Friday 4th June

Today we started with a visit to the Hill of Tara which was quite fun, although we couldn’t go inside it, we walked around the grassy mounds. Beforehand, we watched a 20 minute “presentation video” which was quite good, and it was shown in the church, as it seemed to double up as the main visitors centre. Not only this, but there was a postcard rack and there was a postcard on it which was decent enough to send.  Although it was Knowth…..but at least I had been to that one..!

We were just about to leave the Hill of Tara for our next destination, when we realised there were a couple of shops which we visited - and lo and behold, THESE were exactly the sort of shops I was after! Shops selling local crafts and unique items, gifts, souvenirs. One shop wasn’t quite as nice as the other, but I ended up buying a small stained glass gift for someone and a little painting for myself. Finally, I managed to find myself something which I can take home and think of this holiday with!! Unfortunately they didn’t have a great deal in the way of a postcard selection.

We left for Trim, and Trim Castle. Trim seemed like yet another town not geared up for tourism really, with no souvenir shops in sight. The tourist information centre had a café and tiny gift shop which we decided to investigate, but it had very little in the way of nice souvenirs and although it had some postcards, there were none of anywhere in particular, but plenty of those really bad photo-shopped college images which I find cheesy and irritating! For a moment I thought I saw a postcard of the castle next door, but alas, it was a totally different castle although it was on the same river. No postcards of Trim castle at all.

Into Trim Castle we went, and we were given a couple of tokens which we would give someone when the tour of the keep began. We could only go into the keep with a tour, so this is what we did - and it wasn’t that expensive either. We walked around the ruined remains of the rest of the castle before finally starting the tour which was really very good indeed. The woman taking us around had obviously done this so many times before, she spoke fast, easily and seemed to know pretty much everything about everything!

Afterward, we realised that there was no gift shop as such, just a kiosk with a notice board which displayed leaflets, a souvenir booklet of the castle - which I have to say, is the first souvenir booklet I or Mathew had seen on this holiday - a poster and 4 postcards. Yes, postcards! BUT - they were reconstruction drawings of the castle, not photographs. As cute as they were, I like them but I would not have sent them to anyone. I was hoping that, since I had read about the town of Kells, there would be something more substantial. Little did I know I was going to be bitterly disappointed.

Arriving in Kells, the traffic was quite heavy. I thought this must be a really popular town, which I thought was because of it being a historic town. Driving through, I took the time to look around at the shops and quickly realised it was just another town in Ireland, with the usual grocery shop, butchers, hardware store etc. etc. So I knew that there was going to be no shopping “in town”. That left the Heritage Centre which I really had high expectations for, and after we realised it was just behind where we had parked, we decided to go in, although somewhat reluctantly because it looked pretty empty.

Inside, there was one reception desk with some leaflets, no shop, no gifts, no postcards. Mathew asked about an exhibition, and the lady informed us that the Heritage Centre was closed because it was having its roof repaired. They had brought a few things from the exhibition down into the foyer for people to see, but that was it. There was not even a mention of the “historic walking trail” around the town which I had read about so many times before we came here.

So, we ended up staying in Kells for the most part of 5 minutes before leaving for home. We were bitterly disappointed with Kells, but at least on the way home we found some fresh local strawberries being sold at the side of the road, which funnily enough I had mentioned to Mathew that I wanted for my waffles tomorrow. And there they were - these strawberry stalls by the side of the road! Seriously - what are the chances? We pulled over, I got out and bought a box and it was quite full so of course, I nibbled some on the way home.

So tomorrow we head west for County Clare for our second week in Ireland. Spending some time in the eastern counties of Ireland has taught us quite a few things so far:

1. There seems to be a signpost shortage, not only in the countryside, but on major junctions too. It seems that either nobody wants people to know where they are heading to, or there is an issue with people stealing signposts and selling them as scrap metal.  And I think the locals like turning the signs so they point the wrong way....!

2. The term “T-Junction” doesn’t seem to exist here. It’s “cross” or “cross roads” which can mean a junction of any kind.

3. The eastern counties of Co. Meath and Co. Wicklow at LEAST are not really geared up for tourism, despite there being plenty to see here. Indeed, there are lots and lots of things to see and do, but if you decide to spend a week on this side of the country, don’t expect there to be much in the way of souvenir shops, crafts or scenic postcards (that is, unless we have just been going to the wrong places and haven’t found these things).

4. Regarding the postcard thing - tourist attractions at least in the eastern counties of Meath and Wicklow, don’t seem to do postcards of the actual attraction itself, although you may have a few exceptions like Newgrange.

5. The Irish are very friendly and welcoming people.

6. There seems to be a strange Grapefruit Juice Conspiracy here. We just can’t find any grapefruit juice anywhere. Not even in Tesco….!!

So….onward to the next week of our holiday on the west coast of Ireland! Here’s to decent postcards and souvenirs, gifts and craft shops! I’ve been there before, I KNOW they exist!!