June…..

Charles and Jason enjoyed a nice jet steam tail wind across the Atlantic Ocean for a non-stop flight from Pittsburgh to Shannon Ireland landing with fuel to spare in the slow drizzling rain of the island nation. Flying at Mach .8 they made the ocean flight of their journey in about 5 hours. Brian and Justin past the time in flight entertaining Gus who they decided to bring with them on their first vacation as a family. They were going to spend 12 nights in Ireland on a prearranged schedule Justin created as a Christmas gift for Brian; they would drive around Ireland in 10 days. Modifications were made for special transportation including security throughout their journey. The pilots were staying in Shannon and would be available in the event of an emergency requiring them to fly home quickly. A security detail was also hired for the jet 24/7.

The West Virginia family exited their plane and got into a waiting small limo with a driver provided by the tour service for their journey; he also serves as their tour guide.

“Welcome to Ireland Kinneys. With a name like that you started here for sure. I’m Dean and I’ll tell you all about our little island. Our first stop is to check you in at the Radisson Hotel in Limerick. They have a very nice spa there and very kid friendly I might say. Double suites have been reserved with separate bedrooms for you and the boy, and for your security men. All our reservations for you are that way.”

“How long are we in Limerick Dean?” Brian asked.

“Just one night; tomorrow we drive north in a zigzag way going to see the Cliffs of Moher, past the Burren to Rathbaun Farm, then to Galway and ending tomorrow’s trip at Clifden where you’ll stay at the Abbeyglen Castle Hotel; a mighty nice place she is too. The castle was built in 1832 and has deluxe suites and gourmet local seafood.” Minutes later they arrived at the hotel; a very modern and rich looking building. The bell hops took their entire luggage and then entered the lobby area. Justin walked up to the registration desk.

“Party of five for Kinney from Pittsburgh” Justin said to the handsome young man behind the counter.

“Yes, your adjourning rooms are ready; here are your key cards. Just sign my register and I need to copy your passports please. Your luggage is already being delivered for you.” Justin signed in and everyone provided his passport. Soon they were escorted to their rooms; Brian began to tip the man.

“No thank you sir; it’s already provided for me in your tour package. Have a wonderful stay.” The escort then went back to the elevators.

“Well that’s a relief; we don’t have to tip along the way.”

“I provided tips in my tour package for everyone Brian. We’ll carry very little cash with us and can use credit cards everywhere we go.”

“I’m hungry Jussin.”

“We can go eat first and come back and deal with our luggage Brian.” Justin got the guards and the party headed downstairs to the restaurant. They had their meals and returned to their rooms. Now the 5 year old was sleepy and it was dark outside. They put Gus to bed and had the guards watch him while then when downstairs to the pub and enjoyed several drinks and listened to traditional Irish music performed live. Once they had a good buzz they returned to their room and made love before falling asleep.

The next morning they slept in a bit to catch up on the jet fatigue of flying. Breakfast was room service. In no time they packed up and headed to their next destination: the Cliffs of Moher. Upon arriving Dean described this location.

“The Cliffs of Moher are one of Ireland's top Visitor attractions. The Cliffs are 214 meters high at the highest point and range for 8 kilometers over the Atlantic Ocean on the western seaboard of County Clare. Over there O'Brien's Tower stands proudly on a headland of the majestic Cliffs. From the Cliffs one can see the Aran Islands, Galway Bay, as well as The Twelve Pins, the Maum Turk Mountains in Connemara and Loop Head to the South. The Cliffs of Moher are home to one of the major colonies of cliff nesting seabirds in Ireland.” Once they experienced the tall cliffs and watched the birds they got into their limo and headed to their next stop.

“The thing about the Burren is that it’s not obvious. It's not like the Taj Mahal or the Grand Canyon or Ayer's Rock. You could be standing in the middle of it and asking the locals where it is. This has happened. Let's face it, grey stone, green fields and cows is basically what Ireland is to some people, and if you don't have a guide, you too could drive the length and breadth of the Burren and feel like you never really saw it. The Burren is an amazing place. It’s a karst limestone region of approximately 300 sq km which lies in the north west corner of Co Clare, in Ireland. It’s composed of limestone pavements, which are eroded in a distinctive pattern known as karren. This pavement is crisscrossed by cracks known as grykes and underneath the pavement there are huge caves and rivers that suddenly flood when it rains. It contains dozens of megalithic tombs and Celtic crosses and a ruined Cistercian Abbey from the 12th century, Corcomroe. You can find villages abandoned since famine times and green roads on which you can walk for miles without ever seeing a car. Now in springtime you will find rare wildflowers such as gentian and orchids and bloody cranesbill. I’m going to drive to the closest highlights and let you take some photos.” Dean told his clients as they drove into the unusual landscape.  After an hour exploring this unusual place they headed to their next destination.

The limo pulled into the city of Galway; it had a mixture of medieval and modern buildings. Justin loved this city for its beauty. Here they had lunch and visited the Galway City Museum with the best of Irish 20th century artists were on display. Time wasn’t wasted and soon the party was on the road again driving to Clifden Ireland where they would stay the night.

They checked into the five star Glenlo Abbey Hotel; a recently restored 18th Century manor house located on a 138 acre lakeside golf estate 4km from Galway city. They toured the city and ate at a local pub which allowed Gus inside.

The next day they drove to see Kylemore Abby; the oldest of the Irish Benedictine Abbeys. The Community of nuns, who have resided here since 1920, has a long history stretching back almost three hundred and forty years. Next they went to Westport; where Gus enjoyed visiting the Pirates Adventure Park.  Next they drove to Knock, Sligo, Drumcliff and finally ending at Bundoran for two nights there.

“Bundoran is a seaside resort with a never-ending appeal. With a wide variety of attractions, activities, quality accommodation, entertainment and places to eat and drink; you’ll never have a problem filling your itinerary. Bundoran truly is an all year round destination and hosts many exciting events and festivals throughout the calendar. Bundoran has something for everyone, whether you want an all action family holiday, a leisurely short break, the finest in live entertainment and music or to simply explore the surrounding countryside-it's all here waiting for you lads.” Dean the tour told them as they entered the city.

“I feel like I’ve already seen all of Ireland and we’ve only been here for two days.” Brian remarked.

“We’re moving at a very fast pace for a 5 year old with us Brian.” Justin said. “Are you getting tired?”

“Not at all; I love the scenery driving and seeing Ireland this way. Dean’s a great guide and knows his stuff.”

Over the remaining days the Kinney family visited: Donegal Bay, Bellek, Omagh, Derry, Dunluce Castle, Giant’s Causeway, the Antrim Coast, and ended that journey spending a night in Belfast.

Next they drove to the Mountains of Morne, Knowth, and then arrived for two nights in Dublin.

Their vacation led them to many more sights to see; Gus was amazed at the beauty of the island, the constant smell of the ocean, and the friendly people everywhere. After Dublin they stayed in Kilkenny for a night; then a night in Cork. Next they stayed two nights in Killarney before their final night back in Shannon Ireland before flying home the next morning.

The Kinney family had fun and took loads of photos but they were ready to get back to America. Jason landed the plane perfectly at Pittsburgh International Airport. A customs inspector was waiting for them as they filed a flight plan as required by law for international flights. Once they cleared customs inspection their limo was waiting and the traveling family headed home to West Virginia. If was still daylight when they got home since they gained 5 hours coming back to the east coast of America. Therefore, Gus was tired and ready for sleep before dinner time. They fed the boy a quick snack and tucked him into bed to sleep off his jet lag.

 “Well Brian, we have officially driven around the island of Ireland.” Justin said has they were having a drink and watching the TV in the media room.

“I admit at first I was afraid a driving trip would get boring but it was fantastic; there was so much to see and learn there. I had a great time Justin, and it was the perfect Christmas gift. I’m glad we took Gus too.”

“He was great for his age Brian; he never whined or complained about anything. He was on an adventure with his daddies and he couldn’t have been happier.”

“That was the longest vacation I’ve ever taken since I got out of college.”

“We worked fucking hard and deserved a break. I’m proud of you; not once did you call and check on the company.”

“I made of my mind to forget Kinnetik and have a good time. It worked and I’m ready to get back to it.”

“I’m curious to see what happened in the 12 days we were gone.”

“Well nobody called with an emergency so it must have been ok. You want another Cosmo before we eat?”

“Maybe one more won’t hurt me.” Brian got up and went to the bar room and make fresh drinks and brought them back.

“Next week we have Mom’s wedding and Ted’s the following week.”

“I’ll leave it to you to buy the gifts Sunshine.”

“I already got the necessary hints from Mom and Blake for that; I got it covered.”

“Thank you for giving me Ireland.”

“You can thank me properly tonight.”

The route Brian, Justin and Gus took around Ireland and where they stayed.