Dublin to Wicklow

16th August
Dublin - Wicklow
Our sleep was broken several times through the night by a chap with the loudest voice shouting obsenities and trying to pick a fight with some other chap down in the alleyway behind the hotel. His mate was trying to calm him down which only seemed to rev him up more. So Connor and Paddy (I'm not making it up although it sounds like the beginning of an Irish joke) started yelling around about 2am, Paddy finally seemed to get Paddy to 'come along out of it with yourself' - but Connor made a return visit again at 5am. He obviously thought he had forgotten some obsenities from his extensive repotoire that he thought he would like to be adding.
It was good when the dining room was open and we could have breakfast. We were invited to a full Irish breakfast. Exactly the same as a full English breakfast, but hey we are in Ireland.
So with our map of Dublin and Den's information on the location of his Great Great Grandfather's house - off we set. The actual street wasn't named and it appeared to have been re-named. We spoke to a chap in an information booth. He told us that the street we wanted was the continuation of one of the named streets but was only named Frederick North St. between two cross roads. With that information we set of again with a lot more certainity. The houses in this section were numbered in a row - not evens one side and odds the other. Never seen that before, oh yeh - we're in Ireland. So number 34 - there it was - Den took some photos and then went to ask if he could have a look inside. The house is now virtually empty with one room on the ground floor being occupied by a very friendly solicitor. Den told him the story of it being the house where his great great Grandfather had lived and died. The solicitor, Peter, said go and take a walk through the house, only one or two rooms are locked up but to wander about where ever we liked. So we did. The house is still livable but very run down. It was incredible to be walking about in this house. We both took lots of photos. Den left his e-mail address with Peter so he could pass it on to the Landlord if he had anymore information he could pass on.
So back to the Arlington to collect our suitcases and wait for the hire car chap to collect us at noon. And so he did (sounds better with an Irish accent). Paperwork filled in blah blah blah and off we went on our way to County Wicklow . Wicklow is the name of the county, but we were also staying in Wicklow town. We travelled around Dublin city to avoid the worst of the traffic, so we saw some of the suburbs - then onto the M50 south. As we got further out we could see the lovely rolling hills and paddocks we had seen from the air as we flew into Dublin. The paddocks make that patchwork effect but instead of like in Australia where these patchs are huge in Ireland they are quite small and dividing the paddocks is a green hedge. It is really attractive. One rich green the next brown, some with sheep, lots of sheep close together, others with cows, and sometimes a mixture. The sheep we saw were mainly Suffolk.
We finally got off the M50S on the turn off to Wicklow, headed for the coast. The roads were very narrow and as well the shrubs and plants grow right to the edge of the road. So instead of a verge of green grass it is more like a hedge either side of the road. Everything here was very green and lush looking. It had started to rain a little as we drove out of Dublin but was just a few drops here and there and still quite warm. We found our B & B - Drom Ard. The welcoming committee was a golden labrador who loves to chew up buckets. We then met Cathy and shown our room. It was about twice the size of the one in Dublin. So then off to get some lunch -nearly 3pm so we were just a tad hungry!!! Wicklow town is very pretty. It is a real village style setting with lovely old shops either side of the road. Hanging baskets of flowers all of the way down the streets. A small park in the middle of the town. So we went into a little cafe and enjoyed a sandwich (which of course was a roll) and a coffee. By this time it had started to rain. We talked with a chap in a music shop where Den bought a music book. He was intrigued to meet people from Tasmania - he said he'd met people from Sydney but not Tasmania. He wanted to know all about our climate, industry, population etc. I don't think he has many visitors into his shop and was feeling a bit lonely. We also found a post card that we thought was most appropriate that you will see on the photo blog.
The only drawback to this picturesque town was that they didn't have any verandahs so we finished up quite wet. We spoke to the lady in the tourist info shop and she gave us directions to Glendalough (it means a valley between two lakes). Is it worth the trip in this rain? we asked. "Oh it will be grand - just a passing shower" So we set off on the 20plus k drive to find this old monastic site. It was a lovely drive that took us through a few quaint very small villages. The rain continued to get heavier and heavier. We reached our destination and Den bravely ran over to a vantage point to take a few photos and then soaked to the skin we started back. It was a very pretty place and it was disappointing the rain was so heavy. There were people heading back to their cars who had been on the walks who had on rain coats and they looked like drowned rats also!!!! Oh well back to Wicklow we found a pub - a very new swish one - by the bridge. We got even wetter getting from the car. So with our hair dripping wet and our clothes stuck to us we joined the other patrons, who were in much the same state, and had a lovely meal.
The rain had eased slightly, but we couldn't get much wetter, so back to the B & B. One channel on the TV showing East Enders - I don't think so - a shower to warm up and off to bed. Den down loaded the photos and it was lights out at 8.30pm. So nice to get an early night and catch up on some sleep. .