After a 2 year delay we finally made it to Ireland! It was even more than I imagined.
The 2020 Plan was to see Navy v Notre Dame in Dublin, then tour Ireland with Scott Riehl and Maureen Malinowski Riehl as our guides, staying in castles along the way.
The 2022 Plan turned into an Irish immersion experience with Scott and Maureen not only our guides, but our hosts as well. With the ability to ‘work from home’ they have been living on the Northwest Coast of Ireland for a few months. Like the Irish, Scott and Maureen opened their home and hearts to those they met along the way. By the time our little group arrived in August, Scott and Maureen were a part of the Kilcar community.
We stayed in Kilcar and visited the local area, including Sliabh Liag, Port, Glencolumkille, Glengesh Pass, Killybegs, Donegal and yes, Dublin on our way in and way out. We walked to the Tea House along the hilly coastal road. One evening after dinner Scott surprised us with a private sheepdog herding demonstration. Not many people experience boating on Ireland’s upper west coast, but we did, along the coast and out across the bay to Sligo. With Scott, nothing is out of consideration.
On top of enjoying the natural beauty of Ireland we also befriended her beautiful people thanks to our hosts: the owner of the local pub and his family; the owners of the tea house; the talented knitter who lives along the way to the tea house and sells her creations from her home; the father and son sheepdog herding duo who gave us that private demonstration; a local fisherman who spends months at a time at sea, and his family too; local budding musicians; neighbors; and a Scottish gent sailing solo to Ireland, only intending to stay a day or two in Kilcar, until he met Scott & Mo and decided to stay a ‘wee bit’ longer.
This experience is one that I, nor anyone in our little group, will ever forget. So much gratitude for Scott, Mo, Ireland and her people.
