Luck of the Irish!

After a long day of flying, and a night which disappeared with the time change, we have finally arrived in Ireland! We landed at the Shannon Airport at 7:00 am this morning and were shuttled to Adare Manor where we are staying for the first part of our trip. My initial impression is that Ireland really is green! There were lots of trees, rolling hills, shrubs, and bushes . . . all green.


Adare Manor was built in 1832 by the Earl of Dunraven and his wife Carolyn Windham. It is huge and kind of reminds me of Hogwarts, the school from the Harry Potter series, with many corridors, tapestries, and pictures . . . an easy place to get lost in! There are 52 chimneys, 365 leaded glass windows, and 75 working fireplaces. Carved into what almost looks like railing at the spot where the roof meets the house are the words "Except the Lord build the house then labour is but lost that built it". There is also a plaque on the outside wall stating that the manor was built without incurring any debt!


Our room is on the fourth floor and very spacious. It is a corner room with two large windows, both of which overlook the river Maigue. We are in the back right hand side of the manor house so it is very quiet and peaceful. You can see where we are located on the following picture.


There is no air conditioning or central heating in the room, but with the windows open and a fan we have been very comfortable. There is a sitting area, desk, dresser, armoire, and lots of open space. The room is approximately 700 square feet!

The manor is on 848 acres of estate with sweeping parklands, cultivated gardens, and mature trees. Some of the trees are more than 300 years old and have been brought from various locations. One tree, a cedar of Lebanon, is the oldest and largest tree of its type in all of Ireland. There are lots of rock walls with ivy creeping over the ground, stones, walls, and tree trunks.


These are just two of the flowers we have seen as we walked the grounds today. The cool, humid weather is perfect for a variety of colorful flowers and green foliage.