Day Out in Dublin
Wandering Aran
Give up Paris, the Irish poet W.B. Yeats told fellow writer J.M. Synge, and go to the Aran Islands in order to “express a life that has never found expression.”
The budding playwright took the advice and traveled to the Aran Islands off Ireland’s West Coast. He returned full of ideas, incorporating island ways and dialect into works such as his lyrical play, “Riders to the Sea.”
Things have changed a bit since Synge made his pilgrimage in 1898, but even today this rocky outpost in Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way remains a place to find respite from modern life and move to a simpler rhythm.
Many visitors treat the islands as a day trip, taking the ferry or flight from Galway. But to really experience the islands’ charms, consider spending a few nights. Multiple B&Bs offer reasonable rates.
Click here to read this story, published by the Associated Press.
Locke’s Whiskey
Happiness is finding an Irish whiskey distillery with your name on it.
Yes, friends, there is a Locke’s Distillery and I have been there.
These days the distillery is known as Kilbeggan, the name of the small town in County Meath where it is located, and there have been a few changes of ownership; it’s now part of the Beam/Suntory portfolio. But the original name is still up on the chimney and when you ask the hotel to get you a taxi they tell the driver to take you to Locke’s, so I am totally claiming it.
We’re probably not related by blood (the Lockes in my family are Welsh/English).
But we certainly are kindred spirits.
I visited Kilbeggan in September as part of a 10-day visit to Ireland. Because I am a big chicken (and unadventurous driver) I did not drive but took the train from Dublin to Tullamore for about 20 euros. I stayed in the Tullamore Court Hotel, which is large and modern so not so much with the olde country charm but it does have the virtues of being close to the train station (and walking distance from the Tullamore D.E.W. distillery), comfortable, clean and reasonable. I paid around $70 for a large double and taxied over to Kilbeggan, which cost 15-20 euros.
I did not get to go in this car, which would have been cool. 
But I was driven in a very fine Mercedes Continue reading “Locke’s Whiskey”
Top 10 Reasons to Skip Ireland
No. 10: It’s always raining.
No. 9: The food is boring and stodgy Continue reading “Top 10 Reasons to Skip Ireland”