Choosing to go south west to Kerry for Easter had only one drawback. On the eve of my departure I was reading a newspaper article - “What’s on in the Irish Arts” - and found out that if I had gone north I would have had the opportunity to be entertained by Easter Rabbit arrivals, duck races and wet sponge throwing (the italics for emphasis was theirs). However, I continued with my plan and thank goodness for Irish late nights because all the Dubliners had slept in, and on Good Friday morning at 7am I had the road to myself. This was in fact a necessity to allow for the number of U turns I performed to get on to the correct road. (Not having a UBD is challenging). I kept thinking I had gone the wrong way until I worked out the road next to the canal which I was using to guide me, may not have changed direction but it changed its name – seven times in the space of about five kilometres!

However I made the famous ring road and didn’t get lost exiting from Dublin, on a glorious warm day. It took only 30kms of traveling on the motor way before I changed plans and that was owing to the small problem of suddenly not being able to see more than 40m in front of me due to fog. As the speed limit is 120kms per hour on the motorway and all the Irish drivers chose to not let a lack of visibility slow them down, I chose to make a quick exit and meander through the lesser roads to Waterford and Kilkenny.

It was one of those fortunate detours that allowed me to see something that no one has ever mentioned and is not featured in Lonely Planet. Beetling along in the slow lane at about 100kms an hour I saw this sign to Manor Bridge Falls – is that an enticing name or what? So I set off (hoping it wasn’t 30kms inland) and after only five kms found a beautiful, tall waterfall and an amazing view across whole counties and out to sea. I then saw a car drive over the hill above me (on what I thought was a poorly paved footpath) and it didn’t come back. So not to be out done, I followed and had the most exhilarating drive down into a spectacular valley. The exhilarating part came with not knowing what was around the corner and playing the game with a large tractor of who-is-going-to-back-up-to-let-the-other-vehicle-pass-in-the-single-car-lane (he won, he was much bigger than me).

I finished a lovely day with a visit to the surprisingly beautiful Blarney Castle and gardens. I only just avoided embarrassing myself by managing to not quite pass out after the obligatory kissing the Blarney Stone. Thank goodness for the lovely US couple who held me up until I stabilized - whoever thought up that tradition did not have low blood pressure. Anyway as you can see from the length of this blog the myth worked and I have now been blessed with the gift of the gab. Lucky you.

Love Cathy