what's taters?

Our next stop was Ireland for Phil & Sinead’s wedding. Phil had borrowed his brother’s wii, and with a few aussie guests and a couple of beers, the result was sore shoulders and arms the next morning. Adam, Tam & I headed into Dublin for a day on the open top bus tour (still raining) and Guinness drinking while the bride and groom dealt with the last minute wedding business, or as the groom called it “bridesmaid’s business”. and followed with more wii.

Drinking Guinness in Dublin with Tam


Wednesday dawned sunny, and managed to stay that way. The wedding was a beautiful catholic service in a local church, with the reception in a castle. My first mistake was having a light breakfast, apparently tradition calls for a full irish breakfast with black and white pudding to keep you going because you don't eat again until dinner.

Phil asked me to point out that there were three types of potato served at the reception, and at every other meal we had in Ireland for that matter. Adam was a big fan of their creamy garlic potatoes. The wedding started at midday, we were drinking by 4pm, and so after an early dinner we were rather trashed and ready for the dancing to come to a close and go to bed. oh no. not at an Irish wedding. the dancing kept going until 2am, and just when we thought it was time to say good night, we were told about the resident (evil) bar where the drinking was to continue. at least they provided supper. we gave in at dawn (4am), leaving half the party behind, many of whom stayed out until breakfast.

The church


the bride waiting to walk down the aisle


the castle


the courtyard outside our room at the castle


the next day was lost to hangovers, but we did manage a lovely dinner at Dundalk, despite the rain returning in the form of a torrential downpour.

our last day was a bit more sightseeing: the neolithic burial chamber of Newgrange which is designed to be lit up by dawn at the winter solstice, and the hill of tara which has a long history as the seat of irish power by various groups. The roads tested my navigational skills as there are no road signs, it was a case of distinguishing the single track roads from driveways and then counting them, and then driving down them because only the major roads are two lanes.

the rolling green hills of Ireland


Newgrange - the tomb suvived because it collapsed and looked like a grassy hill for several thousand years, but they have (re)constructed the facade using the stones they found


Newgrange


Church on Tara, not suprisingly the church used it as a seat of power, as well as the druids, kings etc.


View from Tara


and with a final bbq (weather: 15 degree and drizzling, but nothing a jumping castle couldn't fix), at which we were once again out-drunk by the locals, we returned to soggy england. Congratulations to Phil and Sinead, and thanks to them and their families and friends for all their hospitality. we'll come back for that "real" drinking session you promised when our livers' have regenerated.