In an effort to minimize problems with jetlag, we did not plan a long drive after collecting our VW at Dublin Airport. We drove on secondary roads to the small town of Kells, which is not particularly remarkable except through its connection to the Book of Kells now at Trinity College. The remarkable illustrated manuscript had been moved from Iona around 900 to protect it from Vikings and was eventually removed to Dublin in the 1800s. But Kells was a nice town to walk around while we recovered from our flight.
The next morning, we circumnavigated Dublin to avoid city traffic and into the Wicklow Mountains where our first stop was Powerscourt Waterfall. Ireland was suffering a drought so the falls were not that impressive. Then we drove to Powerscourt House. The house had burned down in 1974 but the structure has been repurposed as a display center for local artists and historical information about the estate.
More country roads brought us to Laragh just down the road from Glendalough. We left our B&B for a 5 mile walk up to the Upper and Lower Lakes, passing St. Saviour's Priory ruin and admiring the Glendalough Round Tower beside the ruined Glendalough Cathedral.
The next day we drove south into County Wexford down to the busy market town of Enniscorthy. Michael had a wealth of historical information about the various rebellions which began here such as the Rebellion of 1798. It was quiet on the day we visited, but the traffic congestion was horrendous.
We took our time driving to Waterford City, using the ferry at Passage East to cross the River Suir. After dinner, we walked around looking at a city I thought I knew from my year in County Waterford. Actually, I had experienced only rather limited parts of the town. I don't remember ever seeing the Waterford City Walls, certainly not at night.
We had a goal in Waterford, to ride bikes down the Waterford Greenway to Dungarvan on the coast, so the next morning we picked up our rental hybrid bikes and made our way to the start of the path along the Suir River. The first section of the Greenway ran beside a few miles of track that had been retained to provide a tourist excursion on antique passenger cars.
But we soon left that behind and rode through deep countryside and a landscape few automobile drivers would ever see. Half way along the Greenway to Dungarvan we passed through Kilmacthomas and I followed my memory to Mahon Bridge just down the road from Rockmount House where I had spent my senior year of high school in absentia and taking a few correspondence courses to complete my graduation requirements.
After stopping in the new coffee house at the crossroad, we rode to the new car park and hiking trail up to Coumshingaun Lough. The trail is much more developed but it passes through some disturbingly desolate clear-cut forest plantations on the way to the scenic corrie that holds the lake. Despite the haze from heather burning on the hilltops, the cliffs were still impressive. And despite the chill of the water, Michael insisted on taking a dip.
