Neill and JZ playing hurly: a mixture of lacrosse, baseball and soccer. It's one of two national Irish games: gaelic football and hurling. County Kilkenny is a classic hurling county. All amateur league.
So long Ireland, until we meet again...
