Ireland July 04
We were privileged to visit Deirdre and Brian Cash at their home in Ireland. It was quite an adventure. We arrived at the Kerry airport in Southwest Ireland to a beautifully sunny afternoon. The drive to Durrow was dotted with quaint villages along the narrow roads. Our meeting point with Deirdre was to be, "Marty's Bar", a small pub on the edge of Durrow.
We arrived a few minutes ahead of schedule and looked around for "Marty's". Driving up and down the main road we were unable to locate the bar. We asked a few folks and in typical friendly Irish fashion they pointed us in the right direction...we again drove back and forth but could not locate "Marty's". Finally we were instructed to drive to the Black and White building immediately to our front as that was "Marty's Bar".
We drove to the designated building only to find the place was named "Bob's Bar". We went in and inquired as to whether Deirdre had arrived for our meeting. The owner introduced himself as Bob and asked us if we were meeting her at Marty's...and if that was the case we had the right place...this was our first Irish language lesson...obviously in Gaelic Bob means Marty! (Well not quite...seems the name of the Bar had changed that very day and everyone in town still knew it as Marty's...of course it will undoubtedly remain known, to the locals, as Marty's for years to come.)
Bob's Bar (AKA Marty's)
Deirdre lives, a short distance out of Durrow, in the Grooms Cottage of the old Moyne Estate. The estate is approximately 250 years old and the stone buildings are filled with "Old World" charm.
Moyne Gate
The estate is surrounded by green pastures, massive stone fences, and shaded country lanes.
Deirdre was a fabulous hostess and her hospitality was second to none. She made us feel like part of her family. Brian even took the time to entertain our son with a few minutes of video games.
