Off To Ireland, Part 11!

 This was our last full day in Ireland.  What we did on this day was something I was eagerly awaiting the whole trip.  A visit to a sheep farm complete with sheep dog demonstration.

After overnighting in Galway, we enjoyed a lovely breakfast at our hotel and then boarded our tour bus.  We headed north to County Mayo.  Glen Keen Farm was our destination.

We met the young sheep dog.

He even let me pet him.

And Eleanor wasn't afraid of him.  He's a sheep dog, not a bunny dog, after all.

Waiting patiently...

OK!  Go get 'em!

Uh oh.  They ran off into the other pasture.

Not a problem.  He still quickly rounded them up and brought them to the pen.

Did I do a good job, Dad?

Do I get a snack?

After the demo, we headed to the farm house and the dog headed off to get his reward.  We were treated to a wonderful lunch and traditional Irish music and a wool spinning demonstration.

I was quite surprised to find that, according to our hostess who was doing the spinning demonstration, there are only TWO spinners in all of County Mayo.  If you have been reading Willow's Cottage blog for any amount of time, you will know that I am a spinner and know many other people (men and women) who spin.

Finally, it was time to depart.  I hugged the spinning wheel and wished it many more years of productivity creating yarn.

Then it was on to our very last stop...

Off To Ireland: Part 4

All buckled up and ready to leave Dublin and head for the country!  Our first day out of Dublin took us south and east away from the North Sea.

No houses.  Just green fields.

And cows.

Our first stop of the day was at a farm owned by an American woman who inherited her grandmother's property, Zwartbles Farm.  She raises sheep. And alpacas.

Guard alpacas, guarding the sheep and the gate.

Could I live here, surrounded by this garden?  Oh yes!

After we waved good-bye to our hostess and this beautiful place, we drove on to Kilkenny where we checked in to our hotel and set out to explore.

That big building in the background?  It's Kilkenny Castle!

There were so many beautiful churches!

We explored the town's pubs.

And listened to Irish music.

And walked past, in, and out of, all the small out of the way shops, alleys and buildings.

Finally, we were ready to walk back across the river to the hotel and settle in for the night.

Random things you see in the store windows...

And in gardens.