Exploring Ennis Ireland

Kim and I stumbled out of the taxi, shaking the stiffness out of our limbs.  We were very much feeling the effects of our stuffy, uncomfortable flight over the pond.  Gazing at my first Irish city through bleary eyes, I was instantly enchanted with the cute hamlet of Ennis.  Despite my jet-lagged state, I felt a of rush of exhilaration.  After months of planning and days of anticipation we were finally here!

 

On our final flight!

This grand adventure was hatched nearly six months prior.  With both Kim and I retired and wanting to travel, but our husbands still working, we thought "why not go somewhere together?"  I'm not sure how Ireland became our first choice destination, but it sounded like an interesting country to visit and became our focus.  We chose a tour company, scheduled flights, and began counting down the days.

My first glimpse of Ireland

Our tour would begin in Ennis.  Following the tour company's recommendations, Kim and I planned our arrival two days early to see the sights and hopefully recover from jet lag.

It took three flights to travel from Portland to Shannon, Ireland.  Our final flight, from Boston to Shannon was a red-eye, but due to a hot, stuffy cabin not much sleep was had.  (It also didn't help we were crammed in coach seats - next time I'm paying for the upgrade!)  The sun was just climbing over the horizon as our plane approached the Emerald Isle.  I captured the moment with a few phone snaps out the aircraft window as my excitement level started to rise.

The quiet streets of Ennis

Our flight landed at 6 am local time.  After deplaning, getting through customs, and the all-important potty break, Kim and I located the airport transportation desk.  In no time at all, we were whisked to a waiting taxi and on the road to Ennis.  Speeding through the countryside on the left side of the road took a little getting used to (also when our driver passed on the right instead of the left).  And boy, did our taxi driver go fast!   At one point Kim said she looked at the speedometer, saw that it read "130" and had an instant freakout - before she realized it was kilometers per hour.

Green, rock wall-lined pastures flew by and we marveled at the beautiful countryside.  Our driver helpfully pointed out a few tumble-down ruins and mentioned where we could find a castle or two.

Cathedral of Sts Peter and Paul, right across the street from our hotel

After a harrowing 20-minute drive, our taxi deposited us at the doorstep of our hotel.  At this early hour, our room was of course not remotely ready, so the desk clerks offered to store our luggage until we could check in.  What to do now?  It was a beautiful, but chilly morning and the town beckoned.  So Kim and I decided to walk off our stiffness with a stroll around Ennis.

Lots of cute little alleys

Our hotel was located in the heart of the city.  A lovely church, the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul, was located right across the street.  After checking out the church's exterior, we chose a random street that appeared would take us through the downtown core.

Found a bar in one alley (not open yet)

The streets of Ennis were quiet at this early hour (about 7:30 local time).  The shops were closed tight and there were hardly any pedestrians walking down the skinny sidewalks beside the extremely narrow one-lane roadway.  An occasional vehicle would roar down the street but that was it.  Not even the coffee shops were open yet!

My favorite door in Ennis

Sans traffic, Kim and I had the place to ourselves for exploration and photo-taking.  The main street was lined with cute, colorful buildings advertising all different kinds of businesses.  Of course, we noticed many of them were pubs!  I loved the colorful doors on several structures.  I especially liked one particular business (think it was a pub or hotel) featuring a bright red door with huge vines climbing up the walls.  I took a cell phone pic, intending to return with my big camera for some better images.  When I returned later, the door was open, so no second chance.  Good thing I got the image when I did!

Bridge over the River Fergus

Kim and I walked several blocks before turning around at a picturesque stone bridge spanning the River Fergus.  By then, starting to feel chilled from the morning's cold temps, hot beverages were sounding good.  Since nothing was yet open in town, we headed back to the hotel for breakfast.

Ennis Courthouse

Lucky for us, the hotel restaurant was open.  We plopped down at a table and blearily eyed the menu.  I'd had a bit of breakfast on the airplane, so wasn't very hungry yet.  Kim, however, was ready for some food.  She ordered a proper breakfast while I opted for a pot of tea.  It was such good tea, I ended up drinking the entire thing!

We greeted a pair of ladies dining at the next table and discovered they were part of our tour group (spoiler alert - by week's end we'd become fast friends.)  

Interesting row houses

We were really hoping our room would be ready early.  Starting to feel the effects of our long night on the plane, both of us wanted nothing more than to take a shower and nap.  But, upon finishing our breakfast, it was only 9 am.  (Time seems to creep by when you're waiting for something to open.)

Lots of Guinness advertising!

With nothing else to do we decided to explore more of Ennis.  Back onto the same road we walked.  But by this time the town had awakened and the main street was now full of vehicles driving full speed down the narrow lane.  The sidewalks were crammed with pedestrians, adults going to work and children in uniform, hustling to school.  What a difference two hours made!

Street view

Many of the shops had opened, and we window-shopped and ducked into a few of them.  I admired the nice views down O'Connell Street.  The steeple of Saints Peter and Paul Cathedral anchored the intersection by our hotel, while a tall column honoring Irish hero Daniel O'Connell soared above the opposite end.  The cathedral spire was so prominent we used it as a landmark many times to guide us back to our hotel.

The cathedral spire was our landmark

The cool thing about Ennis was there were several tiny alleys that connected the main streets.  Duck down any of them and you were transported into a totally different area.  Through one of the alleys, Kim and I discovered a small roundabout with some whimsical sculptures in the center.

Fun art in the roundabout

After another two hours of walking, my stomach was beginning to growl.  We found a restaurant open and were seated at a table.  Although it was still too early for lunch (they apparently didn't begin serving until noon and it was only 11:30) our server said he'd make an exception.  One waitress, noticing our American accents, asked where in the states we were from.  (We'd later learn that the Irish love listening to Americans talk.  Funny - I loved listening to the Irish!  Their accents were almost musical.)

Daniel O'Connell Monument (with a pigeon on his head)

As we were finishing up our early lunch Kim got a call from the hotel that our room was ready.  Yeah!  We hastily paid our bill and raced back.  

Loved these rock-faced buildings

Our room was really nice - it featured two king beds and a separate large sitting area with comfy chairs and a TV.  Also a huge bathroom with a walk-in shower.  We showered, relaxed, and Kim took a nap.  (I might've dozed off a bit too!)  But neither of us wanted to nap for too long, because then we'd never sleep tonight. So after an hour or so, I roused Kim and we decided to do some more exploring.

We toured Ennis Friary

We'd walked by Ennis Friary earlier but it wasn't yet open.  Returning that afternoon, we found the gate now swung wide.  After paying our admission the man behind the desk enthusiastically gave us a five-minute introduction on what were were about to see.

Carvings depict scenes from the passion of Christ

Established in the mid-13th century by the ruling O'Brien dynasty, this friary existed until the 16th century when monasteries all over Ireland were suppressed.  It was used by the Church of Ireland for a place of worship until the late 19th century.  The friary then fell into ruin.  It was returned to the Franciscan Order in 1969 and is now a designated National Monument of Ireland.

The altar was in this wall

Although some safety improvements have been made and a roof constructed over a portion of the old building, most of the friary remains in its ruined state.

Not sure why this sculpture was sitting on the lawn

It was fascinating to see the ancient stone walls, still standing after several centuries.   The friary contains many 15th and 16th century sculptures carved into the local hard limestone.  Several of these carvings depict scenes from the passion of Christ.  One of the most famous is that of St. Francis displaying the stigmata - marks resembling the wounds on the crucified body of Christ - which he is said to have received after a spiritual vision.

Reflections

The sacristy was most impressive.  It was a tall structure with a ribbed, barrel-vaulted ceiling.  The east window cast lovely reflections of the ruins.

Hard to get the entire building in one frame

We were so lucky to have a sunny day for our tour.  The blue sky really added to my photographs of the place.

Lots of graves in the lawn area

Outside the friary was a huge cemetery.  The final resting place for many of the friars that had lived here, it was interesting to read the tombstone inscriptions (ones that were still legible.)  Some of them appeared to be thousands of years old.  It was amazing to see these ancient graves and to realize they had survived over the centuries.

St. Francis displaying the stigmata

One of the things first on my Irish "to do" list was to enjoy of pint of Guinness, said to be the national drink of Ireland.  Kim and I love a good dark beer, so it was something we were both looking forward to trying.  Of course with our early arrival it was way to soon for alcohol (and it was the last thing we wanted at the time.)  But after our friary tour, we were both ready for a bit of refreshment of the malty variety.

We located a quiet pub off the main street.  Although it was only 4:30 we both decided it was "close enough."  

Our first of many Guinness pints!

One of the things we learned on this trip - pouring a proper pint of Guinness takes time.  But it was totally worth the wait!  Our first Guinness tasted amazing.  We sat back, sipped our beer, and enjoyed listening to the local radio station piped through the pub's speakers.  And of all things, we were surprised to discover it was playing mainly American music.

Bedtime came early our first night, and we were both tucked in and tuckered out by 8 pm.  But we had another full day in Ennis tomorrow, and I couldn't wait to ramble around more of this adorable little village.

Stay tuned for day two!