It's not so long to Tipperary

 

The first leg of our 5 day tour from Annagassan to Kildare to Tipperary to The Glens of Aherlow, to Kinsale, to The Ring of Kerry, to Limerick!

The Girls found a tackstore and saddlery they fell in love with. Indeed it felt like a long-term relationship...

Ronan ended up with a necktie at the tack shop, but repurposed it as a Michael Jackson tie for dancing. 

Quick stop in Kildare for lunch and some racing and screaming around sacred sites.

Finally we arrived at Pat and Joan Ryan's house. This lovely couple are friends made during one of Bill and Barb's visits as they stayed at their B&B. Best story of the trip - Pat Ryan telling us that there are 132 other Patrick Ryan's at his bank alone. In Tipperary alone!  Almost as startling as Chris running into the same man in the checkout line at the grocery store three hours apart. Ah, Ireland. 

The Ryan's have a lovely AGA stove in the kitchen. When we toured Ireland with Tom Bowie 8 years ago the Ryan's treated us to a traditional Irish breakfast cooked with this stove. 

Oh, and there are horses. Patrick Ryan (Pat Ryan's son, naturally) trains a few of these beauties for steeple races. They were lovely with the kids, who each claimed one to take back to Canada.  

Joan Ryan with Ronan

Barb had dinner with the Ryans as we checked in to our house rental - part of a hotel complex called the Aherlow House. It brought some beautiful views, as long as you were not inside the house. Let's just say the economic crash was not kind to the place. Anyway, it was a place to rest and get ready for more adventures. 

Bubba and Stella - perfectly paired travel companions

The Curragh - a racecourse and training facility famous in and beyond Ireland

Sometimes sheep are not fenced. Sometimes these sheep run across the road. Protocol is to avoid them. Seems many of the Irish drivers do this without having to take foot off the gas.