Day 11

I have the best night’s sleep of the trip. The bed is comfy and the noise is low, even though we are n the main road.
I am woken at 12.28AM by my phone vibrating and trying to walk off around on the bedside table. By the time I am conscious enough to get to it I am too late. They leave no message, however it is an Australian number and thankfully they don’t call back.
I et off to sleep again and finally arise at about 7.00AM
We have one of those idiosyncratic showers that has two dials that rotate opposite directions. This one however screeched as you rotated in the warmth. The hotter the water the higher the screech. Finally by playing the two dials like a musical instrument you could get quite a good tune, then finally silence, except that is for the sound of running hot water.
So the first B of our B and B was good, what about the second.
The dining room overlooked the rising sun, the cereal selection good, the bacon and eggs and pancakes delicious, so all up a great place to stay.
Our host very, who is the cook, gives us some cues as to how to get to Limerick and we set off.
Tramore has a small harbour, with two points. On one point is two columns and on the next id three columns, one with a metal perched on top.
It appears Tramore Bay is very similar to the entrance to Waterford and too many ship were foundering in Tramore Bay, so Lloyds of London, sick of paying out the insurance built One tower at the entrance to Waterford, and two n the eastern headland of Tramore and three n the western headland as navigation markers.
We drove to look at them more closely, however the sun was rising in front of them and they were hard to photograph.
They day was cold with frost on the car window and the outside temp about 4C.
We stop at Anne’s Beach, freezing. A large lime kiln decaying on the shore. Lime was used to make fertiliser prior to the development of superphosphate.
This drive is along Ireland’s copper coast with evidence of copper mine in the form of powerhouses and chimneys.
We turn inland at Dungarvan, a small fishing village, and head for Lismore, a cathedral town. It has a charming bridge that passes Lismore castle, owned by the Duke of Devonshire. It looks like a castle, on the river with turrets and towers.
There is also a cathedral, which is open. On our walk up to it we are scarred shitless by a dog suddenly announcing his presence above our heads. He is patrolling a high wall that is running along our path. His tail is waging so I guess he is friendly.
We have a look in and find a memorial plaque to a member of the first AIF who died at Messines in Flanders in WW1. It’s rather sad.
The next objective is to cross the Knockmealdown Mountains through the Vee. It’s a very pleasant climb, until we get behind the man in the hat who’s car either has only 1 gear or he hadn’t found the other three. He finally turns off and we reach the Vee. It is the top of the pass, or saddle in the range. It has great view over Cahir and Tipperary. Guess what it does look a long way to Tipperary. We stop at the pass as there’s a statue set back off the road. It’s cold so i sit in the car and Sue heads off. It is the statue of Our Lady of Knock. Must be the patron saint of brothels!
The Vee is also the meeting point of a number of long distance walking trails neither of which I can remember.
It’s then a steep descent into Cahir, another caste town where we have lunch and internet access. I send Day 10 from there.
Then suddenly we are in Tipperary and discover it’s not such a long way after all. It’s a rather small village, like many we had passed through previously.
Limerick is the next stop, and guess what? We meet up with the man in the hat again. Different car but same style. He wanders all over the road, speed from 40 in the 60 zone to 80 in the 100 zone. Drives like Gavin Campbell. I finally get past, then get stuck behind a large tractor pulling a large trailer. The man in the hat catches up, to my chagrin.
Limerick is quite large with a very busy city centre. A park on the street pops up so we grab it and go for a stroll. Lots of cobbled streets, a very pleasant harbour with a river and a lock and a castle. The castle like Lismore looks like a castle.
We book a YHA at Sixmilebridge, which happens not surprisingly to be Six miles from Limerick and has a bridge. It was a mill town with water being channelled from the river to a weir that can be feed into the mill. The mill is long gone, the weir and sluice gates remain.
For a small town it has a variety of shops. Two surgeries, two chemists, a Thai, Indian, Chinese restaurant. The Indian does kebabs and pizza. There are at least 5 pubs, two hairdressers, two solicitors and that’s for a place the size of Gumeracha!
We visit Bunratty Castle, well we go in and find it too expensive, however visit the woollen mills close by. Have some nice woollen garments though I must say it leaves me all a bit unenthused.
The road leading into Bunratty, about 3 km long is lined with B and B’s. In fact I think there were only B and B’s.
The YHA, called the Jamaica Inn, for heaven’s sakes, is very quiet. Our room is about as far from the front door as could possibly be. It’s comfortable and warm.
We decide against a meal out and go for cheese and crackers with tuna for tea, washed down with some Sef Efriken red.
Tomorrow Dublin.