My brother, Kevin, and I took a bucket list trip to Ireland this fall. Daughter Natalie and her Philly crew – Skyler, Emily and Dez – organized the trek. These 20-somethings are already seasoned travelers.
The trip was inspired by our grandmother, Margaret Flaherty, the eldest daughter in a family of seven children in County Limerick. In 1908, Margaret emigrated to America, where she married our grandfather, Michael Marnell. Michael, of course, was Irish, from Tipperary.
For this trip, we focused on Ireland’s larger cities. Next visit, we’ll travel to our grandparents’ birthplaces.
We explored Dublin, then boarded Irish Rail for a visit to Killarney, three hours south of the capital. We took the daylong Ring of Kerry tour around the Iveragh Peninsula, with its stunning views of the rolling, countryside and rugged Atlantic beaches. We watched an eager dog named Jingo herd sheep. Kevin, Skyler and Emily hiked Torc Mountain in Killarney National Park.
As we reluctantly left Killarney, our garrulous Uber driver, Danny O’Sullivan, offered a typically bittersweet Irish farewell: “Sure, but if you don’t leave, you can’t come back.”
So lovely to see a post from Liz again! Good job, long-time friend!! So glad you were able to take that memorable trip.
What a great trip! My dad’s mother was a White, two generations after Frederico Bianchi migrated from Italy to the U.S. and changed his name to Fred White. My cousins once visited the family plot and history in Western Italy! Visiting the homeland is a wonderful thing. Merry Christmas!